ARTES
18371
அரச
SCIENTIA
VERITAS
LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
LURIBUS UNUM
TUEBOR
SI-QUERIS-PENINSULAM-AMŒNAM
CIRCUMSPICE
GIFT OF
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Imag. Voy.
PR
3403
ROBINSON CRUSOE.

W.Wright delt
Wainwright sculpt
ROBINSON
CRUSOE.
VOL.1. Page 53.
THE
LIFE
AND
SURPRISING ADVENTURES
OF
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
BY DANIEL DE FOE.
FOUR ENGRAVINGS.
TWO VOLUMES IN ONE,
London:
J. CHIDLEY, 151, GOSWELL STREET.
1834.
THE
PREFACE.
IF ever the story of any private man's ad-
ventures in the world were worth making public,
and were acceptable when published, the Editor
of this account thinks this will be so.
The wonders of this man's life exceed all that,
he thinks, are to be found extant; the life of
one man being scarce capable of greater variety.
The story is told with modesty, with serious-
ness, and with a religious application of events
to the uses to which wise men always apply
them, viz. to the instruction of others by ex-
ample, and to justify and honour the wisdom of
Providence in all the variety of our circum-
stances, let them happen how they will.
iv
PREFACE.
The Editor
history of fact;
of fiction in it.
believes the thing to be a just
neither is there any appearance
However this may be, (for all
such things are disputed,) he is of opinion that
the improvement of it, as well to the diversion as
to the instruction of the Reader, will be the same;
and as such, he thinks, without farther compli-
ment to the world, he does them a great service
in the publication.
THE LIFE
AND
SURPRISING ADVENTURES
OF
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I
WAS born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good
family, though not of that country, my father being a
foreigner of Bremen, who settled first at Hull. He got a good
estate by merchandize, and, leaving off his trade, lived after-
wards at York; from whence he had married my mother,
whose relations were named Robinson, a very good family in
that country, and from whom I was called Robinson Kreutz-
naer; but, by the usual corruption of words in England,
we are now called, nay, we call ourselves, and write our name,
Crusoe; and so my companions always called me.
I had two elder brothers, one of whom was lieutenant-
colonel to an English regiment of foot in Flanders, formerly
commanded by the famous Colonel Lockhart, and was killed
at the battle near Dunkirk against the Spaniards. What be-
came of my second brother, I never knew, any more than my
father and mother did know what was become of me.
Being the third son of the family, and not bred to any trade,
my head began to be filled very early with rambling thoughts.
My father, who was very ancient, had given me a competent
share of learning, as far as house-education and a country free-
school generally go, and designed me for the law; but I would
be satisfied with nothing but going to sea; and my inclination
to this led me so strongly against the will, nay, the commands
VOL. I.
B
2
ADVENTURES OF
of my father, and against all the entreaties and persuasions of
my mother and other friends, that there seemed to be some-
thing fatal in that propension of nature, tending directly to the
life of misery which was to befall me.
My father, a wise and grave man, gave me serious and ex-
cellent counsel against what he foresaw was my design. He
called me one morning into his chamber, where he was con-
fined by the gout, and expostulated very warmly with me
upon this subject he asked me what reasons, more than a
mere wandering inclination, I had for leaving his house, and
my native country, where I might be well introduced, and
had a prospect of raising my fortune by application and in-
dustry, with a life of ease and pleasure. He told me it was
for men of desperate fortunes, on one hand, or of aspiring,
superior fortunes, on the other, who went abroad upon adven-
tures, to rise by enterprise, and make themselves famous in
undertakings of a nature out of the common road; that these
things were all either too far above me, or too far below me;
that mine was the middle state, or what might be called the
upper station of low life, which he had found, by long expe-
rience, was the best state in the world, the most suited to
human happiness, not exposed to the miseries and hardships,
the labour and sufferings of the mechanic part of mankind, and
not embarrassed with the pride, luxury, ambition and envy of
the upper part of mankind: he told me, I might judge of the
happiness of this state by one thing, viz. that this was the
state of life which all other people envied; that kings have
frequently lamented the miserable consequences of being born
to great things, and wished they had been placed in the middle
of two extremes, between the mean and the great; that the
wise man gave his testimony to this, as the just standard of
true felicity, when he prayed to have neither poverty and
riches.
He bid me observe it, and I should always find, that the
calamities of life were shared among the upper and lower part
of mankind; but that the middle station had the fewest dis-
asters, and was not exposed to so many vicissitudes as the
higher or lower part of mankind: nay, they were not subjected
to so many distempers and uneasinesses, either of body or
mind, as those were, who, by vicious living, luxury, and ex-
travagancies, on one hand, or by hard labour, want of neces-
saries, and mean and insufficient diet, on the other hand, bring
distempers upon themselves by the natural consequences of
their way of living; that the middle station of life was calcu-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
lated for all kind of virtues, and all kind of enjoyments; that
peace and plenty were the handmaids of a middle fortune;
that temperance, moderation, quietness, health, society, all
agreeable diversions, and all desirable pleasures, were the bless-
ings attending the middle station of life; that this way men
went silently and smoothly through the world, and comfortably
out of it, not embarrassed with the labours of the hands or of
the head, not sold to the life of slavery for daily bread, or
harassed with perplexed circumstances, which rob the soul of
peace, and the body of rest; not enraged with the passion of
envy, or secret burning lust of ambition for great things; but,
in easy circumstances, sliding gently through the world, and
sensibly tasting the sweets of living, without the bitter; feeling
that they are happy, and learning, by every day's experience,
to know it more sensibly.
After this, he pressed me earnestly, and in the most affec-
tionate manner, not to play the young man, nor to precipitate
myself into miseries which nature, and the station of life I was
born in, seemed to have provided against; that I was under
no necessity of seeking my bread; that he would do well for
me, and endeavour to enter me fairly into the station of life
which he had been just recommending to me; and that if I
was not very easy and happy in the world, it must be my
mere fate or fault that must hinder it; and that he should have
nothing to answer for, having thus discharged his duty in
warning me against measures which he knew would be to my
hurt: In a word, that as he would do very kind things for
me if I would stay and settle at home, as he directed, so he
would not have so much hand in my misfortunes as to give me
any encouragement to go away: and, to close all, he told me
I had my elder brother for an example, to whom he had used
the same earnest persuasions to keep him from going into the
Low Country wars, but could not prevail, his young desires
prompting him to run into the army, where he was killed;
and though, he said, he would not cease to pray for me, yet he
would venture to say to me, that if I did take this foolish step,
God would not bless me ; and I would have leisure, hereafter,
to reflect upon having neglected his counsel, when there might
be none to assist in my recovery.
I observed, in this last part of his discourse, which was
truly prophetic, though, I suppose, my father did not know it
to be so himself; I say, I observed the tears run down his
face very plentifully, especially when he spoke of my brother
who was killed; and that, when he spoke of my having leisure
4
ADVENTURES OF
to repent, and none to assist me, he was so moved, that he
broke off the discourse, and told me his heart was so full, he
could say no more to me.
I was sincerely affected with this discourse; as, indeed, who
could be otherwise? and I resolved not to think of going
abroad any more, but to settle at home, according to my
father's desire. But, alas! a few days wore it all off: and, in
short, to prevent any of my father's further importunities, in
a few weeks after I resolved to run quite away from him.
However, I did not act so hastily, neither, as my first heat of
resolution prompted; but I took my mother, at a time when I
thought her a little pleasanter than ordinary, and told her
that my thoughts were so entirely bent upon seeing the world,
that I should never settle to any thing with resolution enough
to go through with it, and my father had better give me his
consent than force me to go without it; that I was now
eighteen years old, which was too late to go apprentice to a
trade, or clerk to an attorney; that I was sure, if I did, I
should never serve out my time, and I should certainly run
away from my master before my time was out, and go to sea;
and if she would speak to my father to let me make but one
voyage abroad, if I came home again, and did not like it, I
would go no more; and I would promise, by a double dili-
gence, to recover the time I had lost.
This put my mother into a great passion: she told me she
knew it would be to no purpose to speak to my father upon
any such a subject; that he knew too well what was my inter-
est to give his consent to any thing so much for my hurt; and
that she wondered how I could think of any such thing, after
such a discourse as I had from my father, and such kind and
tender expressions as she knew my father had used to me:
and that, in short, if I would ruin myself, there was no help
for me; but I might depend I should never have their consent
to it: that for her part, she would not have so much hand in
my destruction; and I should never have it to say,
"that my
mother was willing when my father was not.
Though my mother refused to move it to my father, yet, as
I have heard afterwards, she reported all the discourse to him;
and that my father, after shewing a great concern at it, said to
her with a sigh, "That boy might be happy, if he would stay
at home; but, if he goes abroad, he will be the most mi-
serable wretch that ever was born; I can give no consent to it."
It was not till almost a year after this that I broke loose ;
though in the mean time I continued obstinately deaf to all
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
5
proposals of settling to business, and frequently expostulat-
ing with my father and mother about their being so positively
determined against what they knew my inclinations prompted
me to. But, being one day at Hull, where I went casually,
and without any purpose of making an elopement at that
time, and one of my companions then going to London by sea
in his father's ship, and prompting me to go with them by the
common allurement of seafaring men, viz. " that it should cost
me nothing for my passage," I consulted neither father nor
mother any more, nor so much as sent them word of it; but
left them to hear of it as they might, without asking God's
blessing, or my father's, without any consideration of circum-
stances or consequences, and in an ill hour, God knows.
On the 1st of September 1651, I went on board a ship bound
for London. Never any young adventurer's misfortunes, I
believe, began earlier, or continued longer, than mine. The
ship had no sooner got out of the Humber, than the wind
began to blow, and the waves to rise, in a most frightful manner;
and as I had never been at sea before, I was most inexpressibly
sick in body and terrified in mind: I began now seriously to
reflect upon what I had done, and how justly I was overtaken
by the judgment of Heaven, for wickedly leaving my father's
house, and abandoning my duty. All the good counsel of my
parents, my father's tears, and my mother's entreaties, came
now fresh into my mind; and my conscience, which was not
yet come to the pitch of hardiness to which it has been since,
reproached me with the contempt of advice, and the breach of
my duty to God and my father.
All this while the storm increased, and the sea, which I had
never been upon before, went very high, though nothing like
what I have seen many times since; no, nor what I saw a few
days after; but, such as it was, enough to affect me then, who
was but a young sailor, and had never known any thing of the
matter. I expected every wave would have swallowed us up, and
that every time the ship fell down, as I thought, in the trough
or hollow of the sea, we should never rise more; and in this
agony of mind I made many vows and resolutions, that if it
would please God to spare my life this voyage, if ever I got
my foot once on dry land, I would go directly home to my
father, and never set it into a ship again while I lived; that I
would take his advice, and never run myself into such mi-
series as these any more. Now I saw plainly the goodness of
his observations about the middle station of life; how easy, how
comfortable he had lived all his days, and never had been ex-
ADVENTURES OF
posed to tempests at sea or troubles on shore; and I resolved
that I would, like a true repenting prodigal, go home to my
father.
These wise and sober thoughts continued during the storm,
and indeed some time after; but the next day, as the wind was
abated, and the sea calmer, I began to be a little inured to it.
However, I was very grave that day, being also a little sea-
sick still but towards night the weather cleared up, the wind
was quite over, and a charming fine evening followed; the sun
went down perfectly clear, and rose so the next morning; and
having little or no wind, and a smooth sea, the sun shining
upon it, the sight was, as I thought, the most delightful that I
ever saw.
I had slept well in the night, and was now no more sea-sick,
but very cheerful, looking with wonder upon the sea that was
so rough and terrible the day before, and could be so calm and
pleasant in a little time after.
And now, lest my good resolutions should continue, my
companion, who had indeed enticed me away, came to me,
and said, "Well, Bob," clapping me on the shoulder, "how
do you do after it? I warrant you were frightened, wa'n't you,
last night, when it blew but a capfull of wind ?”—“ A cap-
"A
full, do you call it ?" said I; " 'twas a terrible storm."-" A
storm, you fool!" replies he, "do you call that a storm ?
Why, it was nothing at all; give us but a good ship and sea-
room, and we think nothing of such a squall of wind as that:
you are but a fresh-water sailor, Bob; come, let us make a
bowl of punch, and we'll forget all that. D'ye see what
charming weather 'tis now?" To make short this sad part of
my story, we went the way of all sailors; the punch was
made, and I was made drunk with it; and in that one night's
wickedness I drowned all my repentance, all my reflections
upon my past conduct, and all my resolutions for the future.
In a word, as the sea was returned to its smoothness of surface
and settled calmness by the abatement of the storm, so the
hurry of my thoughts being over, my fears and apprehensions
of being swallowed up by the sea forgotten, and the current
of my former desires returned, I entirely forgot the vows and
promises I had made in my distress. I found, indeed, some
intervals of reflection; and serious thoughts did, as it were,
endeavour to return again sometimes; but I shook them off,
and roused myself from them, as it were from a distemper,
and, applying myself to drink and company, soon mastered the
return of those fits,-for so I called them; and I had in five or
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
7
:
six days got as complete a victory over conscience as any young
fellow, that resolved not to be troubled with it, could desire.
But I was to have another trial for it still; and Providence, as
in such cases generally it does, resolved to leave me entirely
without excuse for if I would not take this for a deliverance,
the next was to be such a one as the worst and most hardened
wretch among us would confess both the danger and the mercy
of. The sixth day of our being at sea, we came into Yarmouth
roads; the wind having been contrary, and the weather calm,
we had made but little way since the storm. Here we wers
obliged to come to an anchor, and here we lay, the wind con-
tinuing contrary, viz. at south-west, for seven or eight days,
during which time a great many ships from Newcastle came
into the same roads, as the common harbour where the ships
might wait for a wind for the River. We had not, however,
rid here so long, and should have tided up the river, but that
the wind blew too fresh; and after we had lain four or five
days, blew very hard. However, the roads being reckoned as
good as a harbour, the anchorage good, and our ground-tackle
very strong, our men were unconcerned, and not in the least
apprehensive of danger, but spent the time in rest and mirth,
after the manner of the sea. But the eighth day, in the morn-
ing, the wind increased, and we had all hands at work to
strike our topmasts, and make every thing snug and close, that
the ship might ride as easy as possible. By noon the sea went
very high indeed, and our ship rode forecastle in, shipped
several seas, and we thought, once or twice, our anchor had
come home; upon which our master ordered out the sheet-
anchor; so that we rode with two anchors a-head, and the
cables veered out to the better end.
By this time it blew a terrible storm indeed; and now I be-
gan to see terror and amazement in the faces of even the sea-
men themselves. The master was vigilant in the business
of preserving the ship; but, as he went in and out of his cabin
by me, I could hear him softly say to himself several times,
"Lord, be merciful to us! we shall be all lost; we shall be
all undone !" and the like. During these first hurries I was
stupid, lying still in my cabin, which was in the steerage, and
cannot describe my temper. I could ill re-assume the first peni-
tence, which I had so apparently trampled upon, and hardened
myself against; I thought that the bitterness of death had been
past, and that this would be nothing too, like the first but
when the master himself came by me, as I said just now, and
said we should be all lost, I was dreadfully frightened. I got
3
ADVENTURES OF
up out of my cabin, and looked out; but such a dismal sight I
never saw; the sea went mountains high, and broke upon us
every three or four minutes. When I could look about, I
could see nothing but distress around us; two ships, that rid
near us, we found had cut their masts by the board, being
deeply laden; and our men cried out that a ship, which rid
about a mile a-head of us, was foundered. Two more ships,
being driven from their anchors, were run out of the roads to
sea, at all adventures, and that with not a mast standing. The
light ships fared the best, as not so much labouring in the sea;
but two or three of them drove, and came close by us, run-
ning away, with only their spritsails out, before the wind. To-
ward evening, the mate and boatswain begged the master of
our ship to let them cut away the foremast, which he was very
loth to do; but the boatswain protesting to him, that if he did
not the ship would founder, he consented; and when they
had cut away the foremast, the mainmast stood so loose, and
shook the ship so much, they were obliged to cut it away also,
and make a clear deck.
Any one may judge what a condition I must be in at all
this, who was but a young sailor, and who had been in such a
fright before at but a little. But if I can express, at this dis-
tance, the thoughts I had about me at that time, I was in ten-
fold more horror of mind upon account of my former convic-
tions, and the having returned from them to the resolutions I
had wickedly taken at first, than I was at death itself; and
these, added to the terror of the storm, put me into such a
condition, that I can by no words describe it. But the worst
was not come yet; the storm continued with such fury, that
the seamen themselves acknowledged they had never known a
worse. We had a good ship, but she was deep laden, and so
wallowed in the sea, that the seamen every now and then cried
out, she would founder. It was my advantage, in one respect,
that I did not know what they meant by "founder," till I in-
quired. However, the storm was so violent, that I saw, what
is not often seen, the master, the boatswain, and some others,
more sensible than the rest, at their prayers, and expecting
every moment the ship would go to the bottom. In the
middle of the night, and under all the rest of our distresses, one
of the men, that had been down on purpose to see, cried out,
we had sprung a leak ;" another said, "there was four feet
water in the hold." Then all hands were called to the pump.
At that very word, my heart, as I thought, died within me;
and I fell backwards upon the side of my bed, where I sat in
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
9
(C
the cabin. However, the men roused me, and told me,
"that I," who was able to do nothing before, was as well
able to pump as another:" at which I stirred up and went to
the pump, and worked very heartily. While this was doing,
the master seeing some light colliers who, not able to ride
out the storm, were obliged to slip and run away to sea, and
would not come near us, ordered us to fire a gun, as a signal
of distress. I, who knew nothing what that meant, was s0
surprised, that I thought the ship had broke, or some dreadful
thing had happened. In a word, I was so surprised, that I fell
down in a swoon. As this was a time when every body had
his own life to think of, no one minded me, or what was be-
come of me; but another man stept up to the pump, and
thrusting me aside with his foot, let me lie, thinking I had
been dead; and it was a great while before I came to my-
self.
We worked on; but the water increasing in the hold, it
was apparent that the ship would founder; and though the
storm began to abate a little, yet as it was not possible she
could swim till we might run into a port, so the master con-
tinued firing guns for help; and a light ship, who had rid it
out just a-head of us, ventured a boat out to help us.
It was
with the utmost hazard the boat came near us, but it was im-
possible for us to get on board, or for the boat to lie near the
ship's side; till at last the men rowing very heartily, and ven-
turing their lives to save ours, our men cast them a rope over
the stern with a buoy to it, and then veered it out a great
length, which they, after great labour and hazard, took hold of,
and we hauled them close under our stern, and got all into their
boat. It was to no purpose for them or us, after we were in
the boat, to think of reaching their own ship; so all agreed
to let her drive, and only to pull her in towards shore as
much as we could; and our master promised them, that if
the boat was staved upon shore, he would make it good to
their master; so partly rowing, and partly driving, our boat
went away to the northward, sloping towards the shore almost
as far as Winterton-Ness.
We were not much more than a quarter of an hour out of
our ship when we saw her sink; and then I understood, for the
first time, what was meant by a ship foundering in the sea. I
must acknowledge, I had hardly eyes to look up when the sea-
men told me," she was sinking;" for, from that moment,
they rather put me into the boat, than that I might be said to
go in. My heart was, as it were, dead within me, partly
C
ADVENTURES OF
with fright, partly with horror of mind, and the thoughts of
what was yet before me.
While we were in this condition, the men yet labouring at
the oar to bring the boat near the shore, we could see (when,
our boat mounting the waves, we were able to see the shore)
a great many people running along the strand, to assist us
when we should come near: but we made slow way towards
the shore; nor were we able to reach it, till, being past the
light-house at Winterton, the shore falls off to the westward,
towards Cromer, and so the land broke off a little the violence
of the wind. Here we got in, and, though not without much
difficulty, got all safe on shore, and walked afterwards on foot
to Yarmouth; where, as unfortunate men, we were used with
great humanity, as well by the magistrates of the town, who
assigned us good quarters, as by the particular merchants and
owners of ships; and had money given us sufficient to carry us
either to London or back to Hull, as we thought fit.
Had I now had the sense to have gone back to Hull, and
have gone home, I had been happy; and my father, an em-
blem of our blessed Saviour's parable, had even killed the
fatted calf for me; for, hearing the ship I went in was cast
away in Yarmouth roads, it was a great while before he had
any assurance that I was not drowned.
But my ill fate pushed me on with an obstinacy that nothing
could resist; and though I had several times loud calls from
my reason, and my more composed judgement, to go home,
yet I had no power to do it.-I know not what to call this,
nor will I urge that it is a secret, over-ruling decree, that
hurries us on to be the instruments of our own destruction,
even though it be before us, and that we rush upon it with
our eyes open. Certainly, nothing but some such decreed,
unavoidable misery attending, and which it was impossible for
me to escape, could have pushed me forward against the calm
reasonings and persuasions of my most retired thoughts, and
against two such visible instructions as I had met with in my
first attempt.
My comrade, who had helped to harden me before, and who
was the master's son, was now less forward than I: the first
time he spoke to me after we were at Yarmouth, which was
not till two or three days, for we were separated in the town
to several quarters; I say, the first time he saw me, it
appeared his tone was altered, and, looking very melancholy,
and shaking his head, asked me how I did: telling his father
who I was, and how I had come this voyage only for a trial,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
11
in order to go farther abroad. His father, turning to me, with
a grave and concerned tone, Young man," says he, "you
ought never to go to sea any more; you ought to take this for
a plain and visible token, that you are not to be a seafaring
man."-" Why, Sir?" said I; "will you go to sea no more?”
That is another case," said he; "it is my calling, and there-
fore my duty; but as you made this voyage for a trial, you see
what a taste Heaven has given you of what you are to expect
if you persist. Perhaps this has all befallen us on your account,
like Jonah in the ship of Tarshish.-Pray," continues he,
"what are you, and on what account did you go to sea?"
Upon that I told him some of my story; at the end of which
he burst out with a strange kind of passion. "What had I
done," said he, "that such an unhappy wretch should come
into my ship! I would not set my foot in the same ship with
thee again for a thousand pounds." This indeed was, as I said,
an excursion of his spirits, which were yet agitated by the sense
of his loss, and was farther than he could have authority to go.
-However, he afterwards talked very gravely to me; ex-
horted me to go back to my father, and not tempt Providence
to my ruin; told me, I might see a visible hand of Heaven
against me; and, young man,” said he, depend upon it,
if you do not go back, wherever you go, you will meet with
nothing but disasters and disappointments, till your father's
words are fulfilled upon you."
CC
We parted soon after, for I made him little answer, and I
saw him no more; which way he went, I know not: as for
me, having some money in my pocket, I travelled to London
by land; and there, as well as on the road, had many struggles
with myself what course of life I should take, and whether
I should go home or go to sea. As to going home, shame
opposed the best motions that offered to my thoughts; and it
immediately occurred to me how I should be laughed at among
the neighbours, and should be ashamed to see, not my father
and mother only, but even every body else. From whence I
have often since observed, how incongruous and irrational the
common temper of mankind is, especially of youth, to that
reason which ought to guide them in such cases, viz. that they
are not ashamed to sin, and yet are ashamed to repent; not
ashamed of the action, for which they ought justly to be
esteemed fools; but are ashamed of the returning, which only
can make them be esteemed wise men.
In this state of life, however, I remained some time, un-
certain what measures to take, and what course of life to lead
12
ADVENTURES OF
An irresistible reluctance continued to going home; and as I
stayed awhile, the remembrance of the distress I had been in
wore off; and, as that abated, the little motion I had in my
desires to a return wore off with it, till at last I quite laid aside
the thoughts of it, and looked out for a voyage. That evil in-
fluence which carried me first away from my father's house,
that hurried me into the wild and indigested notion of raising
my fortune, and that impressed those conceits so forcibly upon
me, as to make me deaf to all good advice, and to the en-
treaties, and even the commands of my father; I say, the same
influence, whatever it was, presented the most unfortunate of
all enterprizes to my view; and I went on board a vessel
bound to the coast of Africa; or, as our sailors vulgarly call it,
a voyage to Guinea.
It was my great misfortune, that in all these adventures I
did not ship myself as a sailor; whereby, though I might in-
deed have worked a little harder than ordinary, yet, at the same
time, I had learned the duty and office of a foremast-man,
and in time might have qualified myself for a mate or lieu-
tenant, if not a master: But as it was always my fate to choose
for the worse, so I did here; for having money in my pocket,
and good clothes upon my back, I would always go on board
in the habit of a gentleman; and so I neither had any business
in the ship, or learned to do any. It was my lot, first of all,
to fall into pretty good company in London; which does not
always happen to such loose and misguided young fellows as I
then was; the devil, generally, not omitting to lay some snare
for them very early. But it was not so with me: I first fell
acquainted with the master of a ship, who had been on the
coast of Guinea, and who, having had very good success there,
was resolved to go again. He, taking a fancy to my conver-
sation, which was not at all disagreeable at that time, and hear-
ing me say
"I had a mind to see the world," told me, that if
I would go the voyage with him, I should be at no expence ;
I should be his mess-mate and his companion; and if I could
carry any thing with me, I should have all the advantage of it
that the trade would admit; and perhaps I might meet with
some encouragement. I embraced the offer, and, entering
into a strict friendship with this captain, who was an honest
and plain-dealing man, I went the voyage with him, and
carried a small adventure with me; which, by the disinterested
honesty of my friend the captain, I increased very consider-
ably; for I carried about 40l. in such toys and trifles as the
captain directed me to buy. This 40l. I had mustered toge-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
13
ther by the assistance of some of my relations whom I corre-
sponded with; and who, I believe, got my father, or at least my
mother, to contribute so much as that to my first adventure.
This was the only voyage which I may say was successful in
all my adventures, and which I owe to the integrity and
honesty of my friend the captain; under whom also I got a
competent knowledge of the mathematics and the rules of na-
vigation, learned how to keep an account of the ship's course,
take an observation, and, in short, to understand some things
that were needful to be understood by a sailor: for as he
took delight to instruct me, I took delight to learn; and, in a
word, this voyage made me both a sailor and a merchant : for I
brought home 5 lb. 9 oz. of gold-dust for my adventure, which
yielded me in London, at my return, almost 300l. and this
filled me with those aspiring thoughts which have since so
completed my ruin. Yet even in this voyage I had my mis-
fortunes too; particularly, that I was continually sick, being
thrown into a violent calenture by the excessive heat of the
climate; our principal trading being upon the coast, from the
latitude of 15 degrees north, even to the Line itself.
I was now set up for a Guinea trader; and my friend, to
my great misfortune, dying soon after his arrival, I resolved
to go the same voyage again; and I embarked in the same
vessel with one who was his mate in the former voyage, and
had now got the command of the ship. This was the un-
happiest voyage that ever man made; for though I did not
carry quite 100l. of my new-gained wealth, so that I had 2001.
left, and which I lodged with my friend's widow, who was
very just to me, yet I fell into terrible misfortunes in this
voyage and the first was this, viz.-our ship, making her
course towards the Canary Islands, or rather between those
islands and the African shore, was surprised, in the grey of
the morning, by a Turkish rover, of Sallee, who gave chase to
us with all the sail she could make. We crowded also as
much canvas as our yards would spread, or our masts carry,
to get clear; but finding the pirate gained upon us, and
would certainly come up with us in a few hours, we prepared
to fight, our ship having 12 guns, and the rogue 18. About
three in the afternoon he came up with us; and bringing to,
by mistake, just athwart our quarter, instead of athwart our
stern, as he intended, we brought eight of our guns to bear on
that side, and poured in a broadside upon him, which made
him sheer off again, after returning our fire, and pouring in
also his small shot from near 200 men which he had on board.
14
ADVENTURES OF
However, we had not a man touched, all our men keeping
close. He prepared to attack us again, and we to defend our-
selves; but laying us on board the next time upon our other
quarter, he entered 60 men upon our decks, who immediately.
fell to cutting and hacking the sails and rigging. We plyed
them with small shot, half-pikes, powder-chests, and such
like, and cleared our deck of them twice. However, to cut
short this melancholy part of our story, our ship being disabled,
and three of our men killed and eight wounded, we were
obliged to yield, and were carried all prisoners into Sallee, a
port belonging to the Moors.
The usage I had there was not so dreadful as at first I ap-
prehended; nor was I carried up the country to the emperor's
court, as the rest of our men were, but was kept by the
captain of the rover as his proper prize, and made his slave,
being young and nimble, and fit for his business. At this
surprising change of my circumstances, from a merchant to a
miserable slave, I was perfectly overwhelmed; and now I
looked back upon my father's prophetic discourse to me,
"that
I should be miserable, and have none to relieve me ;" which
I thought was now so effectually brought to pass, that it could
not be worse; that now the hand of Heaven had overtaken
me, and I was undone, without redemption. But, alas! this
was but a taste of the misery I was to go through, as will
appear in the sequel of this story.
As my new patron, or master, had taken me home to his
house, so I was in hopes he would take me with him when he
went to sea again, believing that it would, some time or other,
be his fate to be taken by a Spanish or Portuguese man of war,
and that then I should be set at liberty. But this hope of
mine was soon taken away; for when he went to sea, he left
me on shore, to look after his little garden, and do the common
drudgery of slaves about his house; and when he came home
again from his cruise, he ordered me to lie in the cabin, to look
after the ship.
Here I meditated nothing but my escape, and what method
I might take to effect it, but found no way that had the least
probability in it. Nothing presented to make the supposition
of it rational; for I had nobody to communicate it to that
would embark with me; no fellow-slave, no Englishman,
Irishman, or Scotchman there but myself; so that for two
years, though I often pleased myself with the imagination, yet
I never had the least encouraging prospect of putting it in
practice.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
15
After about two years, an odd circumstance presented itself,
which put the old thought of making some attempt for my
liberty again in my head. My patron lying at home longer
than usual, without fitting out his ship, which, as I heard,
was for want of money, he used constantly, once or twice a
week, sometimes oftener, if the weather was fair, to take the
ship's pinnace, and go out into the road a fishing; and as he
always took me and a young Moresco with him to row the
boat, we made him very merry, and I proved very dexterous in
catching fish, insomuch that sometimes he would send me with
a Moor, one of his kinsmen, and the youth, the Moresco, as
they called him, to catch a dish of fish for him.
It happened one time, that going a fishing in a stark calm
morning, a fog rose so thick, that though we were not half a
league from the shore, we lost sight of it; and rowing, we
knew not whither, or which way, we laboured all day and all
the next night, and when the morning came, we found we had
pulled off to sea, instead of pulling in for the shore, and that
we were at least two leagues from the shore: However, we
got well in again, though with a great deal of labour, and some
danger, for the wind began to blow pretty fresh in the morn-
ing; but particularly we were all very hungry.
But our patron, warned by this disaste resolved to take
more care of himself for the future; and having lying by him
the long-boat of our English ship he had taken, he resolved he
would not go a fishing any more without a compass and some
provision ; so he ordered the carpenter of the ship, who was an
English slave, to build a little state-room or cabin in the middle
of the long-boat, like that of a barge, with a place to stand be-
hind it, to steer and haul home the main-sheet, and room be-
fore for a hand or two to stand and work the sails. She sailed
with what we call a shoulder of mutton sail, and the boom
gibb'd over the top of the cabin, which lay very snug and low,
and had in it room for him to lie, with a slave or two, and a
table to eat on, with some small lockers to put in some bottles
of such liquor as he thought fit to drink, and particularly his
bread, rice, and coffee.
We went frequently out with this boat a fishing, and as I
was most dexterous to catch fish for him, he never went with-
out me. It happened, that he had appointed to go out in this
boat, either for pleasure or for fish, with two or three Moors
of some distinction in that place, and for whom he had provided
extraordinarily, and had therefore sent on board the boat, over-
night, a larger store of provision than ordinary, and had ordered
16
ADVENTURES OF
me to get ready three fusees, with powder and shot, which were
on board his ship, for that they designed some sport of fowling
as well as fishing.
I got all things ready as he directed, and waited the next
morning with the boat washed clean, her ensign and pendants
out, and every thing to accommodate his guests: when, by and
by, my patron came on board alone, and told me his guests
had put off going, upon some business that fell out, and
ordered me, with the man and boy, as usual, to go out with
the boat, and catch them some fish, for that his friends were
to sup at his house; and commanded, that as soon as I had
got some fish, I should bring it home to his house: all which
I prepared to do.
This moment my former notions of deliverance darted into
my thoughts, for now I found I was like to have a little ship
at my command; and my master being gone, I prepared to
furnish myself, not for a fishing business, but for a voyage;
though I knew not, neither did I so much as consider, whither
I should steer; for any where, to get out of that place, was my
way.
My first contrivance was to make a pretence to speak to
this Moor, to get something for our subsistence on board; for
I told him we must not presume to eat of our patron's bread :
he said, that was true; so he brought a large basket of rusk or
biscuit, of their kind, and three jars with fresh water, into the
boat. I knew where my patron's case of bottles stood, which
it was evident, by the make, were taken out of some English
prize, and I conveyed them into the boat while the Moor was
on shore, as if they had been there before for our master. I
conveyed also a great lump of bees'-wax into the boat, which
weighed above half a hundred-weight, with a parcel of twine
or thread, a hatchet, a saw, and a hammer, all which were of
great use to us afterwards, especially the wax, to make candles.
Another trick I tried upon him, which he innocently came into
also: his name was Ismael, whom they call Muley, or Moley :
so I called to him, " Moley," said I, our patron's guns are
on board the boat, can you not get a little powder and shot
it may be we may kill some alcamies (fowls like our curlews)
for ourselves, for I know he keeps the gunner's stores in the
ship."-"Yes," says he, "I'll bring some;" and accordingly
he brought a great leather pouch, which held about a pound
and a half of powder, or rather more, and another with shot,
that had five or six pounds, with some bullets, and put all into
the boat at the same time I found some powder of my master's
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
17
in the great cabin, with which I filled one of the large bottles
in the case, which was almost empty, pouring what was in it
into another; and thus furnished with every thing needful, we
sailed out of the port to fish. The castle, which is at the
entrance of the port, knew who we were, and took no notice
of us; and we were not above a mile out of the port, before
we hauled in our sail, and set us down to fish. The wind
blew from N. N. E. which was contrary to my desire; for,
had it blown southerly, I had been sure to have made the coast
of Spain, and at last reached to the bay of Cadiz : but my re-
solutions were, blow which way it would, I would be gone
from the horrid place where I was, and leave the rest to fate.
After we had fished some time and catched nothing, for
when I had fish on my hook I would not pull them up, that
he might not see them, I said to the Moor, "This will not do ;
our master will not be thus served; we must stand farther
off." He, thinking no harm, agreed; and being at the head
of the boat, set the sails; and as I had the helm, I run the
boat near a league farther, and then brought to, as if I would
fish. Then giving the boy the helm, I stepped forward to
where the Moor was, and I took him by surprise, with my
arm under his waist, and tossed him clear overboard into the
sea. He rose immediately, for he swam like a cork, and
called to me, begged to be taken in, and told me he would
go
all
the world over with me. He swam so strong after the boat,
that he would have reached me very quickly, there being but
little wind; upon which I stepped into the cabin, and fetching
one of the fowling pieces, I presented it at him, and told him,
I had done him no hurt, and if he would be quiet, I would do
him none: "But," said I, you swim well enough to reach
the shore, and the sea is calm; make the best of your way
to shore, and I will do you no harm: but if you come near
the boat, I will shoot you through the head; for I am resolved
to have my liberty." So he turned himself about, and swam
for the shore; and I make no doubt but he reached it with
ease, for he was an excellent swimmer.
I could have been content to have taken this Moor with me
and have drowned the boy, but there was no venturing to trust
him. When he was gone, I turned to the boy, whom they
called Xury, and said to him, “ Xury, if you will be faithful
to me I will make you a great man; but if you will not stroke
your face to be true to me, (that is, swear by Mahomet and
his father's beard), I must throw you into the sea too." The
boy smiled in my face, and spoke so innocently, that I could
D
18
ADVENTURES OF
not mistrust him; and swore to be faithful to me, and go all
over the world with me.
While I was in view of the Moor that was swimming, I
stood out directly to sea with the boat, rather stretching to
windward, that they might think me gone towards the Strait's
mouth, (as indeed any one that had been in their wits must
have been supposed to do); for who would have supposed we
were sailing on to the southward, to the truly Barbarian coast,
where whole nations of Negroes were sure to surround us with
their canoes, and destroy us; where we could never once go
on shore but we should be devoured by savage beasts, or more
merciless savages of human kind ?
But as soon as it grew dusk in the evening, I changed my
course, and steered directly south and by east, bending my
course a little toward the east, that I might keep in with the
shore; and having a fair fresh gale of wind, and a smooth
quiet sea, I made such sail, that I believe by the next day, at
three o'clock in the afternoon, when I made the land, I could
not be less than 150 miles south of Sallee, quite beyond the
Emperor of Morocco's dominions, or indeed of any other king
thereabout; for we saw no people.
Yet such was the fright I had taken at the Moors, and the
dreadful apprehensions I had of falling into their hands, that
I would not stop, or go on shore, or come to an anchor, the
wind continuing fair, till I had sailed in that manner five days;
and then the wind shifting to the southward, I concluded also
that if any of our vessels were in chase of me, they also would
now give over: so I ventured to make to the coast, and came to
an anchor in the mouth of a little river; I knew not what or
where, neither what latitude, what country, what nation, or
what river. I neither saw, or desired to see, any people; the
principal thing I wanted was fresh water. We came into this
creek in the evening, resolving to swim on shore as soon as it
was dark, and discover the country: but as soon as it was
quite dark, we heard such dreadful noises of the barking,
roaring, and howling of wild creatures, of we knew not what
kinds, that the poor boy was ready to die with fear, and begged
of me not to go on shore till day. "Well, Xury," said I,
"then I will not; but it may be we may see men by day,
who will be as bad to us as those lions.'
"Then we may
give them the shoot-gun," says Xury, laughing; "make them
run way." Such English Xury spoke by conversing among us
slaves. However, I was glad to see the boy so cheerful, and
I gave him a dram out of our patron's case of bottles to cheer
93
ROBINSON CRUSOE
19
him up. After all, Xury's advice was good, and I took it
We dropped our little anchor, and lay still all night: I say,
still, for we slept none; for in two or three hours we saw vast
creatures, (we knew not what to call them), of many sorts, come
down to the sea-shore, and run into the water, wallowing and
washing themselves, for the pleasure of cooling themselves;
and they made such hideous howlings and yellings, that I never
indeed heard the like.
Xury was dreadfully frightened, and indeed so was I too
but we were both more frightened when we heard one of
these mighty creatures swimming towards our boat: we could
not see him, but we might hear him, by his blowing, to be a
monstrous, huge, and furious beast. Xury said it was a lion,
and it might be so, for aught I know; but poor Xury cried to
me to weigh the anchor, and row away. No," says I,
Xury; we can slip our cable with the buoy to it, and go off
to sea they cannot follow us far." I had no sooner said so,
but I perceived the creature (whatever it was) within two oars
length, which something surprised me; however, I immediately
stept to the cabin door, and, taking up my gun, fired at him;
upon which he immediately turned about, and swam to the
shore again.
But it is impossible to describe the horrible noises, and
hideous cries and howlings that were raised, as well upon the
edge of the shore as higher within the country, upon the noise
or report of the gun; a thing, I believe, those creatures had
never heard before. This convinced me there was no going on
shore for us in the night upon that coast: and how to venture
on shore in the day, was another question too; for to have
fallen into the hands of any of the savages, had been as bad as
to have fallen into the paws of lions and tigers; at least, we
were equally apprehensive of the danger of it.
Be that as it would, we were obliged to go on shore some-
where or other for water, for we had not a pint left in the
boat: when and where to get it was the point. Xury said, if
I would let him go on shore with one of the jars, he would
find if there was any water, and bring some to me. I asked
him why he would go; why I should not go, and he stay
in the boat. The boy answered with so much affection,
that he made me love him ever after. Says he,
"If wild
mans come, they eat me, you go way."-" Well, Xury," said
we will both go; and if the wild mans come, we will kill
them; they shall eat neither of us." So I gave Xury a piece
of rusk bread to eat, and a dram out of our patron's case of
I,
CC
20
ADVENTURES OF
bottles, which I mentioned before; and we hauled in the boat
as near the shore as we thought was proper, and so waded to
shore, carrying nothing but our arms, and two jars for water.
I did not care to go out of sight of the boat, fearing the
coming of canoes with savages down the river; but the boy,
seeing a low place about a mile up the country, rambled to it;
and, by and by, I saw him come running toward me. I thought
he was pursued by some savage, or frightened by some wild
beast, and I therefore ran forwards to help him; but when
I came nearer to him, I saw something hanging over his
shoulders, which was a creature that he had shot, like a hare,
but different in colour, and longer legs; however, we were
very glad of it, and it was very good meat: but the great joy
that poor Xury came with, was to tell me he had found good
water, and seen no wild mans.
But we found afterwards, that we need not take such pains
for water; for a little higher up the creek where we were, we
found the water fresh when the tide was out, which flowed
but a little way up; so we filled our jars, and, having a fire,
feasted on the hare we had killed; and prepared to go on our
way, having seen no footsteps of any human creature in that
part of the country.
As I had been one voyage to this coast before, I knew very
well that the islands of the Canaries, and the Cape de Verd
islands also, lay not far from the coast. But as I had no in-
struments to take an observation, to find what latitude we
were in ; and did not exactly know, or at least remember, what
latitude they were in, I knew not where to look for them, or
when to stand off to sea towards them, otherwise I might now
have easily found some of these islands. But my hope was,
that if I stood along this coast till I came to the part where
the English traded, I should find some of their vessels upon
their usual design of trade, that would relieve and take us in.
By the best of my calculation, the place where I now was
must be that country which, lying between the Emperor of
Morocco's dominions and the Negroes, lies waste, and unin-
habited, except by wild beasts; the Negroes having abandoned
it, and gone farther south, for fear of the Moors, and the
Moors not thinking it worth inhabiting, by reason of its barren-
ness: and, indeed, both forsaking it because of the prodigious
numbers of tigers, lions, leopards, and other furious creatures
which harbour there: so that the Moors use it for their hunt-
ing only, where they go like an army, two or three thousand
men at a time; and, indeed, for near a hundred miles toge-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
21
ther upon this coast, we saw nothing but a waste, uninhabited
country by day, and heard nothing but howlings and roaring
of wild beasts by night.
Once or twice, in the day time, I thought I saw the Pic
of Teneriffe, being the top of the mountain Teneriffe in the
Canaries, and had a great mind to venture out, in hopes of
reaching thither; but having tried twice, I was forced in
again by contrary winds; the sea also going too high for my
little vessel; so I resolved to pursue my first design, and keep
along the shore.
“
Several times I was obliged to land for fresh water, after we
had left this place; and once, in particular, being early in the
morning, we came to an anchor under a little point of land
which was pretty high; and the tide beginning to flow, we lay
still, to go farther in. Xury, whose eyes were more about him
than, it seems, mine were, calls softly to me, and tells me,
that we had best go farther off the shore; for, says he,
"look, yonder lies a dreadful monster on the side of that hil-
lock, fast asleep." I looked where he pointed, and saw a
dreadful monster indeed, for it was a terrible great lion, that
lay on the side of the shore, under the shade of a piece of the
hill, that hung, as it were, over him. "Xury," says I, you
shall go on shore and kill him." Xury looked frightened, and
said, "Me kill! he eat me at one mouth :" one mouthful be
meant. However, I said no more to the boy, but bade him be
still; and I took our biggest gun, which was almost musquet
bore, and loaded it with a good charge of powder, and with
two slugs, and laid it down; then I loaded another gun with
two bullets; and a third, for we had three pieces, I loaded
with five smaller bullets. I took the best aim I could with the
first piece, to have shot him in the head; but he lay so, with
his leg raised a little above his nose, that the slugs hit his leg
about the knee, and broke the bone: he started up, growling
at first, but finding his leg broke, fell down again, and then
got up upon three legs, and gave the most hideous roar that
ever I heard. I was a little surprised that I had not hit him on
the head; however, I took up the second piece immediately,
and though he began to move off, fired again, and shot him in
the head, and had the pleasure to see him drop, and make but
little noise, but lie struggling for life. Then Xury took heart,
and would have me let him go on shore. Well, go," said
I so the boy jumped into the water, and taking a little gun
in one hand, swam to shore with the other hand, and coming
close to the creature, put the muzzle of the piece to his ear, and
shot him in the head again, which dispatched him quite.
22
ADVENTURES OF
This was game, indeed, to us, but it was no food; and I
was very sorry to lose three charges of powder and shot upon a
creature that was good for nothing to us. However, Xury
said he would have some of him; so he comes on board, and
asked me to give him the hatchet: "For what, Xury?" said
I. "Me cut off his head," said he. However, Xury could
not cut off his head; but he cut off a foot, and brought it with
him, and it was a monstrous great one. I bethought myself,
however, that perhaps the skin of him might, one way or
other, be of some value to us; and I resolved to take off his
skin, if I could. So Xury and I went to work with him; but
Xury was much the better workman at it, for I knew very ill
how to do it. Indeed, it took us both up the whole day; but
at last we got off the hide of him, and spreading it on the top
of our cabin, the sun effectually dried it in two days time, and
it afterwards served me to lie upon.
After this stop, we made on to the southward continually,
for ten or twelve days, living very sparingly on our provisions,
which began to abate very much, and going no oftener into the
shore than we were obliged to for fresh water. My design in
this, was to make the river Gambia, or Senegal; that is to
say, any where about the Cape de Verd, where I was in hopes
to meet with some European ship; and if I did not, I knew
not what course I had to take, but to seek for the islands, or
perish among the negroes. I knew that all the ships from
Europe, which sailed either to the coast of Guinea, or to Brasil,
or to the East Indies, made this Cape, or those islands: and,
in a word, I put the whole of my fortune upon this single
point, either that I must meet with some ship, or must perish.
When I had pursued this resolution about ten days longer,
as I have said, I began to see that the land was inhabited; and
in two or three places, as we sailed by, we saw people stand
upon the shore to look at us: we could also perceive they
were quite black, and stark naked. I was once inclined to
have gone on shore to them; but Xury was my better coun-
sellor, and said to me, “ No go, no go,
No go, no go." However, I hauled
in nearer the shore, that I might talk to them; and I found
they run along the shore by me a good way. I observed they
had no weapons in their hands, except one, who had a long,
slender stick, which Xury said was a lance, and that they would
throw them a great way with good aim; so I kept at a dis-
tance, but talked to them by signs, as well as I could, and
particularly made signs for something to eat. They beckoned
to me to stop my boat, and they would fetch me some meat :
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
23
..
upon this, I lowered the top of my sail, and lay by, and two of
them run up into the country; and in less than half an hour
came back, and brought with them two pieces of dry flesh and
some corn, such as is the produce of their country; but we
neither knew what the one or the other was; however, we
were willing to accept it. But how to come at it was our
next dispute, for I was not for venturing on shore to them,
and they were as much afraid of us but they took a safe
way for us all, for they brought it to the shore, and laid it
down, and went and stood a great way off till we fetched it on
board, and then came close to us again.
We made signs of thanks to them, for we had nothing to
make them amends: but an opportunity offered that very
instant to oblige them wonderfully; for while we were lying
by the shore, came two mighty creatures, one pursuing the
other (as we took it) with great fury, from the mountains to-
wards the sea; whether it was the male pursuing the female,
or whether they were in sport or in rage, we could not tell,
any more than we could tell whether it was usual or strange ;
but I believe it was the latter, because, in the first place, those
ravenous creatures seldom appear but in the night; and, in the
second place, we found the people terribly frightened, especially
the women. The man that had the lance, or dart, did not fly
from them, but the rest did; however, as the two creatures
ran directly into the water, they did not seem to offer to fall
upon any of the negroes, but plunged themselves into the sea,
and swam about, as if they had come for their diversion: at
last, one of them began to come nearer our boat than at first I
expected; but I lay ready for him, for I had loaded my gun
with all possible expedition, and bade Xury load both the others.
As soon as he came fairly within my reach, I fired, and shot
him directly in the head: immediately he sunk down into the
water, but rose instantly, and plunged up and down, as if he
was struggling for life, and so indeed he was: he immediately
made to the shore; but between the wound, which was his
mortal hurt, and the strangling of the water, he died just be-
fore he reached the shore.
It is impossible to express the astonishment of these poor
creatures, at the noise and fire of my gun; some of them were
even ready to die for fear, and fell down as dead with the very
terror; but when they saw the creature dead, and sunk in the
water, and that I made signs to them to come to the shore
they took heart and came to the shore, and began to search for
the creature. I found him by his blood staining the water;
24
ADVENTURES OF
and by the help of a rope, which I slung round him, and gave
the negroes to haul, they dragged him on shore, and found
that it was a most curious leopard, spotted, and fine to an
admirable degree; and the negroes held up their hands with
admiration, to think what it was I had killed him with.
The other creature, frightened with the flash of fire and the
noise of the gun, swam on shore, and ran up directly to the
mountains from whence they came; nor could I, at that dis-
tance, know what it was. I found quickly the negroes were
for eating the flesh of this creature, so I was willing to have
them take it as a favour from me; which, when I made signs
to them that they might take him, they were very thankful for.
Immediately they fell to work with him; and though they had
no knife, yet, with a sharpened piece of wood, they took off
his skin as readily, and much more readily, than we could
have done with a knife. They offered me some of the flesh,
which I declined, making as if I would give it them, but made
signs for the skin, which they gave me very freely, and brought
me a great deal more of their provisions, which, though I did
not understand, yet I accepted. I then made signs to them for
some water, and held out one of my jars to them, turning it
bottom upward, to show that it was empty, and that I wanted
to have it filled. They called immediately to some of their
friends, and there came two women, and brought a great vessel
made of earth, and burnt, as I suppose, in the sun; this they
set down for me, as before, and I sent Xury on shore with my
jars, and filled them all three. The women were as stark
naked as the men.
I was now furnished with roots and corn, such as it was,
and water; and leaving my friendly negroes, I made forward
for about eleven days more, without offering to go near the
shore, till I saw the land run out a great length into the sea,
at about the distance of four or five leagues before me; and the
sea being very calm, I kept a large offing, to make this point.
At length, doubling the point, at about two leagues from the
land, I saw plainly land on the other side, to seaward: then I
concluded, as it was most certain indeed, that this was the
Cape de Verd, and those the islands, called, from thence, Cape
de Verd Islands. However, they were at a great distance, and
I could not well tell what I had best to do; for if I should be
taken with a gale of wind, I might neither reach one nor the
other.
In this dilemma, as I was very pensive, I stepped into the
cabin, and sat me down, Xury having the helm; when, on a
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
25
us,
sudden, the boy cried out, "Master, master, a ship with a
sail!" and the foolish boy was frightened out of his wits, think-
ing it must needs be some of his master's ships sent to pursue
when I knew we were gotten far enough out of their reach,
I jumped out of the cabin, and immediately saw, not only the
ship, but what she was, viz. that it was a Portuguese ship,
and, as I thought, was bound to the coast of Guinea for negroes
But, when I observed the course she steered, I was soon con-
vinced they were bound some other way, and did not design
to come any nearer to the shore: upon which, I stretched out
to sea as much as I could, resolving to speak with them, if
possible.
With all the sail I could make, I found I should not be able
to come in their way, but that they would be gone by before
I could make any signal to them: but after I had crowded to
the utmost, and began to despair, they, it seems, saw me, by
the help of their perspective glasses, and that it was some
European boat, which, they supposed, must belong to some
ship that was lost; so they shortened sail, to let me come up.
I was encouraged with this, and as I had my patron's ensign
on board, I made a waft of it to them, for a signal of distress,
and fired a gun, both which they saw; for they told me they
saw the smoke, though they did not hear the gun. Upon
these signals, they very kindly brought to, and lay by for me;
and in about three hours time I came up with them.
They asked me what I was in Portuguese, and in Spanish,
and in French, but I understood none of them; but, at last,
a Scotch sailor, who was on board, called to me, and I answered
him, and told him I was an Englishman, that I had made my
escape out of slavery from the Moors, at Sallee: they then
bade me come on board, and very kindly took me in, and all
my goods.
It was an inexpressible joy to me, which any one will
believe, that I was thus delivered, as I esteemed it, from such
a miserable, and almost hopeless, condition as I was in; and I
immediately offered all I had to the captain of the ship, as a
return for my deliverance; but he generously told me, he
would take nothing from me, but that all I had should be de-
livered safe to me, when I came to the Brasils.
❝ For,” says
he,
"I have saved your life on no other terms than I would
be glad to be saved myself; and it may, one time or other, be
my lot to be taken up in the same condition. Besides," said
he, "when I carry you to the Brasils, so great a way from
your own country, if 1 should take from
you what
VOL. I.
E
6
you have
26
ADVENTURES OF
you will be starved there, and then I only take away that life
I have given. No, no, Seignior Inglese," (Mr. Englishman),
says he ;
"I will carry you thither in charity, and these things
will help to buy your subsistence there, and your passage home
again."
As he was charitable in this proposal, so he was just in the
performance, to a tittle; for he ordered the seamen, that none
should offer to touch any thing I had then he took every
thing into his own possession, and gave me back an exact in-
ventory of them, that I might have them, even so much as my
three earthen jars.
As to my boat, it was a very good one; and that he saw, and
told me he would buy it of me for the ship's use; and asked me
what I would have for it? I told him, he had been so gener-
ous to me in every thing, that I could not offer to make any
price of the boat, but left it entirely to him: upon which, he
told me he would give me a note of hand to pay me eighty
pieces of eight for it at Brasil; and when it came there, if any
one offered to give more, he would make it up. He offered
me also sixty pieces of eight more for my boy Xury, which I
was loth to take; not that I was not willing to let the captain
have him, but I was very loth to sell the poor boy's liberty,
who had assisted me so faithfully in procuring my own. How-
ever, when I let him know my reason, he owned it to be just,
and offered me this medium, that he would give the boy an
obligation to set him free in ten years, if he turned Christian :
upon this, and Xury saying he was willing to go to him, I let
the captain have him.
We had a very good voyage to the Brasils, and arrived in the
Bay de Todos los Santos, or All Saints' Bay, in about twenty-
two days after. And now I was once more delivered from the
most miserable of all conditions of life; and what to do next
with myself, I was now to consider.
The generous treatment the captain gave me, I can never
enough remember: he would take nothing of me for my
passage, gave me twenty ducats for the leopard's skin, and
forty for the lion's skin, which I had in my boat, and caused
every thing I had in the ship to be punctually delivered to me;
and what I was willing to sell, he bought of me; such as the
case of bottles, two of my guns, and a piece of the lump of
bees'-wax,-for I had made candles of the rest in a word, I
made about two hundred and twenty pieces of eight of all my
cargo; and with this stock, I went on shore in the Brasils.
:.
I had not been long here, before I was recommended to the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
27
house of a good honest man, like himself, who had an ingenio,
as they call it, (that is, a plantation and a sugar-house.) I lived
with him some time, and acquainted myself, by that means,
with the manner of planting and making of sugar: and seeing
how well the planters lived, and how they got rich suddenly, I
resolved, if I could get a license to settle there, I would turn
planter among them: endeavouring, in the mean time, to find out
some way to get my money, which I had left in London, re-
mitted to me. To this purpose, getting a kind of a letter of
naturalization, I purchased as much land that was uncured as
my money would reach, and formed a plan for my plantation
and settlement; such a one as might be suitable to the stock
which I proposed to myself to receive from England.
I had a neighbour, a Portuguese of Lisbon, but born of Eng-
lish parents, whose name was Wells, and in much such circum-
stances as I was. I call him my neighbour, because his plan-
tation lay next to mine, and we went on very sociably together.
My stock was but low, as well as his; and we rather planted
for food than any thing else, for about two years. However
we began to increase, and our land began to come into order;
so that the third year we planted some tobacco, and made each
of us a large piece of ground ready for planting canes in the
year to come: but we both wanted help; and now I found,
more than before, I had done wrong in parting with my boy
Xury.
But, alas! for me to do wrong, that never did right, was no
great wonder. I had no remedy, but to go on : I had got into
an employment quite remote to my genius, and directly con-
trary to the life I delighted in, and for which I forsook my
father's house, and broke through all his good advice: nay, I
was coming into the very middle station, or upper degree of
low life, which my father advised me to before; and which, if
I resolved to go on with, I might as well have staid at home,
and never have fatigued myself in the world, as I had done :
and I used often to say to myself, "I could have done this as
well in England, among my friends, as have gone five thousand
miles off to do it among strangers and savages, in a wilderness,
and at such a distance as never to hear from any part of the
world that had the least knowledge of me."
In this manner, I used to look upon my condition with the
utmost regret. I had nobody to converse with, but now and
then this neighbour; no work to be done, but by the labour
of my hands; and I used to say, I lived just like a man cast
away upon some desolate island, that had nobody there but
28
ADVENTURES OF
himself. But how just has it been; and how should all men
reflect, that when they compare their present conditions with
others that are worse, Heaven may oblige them to make the ex-
change, and be convinced of their former felicity by their ex-
perience: I say, how just has it been, that the truly solitary
life I reflected on, in an island of mere desolation, should be
my lot, who had so often unjustly compared it with the life
which I then led, in which, had I continued, I had, in all pro-
bability, been exceeding prosperous and rich.
I was, in some degree, settled in my measures for carrying
on the plantation, before my kind friend, the captain of the
ship that took me up at sea, went back; for the ship remained
there, in providing his lading, and preparing for his voyage,
near three months; when, telling him what little stock I had
left behind me in London, he gave me this friendly and sincere
advice: "Seignior Inglese," says he, (for so he always called
me), "if you will give me letters, and a procuration here in
form to me, with orders to the person who has your money in
London, to send your effects to Lisbon, to such persons as I
shall direct, and in such goods as are proper for this country, I
will bring you the produce of them, God willing, at my return :
but, since human affairs are all subject to changes and disasters,
I would have you give orders for but one hundred pounds
sterling, which, you say, is half your stock, and let the hazard
be run for the first; so that if it come safe, you may order the
rest the same way; and, if it miscarry, you may have the other
half to have recourse to for your supply.'
""
This was so wholesome advice, and looked so friendly, that
I could not but be convinced it was the best course I could
take; so I accordingly prepared letters to the gentlewoman
with whom I had left my money, and a procuration to the
Portuguese captain, as he desired me.
I wrote the English captain's widow a full account of all my
adventures; my slavery, escape, and how I had met with the
Portuguese captain at sea, the humanity of his behaviour, and
what condition I was now in, with all other necessary direc-
tions for my supply; and when this honest captain came to
Lisbon, he found means, by some of the English merchants
there, to send over, not the order only, but a full account of
my story to a merchant at London, who represented it effec-
tually to her whereupon she not only delivered the money,
but, out of her own pocket, sent the Portuguese captain a
very handsome present for his humanity and charity to me.
The merchant in London, vesting this hundred pounds in
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
29
English goods, such as the captain had wrote for, sent them
directly to him at Lisbon, and he brought them all safe to me
at the Brasils among which, without my direction, (for I was
too young in my business to think of them), he had taken care
to have all sorts of tools, iron work, and utensils, necessary for
my plantation, and which were of great use to me.
When this cargo arrived, I thought my fortune made, for I
was surprised with the joy of it; and my good steward, the
captain, had laid out the five pounds, which my friend had
sent him as a present for himself, to purchase and bring me
over a servant, under bond for six years' service, and would not
accept of any consideration, except a little tobacco, which I
would have him accept, being of my own produce.
Neither was this all but my goods being all English manu-
factures, such as clothes, stuffs, baize, and things particularly
valuable and desirable in the country, I found means to sell
them to a very great advantage; so that I might say, I had
more than four times the value of my first cargo, and was now
infinitely beyond my poor neighbour, I mean in the advance-
ment of my plantation: for the first thing I did, I bought me
a negro slave, and an European servant also; I mean another
besides that which the captain brought me from Lisbon.
But as abused prosperity is oftentimes made the very means
of our greatest adversity, so was it with me. I went on the
next year with great success in my plantation; I raised fifty
great rolls of tobacco on my own ground, more than I had dis-
posed of for necessaries among my neighbours; and these fifty
rolls, being each of above 100 lb. were well cured, and laid
by against the return of the fleet from Lisbon: and now in-
creasing in business and in wealth, my head began to be full
of projects and undertakings beyond my reach; such as are,
indeed, often the ruin of the best heads in business. Had I
continued in the station I was now in, I had room for all the
happy things to have yet befallen me, for which my father so
earnestly recommended a quiet, retired life, and which he had
so sensibly described the middle station of life to be full of:
but other things attended me, and I was still to be the wilful
agent of all my own miseries; and, particularly, to increase my
fault, and double the reflections upon myself, which in my
future sorrows I should have leisure to make, all these mis-
carriages were procured by my apparent obstinate adhering to
my foolish inclination of wandering abroad, and pursuing that
inclination, in contradiction to the clearest views of doing my-
self good in a fair and plain pursuit of those prospects, and
30
ADVENTURES OF
those measures of life, which Nature and Providence concurred
to present me with, and to make my duty.
As I had once done thus in breaking away from my parents,
so I could not be content now, but I must go and leave the
happy view I had of being a rich and thriving man in my new
plantation, only to pursue a rash and immoderate desire of
rising faster than the nature of the thing admitted; and thus
I cast myself down again into the deepest gulph of human
misery that ever man fell into, or perhaps could be consistent
with life, and a state of health in the world.
To come, then, by just degrees, to the particulars of this
part of my story :-You may suppose, that having now lived
almost four years in the Brasils, and beginning to thrive and
prosper very well upon my plantation, I had not only learned
the language, but had contracted an acquaintance and friend-
ship among my fellow planters, as well as among the merchants
at St. Salvador, which was our port; and that, in my discourses
among them, I had frequently given them an account of iny
two voyages to the coast of Guinea, the manner of trading
with the negroes there, and how easy it was to purchase on
the coast, for trifles-such as beads, toys, knives, scissars,
hatchets, bits of glass, and the like-not only gold dust, Guinea
grains, elephants' teeth, &c. but negroes, for the service of the
Brasils, in great numbers.
They listened always very attentively to my discourses on
these heads, but especially to that part which related to the
buying negroes; which was a trade, at that time, not only not
far entered into, but, as far as it was, had been carried on by
the Assientos, or permission of the kings of Spain and Portugal,
and engrossed from the public; so that few negroes were
bought, and those excessive dear.
It happened, being in company with some merchants and
planters of my acquaintance, and talking of those things very
earnestly, three of them came to me the next morning, and
told me they had been musing very much upon what I had
discoursed with them of the last night, and they came to make
a secret proposal to me: and, after enjoining me to secresy,
they told me that they had a mind to fit out a ship to go to
Guinea; that they had all plantations as well as I, and were
straitened for nothing so much as servants; that as it was a
trade that could not be carried on, because they could not
publicly sell the negroes when they came home, so they desired
to make but one voyage, to bring the negroes on shore
privately, and divide them among their own plantations: and,
י
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
31
in a word, the question was, whether I would go their super-
cargo in the ship, to manage the trading part upon the coast of
Guinea? and they offered me that I should have an equal share
of the negroes, without providing any part of the stock.
This was a fair proposal, it must be confessed, had it been
made to any one that had not a settlement and plantation of
his own to look after, which was in a fair way of coming to be
very considerable, and with a good stock upon it.
But for me,
that was thus entered and established, and had nothing to do
but go on as I had begun, for three or four years more, and to
have sent for the other hundred pounds from England; and
who, in that time, and with that little addition, could scarce
have failed of being worth three or four thousand pounds ster-
ling, and that increasing too; for me to think of such a voyage,
was the most preposterous thing that ever man, in such cir-
cumstances, could be guilty of,
But I, that was born to be my own destroyer, could no more
resist the offer, than I could restrain my first rambling designs,
when my father's good counsel was lost upon me. In a word,
I told them I would go with all my heart, if they would under-
take to look after my plantation in my absence, and would dis-
pose of it to such as I should direct, if I miscarried. This they
all engaged to do, and entered into writings or covenants to do
so and I made a formal will, disposing of my plantation and
effects, in case of my death; making the captain of the ship
that had saved my life, as before, my universal heir; but
obliging him to dispose of my effects as I had directed in my
will; one half of the produce being to himself, and the other
to be shipped to England.
In short, I took all possible caution to preserve my effects,
and to keep up my plantation: had I used half as much pru-
dence to have looked into my own interest, and have made a
judgement of what I ought to have done and not to have done,
I had certainly never gone away from so prosperous an under-
taking, leaving all the probable views of a thriving circum-
stance, and gone upon a voyage to sea, attended with all its
common hazards, to say nothing of the reasons I had to expect
particular misfortunes to myself.
But I was hurried on, and obeyed blindly the dictates of my
fancy, rather than my reason: and, accordingly, the ship being
fitted out, and the cargo furnished, and all things done as by
agreement, by my partners in the voyage, I went on board in
an evil hour again, the first of September 1659, being the
same day eight years that I went from my father and mother
32
ADVENTURES OF
at Hull, in order to act the rebel to their authority, and the
fool to my own interest.
The same day I went on board we set sail, standing away to
the northward upon our own coast, with design to stretch over
for the African coast. When they came about ten or twelve
degrees of northern latitude, which, it seems, was the manner
of their course in those days, we had very good weather, only
excessive hot all the way upon our own coast, till we came to
the height of cape St. Augustino; from whence, keeping
farther off at sea, we lost sight of land, and steered as if we
were bound for the isle Fernando de Noronha, holding our
course N. E. by N. and leaving those isles on the east. In
this course we passed the Line in about twelve days time, and
were, by our last observation, in 7 degrees 22 minutes northern
latitude, when a violent tornado, or hurricane, took us quite
out of our knowledge: it began from the south-east, came
about to the north-west, and then settled in the north-east ;
from whence it blew in such a terrible manner, that for twelve
days together we could do nothing but drive, and, scudding
away before it, let it carry us whither ever fate and the fury
of the winds directed; and during these twelve days, I need
not say that I expected every day to be swallowed up; nor, in-
deed, did any in the ship expect to save their lives.
In this distress, we had, besides the terror of the storm, one
of our men died of the calenture, and one man and a boy
washed overboard. About the twelfth day, the weather abating
a little, the master made an observation as well as he could,
and found that he was in about 11 degrees north latitude, but
that he was 22 degrees of longitude difference west from
cape St. Augustino; so that he found he was got upon the
coast of Guiana, or the north part of Brasil, beyond the river
Amazons, toward that of the river Oroonoque, commonly
called the Great River; and began to consult with me what
course he should take, for the ship was leaky and very much
disabled, and he was going directly back to the coast of Brasil.
I was positively against that; and looking over the charts of
the sea-coast of America with him, we concluded there was
no inhabited country for us to have recourse to, till we came
within the circle of the Caribbee islands, and therefore re-
solved to stand away for Barbadoes; which, by keeping off to
sea, to avoid the in-draft of the bay or gulf of Mexico, we might
easily perform, as we hoped, in about fifteen days sail; whereas
we could not possibly make our voyage to the coast of Africa
without some assistance, both to our ship and ourselves.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
33
With this design, we changed our course, and steered away
N. W. by W. in order to reach some of our English islands,
where I hoped for relief: but our voyage was otherwise de-
termined; for being in the latitude of 12 degrees 18 minutes,
a second storm came upon us, which carried us away with the
same impetuosity westward, and drove us so out of the very
way of all human commerce, that had all our lives been saved,
as to the sea, we were rather in danger of being devoured by
savages than ever returning to our own country.
In this distress, the wind still blowing very hard, one of our
men, early in the morning, cried out, Land! and we had no
sooner run out of the cabin to look out, in hopes of seeing
whereabouts in the world we were, but the ship struck upon
a sand, and in a moment, her motion being so stopped, the sea
broke over her in such a manner, that we expected we should
all have perished immediately; and we were immediately
driven into our close quarters, to shelter us from the very foam
and spray of the sea.
It is not easy for any one who has not been in the like con-
dition, to describe or conceive the consternation of men in such
circumstances: we knew nothing where we were, or upon
what land it was we were driven, whether an island or the
main, whether inhabited or not inhabited; and as the rage of
the wind was still great, though rather less than at first, we
could not so much as hope to have the ship hold many minutes,
without breaking in pieces, unless the wind, by a kind of
miracle, should immediately turn about. In a word, we sat
looking upon one another, and expecting death every moment;
and every man acting accordingly, as preparing for another
world, for there was little or nothing more for us to do in
this that which was our present comfort, and all the comfort
we had, was, that, contrary to our expectation, the ship did
not break yet, and that the master said the wind began to
abate.
:
Now, though we thought that the wind did a little abate,
yet the ship having thus struck upon the sand, and sticking too
fast for us to expect her getting off, we were in a dreadful
condition indeed, and had nothing to do, but to think of saving
our lives as well as we could. We had a boat at our stern just
before the storm, but she was first staved, by dashing against
the ship's rudder, and, in the next place, she broke away, and
either sunk, or was driven off to sea; so there was no hope
from her we had another boat on board, but how to get her
off into the sea was a doubtful thing; however, there was no
:
F
34
ADVENTURES OF
room to debate, for we fancied the ship would break in pieces
every minute, and some told us she was actually broken
already.
In this distress, the mate of our vessel laid hold of the boat,
and, with the help of the rest of the men, they got her flung
over the ship's side; and getting all into her, let her go, and
committed ourselves, being eleven in number, to God's mercy,
and the wild sea: for though the storm was abated con-
siderably, yet the sea went dreadful high upon the shore, and
might be well called "den wild zee," as the Dutch call the
sea in a storm.
And now our case was very dismal indeed; for we all saw
plainly, that the sea went so high, that the boat could not live,
and that we should be inevitably drowned. As to making sail,
we had none; nor, if we had, could we have done any thing
with it; so we worked at the oar towards the land, though
with heavy hearts, like men going to execution; for we all
knew that when the boat came nearer to the shore, she would
be dashed in a thousand pieces by the breach of the sea. How-
ever, we committed our souls to God in the most earnest
manner; and the wind driving us towards the shore, we hastened
our destruction with our own hands, pulling as well as we
could towards land.
What the shore was-whether rock or sand, whether steep
or shoal-we knew not; the only hope that could rationally
give us the least shadow of expectation, was, if we might
happen into some bay or gulph, or the mouth of some river,
where by great chance we might have run our boat in, or got
under the lee of the land, and perhaps made smooth water.
But there was nothing of this appeared; and as we made nearer
and nearer the shore, the land looked more frightful than the
sea.
After we had rowed, or rather driven, about a league and a
half, as we reckoned it, a raging wave, mountain-like, came
olling astern of us, and plainly bade us expect the coup de
grace. In a word, it took us with such a fury, that it overset
the boat at once; and separating us, as well from the boat as
from one another, gave us not time hardly to say, "O God!"
for we were all swallowed up in a moment.
Nothing can describe the confusion of thought which I felt,
when I sunk into the water; for though I swam very well, yet
I could not deliver myself from the waves so as to draw my
breath, till that wave having driven me, or rather carried me, a
vast way on towards the shore, and having spent itself, went
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
35
back, and left me upon the land almost dry, but half dead with
the water I took in. I had so much presence of mind, as well
as breath left, that seeing myself nearer the main land than I
expected, I got upon my feet, and endeavoured to make on to-
wards the land as fast as I could, before another wave should
return and take me up again; but I soon found it was impossible
to avoid it; for I saw the sea come after me as high as a great
hill, and as furious as an enemy, which I had no means or
strength to contend with my business was to hold my breath,
and raise myself upon the water, if I could; and so, by swim-
ming, to preserve my breathing, and pilot myself towards the
shore, if possible; my greatest concern now being, that the
wave, as it would carry me a great way towards the shore when
it came on, might not carry me back again with it when it
gave back towards the sea.
The wave that came upon me again, buried me at once
twenty or thirty feet deep in its own body; and I could feel
myself carried with a mighty force and swiftness towards the
shore, a very great way; but I held my breath, and assisted
myself to swim still forward with all my might. I was ready
to burst with holding my breath, when, as I felt myself rising
up, so, to my immediate relief, I found my head and hands
shoot out above the surface of the water; and though it was
not two seconds of time that I could keep myself so, yet it re-
lieved me greatly, gave me breath, and new courage.
I was
covered again with water a good while, but not so long but I
held it out; and finding the water had spent itself, and began
to return, I struck forward against the return of the waves, and
felt ground again with my feet. I stood still a few moments,
to recover breath, and till the water went from me, and then
took to my heels, and ran with what strength I had farther
towards the shore. But neither would this deliver me from the
fury of the sea, which came pouring in after me again; and
twice more I was lifted up by the waves, and carried forwards
as before, the shore being very flat.
The last time of these two had well nigh been fatal to me ;
for the sea having hurried me along, as before, landed me, or
rather dashed me, against a piece of a rock, and that with such
force, as it left me senseless, and indeed helpless, as to my
own deliverance; for the blow taking my side and breast, beat
the breath, as it were, quite out of my body; and had it re-
turned again immediately, I must have been strangled in the
water but I recovered a little before the return of the waves,
and seeing I should again be covered with the water, I re-
36
ADVENTURES OF
and so to hold my
Now, as the waves
solved to hold fast by a piece of the rock,
breath, if possible, till the wave went back.
were not so high as the first, being nearer land, I held my
hold till the wave abated, and then fetched another run, which
brought me so near the shore, that the next wave, though it
went over me, yet did not so swallow me up as to carry me
away; and the next run I took, I got to the main land; where,
to my great comfort, I clambered up the clifts of the shore, and
sat me down upon the grass, free from danger, and quite out
of the reach of the water.
I was now landed, and safe on shore; and began to look up
and thank God that my life was saved, in a case wherein there
were, some minutes before, scarce any room to hope. I believe
it is impossible to express, to the life, what the ecstasies and
transports of the soul are, when it is so saved, as I may say,
out of the grave and I did not wonder now at the custom,
viz. that when a malefactor, who has the halter about his neck,
is tied up, and just going to be turned off, and has a reprieve
brought to him; I say, I do not wonder that they bring a
surgeon with it, to let him blood that very moment they tell
him of it, that the surprise may not drive the animal spirits
from the heart, and overwhelm him.
"For sudden joys, like griefs, confound at first."
I walked about on the shore, lifting up my hands; and my
whole being, as I may say, wrapt up in the contemplation of
my deliverance; making a thousand gestures and motions,
which I cannot describe; reflecting upon all my comrades that
were drowned, and that there should not be one soul saved
but myself; for, as for them, I never saw them afterwards, or
any sign of them, except three of their hats, one cap, and two
shoes that were not fellows.
I cast my eyes to the stranded vessel-when the beach and
froth of the sea being so big I could hardly see it, it lay so far
off and considered, Lord! how was it possible I could get
on shore?
After I had solaced my mind with the comfortable part of
my condition, I began to look round me, to see what kind of a
place I was in, and what was next to be done; and I soon
found my comforts abate, and that, in a word, I had a dread-
ful deliverance: for I was wet, had no clothes to shift me, nor
any thing either to eat or drink, to comfort me; neither did I
see any prospect before me, but that of perishing with hunger,
or being devoured by wild beasts: and that which was par-
..
..
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
37
ticularly afflicting to me was, that I had no weapon, either to
hunt and kill any creature for my sustenance, or to defend
myself against any other creature that might desire to kill me
for theirs. In a word, I had nothing about me but a knife, a
tobacco-pipe, and a little tobacco in a box. This was all my
provision; and this threw me into such terrible agonies of mind,
that, for a while, I ran about like a madman. Night coming
upon me, I began, with a heavy heart, to consider what would
be my lot if there were any ravenous beasts in that country,
seeing at night they always come abroad for their prey.
All the remedy that offered to my thoughts, at that time,
was, to get up into a thick bushy tree, like a fir, but thorny-
which grew near me, and where I resolved to sit all night-and
consider the next day what death I should die, for as yet I saw
no prospect of life. I walked about a furlong from the shore,
to see if I could find any fresh water to drink, which I did, to
my great joy; and having drank, and put a little tobacco in
my mouth, to prevent hunger, I went to the tree, and getting
up into it, endeavoured to place myself so, as that if I should
sleep, I might not fall; and having cut me a short stick, like
a truncheon, for my defence, I took up my lodging; and having
been excessively fatigued, I fell fast asleep, and slept as com-
fortably as, I believe, few could have done in my condition ;
and found myself the most refreshed with it that I think I ever
was on such an occasion.
When I waked, it was broad day, the weather clear, and
the storm abated, so that the sea did not rage and swell as be-
fore; but that which surprised me most was, that the ship was
lifted off in the night from the sand where she lay, by the
swelling of the tide, and was driven up almost as far as the
rock which I first mentioned, where I had been so bruised by
the wave dashing me against it. This being within about a mile
from the shore where I was, and the ship seeming to stand up-
right still, I wished myself on board, that at least I might save
some necessary things for my use.
When I came down from my apartment in the tree, I looked
about me again, and the first thing I found was the boat; which
lay, as the wind and the sea had tossed her up, upon the land,
about two miles on my right hand. I walked as far as I could
upon the shore to have got to her; but found a neck, or inlet,
of water between me and the boat, which was about half a
mile broad; so I came back for the present, being more intent
upon getting at the ship, where I hoped to find something for
my present subsistence.
38
ADVENTURES OF
A little after noon, I found the sea very calm, and the tide
ebbed so far out, that I could come within a quarter of a mile
of the ship and here I found a fresh renewing of my grief;
for I saw evidently, that if we had kept on board, we had
been all safe; that is to say, we had all got safe on shore, and
I had not been so miserable as to be left entirely destitute of all
comfort and company, as I now was. This forced tears from
my eyes again; but as there was little relief in that, I resolved,
if possible, to get to the ship; so I pulled off my clothes, for
the weather was hot to extremity, and took the water: but
when I came to the ship, my difficulty was still greater to
know how to get on board; for as she lay aground, and high
out of the water, there was nothing within my reach to lay hold
of. I swam round her twice, and the second time I spied a
small piece of a rope, which I wondered I did not see at first,
hang down by the fore-chains so low, as that, with great
difficulty, I got hold of it, and by the help of that rope got
into the forecastle of the ship. Here I found that the ship
was bulged, and had a great deal of water in her hold; but that
she lay so on the side of a bank of hard sand, or rather earth,
that her stern lay lifted up upon the bank, and her head low,
almost to the water. By this means all her quarter was free,
and all that was in that part was dry; for you may be sure my
first work was to search and to see what was spoiled and what
was free and, first, I found that all the ship's provisions were
dry and untouched by the water; and, being very well disposed
to eat, I went to the bread-room, and filled my pockets with
biscuit, and eat it as I went about other things, for I had no
time to lose. I also found some rum in the great cabin, of
which I took a large dram, and which I had indeed need enough
of, to spirit me for what was before me. Now I wanted
nothing but a boat, to furnish myself with many things which
I foresaw would be very necessary to me.
It was in vain to sit still, and wish for what was not to be
had, and this extremity roused my application: we had several
spare yards, and two or three large spars of wood, and a spare
top-mast or two in the ship; I resolved to fall to work with
these, and flung as many overboard as I could manage for their
weight, tying every one with a rope, that they might not drive
away. When this was done, I went down the ship's side,
and pulling them to me, I tied four of them fast together at
both ends, as well as I could, in the form of a raft, and laying
two or three short pieces of plank upon them, crossways, I
found I could walk upon it very well, but that it was not able
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
39
to bear any great weight, the pieces being too light so I went
to work, and with the carpenter's saw I cut a spare top-mast
into three lengths, and added them to my raft, with a great
deal of labour and pains. But the hope of furnishing myself
with necessaries, encouraged me to go beyond what I should
have been able to have done upon another occasion.
My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable weight,
My next care was what to load it with, and how to preserve
what I laid upon it from the surf of the sea; but I was not
long considering this. I first laid all the planks or boards upon
it that I could get, and having considered well what I most
wanted, I got three of the seamens' chests, which I had
broken open and emptied, and lowered them down upon my
raft; these I filled with provisions, viz. bread, rice, three
Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried goats' flesh, (which we
lived much upon), and a little remainder of European corn,
which had been laid by for some fowls which we had brought
to sea with us, but the fowls were killed. There had been
some barley and wheat together, but, to my great disappoint-
ment, I found afterwards that the rats had eaten or spoiled it
all.
As for liquors, I found several cases of bottles belonging
to our skipper, in which were some cordial waters; and, in all,
about five or six gallons of rack. These I stowed by them-
selves, there being no need to put them into the chests, nor any
room for them. While I was doing this, I found the tide began
to flow, though very calm; and I had the mortification to see
my coat, shirt, and waistcoat, which I had left on shore, upon
the sand, swim away; as for my breeches, which were only
linen, and open-kneed, I swam on board in them, and my
stockings. However, this put me upon rummaging for clothes,
of which I found enough, but took no more than I wanted for
present use, for I had other things which my eye was more
upon; as, first, tools to work with on shore and it was after
long searching that I found the carpenter's chest, which was
indeed a very useful prize to me, and much more valuable
than a ship-lading of gold would have been at that time. I
got it down to my raft, even whole as it was, without losing
time to look into it, for I knew in general what it contained.
My next care was for some ammunition and arms. There
were two very good fowling-pieces in the great cabin, and two
pistols; these I secured first, with some powder-horns and a
small bag of shot, and two old rusty swords. I knew there
were three barrels of powder in the ship, but knew not where
our gunner had stowed them; but with much search I found
4.0
ADVENTURES OF
them, two of them dry and good, the third had taken water.
Those two I got to my raft, with the arms. And now I
thought myself pretty well freighted, and began to think how
I should get to shore with them, having neither sail, oar, nor
rudder; and the least capfull of wind would have overset all
my navigation.
I had three encouragements: 1st, A smooth, calm sea:
2dly, The tide rising, and setting in to the shore: 3dly, What
little wind there was, blew me towards the land. And thus,
having found two or three broken oars belonging to the boat,
and besides the tools which were in the chest, I found two
saws, an axe, and a hammer; and with this cargo I put to sea.
For a mile, or thereabouts, my raft went very well, only that
I found it drive a little distant from the place where I had
landed before; by which I perceived that there was some in-
draft of the water, and consequently I hoped to find some creek
or river there, which I might make use of as a port to get to
land with my cargo.
As I imagined, so it was there appeared before me a little
opening of the land, and I found a strong current of the tide
set into it; so I guided my raft, as well as I could, to get into
the middle of the stream. But here I had like to have suffered
a second shipwreck, which, if I had, I think verily would have
broken my heart; for knowing nothing of the coast, my raft
ran aground at one end of it upon a shoal, and not being aground
at the other end, it wanted but a little that all my cargo had
slipped off towards that end that was afloat, and so fallen into
the water. I did my utmost, by setting my back against the
chests, to keep them in their places, but could not thrust off
the raft with all my strength; neither durst I stir from the pos-
ture I was in, but holding up the chests with all my might, I
stood in that manner near half an hour, in which time the rising
of the water brought me a little more upon a level; and a little
after, the water still rising, my raft floated again, and I thrust
her off with the oar I had into the channel, and then driving up
higher, I at length found myself in the mouth of a little river,
with land on both sides, and a strong current or tide running
up. I looked on both sides for a proper place to get to shore,
for I was not willing to be driven too high up the river; hoping,
in time, to see some ship at sea, and therefore resolved to place
myself as near the coast as I could.
At length I spied a little cove on the right shore of the creek,
to which, with great pain and difficulty, I guided my raft, and
at last got so near, as that, reaching ground with my oar, I
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
41
could thrust her directly in; but here I had like to have dipped
all my cargo into the sea again; for that shore lying pretty
steep, that is to say, sloping, there was no place to land, but
where one end of my float, if it ran on shore, would lie so high,
and the other sink lower, as before, that it would endanger my
cargo again. All that I could do, was to wait till the tide was
at the highest, keeping the raft with my oar like an anchor, to
hold the side of it fast to the shore, near a flat piece of ground,
which I expected the water would flow over; and so it did. As
soon as I found water enough, for my raft drew about a foot
of water, I thrust her upon that flat piece of ground, and there
fastened or moored her, by sticking my two broken oars into
the ground, one on one side, near one end, and one on the
other side, near the other end and thus I lay till the water
ebbed away, and left my raft and all my cargo safe on shore.
My next work was to view the country, and seek a proper
place for my habitation, and where to stow my goods, to secure
them from whatever might happen. Where I was, I yet knew
not; whether on the continent, or on an island; whether in-
habited, or not inhabited; whether in danger of wild beasts,
or not. There was a hill, not above a mile from me, which
rose up very steep and high, and which seemed to over-top
some other hills, which lay as in a ridge from it, northward.
I took out one of the fowling-pieces, and one of the pistols,
and a horn of powder; and thus armed, I travelled for dis-
covery up to the top of that hill; where, after I had, with great
labour and difficulty, got up to the top, I saw my fate, to my
great affliction, viz. that I was in an island, environed every
way with the sea, no land to be seen, except some rocks, which
lay a great way off, and two small islands, less than this, which
lay about three leagues to the west.
I found also that the island I was in was barren, and, as I
saw good reason to believe, uninhabited, except by wild beasts,
of whom, however, I saw none; yet I saw abundance of fowls,
but knew not their kinds; neither, when I killed them, could
I tell what was fit for food, and what not. At my coming back,
1 shot at a great bird, which I saw sitting upon a tree, on the
side of a great wood. I believe it was the first gun that had
been fired there since the creation of the world: I had no
sooner fired, but from all the parts of the wood there arose an
innumerable number of fowls, of many sorts, making a confused
screaming, and crying, every one according to his usual note;
but not one of them of any kind that I knew. As for the
creature I killed, I took it to be a kind of a hawk, its colour
G
42
ADVENTURES OF
and beak resembling it, but had no talons or claws more than
common. Its flesh was carrion, and fit for nothing.
Contented with this discovery, I came back to my raft, and
fell to work to bring my cargo on shore, which took me up
the rest of that day: what to do with myself at night I knew
not, nor indeed where to rest: for I was afraid to lie down on
the ground, not knowing but some wild beast might devour
me; though, as I afterwards found, there was really no need
for those fears.
However, as well as I could, I barricadoed myself round with
the chests and boards that I had brought on shore, and made a
kind of a hut for that night's lodging. As for food, I yet saw
not which way to supply myself, except that I had seen two or
three creatures, like hares, run out of the wood where I shot
the fowl.
I now began to consider, that I might yet get a great many
things out of the ship, which would be useful to me, and par-
ticularly some of the rigging and sails, and such other things
as might come to land; and I resolved to make another voyage
on board the vessel, if possible. And as I knew that the first
storm that blew must necessarily break her all in pieces, I re-
solved to set all other things apart, till I got every thing out of
the ship that I could get. Then I called a council, that is to
say, in my thoughts, whether I should take back the raft; but
this appeared impracticable: so I resolved to go as before,
when the tide was down; and I did so, only that I stripped be-
fore I went from my hut; having nothing on but a chequered
shirt, a pair of linen drawers, and a pair of pumps on my feet.
I got on board the ship as before, and prepared a second raft ;
and having had experience of the first, I neither made this so
unwieldy, nor loaded it so hard, but yet I brought away several
things very useful to me: as, first, in the carpenter's stores, I
found two or three bags full of nails and spikes, a great
screw-jack, a dozen or two of hatchets; and, above all, that
most useful thing called a grind-stone. All these I secured
together, with several things belonging to the gunner; par-
ticularly, two or three iron crows, and two barrels of musket
bullets, seven muskets, and another fowling-piece, with some
small quantity of powder more; a large bag-full of small shot,
and a great roll of sheet-lead; but this last was so heavy, I
could not hoist it up to get it over the ship's side.
Besides these things, I took all the men's clothes that I could
find, and a spare fore-top sail, a hammock, and some bedding;
and with this I loaded my second raft, and brought them all
safe on shore, to my very great comfort.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
43
I was under some apprehensions, during my absence from
the land, that at least my provisions might be devoured on
shore but when I came back, I found no sign of any visitor;
only there sat a creature, like a wild cat, upon one of the chests,
which, when I came towards it, ran away a little distance, and
then stood still. She sat very composed and unconcerned, and
looked full in my face, as if she had a mind to be acquainted
with me.
I presented my gun at her, but, as she did not un-
derstand it, she was perfectly unconcerned at it, nor did she
offer to stir away; upon which I tossed her a bit of biscuit,
though, by the way, I was not very free of it, for my store was
not great; however, I spared her a bit, I say, and she went to
it, smelled of it, and ate it, and looked (as pleased) for more;
but I thanked her, and could spare no more: so she marched
off.
Having got my second cargo on shore-though I was fain to
open the barrels of powder, and bring them by parcels, for they
were too heavy, being large casks-I went to work to make me
a little tent, with the sail, and some poles which I cut for that
purpose; and into this tent I brought every thing that I knew
would spoil either with rain or sun; and I piled all the empty
chests and casks up in a circle round the tent, to fortify it from
any sudden attempt either from man or beast.
When I had done this, I blocked up the door of the tent with
some boards within, and an empty chest set up on end without;
and spreading one of the beds upon the ground, laying my two
pistols just at my head, and my gun at length by me, I went
to bed, for the first time, and slept very quietly all night, for I
was very weary and heavy; for the night before I had slept
little, and had laboured very hard all day, as well to fetch all
those things from the ship, as to get them on shore.
*
I had the biggest magazine of all kinds now that ever was
laid up, I believe, for one man, but I was not satisfied still:
for while the ship sat upright in that posture, I thought I
ought to get every thing out of her that I could: so every day,
at low water, I went on board, and brought away something
or other but particularly, the third time I went, I brought
away as much of the rigging as I could, as also all the small
ropes and rope-twine I could get, with a piece of spare canvas,
which was to mend the sails upon occasion, and the barrel of
wet gun-powder. In a word, I brought away all the sails first
and last; only that I was fain to cut them in pieces, and bring
as much at a time as I could; for they were no more useful to
be sails, but as mere canvas only.
44
ADVENTURES OF
But that which comforted me still more was, that, last of all,
after I had made five or six such voyages as these, and thought
I had nothing more to expect from the ship that was worth my
meddling with; I say, after all this, I found a great hogshead of
bread, and three large runlets of rum or spirits, and a box of
sugar, and a barrel of fine flour; this was surprising to me,
because I had given over expecting any more provisions, except
what was spoiled by the water. I soon emptied the hogshead
of that bread, and wrapped it up, parcel by parcel, in pieces of
the sails, which I cut out; and, in a word, I got all this safe
on shore also.
The next day I made another voyage, and now having
plundered the ship of what was portable and fit to hand out, I
began with the cables, and cutting the great cable into pieces,
such as I could move, I got two cables and a hawser on shore,
with all the iron-work I could get; and having cut down the
spritsail-yard, and the mizen-yard, and every thing I could, to
make a large raft, I loaded it with all those heavy goods; and
came away but my good luck began now to leave me; for
this raft was so unwieldy, and so overladen, that after I was
entered the little cove, where I had landed the rest of my goods,
not being able to guide it so handily as I did the other, it over-
set, and threw me and all my cargo into the water; as for my-
self, it was no great harm, for I was near the shore; but as to
my cargo, it was great part of it lost, especially the iron, which
I expected would have been of great use to me: however,
when the tide was out, I got most of the pieces of cable ashore,
and some of the iron, though with infinite labour; for I was
fain to dip for it into the water, a work which fatigued me
very much. After this I went every day on board, and brought
away what I could get.
I had been now thirteen days on shore, and had been eleven
times on board the ship; in which time I had brought away
all that one pair of hands could well be supposed capable to
bring; though I believe verily, had the calm weather held, I
should have brought away the whole ship, piece by piece; but
preparing, the twelfth time, to go on board, I found the wind
began to rise: however, at low water, I went on board; and
though I thought I had rummaged the cabin so effectually, as
that nothing more could be found, yet I discovered a locker
with drawers in it, in one of which I found two or three razors,
and one pair of large scissars, with some ten or a dozen of
good knives and forks; in another I found about thirty-six
pounds value in money, some European coin, some Brasil,
some pieces of eight, some gold, and some silver.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
47
I smiled to myself at the sight of this money: O drug! said
I aloud, what art thou good for? Thou art not worth to me,
no, not the taking off the ground; one of those knives is
worth all this heap: I have no manner of use for thee; e'en
remain where thou art, and go to the bottom, as a creature
whose life is not worth saving. However, upon second thoughts,
I took it away; and wrapping all this in a piece of canvas, I
began to think of making another raft; but while I was prepar-
ing this, I found the sky over-cast, and the wind began to rise,
and in a quarter of an hour it blew a fresh gale from the shore.
It presently occurred to me, that it was in vain to pretend to
make a raft with the wind off shore; and that it was my
business to be gone before the tide of flood began, or otherwise
I might not be able to reach the shore at all. Accordingly I let
myself down into the water, and swam across the channel which
lay between the ship and the sands, and even that with difficulty
enough, partly with the weight of the things I had about me,
and partly the roughness of the water; for the wind rose very
hastily, and before it was quite high water it blew a storm.
But I was got home to my little tent, where I lay, with all
my wealth about me, very secure. It blew very hard all that
night, and in the morning, when I looked out, behold, no more
ship was to be seen! I was a little surprised, but recovered my-
self with this satisfactory reflection, viz. that I had lost no time,
nor abated no diligence, to get every thing out of her that could
be useful to me, and that, indeed, there was little left in her
that I was able to bring away, if I had had more time.
I now gave over any more thoughts of the ship, or of any
thing out of her, except what might drive on shore, from her
wreck; as, indeed, divers pieces of her afterwards did; but those
things were of small use to me.
My thoughts were now wholly employed about securing my-
self against either savages, if any should appear, or wild beasts,
if any were in the island; and I had many thoughts of the
method how to do this, and what kind of dwelling to make,
whether I should make me a cave in the earth, or a tent upon
the earth: and, in short, I resolved upon both; the manner
and description of which, it may not be improper to give an
account of.
I soon found the place I was in was not for my settlement,
particularly because it was upon a low, moorish ground, near
the sea, and I believed it would not be wholesome; and more
particularly because there was no fresh water near it: so I re-
solved to find a more healthy and more convenient spot of ground.
46
ADVENTURES OF
I consulted several things in my situation, which I found
would be proper for me: 1st, Health and fresh water, I just
now mentioned: 2dly, Shelter from the heat of the sun :
3dly, Security from ravenous creatures, whether men or beasts :
4thly, A view to the sea, that if God sent any ship in sight, I
might not lose any advantage for my deliverance, of which I
was not willing to banish all my expectation yet.
In search for a place proper for this, I found a little plain
on the side of a rising hill, whose front towards this little plain
was steep as a house-side, so that nothing could come down
upon me from the top. On the side of this rock there was a
hollow place, worn a little way in, like the entrance or door of
a cave; but there was not really any cave, or way into the rock,
at all.
On the flat of the green, just before this hollow place, I re-
solved to pitch my tent. This plain was not above an hundred
yards broad, and about twice as long, and lay like a green
before my door; and, at the end of it, descended irregularly
every way down into the low ground by the sea side. It was
on the N. N. W. side of the hill; so that it was sheltered from
the heat every day, till it came to a W. and by S. sun, or there-
abouts, which, in those countries, is near the setting.
Before I set up my tent, I drew a half-circle before the
hollow place, which took in about ten yards in its semi-diameter
from the rock, and twenty yards in its diameter, from its be-
ginning and ending.
In this half circle I pitched two rows of strong stakes, driv-
ing them into the ground till they stood very firm like piles, the
biggest end being out of the ground about five feet and an half,
and sharpened on the top. The two rows did not stand above
six inches from one another.
Then I took the pieces of cable which I had cut in the ship,
and laid them in rows, one upon another, within the circle, be-
tween these two rows of stakes, up to the top, placing other
stakes in the inside, leaning against them, about two feet and an
half high, like a spur to a post; and this fence was so strong,
that neither man or beast could get into it or over it. This
cost me a great deal of time and labour, especially to cut the
piles in the woods, bring them to the place, and drive them
into the earth.
The entrance into this place I made to be not by a door, but
by a short ladder to go over the top; which ladder, when I
was in, I lifted over after me; and so I was completely fenced
in and fortified, as I thought, from all the world, and con-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
47
sequently slept secure in the night, which otherwise I could
not have done; though, as it appeared afterwards, there was
no need of all this caution from the enemies that I apprehended
danger from.
Into this fence, or fortress, with infinite labour, I carried all
my riches, all my provisions, ammunition, and stores, of which
you have the account above; and I made me a large tent,
which, to preserve me from the rains, that in one part of the
year are very violent there, I made double, viz. one smaller
tent within, and one larger tent above it, and covered the upper-
most with a large tarpaulin, which I had saved among the sails.
And now I lay no more for a while in the bed which I had
brought on shore, but in a hammock, which was indeed a very
good one, and belonged to the mate of the ship.
Into this tent I brought all my provisions, and every thing
that would spoil by the wet; and having thus enclosed all my
goods, I made up the entrance, which till now I had left open,
and so passed and repassed, as I said, by a short ladder.
When I had done this, I began to work my way into the
rock, and bringing all the earth and stones that I dug down
out through my tent, I laid them up within my fence in the
nature of a terrace, so that it raised the ground within about a
foot and an half; and thus I made me a cave, just behind my
tent, which served me like a cellar to my house. It cost me
much labour and many days, before all these things were
brought to perfection; and therefore I must go back to some
other things which took up some of my thoughts. At the
same time it happened, after I had laid my scheme for the
setting up my tent, and making the cave, that a storm of ran
falling from a thick, dark cloud, a sudden flash of lightning
happened, and after that, a great clap of thunder, as is naturally
the effect of it. I was not so much surprised with the light-
ning, as I was with a thought, which darted into my mind as
swift as the lightning itself: O my powder! My very heart
sunk within me when I thought, that at one blast, all my
powder might be destroyed; on which, not my defence only,
but the providing me food, as I thought, entirely depended. I
was nothing near so anxious about my own danger, though,
had the powder took fire, I had never known who had hurt me.
Such impression did this make upon me, that after the ston
was over, I laid aside all my works, my building and fortifying,
and applied myself to make bags and boxes, to separate the
powder, and to keep it a little and a little in a parcel, in hope
that whatever might come, it might not all take fire at once,
48
ADVENTURES OF
and to keep it so apart, that it should not be possible to make
one part fire another.
I finished this work in about a fortnight;
and I think my powder, which in all was about 240 lb. weight,
was divided in not less than a hundred parcels. As to the
barrel that had been wet, I did not apprehend any danger
from that; so I placed it in my new cave, which, in my fancy,
I called my kitchen, and the rest I hid up and down in holes
among the rocks, so that no wet might come to it, marking
very carefully where I laid it.
In the interval of time while this was doing, I went out at least
once every day with my gun, as well to divert myself, as to see
if I could kill any thing fit for food; and, as near as I could, to
acquaint myself with what the island produced. The first time
I went out, I presently discovered that there were goats upon
the island, which was a great satisfaction to me; but then it
was attended with this misfortune to me, viz. that they were so
shy, so subtile, and so swift of foot, that it was the most difficult
thing in the world to come at them: but I was not discouraged
at this, not doubting but I might now and then shoot one, as
it soon happened; for after I had found their haunts a little, I
laid wait in this manner for them: I observed, if they saw me
in the valleys, though they were upon the rocks, they would
run away as in a terrible fright; but if they were feeding in
the valleys, and I was upon the rocks, they took no notice of
me; from whence I concluded, that by the position of their
optics, their sight was so directed downward, that they did not
readily see objects that were above them: so, afterwards, I
took this method-I always climbed the rocks first, to get
above them, and then had frequently a fair mark. The first
shot I made among these creatures, I killed a she-goat, which
had a little kid by her, which she gave suck to, which grieved
me heartily; but when the old one fell, the kid stood stock
still by her, till I came and took her up: and not only so, but
when I carried the old one with me, upon my shoulders, the
kid followed me quite to my enclosure; upon which, I laid
down the dam, and took the kid in my arms, and carried it
over my pale, in hopes to have bred it up tame; but it would
not eat; so I was forced to kill it, and eat it myself. These
two supplied me with flesh a great while, for I ate sparingly,
and preserved my provisions (my bread especially) as much as
possibly I could.
Having now fixed my habitation, I found it absolutely ne-
cessary to provide a place to make a fire in, and fuel to burn;
and what I did for that, as also how I enlarged my cave, and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
49
what conveniences I made, I shall give a full account of it in
its proper place: but I must first give some little account of
myself, and of my thoughts about living, which, it may well be
supposed, were not a few.
I had a dismal prospect of my condition; for as I was not
cast away upon that island without being driven, as is said, by
a violent storm, quite out of the course of our intended voyage,
and a great way, viz. some hundreds of leagues, out of the
ordinary course of the trade of mankind, I had great reason to
consider it as a determination of Heaven, that in this desolate
place, and in this desolate manner, I should end my life. The
tears would run plentifully down my face when I made these
reflections; and sometimes I would expostulate with myself,
why Providence should thus completely ruin its creatures, and
render them so absolutely miserable; so abandoned without
help, so entirely depressed, that it could hardly be rational to be
thankful for such a life.
But something always returned swift upon me to check these
thoughts, and to reprove me: and particularly, one day, walk-
ing with my gun in my hand, by the sea side, I was very pen-
sive upon the subject of my present condition, when reason,
as it were, expostulated with me the other way, thus: "Well,
you are in a desolate condition, it is true; but, pray remem-
ber, where are the rest of you? Did not you come eleven of
you into the boat? Where are the ten? Why were not they
saved, and you lost? Why were you singled out? Is it better
to be here or there?" And then I pointed to the sea. All
evils are to be considered with the good that is in them, and
with what worse attends them.
Then it occurred to me again, how well I was furnished for
my subsistence, and what would have been my case if it had not
happened (which was a hundred thousand to one) that the ship
floated from the place where she first struck, and was driven
so near to the shore, that I had time to get all these things out
of her what would have been my case, if I had been to have
lived in the condition in which I at first came on shore, with-
out necessaries of life, or necessaries to supply and procure
them? Particularly, said I aloud (though to myself) what
should I have done without a gun, without ammunition, with-
out any tools to make any thing, or to work with, without
clothes, bedding, a tent, or any manner of covering? and that
now I had all these to a sufficient quantity, and was in a fair
way to provide myself in such a manner as to live without my
gun, when my ammunition was spent: so that I had a tolerable
VOL. I.
H
Ju
50
ADVENTURES OF
view of subsisting, without any want, as long as I lived; for I
considered, from the beginning, how I would provide for the ac-
cidents that might happen, and for the time that was to come,
not only after my ammunition should be spent, but even after
my health or strength should decay.
I confess, I had not entertained any notion of my ammuni-
tion being destroyed at one blast, I mean, my powder being
blown up by lightning; and this made the thoughts of it so
surprising to me, when it lightened and thundered, as I ob-
served just now.
And now, being to enter into a melancholy relation of a
scene of silent life, such, perhaps, as was never heard of in the
world before, I shall take it from its beginning, and continue it
in its order. It was, by my account, the 30th of September,
when, in the manner as above said, I first set foot upon this
horrid island; when the sun, being to us in its autumnal equi-
nox, was almost just over my head; for I reckoned myself, by
observation, to be in the latitude of 9 degrees 22 minutes north
of the Line.
After I had been there about ten or twelve days, it came
into my thoughts that I should lose my reckoning of time for
want of books, and pen and ink, and should even forget the
sabbath days from the working days: but, to prevent this, I
cut it with my knife upon a large post, in capital letters; and
making it into a great cross, I set it up on the shore where I
first landed, viz. " I came on shore here on the 30th of Sep-
tember, 1659." Upon the sides of this square post I cut every
day a notch with my knife, and every seventh notch was as
long again as the rest, and every first day of the month as
long again as that long one: and thus I kept my kalendar, or
weekly, monthly, and yearly reckoning of time.
But it happened, that among the many things which I brought
out of the ship, in the several voyages which, as above men-
tioned, I made to it, I got several things of less value, but not
at all less useful to me, which I found, some time after, in
rummaging the chests; as, in particular, pens, ink, and paper;
several parcels in the captain's, mate's, gunner's, and carpen-
ter's keeping; three or four compasses, some mathematical in-
struments, dials, perspectives, charts, and books of navigation;
all which I huddled together, whether I might want them or
no: also I found three very good bibles, which came to me in
my cargo from England, and which I had packed up among
my things; some Portuguese books also, and, among thein,
two or three Popish prayer books, and several other books, all
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
51
which I carefully secured. And I must not forget, that we
had in the ship a dog, and two cats, of whose eminent history
I may have occasion to say something, in its place: for I car-
ried both the cats with me; and as for the dog, he jumped out
of the ship himself, and swam on shore to me the day after I
went on shore with my first cargo, and was a trusty servant to
me for many years: I wanted nothing that he could fetch me,
nor any company that he could make up to me; I only wanted
to have him talk to me, but that would not do. As I observed
before, I found pens, ink, and paper, and I husbanded them
to the utmost; and I shall show, that while my ink lasted,
I kept things very exact, but after that was gone I could not;
for I could not make any ink, by any means that I could
devise.
And this put me in mind that I wanted many things, not-
withstanding all that I had amassed together; and of these,
this of ink was one; as also a spade, pickaxe and shovel, to
dig, or remove the earth; needles, pins, and thread: as for
linen, I soon learned to want that without much difficulty.
This want of tools made every work I did go on heavily;
and it was near a whole year before I had entirely finished
my little pale, or surrounded habitation. The piles, or stakes,
which were as heavy as I could well lift, were a long time in
cutting and preparing in the woods, and more, by far, in bring-
ing home; so that I spent sometimes two days in cutting and
bringing home one of those posts, and a third day in driving it
into the ground; for which purpose, I got a heavy piece of
wood at first, but at last bethought myself of one of the iron
crows; which, however, though I found it, yet it made driving
these posts, or piles, very laborious and tedious work.
what need I have been concerned at the tediousness of any
thing I had to do, seeing I had time enough to do it in; nor
had I any other employment, if that had been over, at least
that I could foresee, except the ranging the island to seek for
food; which I did, more or less, every day.
But
I now began to consider seriously my condition, and the
circumstance I was reduced to; and I drew up the state of
my affairs in writing, not so much to leave them to any that
were to come after me (for I was like to have but few heirs)
as to deliver my thoughts from daily poring upon them, and
afflicting my mind: and as my reason began now to master
my despondency, I began to comfort myself as well as I could,
and to set the good against the evil, that I might have some-
thing to distinguish my case from worse; and I stated it very
52
ADVENTURES OF
impartially, like debtor and creditor, the comforts I enjoyed
against the miseries I suffered, thus:
EVIL.
I am cast upon a horrible, desolate
island, void of all hope of recovery.
I am singled out and separated, as
it were, from all the world, to be
miserable.
I am divided from mankind, a so-
litaire; one banished from human
society.
I have no clothes to cover me.
I am without any defence, or
means to resist any violence of man
or beast.
I have no soul to speak to, or re-
lieve me.
GOOD.
But I am alive, and not drowned,
as all my ship's company were.
But I am singled out too from all
the ship's crew, to be spared from
death; and He that miraculously
saved me from death, can deliver
me from this condition.
But I am not starved, and perish-
ing in a barren place, affording no
sustenance.
But I am in a hot climate, where,
if I had clothes, I could hardly wear
them.
But I am cast on an island where
I see no wild beasts to hurt me, as I
saw on the coast of Africa: and what
if I had been shipwrecked there?
But God wonderfully sent the ship
in near enough to the shore, that I
have got out so many necessary
things as will either supply my
wants, or enable me to supply my-
self, even as long as I live.
Upon the whole, here was an undoubted testimony, that
there was scarce any condition in the world so miserable, but
there was something negative, or something positive, to be
thankful for in it: and let this stand as a direction, from the
experience of the most miserable of all conditions in this world,
that we may always find in it something to comfort ourselves
from, and to set, in the description of good and evil, on the
credit side of the account.
Having now brought my mind a little to relish my condi-
tion, and giving over looking out to sea, to see if I could spy a
ship; I say, giving over these things, I began to apply myself
to accommodate my way of living, and to make things as easy
to me as I could.
I have already described my habitation, which was a tent
under the side of a rock, surrounded with a strong pale of posts
and cables; but I might now rather call it a wall, for I raised
a kind of wall against it of turfs, about two feet thick on the
outside and after some time (I think it was a year and a half)
I raised rafters from it, leaning to the rock, and thatched or
covered it with boughs of trees, and such things as I could
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
53
get, to keep out the rain; which I found, at some times of the
year, very violent.
I have already observed how I brought all my goods into
this pale, and into the cave which I had made behind me. But
I must observe, too, that at first this was a confused heap of
goods, which, as they lay in no order, so they took up all my
place; I had no room to turn myself: so I set myself to en-
large my cave, and work farther into the earth; for it was a
loose, sandy rock, which yielded easily to the labour I bestowed
on it and when I found I was pretty safe as to the beasts of
prey, I worked sideways, to the right hand, into the rock, and
then turning to the right again, worked quite out, and made
me a door to come out in the outside of my pale or fortifi-
cation.
This gave me not only egress and regress, as it were, a back-
way to my tent and to my storehouse, but gave me room to
stow my goods.
And now I began to apply myself to make such necessary
things as I found I most wanted, particularly a chair and a table;
for without these I was not able to enjoy the few comforts I
had in the world; I could not write, or eat, or do several
things with so much pleasure, without a table: so I went to
work. And here I must needs observe, that as reason is the
substance and original of the mathematics, so by stating and
squaring every thing by reason, and by making the most ra-
tional judgement of things, every man may be, in time, master
of every mechanic art. I had never handled a tool in my life;
and yet, in time, by labour, application and contrivance, I
found, at last, that I wanted nothing but I could have made,
especially if I had had tools. However, I made abundance of
things, even without tools; and some with no more tools than
an adze and a hatchet, which perhaps were never made that
way before, and that with infinite labour. For example, if I
wanted a board, I had no other way but to cut down a tree,
set it on an edge before me, and hew it flat on either side with
my axe, till I had brought it to be as thin as a plank, and then
dub it smooth with my adze. It is true, by this method I
could make but one board out of a whole tree; but this I had
no remedy for but patience, any more than I had for the pro-
digious deal of time and labour which it took me up to make
a plank or board: but my time or labour was little worth,
and so it was as well employed one way as another.
However, I made me a table and a chair, as I observed
above, in the first place; and this I did out of the short pieces
54
ADVENTURES OF
of boards that I brought on my raft from the ship. But when
I wrought out some boards, as above, I made large shelves, of
the breadth of a foot and a half, one over another, all along
one side of my cave, to lay all my tools, nails, and iron-work
on; and, in a word, to separate every thing at large in their
places, that I might easily come at them. I knocked pieces
into the wall of the rock, to hang my guns, and all things that
would hang up: so that, had my cave been seen, it looked
like a general magazine of all necessary things; and I had
every thing so ready at my hand, that it was a great pleasure
to me to see all my goods in such order, and especially to find
my stock of all necessaries so great.
And now it was that I began to keep a journal of every day's
employment; for, indeed, at first, I was in too much hurry,
and not only hurry as to labour, but in much discomposure of
mind; and my journal would, too, have been full of many dull
things: for example, I must have said thus-" Sept. 30th, After
I had got to shore, and had escaped drowning, instead of being
thankful to God for my deliverance, having first vomited, with
the great quantity of salt water which was gotten into my
stomach, and recovering myself a little, I ran about the shore,
wringing my hands, and beating my head and face, exclaiming,
at my misery, and crying out, I was undone, undone! till,
tired and faint, I was forced to lie down on the ground to re-
pose; but durst not sleep, for fear of being devoured.
Some days after this, and after I had been on board the
ship and got all that I could out of her, I could not forbear
getting up to the top of a little mountain, and looking out to
sea, in hpoes of seeing a ship: then fancy that, at a vast dis-
tance, I spied a sail, please myself with the hopes of it, and,
after looking steadily, till I was almost blind, lose it quite, and
sit down and weep like a child, and thus increase my misery
by my folly.
But, having gotten over these things in some measure, and
having settled my household-stuff and habitation, made me a
table and a chair, and all as handsome about me as I could, I
began to keep my journal of which I shall here give you the
copy (though in it will be told all these particulars over again)
as long as it lasted; for having no more ink, I was forced to
leave it off.
:
THE JOURNAL.
September 30th, 1659. I, poor miserable Robinson Crusoe,
being shipwrecked, during a dreadful storm, in the offing,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
55
came on shore on this dismal unfortunate island, which I called
the ISLAND OF DESPAIR; all the rest of the ship's company
being drowned, and myself almost dead.
All the rest of that day I spent in afflicting myself at the
dismal circumstances I was brought to, viz. I had neither food,
house, clothes, weapon, nor place to fly to: and, in despair of
any relief, saw nothing but death before me; that I should
either be devoured by wild beasts, murdered by savages, or
starved to death for want of food. At the approach of night
I slept in a tree, for fear of wild creatures; but slept soundly,
though it rained all night.
October 1. In the morning I saw, to my great surprise,
the ship had floated with the high tide, and was driven on
shore again much nearer the island; which, as it was some
comfort on one hand (for seeing her sit upright, and not
broken in pieces, I hoped, if the wind abated, I might get
on board, and get some food and necessaries out of her for
my relief,) so, on the other hand, it renewed my grief at the
loss of my comrades, who, I imagined, if we had all staid on
board, might have saved the ship, or, at least, that they would
not have been all drowned, as they were; and that, had the
men been sav,d, we might perhaps have built us a boat, out
of the ruins of the ship, to have carried us to some other part
of the world. I spent great part of this day in perplexing
myself on these things; but, at length, seeing the ship almost
dry, I went upon the sand as near as I could, and then swam
on board. This day also it continued raining, though with
no wind at all.
From the 1st of October to the 24th. All these days en-
tirely spent in many several voyages to get all I could out of
the ship; which I brought on shore, every tide of flood, upon
rafts. Much rain also in these days, though with some inter-
vals of fair weather: but, it seems, this was the rainy season.
Oct. 20. I overset my raft, and all the goods I had got
upon it; but being in shoal water, and the things being
chiefly heavy, I recovered many of them when the tide was
out.
Oct. 25. It rained all night and all day, with some gusts of
wind; during which time the ship broke in pieces (the wind
blowing a little harder than before) and was no more to be
seen, except the wreck of her, and that only at low water. I
spent this day in covering and securing the goods which I had
saved that the rain might not spoil them.
Oct. 26. I walked about the shore almost all day, to find
56
ADVENTURES OF
out a place to fix my habitation; greatly concerned to secure
myself from any attack in the night, either from wild beasts
or men. Towards night I fixed upon a proper place, under a
rock, and marked out a semicircle for my encampment;
which I resolved to strengthen with a work, wall or fortifi-
cation, made of double piles, lined within with cables, and
without with turf.
From the 26th to the 30th, I worked very hard in carrying
all my goods to my new habitation, though some part of the
time it rained exceedingly hard.
The 31st, in the morning, I went out into the island with
my gun, to see for some food, and discover the country; when
I killed a she-goat, and her kid followed me home, which I
afterwards killed also, because it would not feed.
November 1. I set up my tent under a rock, and lay there
for the first night; making it as large as I could, with stakes
driven in to swing my hammock upon.
Nov. 2. I set up all my chests and boards, and the pieces
of timber which made my rafts; and with them formed a fence
round me, a little within the place I had marked out for my
fortification.
Nov. 3. I went out with my gun, and killed two fowls
like ducks, which were very good food. In the afternoon I
went to work to make me a table.
Nov. 4. This morning I began to order my times of work,
of going out with my gun, time of sleep, and time of diver-
sion; viz. every morning I walked out with my gun for two
or three hours, if it did not rain; then employed myself to
work till about eleven o'clock; then ate what I had to live
on; and from twelve to two I lay down to sleep, the weather
being excessive hot; and then, in the evening, to work again.
The working part of this day and the next was wholly employ-
ed in making my table, for I was yet but a very sorry work-
man: though time and necessity made me a complete natural
mechanic soon after, as I believe they would any one else.
Nov. 5. This day went abroad with my gun and dog, and
killed a wild cat; her skin pretty soft, but her flesh good for
nothing of every creature that I killed I took off the skins,
and preserved them. Coming back by the sea-shore, I saw
many sorts of sea-fowl which I did not understand: but was
surprised, and almost frightened, with two or three seals
which, while I was gazing at them (not well knowing what
they were) got into the sea, and escaped me for that time.
;
Nov. 6. After my morning walk, I went to work with my
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
57
table again, and finished it, though not to my liking: nor
was it long before I learned to mend it.
Nov. 7.
Now it began to be settled fair weather. The
7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and part of the 12th (for the 11th was
Sunday, according to my reckoning) I took wholly up to
make me a chair, and with much ado brought it to a tolerable
shape, but never to please me; and, even in the making, I
pulled it in pieces several times.
Note, I soon neglected my keeping Sundays; for, omitting
my mark for them on my post, I forgot which was which.
Nov. 13. This day it rained; which refreshed me exceed-
ingly, and cooled the earth: but it was accompanied with
terrible thunder and lightning, which frightened me dread-
fully, for fear of my powder. As soon as it was over, I re-
solved to separate my stock of powder into as many little
parcels as possible, that it might not be in danger.
Nov. 14, 15, 16. These three days I spent in making little
square chests or boxes, which might hold about a pound, or
two pounds at most, of powder: and so, putting the powder
in, I stowed it in places as secure and as remote from one
another as possible. On one of these three days I killed a
large bird that was good to eat; but I knew not what to
call it.
Nov. 17. This day I began to dig behind my tent, into
the rock, to make room for my farther convenience.
Note, Three things I wanted exceedingly for this work, viz.
a pick-axe, a shovel, and a wheel-barrow, or basket; so I
desisted from my work, and began to consider how to supply
these wants, and make me some tools. As for a pick-axe, I
made use of the iron crows, which were proper enough,
though heavy but the next thing was a shovel or spade; this
was so absolutely necessary, that, indeed, I could do nothing
effectually without it; but what kind of one to make I knew
not.
:
Nov. 18. The next day, in searching the woods, I found a
tree of that wood, or like it, which, in the Brasils, they call
the Iron tree, from its exceeding hardness: of this, with great
labour, and almost spoiling my axe, I cut a piece; and brought
it home, too, with difficulty enough, for it was exceeding
heavy. The excessive hardness of the wood, and my having
no other way, made me a long while upon this machine: for I
worked it effectually, by little and little, into the form of a
shovel or spade; the handle exactly shaped like ours in Eng-
land, only that the broad vart having no iron shod upon it at
VOL. I.
I
58
ADVENTURES OF
bottom, it would not last me so long: however, it served
well enough for the uses which I had occasion to put it to;
but never was a shovel, I believe, made after that fashion, or
so long a-making.
I was still deficient: for I wanted a basket, or a wheel-
barrow. A basket I could not make by any means, having
no such things as twigs that would bend to make wicker-ware;
at least, none yet found out: and as to the wheel-barrow, I
fancied I could make all but the wheel, but that I had no
notion of; neither did I know how to go about it: besides, I
had no possible way to make iron gudgeons for the spindle or
axis of the wheel to run in; so I gave it over: and, for carry-
ing away the earth which I dug out of the cave, I made me a
thing like a hod, which the labourers carry mortar in for the
bricklayers. This was not so difficult to me as the making
the shovel and yet this and the shovel, and the attempt
which I made in vain to make a wheel-barrow, took me up
no less than four days; I mean, always excepting my morning
walk with my gun, which I seldom omitted, and very seldom
failed also bringing home something fit to eat.
Nov. 23. My other work having now stood still, because
of my making these tools, when they were finished I went
on; and working every day, as my strength and time allow-
ed, I spent eighteen days entirely in widening and deepening
my cave, that it might hold my goods commodiously.
Note, During all this time, I worked to make this room, or
cave, spacious enough to accommodate me as a warehouse
or magazine, a kitchen, a dining-room, and a cellar. As for a
lodging, I kept to the tent; except that sometimes, in the wet
season of the year, it rained so hard that I could not keep
myself dry; which caused me afterwards to cover all my place
within my pale with long poles, in the form of rafters, leaning
against the rock, and load them with flags and large leaves of
trees, like a thatch.
December 10. I began now to think my cave or vault
finished; when on a sudden (it seems I had made it too large)
a great quantity of earth fell down from the top and one side :
so much, that, in short, it frightened me, and not without
reason too; for if I had been under it, I should never have
wanted a grave-digger. Upon this disaster, I had a great deal
of work to do over again, for I had the loose earth to carry
put; and, which was of more importance, I had the ceiling
prop up, so that I might be sure no more would come down.
Dec. 11. This day I went to work with it accordingly;
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
59
and got two shores or posts pitched upright to the top, with
two pieces of board across over each post: this I finished the
next day; and setting more posts up with boards, in about a
week more I had the roof secured; and the posts, standing in
rows, served me for partitions to part off my house.
Dec. 17.
From this day to the 20th, I placed shelves, and
knocked up nails on the posts, to hang every thing up that
could be hung up and now I began to be in some order
within doors.
Dec. 20. I carried every thing into the cave, and began
to furnish my house, and set up some pieces of boards, like
a dresser, to order my victuals upon; but boards began to be
very scarce with me: also I made me another table.
Dec. 24. Much rain all night and all day: no stirring out.
Dec. 25.
Rain all day.
Dec. 26. No rain; and the earth much cooler than before,
and pleasanter.
Dec. 27. Killed a young goat; and lamed another, so
that I catched it, and led it home in a string: when I had it
home, I bound and splintered up its leg, which was broke.
N. B. I took such care of it that it lived; and the leg grew
well, and as strong as ever: but, by nursing it so long, it
grew tame, and fed upon the little green at my door, and
This was the first time that I entertained
a thought of breeding up some tame creatures, that I might
have food when my powder and shot was all spent.
would not go away.
Dec. 28, 29, 30, 31. Great heats, and no breeze; so that
there was no stirring abroad, except in the evening, for food :
this time I spent in putting all my things in order within
doors.
January 1. Very hot still; but I went abroad early and
late with my gun, and lay still in the middle of the day. This
evening, going farther into the valleys which lay towards the
centre of the island, I found there was plenty of goats, though
exceeding shy, and hard to come at; however, I resolved to
try if I could not bring my dog to hunt them down. Accor-
dingly, the next day, I went out with my dog, and set him
upon the goats: but I was mistaken, for they all faced about
upon the dog; and he knew his danger too well, for he would
not come near them.
Jan. 3. I began my fence or wall; which, being still jea-
lous of my being attacked by somebody, I resolved to make
very thick and strong.
N. B. This wall being described before, I purposely omit
60
ADVENTURES OF
what was said in the Journal: it is sufficient to observe, that
I was no less time than from the 3d of January to the 14th of
April, working, finishing, and perfecting this wall; though it
was no more than about 25 yards in length, being a half
circle, from one place in the rock to another place, about
twelve yards from it, the door of the cave being in the centre,
behind it.
All this time I worked very hard; the rains hindering me
many days, nay, sometimes weeks together: but I thought
I should never be perfectly secure till this wall was finished;
and it is scarce credible what inexpressible labour every thing
was done with, especially the bringing piles out of the woods,
and driving them into the ground; for I made them much
bigger than I needed to have done.
When this wall was finished, and the outside double fenced,
with a turf-wall raised up close to it, I persuaded myself that
if any people were to come on shore there they would not
perceive any thing like a habitation: and it was very well I
did so, as may be observed hereafter, upon a very remark-
able occasion.
During this time, I made my rounds in the woods for
game every day, when the rain permitted me, and made fre-
quent discoveries, in these walks, of something or other to my
advantage; particularly, I found a kind of wild pigeons, who
build, not as wood-pigeons, in a tree, but rather as house-
pigeons, in the holes of the rocks and, taking some young
ones, I endeavoured to breed them up tame, and did so ; but
when they grew older, they flew all away; which, perhaps,
was at first for want of feeding them, for I had nothing to
give them however, I frequently found their nests, and got
their young ones, which were very good meat. And now, in
the managing my household affairs, I found myself wanting
in many things, which I thought at first it was impossible for
me to make; as indeed, as to some of them, it was: for in-
stance, I could never make a cask to be hooped. I had a
small runlet or two, as I observed before; but I could never
arrive to the capacity of making one by them, though I spent
many weeks about it: I could neither put in the heads, nor
join the staves so true to one another as to make them hold
water; so I gave that also over. In the next place, I was at
a great loss for candle; so that as soon as it was dark, which
was generally by seven o'clock, I was obliged to go to bed. I
remember the lump of bees'-wax, with which I made candles
in my African adventure; but I had none of that now: the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
61
only remedy I had was, that when I had killed a goat, I saved
the tallow; and with a little dish made of clay, which I baked
in the sun, to which I added a wick of some oakum, I made
me a lamp; and this gave me light, though not a clear steady
light like a candle. In the middle of all my labours it hap-
pened, that in rummaging my things, I found a little bag;
which, as I hinted before, had been filled with corn, for the
feeding of poultry; not for this voyage, but before, as I sup-
pose, when the ship came from Lisbon. What little remain-
der of corn had been in the bag was all devoured with the
rats, and I saw nothing in the bag but husks and dust; and
being willing to have the bag for some other use (I think
it was to put powder in, when I divided it for fear of the light-
ning, or some such use), I shook the husks of corn out of it,
on one side of my fortification, under the rock.
It was a little before the great rain just now mentioned,
that I threw this stuff away; taking no notice of any thing,
and not so much as remembering that I had thrown any thing
there when, about a month after, I saw some few stalks of
something green, shooting out of the ground, which I fancied
might be some plant I had not seen; but I was surprised, and
perfectly astonished, when, after a little longer time, I saw
about ten or twelve ears come out, which were perfect green
barley, of the same kind as our European, nay, as our English
barley.
It is impossible to express the astonishment and confusion
of my thoughts on this occasion: I had hitherto acted upon
no religious foundation at all; indeed, I had very few notions
of religion in my head, nor had entertained any sense of any
thing that had befallen me, otherwise than as a chance, or, as
we lightly say, what pleases God; without so much as inquir-
ing into the end of Providence in these things, or his order in
governing events in the world. But after I saw barley grow
there, in a climate which I knew was not proper for corn, and
especially as I knew not how it came there, it startled me
strangely; and I began to suggest, that God had miraculously
caused this grain to grow without any help of seed sown, and
that it was so directed purely for my sustenance, on that wild
miserable place.
This touched my heart a little, and brought tears out of my
eyes; and I began to bless myself that such a prodigy of na-
ture should happen upon my account: and this was the more
strange to me, because I saw near it still, all along by the side
of the rock, some other straggling stalks, which proved to be
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ADVENTURES OF
stalks of rice, and which I knew, because I had seen it grow
in Africa, when I was ashore there.
I not only thought these the pure productions of Providence
for my support, but, not doubting that there was more in the
place, I went over all that part of the island where I had been
before, searching in every corner, and under every rock, for
more of it; but I could not find any. At last it occurred to
my thoughts, that I had shook out a bag of chickens'-meat in
that place, and then the wonder began to cease: and I must
confess, my religious thankfulness to God's providence began
to abate too, upon the discovering that all this was nothing
but what was common; though I ought to have been as
thankful for so strange and unforeseen a providence, as if it
had been miraculous: for it was really the work of Provi-
dence, as to me, that should order or appoint that ten or
twelve grains of corn should remain unspoiled, when the rats
had destroyed all the rest, as if it had been dropt from heaven;
as also, that I should throw it out in that particular place,
where, it being in the shade of a high rock, it sprang up im-
mediately; whereas, if I had thrown it any where else, at
that time, it would have been burnt up and destroyed.
But
I carefully saved the ears of this corn, you may be sure, in
their season, which was about the end of June; and, laying up
every corn, I resolved to sow them all again; hoping, in time,
to have some quantity sufficient to supply me with bread.
it was not till the fourth year that I could allow myself the
least grain of this corn to eat, and even then but sparingly,
as I shall show afterwards, in its order; for I lost all that I
sowed. the first season, by not observing the proper time; as
I sowed just before the dry season, so that it never came up
at all, at least not as it would have done; of which in its
place.
Besides this barley, there were, as above, twenty or thirty
stalks of rice, which I preserved with the same care; and
whose use was of the same kind, or to the same purpose,
viz. to make me bread, or rather food; for I found ways to
cook it up without baking, though I did that also after some
time. But to return to my Journal.
I worked excessively hard these three or four months, to
get my wall done; and the 14th of April I closed it up; con-
triving to get into it, not by a door, but over the wall, by a
ladder, that there might be no sign on the outside of my ha-
bitation.
April 16. I finished the ladder so I went up with the
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
63
ladder to the top, and then pulled it up after me, and let it
down in the inside: this was a complete enclosure to me; for
within I had room enough, and nothing could come at me
from without, unless it could first mount my wall.
The very next day after this wall was finished, I had almost
all my labour overthrown at once, and myself killed; the case
was thus :-As I was busy in the inside of it, behind my tent,
just at the entrance into my cave, I was terribly frightened
with a most dreadful surprising thing indeed; for, all on a
sudden, I found the earth come crumbling down from the roof
of my cave, and from the edge of the hill over my head, and
two of the posts I had set up in the cave cracked in a frightful
manner. I was heartily scared; but thought nothing of what
really was the cause, only thinking that the top of my cave
was falling in, as some of it had done before: and for fear I
should be buried in it, I ran forward to my ladder; and not
thinking myself safe there neither, I got over my wall, for
fear of the pieces of the hill, which I expected might roll
down upon me. I had no sooner stepped down upon the firm
ground, but I plainly saw it was a terrible earthquake: for
the ground I stood on shook three times, at about eight mi-
nutes distance, with three such shocks as would have over-
turned the strongest building that could be supposed to have
stood on the earth; and a great piece of the top of a rock,
which stood about half a mile from me, next the sea, fell
down, with such a terrible noise as I never heard in all my
life. I perceived also that the very sea was put into a violent
motion by it; and I believe the shocks were stronger under
the water than on the island.
I was so much amazed with the thing itself (having never
felt the like, nor discoursed with any one that had) that I was
like one dead or stupified; and the motion of the earth made
my stomach sick, like one that was tossed at sea: but the
noise of the falling of the rock awaked me, as it were; and,
rousing me from the stupified condition I was in, filled me
with horror, and I thought of nothing but the hill falling upon
my tent and my household goods, and burying all at once;
this sunk my very soul within me a second time.
After the third shock was over, and I felt no more for some
time, I began to take courage; yet I had not heart enough
to go over my wall again, for fear of being buried alive, but
sat still upon the ground, greatly cast down, and disconsolate,
not knowing what to do. All this while, I had not the least
serious religious thought; nothing but the common Lord,
64
ADVENTURES OF
have mercy upon me! and when it was over, that went away
too.
While I sat thus, I found the air overcast, and grow
cloudy, as if it would rain; and, soon after, the wind rose
by little and little, so that in less than half an hour it blew a
most dreadful hurricane: the sea was, all on a sudden, cover-
ed with foam and froth; the shore was covered with a breach
of the water; the trees were torn up by the roots; and a ter-
rible storm it was. This held about three hours, and then
began to abate; and in two hours more it was quite calm, and
began to rain very hard. All this while I sat upon the ground,
very much terrified and dejected; when, on a sudden, it came
into my thoughts, that these winds and rain being the conse-
quence of the earthquake, the earthquake itself was spent and
over, and I might venture into my cave again. With this
thought my spirits began to revive; and the rain also helping
to persuade me, I went in, and sat down in my tent; but the
rain was so violent, that my tent was ready to be beaten down
with it; and I was forced to get into my cave, though very
much afraid and uneasy, for fear it should fall on my head.
This violent rain forced me to a new work, viz. to cut a hole
through my new fortification, like a sink, to let the water go
out, which would else have drowned my cave. After I had
been in my cave for some time, and found no more shocks
of the earthquake follow, I began to be more composed. And
now to support my spirits, which indeed wanted it very much,
I went to my little store, and took a small sup of rum; which,
however, I did then, and always, very sparingly, knowing I
could have no more when that was gone. It continued rain-
ing all that night, and great part of the next day, so that I
could not stir abroad: but my mind being more composed, I
began to think of what I had best do; concluding, that if the
island was subject to these earthquakes, there would be no
living for me in a cave, but I must consider of building me
some little hut in an open place, which I might surround with
a wall, as I had done here, and so make myself secure from
wild beasts or men: for if I staid where I was, I should cer-
tainly, one time or other, be buried alive.
With these thoughts, I resolved to remove my tent from
the place where it now stood, being just under the hanging
precipice of the hill, and which, if it should be shaken again,
would certainly fall upon my tent. I spent the two next
days, being the 19th and 20th of April, in contriving where
and how to remove my habitation. The fear of being swal-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
65
lowed alive affected me so, that I never slept in quiet; and
yet the apprehension of lying abroad, without any fence, was
almost equal to it: but still, when I looked about, and saw
how every thing was put in order, how pleasantly I was con-
cealed, and how safe from danger, it made me very loath to
remove. In the mean time, it occurred to me that it would
require a vast deal of time for me to do this; and that I must
be contented to run the risk where I was, till I had formed a
convenient camp, and had secured it so as to remove to it.
With this conclusion I composed myself for a time; and re-
solved that I would go to work with all speed to build me a
wall with piles and cables, &c. in a circle as before, and set
up my tent in it when it was finished; but that I would ven-
ture to stay where I was till it was ready, and fit to remove
This was the 21st.
to.
April 22. The next morning I began to consider of means
to put this measure into execution; but I was at a great loss
about the tools. I had three large axes, and abundance of
hatchets (for we carried the hatchets for traffic with the In-
dians); but with much chopping and cutting knotty hard
wood, they were all full of notches, and dull and though I
had a grind-stone, I could not turn it and grind my tools too.
This cost me as much thought as a statesman would have be-
stowed upon a grand point of politics, or a judge upon the
life and death of a man. At length I contrived a wheel with a
string, to turn it with my foot, that I might have both my
hands at liberty.
Note, I had never seen any such thing in England, or at
least not to take notice how it was done, though since I have
observed it is very common there besides that, my grind-
stone was very large and heavy. This machine cost me a
full week's work to bring it to perfection.
April 28, 29. These two whole days I took up in grind-
ing my tools, my machine for turning my grind-stone per-
forming very well.
April so. Having perceived that my bread had been low
a great while, I now took a survey of it, and reduced myself
to one biscuit-cake a day, which made my heart very heavy.
May 1. In the morning, looking towards the sea-side, the
tide being low, I saw something lie on the shore bigger than
ordinary, and it looked like a cask: when I came to it, I
found a small barrel, and two or three pieces of the wreck of
the ship, which were driven on shore by the late hurricane;
and looking towards the wreck itself, I thought it seemed to
VOL. I.
K
66
ADVENTURES OF
lie higher out of the water than it used to do. I examined
the barrel that was driven on shore, and soon found it was a
barrel of gunpowder; but it had taken water, and the powder
was caked as hard as a stone: however, I rolled it farther on
the shore for the present, and went on upon the sands, as near
as I could to the wreck of the ship, to look for more.
When I came down to the ship, I found it strangely re-
moved. The forecastle, which lay before buried in sand,
was heaved up at least six feet and the stern (which was
broke to pieces, and parted from the rest by the force of the
sea, soon after I had left rummaging of her,) was tossed, as
it were, up, and cast on one side; and the sand was thrown
so high on that side next her stern, that I could now walk quite
up to her when the tide was out; whereas there was a great
piece of water before, so that I could not come within a quar-
ter of a mile of the wreck without swimming. I was surprised.
with this at first, but soon concluded it must be done by the
earthquake; and as by this violence the ship was more broke
open than formerly, so many things came daily on shore,
which the sea had loosened, and which the winds and water
rolled by degrees to the land.
This wholly diverted my thoughts from the design of re-
moving my habitation; and I busied myself mightily, that
day especially, in searching whether I could make any way
into the ship: but I found nothing was to be expected of that
kind, for all the inside of the ship was choaked up with sand.
However, as I had learned not to despair of any thing, I re-
solved to pull every thing to pieces that I could of the ship,
concluding that every thing I could get from her would be of
some use or other to me.
May 3. I began with my saw, and cut a piece of a beam
through, which I thought held some of the upper part or
quarter-deck together; and when I had cut it through, I
cleared away the sand as well as I could from the side which
lay highest; but the tide coming in, I was obliged to give over
for that time.
May 4. I went a-fishing, but caught not one fish that I
durst eat of, till I was weary of my sport; when, just going to
leave off, I caught a young dolphin. I had made me a long
line of some rope-yarn, but I had no hooks; yet I frequently
caught fish enough, as much as I cared to eat; all which I
dried in the sun, and ate them dry.
May 5. Worked on the wreck: cut another beam asun-
der, and brought three great fir-planks off from the decks;
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
67
which I tied together, and made swim on shore when the tide
of flood came on.
May 6. Worked on the wreck; got several iron bolts out of
her, and other pieces of iron-work: worked very hard, and came
home very much tired, and had thoughts of giving it over.
:
May 7. Went to the wreck again, but not with an intent
to work but found the weight of the wreck had broke itself
down, the beams being cut; that several pieces of the ship
seemed to lie loose; and the inside of the hold lay so open
that I could see into it; but almost full of water and sand.
May 8 Went to the wreck, and carried an iron crow to
wrench up the deck, which lay now quite clear of the water
and sand. I wrenched up two planks, and brought them on
shore also with the tide. I left the iron crow in the wreck
for next day.
May 9. Went to the wreck, and with the crow made way
into the body of the wreck, and felt several casks, and loosened
them with the crow, but could not break them up. I felt also
a roll of English lead, and could stir it; but it was too heavy
May 10, to 14. Went every day to the wreck; and got
a great many pieces of timber, and boards or plank, and two
or three hundred weight of iron.
to remove.
May 15. I carried two hatchets, to try if I could not cut
a piece off the roll of lead, by placing the edge of one hatchet,
and driving it with the other; but as it lay about a foot and
a half in the water, I could not make any blow to drive the
hatchet.
May 16. It had blown hard in the night, and the wreck
appeared more broken by the force of the water; but I staid
so long in the woods, to get pigeons for food, that the tide pre-
vented my going to the wreck that day.
May 17. I saw some pieces of the wreck blown on shore,
at a great distance, two miles off me, but resolved to see what
they were, and found it was a piece of the head, but too heavy
for me to bring away.
May 24. Every day, to this day, I worked on the wreck ;
and with hard labour I loosened some things so much with the
crow, that the first blowing tide several casks floated out, and
two of the seamen's chests: but the wind blowing from the
shore, nothing came to land that day but pieces of timber, and
a hogshead, which had some Brasil pork in it; but the salt water
and the sand had spoiled it. I continued this work every day
to the 15th of June, except the time necessary to get food;
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ADVENTURES OF
which I always appointed, during this part of my employment,
to be when the tide was up, that I might be ready when it
was ebbed out: and by this time I had gotten timber, and
plank, and iron work enough to have built a good boat, if I
had known how: and I also got, at several times, and in several
pieces, near one hundred weight of the sheet-lead.
June 16. Going down to the sea-side, I found a large tor-
toise, or turtle. This was the first I had seen; which, it seems,
was only my misfortune, not any defect of the place, or scar-
city for had I happened to be on the other side of the island,
I might have had hundreds of them every day, as I found
afterwards; but perhaps had paid dear enough for them.
June 17. I spent in cooking the turtle.
:
I found in her
threescore eggs: and her flesh was to me, at that time, the
most savoury and pleasant that ever I tasted in my life; having
had no flesh, but of goats and fowls, since I landed in this
horrid place.
I
June 18. Rained all that day, and I stayed within.
thought, at this time, the rain felt cold, and I was somewhat
chilly; which I knew was not usual in that latitude.
June 19.
been cold.
June 20.
feverish.
Very ill, and shivering, as if the weather had
No rest all night; violent pains in my head, and
June 21. Very ill; frightened almost to death with the
apprehensions of my sad condition, to be sick, and no help:
prayed to God, for the first time since the storm off Hull; but
scarce knew what I said, or why, my thoughts being all con-
fused.
June 22. A little better; but under dreadful apprehensions
of sickness.
June 23. Very bad again; cold and shivering, and then a
violent head-ache.
June 24.
Much better.
June 25. An ague very violent: the fit held me seven
hours; cold fit, and hot, with faint sweats after it.
June 26. Better; and having no victuals to eat, took my
gun, but found myself very weak: however, I killed a she-
goat, and with much difficulty got it home, and broiled some
of it, and ate. I would fain have stewed it, and made some
broth, but had no pot.
June 27.
The ague again so violent that I lay a-bed all
day, and neither ate nor drank. I was ready to perish for
thirst; but so weak, I had not strength to stand up, or to get
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
69
:
CC
myself any water to drink. Prayed to God again, but was
light-headed and when I was not, I was so ignorant that I
knew not what to say; only lay and cried, Lord, look
upon me! Lord, pity me! Lord, have mercy upon me!"
I suppose I did nothing else for two or three hours; till the
fit wearing off, I fell asleep, and did not awake till far in the
night. When I awoke, I found myself much refreshed, but
weak, and exceeding thirsty: however, as I had no water in
my whole habitation, I was forced to lie till morning, and
went to sleep again. In this second sleep I had this terrible
dream: I thought that I was sitting on the ground, on the
outside of my wall, where I sat when the storm blew after the
earthquake, and that I saw a man descend from a great black
cloud, in a bright flame of fire, and light upon the ground:
he was all over as bright as a flame, so that I could but just
bear to look towards him: his countenance was most inex-
pressibly dreadful, impossible for words to describe: when
he stepped upon the ground with his feet, I thought the earth
trembled, just as it had done before in the earthquake; and all
the air looked, to my apprehension, as if it had been filled
with flashes of fire. He had no sooner landed upon the earth,
but he moved forward towards me, with a long spear or wea-
son in his hand, to kill me; and when he came to a rising
ground, at some distance, he spoke to me, or I heard a voice
so terrible that it is impossible to express the terror of it: all
that I can say I understood, was this: Seeing all these
things have not brought thee to repentance, now thou shalt
die;" at which words, I thought he lifted up the spear that
was in his hand, to kill me.
No one that shall ever read this account, will expect that I
should be able to describe the horrors of my soul at this terrible
vision; I mean, that even while it was a dream, I even dreamed
of those horrors; nor is it any more possible to describe the
impression that remained upon my mind when I awaked, and
found it was but a dream.
I had, alas! no divine knowledge: what I had received by
the good instruction of my father was then worn out, by
an uninterrupted series, for eight years, of seafaring wicked-
ness, and a constant conversation with none but such as were,
like myself, wicked and profane to the last degree: I do not
remember that I had, in all that time, one thought that so
much as tended either to looking upward towards God, or in-
ward towards a reflection upon my own ways: but a certain
stupidity of soul, without desire of good, or consciousness of
70
ADVENTURES OF
evil, had entirely overwhelmed me; and I was all that the
most hardened, unthinking, wicked creature among our com-
mon sailors, can be supposed to be; not having the least sense,
either of the fear of God, in danger, or of thankfulness to him,
in deliverances.
In the relating what is already past of my story, this will be
the more easily believed, when I shall add, that through all
the variety of miseries that had to this day befallen me, I
never had so much as one thought of its being the hand of
God, or that it was a just punishment for my sin; either my
rebellious behaviour against my father, or my present sins,
which were great; or even as a punishment for the general
course of my wicked life. When I was on the desperate ex-
pedition on the desert shores of Africa, I never had so much
as one thought of what would become of me; or one wish to
God to direct me whither I should go, or to keep me from the
danger which apparently surrounded me, as well from vora-
cious creatures as cruel savages: but I was quite thoughtless
of a God or a Providence; acted like a mere brute, from the
principles of nature, and by the dictates of common sense only;
and indeed hardly that. When I was delivered and taken up
at sea by the Portuguese captain, well used, and dealt with
justly and honourably, as well as charitably, I had not the
least thankfulness in my thoughts. When, again, I was ship-
wrecked, ruined, and in danger of drowning, on this island, I was
as far from remorse, or looking on it as a judgement: I only said
to myself often, that I was an unfortunate dog, and born to
be always miserable.
It is true, when I first got on shore here, and found all my
ship's crew drowned, and myself spared, I was surprised with
a kind of ecstasy, and some transports of soul, which, had the
grace of God assisted, might have come up to true thankful-
ness: but it ended where it began, in a mere common flight of
joy; or, as I may say, being glad I was alive, without the least
reflection upon the distinguishing goodness of the hand which
had preserved me, and had singled me out to be preserved
when all the rest were destroyed, or an inquiry why Provi-
dence had been thus merciful to me: just the same common
sort of joy which seamen generally have, after they are got
safe ashore from a shipwreck; which they drown all in the
next bowl of punch, and forget almost as soon as it is over:
and all the rest of my life was like it. Even when I was,
afterwards, on due consideration, made sensible of my condi-
tion,-how I was cast on this dreadful place, out of the reach
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
71
of human kind, out of all hope of relief, or prospect of re-
demption, as soon as I saw but a prospect of living, and
that I should not starve and perish for hunger, all the sense
of my affliction wore off, and I began to be very easy, applied
myself to the works proper for my preservation and supply,
and was far enough from being afflicted at my condition, as a
judgement from Heaven, or as the hand of God against me:
these were thoughts which very seldom entered into my head.
The growing up of the corn, as is hinted in my Journal, had,
at first, some little influence upon me, and began to affect me
with seriousness, as long as I thought it had something miracu-
lous in it; but as soon as that part of the thought was removed,
all the impression which was raised from it wore off also, as
I have noted already. Even the earthquake, though nothing
could be more terrible in its nature, or more immediately di-
recting to the invisible Power which alone directs such things,
yet no sooner was the fright over, but the impression it had
made went off also. I had no more sense of God, or his judge-
ments, much less of the present affliction of my circumstances
being from his hand, than if I had been in the most prosperous
condition of life. But now, when I began to be sick, and a
leisure view of the miseries of death came to place itself be-
fore me; when my spirits began to sink under the burden of a
strong distemper, and nature was exhausted with the violence
of the fever; conscience, that had slept so long, began to
awake; and I reproached myself with my past life, in which I
had so evidently, by uncommon wickedness, provoked the jus-
tice of God to lay me under uncommon strokes, and to deal
with me in so vindictive a manner. These reflections oppress-
ed me for the second or third day of my distemper; and in
the violence, as well of the fever as of the dreadful reproaches
of my conscience, extorted from me some words like praying
to God: though I cannot say it was a prayer attended either
with desires or with hopes; it was rather the voice of mere
fright and distress. My thoughts were confused; the convic-
tions great upon my mind: and the horror of dying in such a
miserable condition, raised vapours in my head with the mere
apprehension; and, in these hurries of my soul, I knew not
what my tongue might express: but it was rather exclama-
tion, such as, "Lord, what a miserable creature am I! If
I should be sick, I shall certainly die for want of help; and
what will become of me?" Then the tears burst out of my
eyes, and I could say no more for a good while. In this
interval, the good advice of my father came to my mind, and
presently his prediction, which I mentioned at the beginning
72
ADVENTURES OF
(C
of this story, viz. that if I did take this foolish step, God
would not bless me; and I would have leisure hereafter
to reflect upon having neglected his counsel, when there
might be none to assist in my recovery.
"Now," said I
aloud, my dear father's words are come to pass; God's
justice has overtaken me, and I have none to help or hear me.
I rejected the voice of Providence, which had mercifully put
me in a station of life wherein I might have been happy and
easy; but I would neither see it myself, nor learn from my
parents to know the blessing of it. I left them to mourn over
my folly; and now I am left to mourn under the consequences
of it: I refused their help and assistance, who would have
pushed me in the world, and would have made every thing easy
to me; and now I have difficulties to struggle with, too great
for even nature itself to support; and no assistance, no comfort,
no advice.” Then I cried out, "Lord, be my help, for I am in
great distress." This was the first prayer, if I may call it so,
that I had made for many years. But I return to my Journal.
June 28. Having been somewhat refreshed with the sleep
I had had, and the fit being entirely off, I got up; and though
the fright and terror of my dream was very great, yet I consi-
dered that the fit of the ague would return again the next day,
and now was my time to get something to refresh and support
myself when I should be ill. The first thing I did was to fill
a large square case-bottle with water; and set it upon my table,
in reach of my bed: and to take off the chill or aguish dispo-
sition of the water, I put about a quarter of a pint of rum into
it, and mixed them together. Then I got me a piece of the
goat's flesh, and broiled it on the coals, but could eat very little.
I walked about; but was very weak, and withal very sad and
heavy-hearted in the sense of my miserable condition, dreading
the return of my distemper the next day. At night, I made
my supper of three of the turtle's eggs; which I roasted in the
ashes, and ate, as we call it, in the shell: and this was the first
bit of meat I had ever asked God's blessing to, as I could re-
member, in my whole life. After I had eaten, I tried to walk;
but found myself so weak, that I could hardly carry the gun
(for I never went out without that); so I went but a little
way, and sat down upon the ground, looking out upon the sea,
which was just before me, and very calm and smooth. As I
sat here, some such thoughts as these occurred to me; What
is this earth and sea, of which I have seen so much? Whence
is it produced? And what am I, and all the other creatures,
wild and tame, human and brutal? Whence are we? Surely,
we are all made by some secret power, who formed the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
73
earth and sea, the air and sky. And who is that? Then it
followed most naturally, it is God that has made all. Well,
but then it came on strangely, if God has made all these
things, he guides and governs them all, and all things that con-
cern them; for the power that could make all things, must
certainly have power to guide and direct them: if so, nothing
can happen in the great circuit of his works, either without his
knowledge or appointment.
And if nothing happens without his knowledge, he knows
that I am here, and am in this dreadful condition: and if
nothing happens without his appointment, he has appointed all
this to befall me. Nothing occurred to my thought, to con-
tradict any of these conclusions: and therefore it rested upon
me with the greatest force, that it must needs be that God
hath appointed all this to befall me; that I was brought to this
miserable circumstance by his direction, he having the sole
power, not of me only, but of every thing that happens in the
world. Immediately it followed, Why has God done this to
me? What have I done to be thus used? My conscience
presently checked me in that inquiry, as if I had blasphemed;
and methought it spoke to me like a voice, Wretch! dost
thou ask what thou hast done? Look back upon a dreadful
mispent life, and ask thyself, what thou hast not done? Ask,
why is it that thou wert not long ago destroyed? Why wert
thou not drowned in Yarmouth Roads; killed in the fight when
the ship was taken by the Sallee man of war; devoured by the
wild beasts on the coast of Africa; or drowned here, when
all the crew perished but thyself? Dost thou ask what thou
hast done? I was struck dumb with these reflections, as one
astonished, and had not a word to say; no, not to answer to
myself; and, rising up pensive and sad, walked back to my
retreat, and went over my wall, as if I had been going to bed:
out my thoughts were sadly disturbed, and I had no inclination
to sleep; so I sat down in the chair, and lighted my lamp,
for it began to be dark. Now, as the apprehension of the re-
turn of my distemper terrified me very much, it occurred to
my thought, that the Brasilians take no physic but their tobacco
for almost all distempers; and I had a piece of a roll of tobacco
in one of the chests, which was quite cured; and some also
that was green, and not quite cured.
I went, directed by Heaven no doubt: for in this chest I
found a cure both for soul and body. I opened the chest, and
found what I looked for, viz. the tobacco; and as the few
books I had saved lay there too, I took out one of the bibles
VOL. I.
L
74
ADVENTURES OF
which I mentioned before, and which to this time I had not
found leisure, or so much as inclination, to look into.
I say,
I took it out, and brought both that and the tobacco with me to
the table. What use to make of the tobacco I knew not, as
to my distemper, nor whether it was good for it or not; but I
tried several experiments with it, as if I was resolved it should
hit one way or other. I first took a piece of a leaf, and chewed
it in my mouth; which, indeed, at first, almost stupified my
brain; the tobacco being green and strong, and such as I had
not been much used to. Then I took some and steeped it an
hour or two in some rum, and resolved to take a doze of it
when I lay down: and, lastly, I burnt some upon a pan of
coals, and held my nose close over the smoke of it as long as I
could bear it; as well for the heat, as almost for suffocation.
In the interval of this operation, I took up the bible, and
began to read; but my head was too much disturbed with the
tobacco to bear reading, at least at that time; only, having
opened the book casually, the first words that occurred to me
were these: "Call on me in the day of trouble, and I will de-
liver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." These words were
very apt to my case; and made some impression upon my
thoughts at the time of reading them, though not so much as
they did afterwards; for, as for being delivered, the word had
no sound, as I may say, to me; the thing was so remote, so
impossible in my apprehension of things, that, as the children of
Israel said when they were promised flesh to eat, " Can God
spread a table in the wilderness?" so I began to say,
"Can even
God himself deliver me from this place?" And as it was not for
many years that any hopes appeared, this prevailed very often
upon my thoughts: but, however, the words inade a great
impression upon me, and I mused upon them very often. It
now grew late; and the tobacco had, as I said, dozed my head so
much, that I inclined to sleep: so I left my lamp burning
in the cave, lest I should want any thing in the night, and went
to bed.
But before I laid down, I did what I never had
done in all my life; I kneeled down, and prayed to God to
fulfil the promise to me, "That if I called upon him in the day
of trouble, he would deliver me." After my broken and im-
perfect prayer was over, I drank the rum in which I had steeped
the tobacco; which was so strong and rank of the tobacco,
that indeed I could scarce get it down: immediately upon this I
went to bed. I found presently the rum flew up into my head
violently; but I fell into a sound sleep, and waked no more
till, by the sun, it must necessarily be near three o'clock in
the afternoon the next day: nay, to this hour I am partly of
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
75
opinion, that I slept all the next day and night, and till almost
three the day after; for otherwise, I know not how I should
lose a day out of my reckoning in the days of the week, as it
appeared some years after I had done; for if I had lost it by
crossing and re-crossing the Line, I should have lost more than
one day; but certainly I lost a day in my account, and never
knew which way. Be that, however, one way or the other,
when I awaked I found myself exceedingly refreshed, and my
spirits lively and cheerful: when I got up, I was stronger than
I was the day before, and my stomach better, for I was hungry;
and, in short, I had no fit the next day, but continued much
altered for the better. This was the 29th.
The 30th was my well day, of course; and I went abroad
with my gun, but did not care to travel too far. I killed a sea
fowl or two, something like a brand goose, and brought them
home; but was not very forward to eat them; so I ate some more
of the turtle's eggs, which were very good. This evening I
renewed the medicine, which I had supposed did me good the
day before, viz. the tobacco steeped in rum; only I did not
take so much as before, nor did I chew any of the leaf, or hold
my head over the smoke: however, I was not so well the next
day, which was the 1st of July, as I hoped I should have been;
for I had a little of the cold fit, but it was not much.
July 2. I renewed the medicine all the three ways; and
dozed myself with it as at first, and doubled the quantity which
I drank.
July 3. I missed the fit for good and all, though I did not
recover my full strength for some weeks after. While I was
thus gathering strength, my thoughts ran exceedingly upon
this scripture," I will deliver thee;" and the impossibility of
my deliverance lay much upon my mind, in bar of my ever
expecting it but as I was discouraging myself with such
thoughts, it occurred to my mind that I pored so much upon
my deliverance from the main affliction, that I disregarded the
deliverance I had received; and I was, as it were, made to ask
myself such questions as these, viz. Have I not been deliver-
ed, and wonderfully too, from sickness; from the most dis-
tressed condition that could be, and that was so frightful to me?
and what notice have I taken of it? Have I done my part? God
has delivered me, but I have not glorified him; that is to say,
I have not owned and been thankful for that as a deliverance:
and how can I expect a greater deliverance? This touched
my heart very much; and immediately I knelt down, and gave
God thanks aloud for my recovery from my sickness.
76
ADVENTURES OF
July 4. In the morning I took the bible; and beginning at
the New Testament, I began seriously to read it; and imposed
upon myself to read a while every morning and every night;
not binding myself to the number of chapters, but as long as
my thoughts should engage me. It was not long after I set
seriously to this work, that I found my heart more deeply and
sincerely affected with the wickedness of my past life. The
impression of my dream revived; and the words, "all these
things have not brought thee to repentance," ran seriously in
my thoughts. I was earnestly begging of God to give me re-
pentance, when it happened, providentially, the very same day,
that, reading the scripture, I came to these words,
"He is ex-
alted a Prince and a Saviour; to give repentance, and to give
remission." I threw down the book; and with my heart as
well as my hands lifted up to heaven, in a kind of ecstasy of
joy, I cried out aloud, "Jesus, thou son of David! Jesus,
thou exalted Prince and Saviour! give me repentance!" This
was the first time in all my life I could say, in the true sense
of the words, that I prayed; for now I prayed with a sense of
my condition, and with a true scripture view of hope, founded
on the encouragement of the word of God: and from this
time, I may say, I began to have hope that God would hear me.
Now I began to construe the words mentioned above, "Call
on me, and I will deliver thee," in a different sense from what
I had ever done before; for then I had no notion of any thing
being called deliverance, but my being delivered from the cap-
tivity I was in for though I was indeed at large in the place,
yet the island was certainly a prison to me, and that in the
worst sense in the world. But now I learned to take it in
another sense: now I looked back upon my past life with
such horror, and my sins appeared so dreadful, that my soul
sought nothing of God but deliverance from the load of guilt
that bore down all my comfort. As for my solitary life, it was
nothing; I did not so much as pray to be delivered from it, or
think of it; it was all of no consideration, in comparison with
this. And I add this part here, to hint to whoever shall read
it, that whenever they come to a true sense of things, they
will find deliverance from sin a much greater blessing than de-
liverance from affliction. But, leaving this part, I return to
my Journal.
My condition began now to be, though not less miserable as
to my way of living, yet much easier to my mind and my
thoughts being directed, by constantly reading the scripture and
praying to God, to things of a higher nature, I had a great deal
of comfort within, which, till now, I knew nothing of; also,
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
77
as my health and strength returned, I bestirred me to furnish
myself with every thing that I wanted, and make my way
of living as regular as I could.
From the 4th of July to the 14th, I was chiefly employed
in walking about with my gun in my hand, a little and a little
at a time, as a man that was gathering up his strength after a
fit of sickness for it is hardly to be imagined how low I was,
and to what weakness I was reduced. The application which
I made use of was perfectly new, and perhaps what had never
cured an ague before; neither can I recommend it to any one
to practise, by this experiment: and though it did carry off the
fit, yet it rather contributed to weakening me; for I had
frequent convulsions in my nerves and limbs for some time.
I learned from it also this, in particular; that being abroad in
the rainy season was the most pernicious thing to my health that
could be, especially in those rains which came attended with
storms and hurricanes of wind; for as the rain which came in
the dry season was almost always accompanied with such storms,
so I found that this rain was much more dangerous than the
rain which fell in September and October.
I had now been in this unhappy island above ten months:
all possibility of deliverance from this condition seemed to be
entirely taken from me; and I firmly believed that no human
shape had ever set foot upon that place. Having secured my
habitation, as I thought, fully to my mind, I had a great desire
to make a more perfect discovery of the island, and to see
what other productions I might find, which I yet knew no-
thing of.
It was on the 15th of July that I began to take a more par-
ticular survey of the island itself. I went up the creek first,
where, as I hinted, I brought my rafts on shore. I found,
after I came about two miles up, that the tide did not flow
any higher; and that it was no more than a little brook of
running water, very fresh and good: but this being the dry
season, there was hardly any water in some parts of it; at
least, not any stream. On the banks of this brook I found many
pleasant savannahs, or meadows, plain, smooth, and covered
with grass and on the rising parts of them, next to the higher
grounds (where the water, as it might be supposed, never over-
flowed,) I found a great deal of tobacco, green, and growing to
a great and very strong stalk: and there were divers other plants,
which I had no knowledge of, or understanding about, and
that might, perhaps, have virtues of their own, which I could
got find out. I searched for the cassava root, which the In-
78
ADVENTURES OF
dians, in all that climate, make their bread of; but I could find
none. I saw large plants of aloes, but did not understand
them. I saw several sugar-canes, but wild; and, for want
of cultivation, imperfect. I contented myself with these dis-
coveries for this time; and came back, musing with myself
what course I might take to know the virtue and goodness
of any of the fruits or plants which I should discover; but
'could bring it to no conclusion; for, in short, I had made
so little observation while I was in the Brasils, that I knew
little of the plants in the field; at least, very little that might
serve me to any purpose now in my distress.
The next day, the 16th, I went up the same way again; and
after going something farther than I had gone the day before,
I found the brook and the savannahs begin to cease, and the
country become more woody than before. In this part I found
different fruits; and particularly, I found melons upon the
ground, in great abundance, and grapes upon the trees: the
vines, indeed, had spread over the trees, and the clusters of
grapes were now just in their prime, very ripe and rich. This
was a surprising discovery, and I was exceedingly glad of them,
but I was warned by my experience to eat sparingly of them;
remembering that when I was ashore in Barbary, the eating of
grapes killed several of our Englishmen, who were slaves there,
by throwing them into fluxes and fevers. I found, however,
an excellent use for these grapes; and that was, to cure or dry
them in the sun, and keep them as dried grapes or raisins are
kept; which I thought would be (as indeed they were) as whole-
some and as agreeable to eat, when no grapes were to be had.
I spent all that evening there, and went not back to my ha-
bitation; which, by the way, was the first night, as I might
say, I had lain from home. At night, I took my first con-
trivance, and got up into a tree, where I slept well; and the
next morning proceeded on my discovery, travelling near four
miles, as I might judge by the length of the valley; keeping
still due north, with a ridge of hills on the south and north sides
of me.
At the end of this march I came to an opening, where
the country seemed to descend to the west; and a little spring
of fresh water, which issued out of the side of the hill by me,
ran the other way, that is, due east: and the country appeared
so fresh, so green, so flourishing, every thing being in a con-
stant verdure, or flourish of spring, that it looked like a planted
garden. I descended a little on the side of that delicious vale,
surveying it with a secret kind of pleasure (though mixed with
other afflicting thoughts), to think that this was all my own;
that I was king and lord of all this country indefeasibly, and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
79
had a right of possession; and, if I could convey it, I might
have it in inheritance as completely as any lord of a manor in
England. I saw here abundance of cocoa trees, and orange,
lemon, and citron trees, but all wild, and very few bearing any
fruit; at least, not then. However, the green limes that I
gathered were not only pleasant to eat, but very wholesome;
and I mixed their juice afterwards with water, which made it
very wholesome, and very cool and refreshing. I found now
I had business enough, to gather and carry home; and I re-
solved to lay up a store, as well of grapes as limes and lemons
to furnish myself for the wet season, which I knew was
approaching. In order to this, I gathered a great heap of
grapes in one place, a lesser heap in another place, and a great
parcel of limes and melons in another place; and, taking a
few of each with me, I travelled homeward; and resolved to
come again, and bring a bag or sack, or what I could make,
to carry the rest home. Accordingly, having spent three days
in this journey, I came home (so I must now call my tent and
my cave) but before I got thither, the grapes were spoiled;
the richness of the fruits, and the weight of the juice, having
broken and bruised them, they were good for little or no-
thing as to the limes, they were good, but I could bring only
a few.
:
The next day, being the 19th, I went back, having made
me two small bags to bring home my harvest; but I was sur-
prised, when, coming to my heap of grapes, which were so
rich and fine when I gathered them, I found them all spread
about, trod to pieces, and dragged about, some here, some
there, and abundance eaten and devoured. By this I concluded
there were some wild creatures thereabouts which had done
this, but what they were I knew not. However, as I found
there was no laying them up in heaps, and no carrying them
away in a sack; but that one way they would be destroyed,
and the other way they would be crushed with their own
weight; I took another course: I then gathered a large quantity
of the grapes, and hung them upon the out branches of the trees,
that they might cure and dry in the sun; and as for the limes
and lemons, I carried as many back as I could well stand under.
When I came home from this journey, I contemplated with
great pleasure the fruitfulness of that valley, and the pleasant-
ness of the situation; the security from storms on that side; the
water and the wood: and concluded that I had pitched upon a
place to fix my abode in, which was by far the worst part of the
country. Upon the whole, I began to consider of removing
80
ADVENTURES OF
my habitation, and to look out for a place equally safe as
where I was now situate; if possible, in that pleasant fruitful
part of the island.
This thought ran long in my head; and I was exceeding
fond of it for some time, the pleasantness of the place tempt-
ing me but when I came to a nearer view of it, I considered
that I was now by the sea-side, where it was at least possible
that something might happen to my advantage, and, by the
same ill fate that brought me hither, might bring some other
unhappy wretches to the same place; and though it was scarce
probable that any such thing should ever happen, yet to enclose
myself among the hills and woods in the centre of the island,
was to anticipate my bondage, and to render such an affair not.
only improbable, but impossible; and that therefore I ought not
by any means to remove. However, I was so enamoured of this
place, that I spent much of my time there for the whole re-
maining part of the month of July; and though, upon second
thoughts, I resolved, as above stated, not to remove; yet I built
me a little kind of a bower, and surrounded it at a distance
with a strong fence, being a double hedge, as high as I could
reach, well staked, and filled between with brush-wood. Here
I lay very secure, sometimes two or three nights together;
lways going over it with a ladder, as before so that I fancied
now I had my country and my sea-coast house. This work
took me up till the beginning of August.
I had but newly finished my fence, and began to enjoy my
labour, when the rains came on, and made me stick close to
my first habitation: for though I had made a tent like the
other, with a piece of sail, and spread it very well, yet I had
not the shelter of a hill to keep me from storms, nor a cave be-
hind me to retreat into when the rains were extraordinary.
About the beginning of August, as I said, I had finished my
bower, and began to enjoy myself. The 3d of August, I
found the grapes I had hung up were perfectly dried, and in-
deed were excellent good raisins of the sun: so I began to
take them down from the trees; and it was very happy that I
did so, as the rains which followed would have spoiled them,
and I should have lost the best part of my winter food; for I
had above two hundred large bunches of them. No sooner
had I taken them all down, and carried most of them home to
my cave, but it began to rain: and from hence, which was
the 14th of August, it rained, more or less, every day till the
middle of October; and sometimes so violently, that I could
not stir out of my cave for several days.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
81
In this season, I was much surprised with the increase of my
family. I had been concerned for the loss of one of my cats,
who ran away from me, or, as I thought, had been dead; and I
heard no more of her, till, to my astonishment, she came home
with three kittens. This was the more strange to me, because,
about the end of August, though I had killed a wild cat, as I
called it, with my gun, yet I thought it was quite a different
kind from our European cats; yet the young cats were the
same kind of house breed as the old one; and both of my
cats being females, I thought it very strange. But from these
three, I afterwards came to be so pestered with cats, that I
was forced to kill them like vermin, or wild beasts, and to
drive them from my house as much as possible.
wet.
From the 14th of August to the 26th, incessant rain; so
that I could not stir, and was now very careful not to be much
In this confinement, I began to be straitened for food
but venturing out twice, I one day killed a goat, and the last
day, which was the 26th, found a very large tortoise, which
was a treat to me. My food was now regulated thus: I ate
a bunch of raisins for my breakfast; a piece of the goat's flesh,
or of the turtle, broiled for my dinner, (for, to my great mis-
fortune, I had no vessel to boil or stew any thing); and two
or three of the turtle's eggs for my supper.
:
During this confinement in my cover by the rain, I worked
daily two or three hours at enlarging my cave: and by degrees
worked it on towards one side, till I came to the outside of the
hill; and made a door, or way out, which came beyond my
fence or wall and so I came in and out this way.
But I was
not perfectly easy at lying so open: for as I had managed
myself before, I was in a perfect enclosure; whereas now, I
thought I lay exposed; and yet I could not perceive that there
was any living thing to fear, the biggest creature that I had yet
seen upon the island being a goat.
September 30. I was now come to the unhappy anniver-
sary of my landing. I cast up the notches on my post, and
found I had been on shore three hundred and sixty-five days.
I kept this day as a solemn fast; setting it apart for religious
exercise, prostrating myself on the ground with the most serious
humiliation, confessing my sins to God, acknowledging his
righteous judgements upon me, and praying to him to have mer-
cy on me through Jesus Christ; and having not tasted the least
refreshment for twelve hours, even till the going down of the
sun, I then ate a biscuit and a bunch of grapes, and went to
bed, finishing the day as I began it. I had all this time observed
VOL. 1.
M
82
ADVENTURES OF
no sabbath-day; for as at first I had no sense of religion upon
my mind, I had, after some time, omitted to distinguish the
weeks, by making a longer notch than ordinary for the sabbath-
day, and so did not really know what any of the days were:
but now having cast up the days, as above, I found I had been
there a year; so I divided it into weeks, and set apart every
seventh day for a sabbath: though I found, at the end of my
account, I had lost a day or two in my reckoning. A little
after this, my ink beginning to fail me, I contented myself to
use it more sparingly; and to write down only the most re-
markable events of my life, without continuing a daily me-
morandum of other things.
The rainy season and the dry season began now to appear
regular to me, and I learned to divide them so as to provide
for them accordingly; but I bought all my experience before
I had it; and what I am going to relate was one of the most
discouraging experiments that I had made at all.
I have mentioned that I had saved the few ears of barley
and rice, which I had so surprisingly found sprung up, as I
thought, of themselves. I believe there were about thirty
stalks of rice, and about twenty of barley; and now I thought
it a proper time to sow it after the rains; the sun being in its
southern position, going from me. Accordingly, I dug a piece
of ground, as well as I could, with my wooden spade; and
dividing it into two parts, I sowed my grain: but, as I was
sowing, it casually occurred to my thoughts that I would not
sow it all at first, because I did not know when was the proper
time for it; so I sowed about two-thirds of the seed, leaving
about a handful of each: and it was a great comfort to me
afterwards that I did so, for not one grain of what I sowed this
time came to any thing; for the dry month following, and the
earth having thus had no rain after the seed was sown, it had
no moisture to assist its growth, and never came up at all till
the wet season had come again, and then it grew as if it had
been but newly sown. Finding my first seed did not grow,
which I easily imagined was from the drought, I sought for
a moister piece of ground to make another trial in; and I dug
up a piece of ground near my new bower, and sowed the rest
of my seed in February, a little before the vernal equinox.
This having the rainy month of March and April to water it,
sprung up very pleasantly, and yielded a very good crop; but
having only part of the seed left, and not daring to sow all that
I had, I got but a small quantity at last, my whole crop not
amounting to above half a peck of each kind. But by this
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
83
experiment I was made master of my business, and knew
exactly when was the proper time to sow; and that I might
expect two seed times, and two harvests, every year.
While this corn was growing, I made a little discovery,
which was of use to me afterwards. As soon as the rains were
over, and the weather began to settle, which was about the
month of November, I made a visit up the country to my
bower; where, though I had not been some months, yet I
found all things just as I left them. The circle or double
hedge that I had made was not only firm and entire, but the
stakes which I had cut out of some trees that grew thereabouts,
were all shot out and grown with long branches, as much as a
willow-tree usually shoots the first year after lopping its head ;
but I could not tell what tree to call it that these stakes were
cut from. I was surprised, and yet very well pleased, to see
the young trees grow; and I pruned them, and led them to
grow as much alike as I could; and it is scarce credible how
beautiful a figure they grew into in three years: so that, though
the hedge made a circle of about twenty-five yards in diameter,
yet the trees, for such I might now call them, soon covered it,
and it was a complete shade, sufficient to lodge under all the
dry season. This made me resolve to cut some more stakes,
and make me a hedge like this, in a semicircle round my wall
(I mean that of my first dwelling), which I did; and placing
the trees or stakes in a double row, at about eight yards dis-
tance from my first fence, they grew presently; and were at
first a fine cover to my habitation, and afterwards served for a
defence also; as I shall observe in its order.
I found now that the seasons of the year might generally be
divided, not into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into the
rainy seasons and the dry seasons, which were generally thus :
From the middle of February to the middle of April, rainy;
the sun being then on, or near, the equinox. From the middle
of April till the middle of August, dry; the sun being then
north of the line. From the middle of August till the middle
of October, rainy; the sun being then come back to the line.
From the middle of October till the middle of February, dry;
the sun being then to the south of the line.
The rainy seasons held sometimes longer and sometimes
shorter, as the winds happened to blow; but this was the
general observation I made. After I had found, by experience,
the ill consequences of being abroad in the rain, I took care
to furnish myself with provisions beforehand, that I might
not be obliged to go out and I sat within doors as much as
84
ADVENTUREY OF
possible during the wet months. This time I found much
employment, and very suitable also to the time; for I found
great occasion for many things which I had no way to furnish
myself with but by hard labour and constant application: par-
ticularly, I tried many ways to make myself a basket: but all
the twigs I could get for the purpose proved so brittle, that
that they would do nothing. It proved of excellent advantage.
to me now, that when I was a boy, I used to take great de-
light in standing at a basket-maker's in the town where my
father lived, to see them make their wicker-ware; and being,
as boys usually are, very officious to help, and a great observer
of the manner how they worked those things, and sometimes
lending a hand, I had by these means full knowledge of the
methods of it, so that I wanted nothing but the materials; when
it came into my mind, that the twigs of that tree from whence
I cut my stakes that grew might possibly be as tough as the
sallows, willows, and osiers, in England; and I resolved to try.
Accordingly, the next day, I went to my country-house, as I
called it; and cutting some of the smaller twigs, I found them
to my purpose as much as I could desire: whereupon I came
the next time prepared with a hatchet to cut down a quantity,
which I soon found, for there was great plenty of them. These
I set up to dry within my circle or hedge; and when they
were fit for use, I carried them to my cave: and here, during
the next season, I employed myself in making, as well as I
could, several baskets; both to carry earth, or to carry
or lay up any thing, as I had occasion for. Though I did
not finish them very handsomely, yet I made them sufficiently
serviceable for my purpose: and thus, afterwards, I took care
never to be without them; and as my wicker-ware decayed,
I made more; especially strong deap baskets, to place my corn
in, instead of sacks, when I should come to have any quantity
of it.
Having mastered this difficulty, and employed a world of
time about it, I bestirred myself to see, if possible, how to
supply two other wants. I had no vessel to hold any thing
that was liquid, except two runlets, which were almost full of
rum; and some glass bottles, some of the common size, and
others (which were case-bottles) square, for the holding of
waters, spirits, &c. I had not so much as a pot to boil any
hing; except a great kettle, which I saved out of the ship,
and which was too big for such use as I desired it, viz. to make
broth, and stew a bit of meat by itself. The second thing
I would fain have had, was a tobacco-pipe; but it was im-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
$5
possible for me to make one; however, I found a contrivance
for that too at last. I employed myself in planting my second
row of stakes or piles, and also in this wicker-working, all the
summer or dry season; when another business took me up
more time than it could be imagined I could spare.
I mentioned before, that I had a great mind to see the whole
island; and that I had travelled up the brook, and so on to
where I had built my bower, and where I had an opening
quite to the sea, on the other side of the island. I now resolved
to travel quite across to the sea-shore, on that side: so, taking
my gun, a hatchet, and my dog, and a larger quantity of pow-
der and shot than usual; with two biscuit-cakes, and a great
bunch of raisins in my pouch, for my store, I began my
journey. When I had passed the vale where my bower stood,
as above, I came within view of the sea, to the west; and it
being a very clear day, I fairly descried land, whether an
island or continent I could not tell; but it lay very high,
extending from W. to W. S. W. at a very great distance
by my guess, it could not be less than fifteen or twenty
eagues off.
#
I could not tell what part of the world this might be; other-
wise than that I knew it must be part of America; and, as i̇
concluded, by all my observations, must be near the Spanish
dominions; and perhaps was all inhabited by savages, where,
if I should have landed, I had been in a worse condition than
I was now. I therefore acquiesced in the dispositions of Pro-
vidence, which I began now to own, and to believe ordered
every thing for the best; I say, I quieted my mind with this,
and left off afflicting myself with fruitless wishes of being
there.
Besides, after some pause upon this affair, I considered that
if this land was the Spanish coast, I should certainly, one time
or other, see some vessel pass or repass one way or other; but
if not, then it was the savage coast between the Spanish coun-
try and the Brasils, whose inhabitants are indeed the worst
of savages; for they are cannibals, or men-eaters, and fail not
to murder and devour all human beings that fall into their
hands.
With these considerations, walking very leisurely forward,
I found this side of the island, where I now was, much plea-
santer than mine; the open or savannah fields sweetly adorned
with flowers and grass, and full of very fine woods.
I saw
abundance of parrots; and fain would have caught one, if
possible, to have kept it to be tame, and taught it to speak to
86
ADVENTURES OF
me. I did, after taking some pains, catch a young parrot;
for I knocked it down with a stick, and, having recovered it,
I brought it home: but it was some years before I could make
him speak; however, at last I taught him to call me by my
name very familiarly. But the accident that followed, though
it be a trifle, will be very diverting in its place.
I was exceedingly amused with this journey. I found in
the low grounds hares, as I thought them to be, and foxes: but
they differed greatly from all the other kinds I had met with;
nor could I satisfy myself to eat them, though I killed several.
But I had no need to be venturous: for I had no want of
food, and of that which was very good too; especially these
three sorts, viz. goats, pigeons, and turtle, or tortoise. With
these, added to my grapes, Leadenhall market could not have
furnished a table better than I, in proportion to the company;
and though my case was deplorable enough, yet I had great
cause for thankfulness; as I was not driven to any extremities
for food, but had rather plenty, even to dainties.
I never travelled on this journey above two miles outright
in a day, or thereabout; but I took so many turns and returns,
to see what discoveries I could make, that I came weary
enough to the place were I resolved to sit down for the night;
and then I either reposed myself in a tree, or surrounded my-
self with a row of stakes, set upright in the ground, either from
one tree to another, or so as no wild creature could come at
me without waking me.
As soon as I came to the sea-shore, I was surprised to see
that I had taken up my lot on the worst side of the island:
for here indeed the shore was covered with innumerable
turtles; whereas, on the other side, I had found but three in
a year and a half. Here was also an infinite number of fowls
of many kinds; some of which I had seen, and some of which
I had not seen before, and many of them very good meat;
but such as I knew not the names of, except those called Pen-
guins,
I could have shot as many as I pleased, but was very sparing
of my powder and shot; and therefore had more mind to kill
a she-goat, if I could, which I could better feed on. But
though there were many goats here, more than on my side
the island, yet it was with much more difficulty that I could
come near them; the country being flat and even, and they
saw me much sooner than when I was upon a hill.
I confess this side of the country was much pleasanter than
mine; yet I had not the least inclination to remove; for as I
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
87
was fixed in my habitation, it became natural to me, and I
seemed all the while I was here to be as it were upon a jour-
ney, and from home. However, I travelled along the sea-
shore towards the east, I suppose about twelve miles; and
then setting up a great pole upon the shore for a mark, I con-
cluded I would go home again; and that the next journey I
took should be on the other side of the island, east from my
dwelling, and so round till I came to my post again: of which
in its place.
I took another way to come back than that I went, think-
ing I could easily keep so much of the island in my view, that
I could not miss finding my first dwelling by viewing the
country: but I found myself mistaken; for being come about
two or three miles, I found myself descended into a very large
valley, but so surrounded with hills, and those hills covered
with wood, that I could not see which was my way by any di-
rection but that of the sun, nor even then, unless I knew very
well the position of the sun at that time of the day. And it
happened to my farther misfortune, that the weather proved
hazy for three or four days while I was in this valley; and
not being able to see the sun, I wandered about very uncom-
fortable, and at last was obliged to find out the sea-side, look
for my post, and come back the same way I went; and then
by easy journies I turned homeward, the weather being exceed-
ing hot, and my gun, ammunition, hatchet, and other things
very heavy.
In this journey, my dog surprised a young kid, and seized
upon it; and running to take hold of it, I caught it, and saved
it alive from the dog. I had a great mind to bring it home
if I could; for I had often been musing whether it might not
be possible to get a kid or two, and so raise a breed of tame
goats, which might supply me when my powder and shot
should be all spent. I made a collar for this little creature,
and with a string which I had made of some rope-yarn, which
I always carried about me, I led him along, though with some
difficulty, till I came to my bower, and there I enclosed him
and left him; for I was very impatient to be at home, from
whence I had been absent above a month.
I cannot express what a satisfaction it was to me to come
into my old hutch, and lie down in my hammock-bed. This
little wandering journey, without a settled place of abode, had
been so unpleasant to me, that my own house, as I called it to
myself, was a perfect settlement to me, compared to that; and
it rendered every thing about me so comfortable, that I re-
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ADVENTURES OF
solved I would never go a great way from it again, while it
should be my lot to stay on the island.
I reposed myself here a week, to rest and regale myself
after my long journey: during which, most of the time was
taken up in the weighty affair of making a cage for my Poll,
who began now to be more domestic, and to be mighty well
acquainted with me. Then I began to think of the poor kid
which I had penned within my little circle, and resolved to
fetch it home, or give it some food: accordingly I went, and
found it where I left it (for indeed it could not get out), but
was almost starved for want of food. I went and cut boughs
of trees, and branches of such shrubs as I could find, and threw
it over, and having fed it, I tied it as I did before, to lead it
away; but it was so tame with being hungry, that I had no
need to have tied it, for it followed me like a dog and as I
continually fed it, the creature became so loving, so gentle,
and so fond, that it was from that time one of my domestics
also, and would never leave me afterwards.
:
The rainy season of the autumnal equinox was now come,
and I kept the 30th of September in the same solemn manner
as before, being the anniversary of my landing on the island
having now being there two years, and no more prospect of
being delivered than the first day I came there. I spent the
whole day in humble and thankful acknowledgments for the
many wonderful mercies which my solitary condition was at-
tended with, and without which it might have been infinitely
more miserable. I gave humble and hearty thanks to God
for having been pleased to discover to me, that it was possible
I might be more happy even in this solitary condition, than I
should have been in the enjoyment of society, and in all the
pleasures of the world: that he could fully make up to me the
deficiencies of my solitary state, and the want of human so-
ciety, by his presence, and the communications of his grace to
my soul; supporting, comforting, and encouraging me to de-
pend upon his providence here, and to hope for his eternal
presence hereafter.
It was now that I began sensibly to feel how much more
happy the life I now led was, with all its miserable circum-
stances, than the wicked, cursed, abominable life I led all the
past part of my days and now I changed both my sorrows and
my joys; my very desires altered, my affections changed their
guests, and my delights were perfectly new from what they
were at my first coming, or indeed for the two years past.
Before, as I walked about, either on my hunting, or for view-
ing the country, the anguish of my soul at my condition would
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
89
break out upon me on a sudden, and my very heart would die
within me, to think of the woods, the mountains, the deserts
I was in; and how I was a prisoner, locked up with the eter-
nal bars and bolts of the ocean, in an uninhabited wilderness,
without redemption. In the midst of the greatest composures
of my mind, this would break out upon me like a storm, and
make me wring my hands, and weep like a child: sometimes
it would take me in the middle of my work, and I would im-
mediately sit down and sigh, and look upon the ground for an
hour or two together: this was still worse to me; but if I
could burst into tears, or give vent to my feelings by words, it
would go off; and my grief being exhausted, would abate.
But now I began to exercise myself with new thoughts; I
daily read the word of God, and applied all the comforts of it
to my present state. One morning, being very sad, I opened
the bible upon these words, "I will never, never leave thee,
nor forsake thee:" immediately it occured that these words
were to me; why else should they be directed in such a
manner, just at the moment when I was mourning over my
condition, as one forsaken of God and man? Well then, said I,
if God does not forsake me, of what ill consequence can it be,
or what matters it, though the world should forsake me; see-
ing, on the other hand, if I had all the world, and should lose
the favour and blessing of God, there would be no comparison
in the loss?
From this moment I began to conclude in my mind, that it
was possible for me to be more happy in this forsaken, soli-
tary condition, than it was probable I should ever have been in
any other particular state in the world; and with this thought
I was going to give thanks to God for bringing me to this
place. I know not what it was, but something shocked my mind
at that thought, and I durst not speak the words. How canst
thou be such a hypocrite, said I, even audibly, to pretend to
be thankful for a condition, which, however thou mayest en-
deavour to be contented with, thou wouldest rather pray heartily
to be delivered from? Here I stopped: but though I could
not say I thanked God for being here, yet I sincerely gave
thanks to God for opening my eyes, by whatever afflicting
providences, to see the former condition of my life, and to
mourn for my wickedness, and repent. I never opened the
bible, or shut it, but my very soul within me blessed God for
directing my friend in England, without any order of mine, to
pack it up among my goods; and for assisting me afterwards
to save it out of the wreck of the ship.
VOL. I.
N
90
ADVENTURES OF
Thus, and in this disposition of mind, I began my third
year; and though I have not given the reader the trouble of
so particular an account of my works this year as the first,
yet in general it may be observed, that I was very seldom
idle; but having regularly divided my time, according to the
several daily employments that were before me; such as, first,
My duty to God, and the reading the scriptures, which I con-
stantly set apart some time for, thrice every day: secondly,
Going abroad with my gun for food, which generally took me
up three hours every morning, when it did not rain: thirdly,
Ordering, curing, preserving, and cooking what I had killed
or catched for my supply: these took up great part of the day;
also it is to be considered, that in the middle of the day, when
the sun was in the zenith, the violence of the heat was too
great to stir out; so that about four hours in the evening was
all the time I could be supposed to work in; with this ex-
ception, that sometimes I changed my hours of hunting and.
working, and went to work in the morning, and abroad with
my gun in the afternoon.
To this short time allowed for labour, I desire may be added,
the exceeding laboriousness of my work; the many hours
which, for want of tools, want of help, and want of skill, every
thing I did took up out of my time: for example, I was full
two and forty days making me a board for a long shelf, which
I wanted in my cave; whereas, two sawyers, with their tools
and a saw-pit, would have cut six of them out of the same
tree in half a day.
My case was this; it was a large tree which was to be cut
down, because my board was to be a broad one. This tree I
was three days cutting down, and two more in cutting off the
boughs, and reducing it to a log, or piece of timber. With
inexpressible hacking and hewing, I reduced both the sides of
it into chips, till it was light enough to move; then I turned it,
and made one side of it smooth and flat as a board, from end
to end; then turning that side downward, cut the other side,
till I brought the plank to be about three inches thick, and
smooth on both sides. Any one may judge the labour of my
hands in such a piece of work; but labour and patience carried
me through that, and many other things: I only observe this
in particular, to show the reason why so much of my time
went away with so little work, viz. that what might be a little
to be done with help and tools, was a vast labour, and required
a prodigious time to do alone, and by hand. Notwithstanding
this, with patience and labour I went through many things,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
91
and, indeed, every thing that my circumstances made neces-
sary for me to do, as will appear by what follows.
I was now in the months of November and December, ex-
pecting my crop of barley and rice. The ground I had ma-
nured or dug up for them was not great; for, as I observed,
my seed of each was not above the quantity of half a peck,
having lost one whole crop by sowing in the dry season:
but now my crop promised very well; when, on a sudden, I
found I was in danger of loosing it all again by enemies of
several sorts, which it was scarce possible to keep from it; as,
first, the goats, and wild creatures which I called hares, who,
tasting the sweetness of the blade, lay in it night and day, as
soon as it came up, and ate it so close, that it could get no
time to shoot up into stalk.
I saw no remedy for this, but by making an enclosure about
it with a hedge, which I did with a great deal of toil; and the
more, because it required speed. However, as my arable
land was but small, suited to my crop, I got it tolerably well
fenced in about three weeks time; and shooting some of the
creatures in the day-time, I set my dog to guard it in the night,
tieing him up to a stake at the gate, were he would stand and
bark all night long; so in a little time the enemies forsook
the place, and the corn grew very strong and well, and began
to ripen apace.
:
But as the beasts ruined me before, while my corn was in the
blade, so the birds were as likely to ruin me now, when it was
in the ear for going along by the place to see how it throve,
I saw my little crop surrounded with fowls, I know not of how
many sorts, who stood, as it were, watching till I should be
gone. I immediately let fly among them (for I always had my
gun with me); I had no sooner shot, but there rose up a
little cloud of fowls, which I had not seen at all, from among
the corn itself.
This touched me sensibly, for I foresaw that in a few days
they would devour all my hopes; that I should be starved, and
never be able to raise a crop at all; and what to do I could not
tell however, I resolved not to lose my corn, if possible,
though I should watch it night and day. In the first place, I
went among it, to see what damage was already done, and
found they had spoiled a good deal of it; but that as it was
yet too green for them, the loss was not so great, but that the
remainder was likely to be a good crop, if it could be saved.
I staid by it to load my gun, and then coming away, I could
easily see the thieves sitting upon all the trees about me, as if
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ADVENTURES OF
they only waited till I was gone away; and the event proved t
to be so; for as I walked off, as if gone, I was no sooner out of
their sight, than they dropt down, one by one, into the corn
again. I was so provoked, that I could not have patience to stay
till more came on, knowing that every grain they eat now
was, as it might be said, a peck-loaf to me in the consequence;
so coming up to the hedge, I fired again, and killed three of
them. This was what I wished for; so I took them up, and
served them as we serve notorious thieves in England, viz.
hanged them in chains, for a terror to others. It is impossible
to imagine that this should have such an effect as it had; for
the fowls not only never came to the corn, but, in short, they
forsook all that part of the island, and I could never see a bird
near the place as long as my scare-crows hung there. This I
was very glad of, you may be sure; and about the latter end of
December, which was our second harvest of the year, I reaped
my corn.
I was sadly put to it for a scythe or sickle to cut it down;
and all I could do was to make one as well as I could, out of
one of the broad swords, or cutlasses, which I saved among the
arms out of the ship. However, as my first crop was but
small, I had no great difficulty to cut it down: in short, I reaped
it my way, for I cut nothing off but the ears, and carried it
away in a great basket which I had made, and so rubbed it out
with my hands; and at the end of all my harvesting, I found
that out of my half peck of seed I had near two bushels of rice,
and above two bushels and a half of barley; that is to say, by
my guess, for I had no measure.
However, this was great encouragment to me; and I foresaw
that, in time, it would please God to supply me with bread.
and yet here I was perplexed again; for I neither knew how
to grind, or make meal of my corn, or indeed how to clean it
and part it; nor if made into meal, how to make bread of it
and if how to make it, yet I knew not how to bake it: these
things being added to my desire of having a good quantity for
store, and to secure a constant supply, I resolved not to taste
any of this crop, but to preserve it all for seed against the next
season; and, in the mean time, to employ all my study and
hours of working to accomplish this great work of providing
myself with corn and bread.
It might be truly said, that now I worked for my bread. It
is a little wonderful, and what I believe few people have thought
much upon, viz. the strange multitude of little things neces-
sary in the providing, producing, curing, dressing making, and
finishing this one article of bread.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
93
I, that was reduced to a mere state of nature, found this to
my daily discouragement, and was made more sensible of it
every hour, even after I had got the first handful of seed-corn,
which, as I have said, came up unexpectedly, and indeed to a
surprise.
First, I had no plough to turn up the earth; no spade or
shovel to dig it: well, this I conquered, by making a wooden
spade, as I observed before; but this did my work in but a
wooden manner; and though it cost me a great many days to
make it, yet, for want of iron, it not only wore out the soorer,
but made my work the harder, and performed it much worse.
However, this I bore with, and was content to work it out
with patience, and bear with the badness of the performance.
When the corn was sowed, I had no harrow, but was forced
to go over it myself, and drag a great heavy bough of a tree over
it, to scratch it, as it may be called, rather than rake or har-
row it. When it was growing and grown, I have observed
already how many things I wanted to fence it, secure it, mow,
or reap it, cure and carry it home, thresh, part it from the
chaff, and save it: then I wanted a mill to grind it, sieves to
dress it, yeast and salt to make it into bread, and an oven to
bake it; and yet all these things I did without, as shall be ob-
served; and the corn was an inestimable comfort and ad-
vantage to me: all this, as I said, made every thing laborious
and tedious to me, but that there was no help for; neither
was my time so much loss to me, because, as I had divided it,
a certain part of it was every day appointed to these works
and as I resolved to use none of the corn for bread till I had
a greater quantity by me, I had the next six months to apply
myself wholly, by labour and invention, to furnish myself with
utensils proper for the performing all the operations necessary
for making corn fit for my use.
;
But now I was to prepare more land; for I had seed enough
to sow above an acre of ground. Before I did this, I had a
week's work at least to make me a spade; which, when it
was done, was but a sorry one indeed, and very heavy, and
required double labour to work with it: however, I went
through that, and sowed my seed in two large flat pieces of
ground, as near my house as I could find them to my mind,
and fenced them in with a good hedge; the stakes of which
were all cut off that wood which I had set before, and knew
it would grow; so that, in one year's time, I knew I should
nave a quick or living hedge, that would want but little repair.
This work took me up full three months; because a great part
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ADVENTURES OF
of the time was in the wet season, when I could not go
abroad
Within doors, that is, when it rained, and I could not go out,
I found employment on the following occasions; always ob-
serving, that while I was at work, I diverted myself with talk-
ing to my parrot, and teaching him to speak; and I quickly
learned him to know his own name, and at last to speak it out
pretty loud, POLL; which was the first word I ever heard
spoken in the island by any mouth but my own. This, there-
fore, was not my work, but an assistant to my work; for now,
as I said, I had a great employment upon my hands, as follows:
I had long studied, by some means or other, to make myself
some earthen vessels, which indeed I wanted much, but knew
not where to come at them: however, considering the heat of
the climate, I did not doubt but if I could find out any clay, I
might botch up some such pot as might, being dried in the sun,
be hard and strong enough to bear handling, and to hold any
thing that was dry, and required to be kept so; and as this was
necessary in the preparing corn, meal, &c. which was the thing
I was upon, I resolved to make some as large as I could, and fit
only to stand like jars, to hold what should be put into them
It would make the reader pity me, or rather laugh at me,
to tell how many aukward ways I took to raise this pastil;
what odd, mishapen, ugly things I made; how many of them
fell in, and how many fell out, the clay not being stiff enough
to bear its own weight; how many cracked by the over violent
heat of the sun, being set out too hastily; and how many fell
in pieces with only removing, as well before as after they were
dried: and, in a word, how, after having laboured hard to find
the clay, to dig it, to temper it, to bring it home, and work
it, I could not make above two large earthen ugly things (I
cannot call them jars) in about two months labour.
However, as the sun baked these two very dry and hard, I
lifted them very gently up, and set them down again in two
great wicker baskets, which I had made on purpose for them,
that they might not break; and as between the pot and the
basket there was a little room to spare, I stuffed it full of the
rice and barley-straw; and these two pots being to stand al-
ways dry, I thought would hold my dry corn, and perhaps the
meal, when the corn was bruised.
Though I miscarried so much in my design for large pots,
yet I made several smaller things with better success; such
as little round pots, flat dishes, pitchers, and pipkins, and any
thing my hand turned to; and the heat of the sun baked them
very hard.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
95
But all this would not answer my end, which was to get an
earthen pot to hold liquids, and bear the fire, which none of
these could do. It happened some time after, making a pretty
large fire for cooking my meat, when I went to put it out after
I had done with it, I found a broken piece of one of my
earthen-ware vessels in the fire, burnt as hard as a stone, and
red as a tile. I was agreeably surprised to see it; and said to
myself, that certainly they might be made to burn whole, if
they would burn broken.
This set me to study how to order my fire, so as to make it
burn some pots. I had no notion of a kiln, such as the potters
burn in, or of glazing them with lead, though I had some lead
to do it with; but I placed three large pipkins and two or
three pots in a pile, one upon another, and placed my fire-
wood all round it, with a great heap of embers under them.
I plied the fire with fresh fuel round the outside, and upon
the top, till I saw the pots in the inside red-hot quite through,
and observed that they did not crack at all: when I saw them
clear red, I let them stand in that heat about five or six hours,
till I found one of them, though it did not crack, did melt or
run; for the sand which was mixed with the clay melted by
the violence of the heat, and would have run into glass, if I
had gone on; so I slacked my fire gradually, till the pots be-
gan to abate of the red colour; and watching them all night.
that I might not let the fire abate too fast, in the morning I
had three very good, I will not say handsome, pipkins, and
two other earthen pots, as hard burnt as could be desired; and
one of them perfectly glazed with the running of the sand.
After this experiment, I need not say that I wanted no sort
of earthen-ware for my use; but I must needs say, as to the
shapes of them, they were very indifferent, as any one may
suppose, as I had no way of making them but as the chil-
dren make dirt pies, or as a woman would make pies that
never learned to raise paste.
No joy at a thing of so mean a nature was ever equal to
mine, when I found I had made an earthen pot that would
bear the fire; and I had hardly patience to stay till they were
cold, before I set one on the fire again, with some water in it,
to boil me some meat, which it did admirably well; and with
a piece of a kid I made some very good broth; though I wanted
oatmeal, and several other ingredients requisite to make it so
good as I would have had it been.
My next concern was to get a stone mortar to stamp or beat
some corn in; for as to the mill, there was no thought of ar-
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ADVENTURES OF
riving to that perfection of art with one pair of hands. To
supply this want I was at a great loss; for, of all trades in the
world, I was as perfectly unqualified for a stone-cutter as for
any whatever; neither had I any tools to go about it with. I
spent many a day to find out a great stone big enough to cut
hollow, and make fit for a mortar; but could find none at all,
except what was in the solid rock, and which I had no way
to dig or cut out: nor, indeed, were the rocks in the island of
sufficient hardness, as they were all of a sandy crumbling stone,
which would neither bear the weight of a heavy pestle, nor
would break the corn without filling it with sand: so, after a
great deal of time lost in searching for a stone, I gave it over,
and resolved to look out a great block of hard wood, which I
found indeed much easier; and getting one as big as I had
strength to stir, I rounded it, and formed it on the outside
with my axe and hatchet; and then, with the help of fire, and
infinite labour, made a hollow place in it, as the Indians in
Brasil make their canoes. After this, I made a great heavy
pestle, or beater, of the wood called iron-wood; and this I
prepared and laid by against I had my next crop of corn, when
I proposed to myself to grind, or rather pound, my corn into
meal, to make my bread.
My next difficulty was to make a sieve, or search, to dress
my meal, and to part it from the bran and the husk, without
which I did not see it possible I could have any bread. This
was a most difficult thing, even but to think on; for I had
nothing like the necessary thing to make it; I mean fine thin
canvas or stuff, to search the meal through. Here I was at
a full stop for many months; nor did I really know what to do;
linen I had none left, but what was mere rags; I had goats'-
hair, but neither knew how to weave it or spin it; and had I
known how, here were no tools to work it with: all the re-
medy I found for this was, at last recollecting I had, among the
seamen's clothes which were saved out of the ship, some neck-
cloths of calico or muslin, with some pieces of these I made
three small sieves, proper enough for the work; and thus I
made shift for some years: how I did afterwards, I shall show
in its place.
The baking part was the next thing to be considered, and
how I should make bread when I came to have corn: for,
first, I had no yeast as to that part, there was no supply-
ing the want, so I did not concern myself much about it; but
for an oven I was indeed puzzled. At length I found out an
expedient for that also, which was this; I made some earthen
vessels, very broad, but not deep, that is to say, about two feet
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
97
diameter, and not above nine inches deep: these I burned in
the fire, as I had done the other, and laid them by; and when
I wanted to bake, I made a great fire upon my hearth, which
I had paved with some square tiles, of my own making and
burning also; but I should not call them square.
When the fire-wood was burned into embers, or live coals,
I drew them forward upon the hearth, so as to cover it all
over, and there let them lie till the hearth was very hot; then
sweeping away all the embers, I set down my loaf, or loaves,
and covering them with the earthen pot, drew the embers all
round the outside of the pot, to keep in and add to the heat;
and thus, as well as in the best oven in the world, I baked my
barley loaves, and became, in a little time, a good pastry-cook
into the bargain; for I made myself several cakes and pud-
dings of the rice; but made no pies, as I had nothing to put into
them except the flesh of fowls or goats.
It need not be wondered at, if all these things took me up
most part of the third year of my abode here; for, it is to
be observed, in the intervals of these things, I had my new
harvest and husbandry to manage: I reaped my corn in its
season, and carried it home as well as I could, and laid it up
m the ear, in my large baskets, till I had time to rub it out;
for I had no floor to thresh it on, or instrument to thresh it
with.
And now, indeed, my stock of corn increasing, I really
wanted to build my barns bigger: I wanted a place to lay it
up in; for the increase of the corn now yielded me so much,
that I had of the barley about twenty bushels, and of rice as
much, or more, insomuch that now I resolved to begin to use
it freely; for my bread had been quite gone a great while :
I resolved also to see what quantity would be sufficient for me
a whole year, and to sow but once a-year.
Upon the whole, I found that the forty bushels of barley
and rice were much more than I could consume in a year;
so I resolved to sow just the same quantity every year that I
sowed the last, in hopes that such a quantity would fully pro-
vide me with bread, &c.
All the while these things were doing, you may be sure my
thoughts ran many times upon the prospect of land which I
had seen from the other side of the island; and I was not
without some secret wishes that I was on shore there; fancy-
ing, that seeing the main land, and an inhabited country, I
might find some way or other to convey myself farther, and
perhaps at last find some means of escape.
VOL. I.
0
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ADVENTURES OF
But all this while I made no allowance for the dangers of
such a condition, and that I might fall into the hands of savages,
and perhaps such as I might have reason to think far worse than
the lions and tigers of Africa; that if I once came in their
power, I should run a hazard of more than a thousand to one
of being killed, and perhaps of being eaten; for I had heard
that the people of the Caribbean coast were cannibals, or man-
eaters; and I knew, by the latitude, that I could not be far
off from that shore. Then supposing they were not cannibals,
yet that they might kill me, as they had many Europeans who
had fallen into their hands, even when they have been ten or
twenty together; much more I, who was but one, and could
make little or no defence; all these things, I say, which I
ought to have considered well of, and did cast up in my thoughts
afterwards, took up none of my apprehensions at first; yet my
head ran mightily upon the thought of getting over to the
shore.
Now I wished for my boy Xury, and the long-boat with the
shoulder-of-mutton sail, with which I sailed above a thousand
miles on the coast of Africa; but this was in vain: then I
thought I would go and look at our ship's boat, which, as I
have said, was blown up upon the shore a great way, in the
storm, when we were first cast away. She lay nearly where
she did at first, but not quite; having turned, by the force of
the waves and the winds, almost bottom upward, against a high
ridge of beachy rough sand; but no water about her, as before.
If I had had hands to have refitted her, and to have launched
her into the water, the boat would have done very well, and I
might have gone back into the Brasils with her easily enough;
but I might have foreseen, that I could no more turn her and
set her upright upon her bottom, than I could remove the
island: however, I went to the woods, and cut levers and
rollers, and brought them to the boat, resolving to try what I
could do; suggesting to myself, that if I could but turn her
down, and repair the damage she had received, she would
be a very good boat, and I might venture to sea in her.
I spared no pains, indeed, in this piece of fruitless toil, and
spent, I think, three or four weeks about it: at last, finding
it impossible to heave her up with my little strength, I fell to
digging away the sand, to undermine her, and so to make her
fall down, setting pieces of wood to thrust and guide her right
in the fall.
But when I had done this, I was unable to stir her up again,
or to get under her, much less to move her forward towards the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
99
water; so I was forced to give it over and yet, though I gave
over the hopes of the boat, my desire to venture over the main
increased, rather than diminished, as the means for it seemed
impossible.
At length, I began to think whether it was not possible to
make myself a canoe, or periagua, such as the natives of those
elimates make, even without tools, or, as I might say, without
hands, of the trunk of a great tree. This I not only thought
possible, but easy, and pleased myself extremely with the idea
of making it, and with my having much more convenience
for it than any of the negroes or Indians; but not at all con-
sidering the particular inconveniences which I lay under more
than the Indians did, viz. the want of hands to move it into
the water when it was made, a difficulty much harder for me
to surmount than all the consequences of want of tools could
be to them for what could it avail me, if, after I had chosen
my tree, and with much trouble cut it down, and might be able
with my tools to hew and dub the outside into the proper shape
of a boat, and burn or cut out the inside to make it hollow, so
as to make a boat of it; if, after all this, I must leave it just
where I found it, and was not able to launch it into the water?
:.
One would imagine, if I had had the least reflection upon
my mind of my circumstances while I was making this boat,
I should have immediately thought how I was to get it into the
sea: but my thoughts were so intent upon my voyage in it,
that I never once considered how I should get it off the land;
and it was really, in its own nature, more easy for me to guide
it over forty-five miles of sea, than the forty-five fathoms of
land, where it lay, to set it afloat in the water.
I went to work upon this boat the most like a fool that ever
man did, who had any of his senses awake: I pleased myself
with the design, without determining whether I was able to
undertake it; not but that the difficulty of launching my boat
came often into my head; but I put a stop to my own in-
quiries into it, by this foolish answer: Let us first make it;
I warrant I will find some way or other to get it along when it
is done.
This was a most preposterous method; but the eagerness of
my fancy prevailed, and to work I went. I felled a cedar tree,
and I question much whether Solomon ever had such a one for
the building of the Temple at Jerusalem; it was five feet ten
inches diameter at the lower part next the stump, and four
feet eleven inches diameter at the end of twenty-two feet,
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ADVENTURES OF
where it lessened, and then parted into branches. It was not
without infinite labour that I felled this tree; I was twenty
days hacking and hewing at the bottom, and fourteen more
getting the branches and limbs, and the vast spreading head of
it cut off: after his, it cost me a month to shape it and dub
it to a proportion, and to something like the bottom of a boat,
that it might swim upright as it ought to do. It cost me near
three months more to clear the inside, and work it out so as to
make an exact boat of it: this I did, indeed, without fire, by
mere mallet and chissel, and by the dint of hard labour, till I
had brought it to be a very handsome periagua, and big enough
to have carried six and twenty men, and consequently big
enough to have carried me and all my cargo.
When I had gone through this work, I was extremely de-
lighted with it. The boat was really much bigger than ever I
saw a canoe or periagua, that was made of one tree, in my life.
Many a weary stroke it had cost, you may be sure; and there
remained nothing but to get it into the water; which, had I
accomplished, I make no question but I should have begun the
maddest voyage, and the most unlikely to be performed, that
ever was undertaken.
But all my devices to get it into the water failed me; though
they cost me inexpressible labour too. It lay about one hundred
yards from the water, and not more; but the first inconve-
nience was, it was up hill towards the creek. Well, to take
away this discouragement, I resolved to dig into the surface of
the earth, and so make a declivity: this I begun, and it cost
me a prodigious deal of pains; (but who grudge pains that have
their deliverance in view?) when this was worked through,
and this difficulty managed, it was still much the same, for
I could no more stir the canoe than I could the other boat.
Then I measured the distance of ground, and resolved to cut
a dock or canal, to bring the water up to the canoe, seeing I
could not bring the canoe down to the water. Well, I began
this work ; and when I began to enter upon it, and calculate
how deep it was to be dug, how broad, how the stuff was to be
thrown out, I found, by the number of hands I had, having
none but my own, that it must have been ten or twelve years
before I could have gone through with it; for the shore lay
so high, that at the upper end it must have been at least twenty
feet deep; this attempt, though with great reluctancy, I was
at length obliged to give over also.
This grieved me heartily; and now I saw, though too late,
the folly of beginning a work before we count the cost, and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
101
before we judge rightly of our own strength to go through
with it.
In the middle of this work, I finished my fourth year in this
place, and kept my anniversary with the same devotion, and
with as much comfort as before; for, by a constant study and
serious application to the word of God, and by the assistance
of his grace, I gained a different knowledge from what I had
before; I entertained different notions of things; I looked now
upon the world as a thing remote, which I had nothing to do
with, no expectation from, and, indeed, no desires about: in a
word, I had nothing to do with it, nor was ever likely to have;
I thought it looked, as we may perhaps look upon it hereafter,
viz. as a place I had lived in, but was come out of it; and
well might I say, as father Abraham to Dives, "Between me
and thee is a great gulf fixed.
In the first place, I was here removed from all the wickedness
of the world; I had neither the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eye, nor the pride of life. I had nothing to covet, for I
had all that I was now capable of enjoying: I was lord of the
whole manor; or, if I pleased, I might call myself king or
emperor over the whole country which I had possession of;
there were no rivals; I had no competitor, none to dispute so-
vereignty or command with me: I might have raised ship-load-
ings of corn, but I had no use for it; so I let as little grow as
I thought enough for my occasion. I had tortoise or turtle
enough, but now and then one was as much as I could put to any
use: I had timber enough to have built a fleet of ships; and
I had grapes enough to have made wine, or to have cured into
raisins, to have loaded that fleet, when it had been built.
But all I could make use of was all that was valuable: I had
enough to eat and to supply my wants, and what was the rest
to me? If I killed more flesh than I could eat, the dog must
eat it, or vermin; if I sowed more corn than I could eat, it
must be spoiled; the trees that I cut down were lying to rot
on the ground; I could make no more use of them than for
fuel, and that I had no other occasion for but to dress my food.
In a word, the nature and experience of things dictated to
me, upon just reflection, that all the good things of this world
are of no farther good to us than for our use; and that whatever
we may heap up to give others, we enjoy only as much as we
can use, and no more. The most covetous griping miser in
the world would have been cured of the vice of covetousness,
if he had been in my case; for I possessed infinitely more than
I knew what to do with. I had no room for desire, except it
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was for things which I had not, and they were comparatively
but trifles, though, indeed, of great use to me. I had, as I
hinted before, a parcel of money, as well gold as silver, about
thirty-six pounds sterling: Alas! there the nasty, sorry, use-
less stuff lay: I had no manner of business for it; and I often
thought within myself, that I would have given a handful of it
for a gross of tobacco-pipes, or for a hand-mill to grind my
corn; nay, I would have given it all for sixpenny-worth of tur-
nip and carrot seed from England, or for a handful of peas and
beans, and a bottle of ink. As it was, I had not the least ad-
vantage by it, or benefit from it; but there it lay in a drawer,
and grew mouldy with the damp of the cave in the wet seasons;
and if I had had the drawer full of diamonds, it had been the
same case, they had been of no manner of value to me,
because of no use.
I had now brought my state of life to be much more con
fortable in itself than it was at first, and much easier to my
mind, as well as to my body. I frequently sat down to meat
with thankfulness, and admired the hand of God's providence,
which had thus spread my table in the wilderness: I learned
to look more upon the bright side of my condition, and less
upon the dark side, and to consider what I enjoyed, rather
than what I wanted: and this gave me sometimes such secret
comforts, that I cannot express them; and which I take notice
of here, to put those discontented people in mind of it, who
cannot enjoy comfortably what God has given them, because
they see and covet something that he has not given them. All
our discontents about what we want, appeared to me to spring
from the want of thankfulness for what we have.
Another reflection was of great use to me, and doubtless
would be so to any one that should fall into such distress as
mine was; and this was, to compare my present condition with
what I at first expected it would be; nay, with what it would
certainly have been, if the good providence of God had not
wonderfully ordered the ship to be cast up near to the shore,
where I not only could come at her, but could bring what I got
out of her to the shore, for my relief and comfort; without
which, I had wanted for tools to work, weapons for defence,
and gunpowder and shot for getting my food.
I spent whole hours, I may say whole days, in representing
to myself, in the most lively colours, how I must have acted if
I had got nothing out of the ship. I could not have so much
as got any food, except fish and turtles; and that, as it was
long before I found any of them, I must have perished; that
I should have lived, if I had not perished, like a mere savage;
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
103
that if I had killed a goat or a fowl, by any contrivance, I had
no way to flay or open it, or part the flesh from the skin and
the bowels, or to cut it up; but must gnaw it with my teeth,
and pull it with my claws, like a beast.
These reflections made me very sensible of the goodness of
Providence to me, and very thankful for my present condition,
with all its hardships and misfortunes: and this part also I
cannot but recommend to the reflection of those who are apt,
in their misery, to say,
"Is any affliction like mine?" Let
them consider how much worse the cases of some people are,
and their case might have been, if Providence had thought fit.
But,
I had another reflection, which assisted me also to comfort
my mind with hopes; and this was, comparing my present
condition with what I had deserved, and had therefore reason
to expect from the hand of Providence. I had lived a dread-
ful life, perfectly destitute of the knowledge and fear of God.
I had been well instructed by father and mother; neither had
they been wanting to me, in their endeavours to infuse an early
religious awe of God into my mind, a sense of my duty, and
what the nature and end of my being required of me.
alas! falling early into the seafaring life, which, of all lives, is
the most destitute of the fear of God, though his terrors are
always before them; I say, falling early into the seafaring life,
and into seafaring company, all that little sense of religion
which I had entertained was laughed out of me by my mess-
mates; by a hardened despising of dangers, and the views of
death, which grew habitual to me; by my long absence from all
manner of opportunities to converse with any thing but what
was like myself, or to hear any thing that was good, or tending
towards it.
So void was I of every thing that was good, or of the least
sense of what I was, or was to be, that in the greatest deliver-
ances I enjoyed, (such as my escape from Sallee, my being
taken up by the Portuguese master of a ship, my being plant-
ed so well in the Brasils, my receiving the cargo from Eng-
land, and the like,) I never had once the words, "thank God,'
so much as on my mind, or in my mouth; nor in the greatest
distress had I so much as a thought to pray to him, or so
much as to say,
"Lord, have mercy upon me!” no, nor to
mention the name of God, unless it was to swear by, and blas-
pheme it.
I had terrible reflections upon my mind for many months,
as I have already observed, on account of my wicked and
hardened life past: and when I looked about me, and consi-
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dered what particular providences had attended me since my
coming into this place, and how God had dealt bountifully
with me,—had not only punished me less than my iniquity had
deserved, but had so plentifully provided for me,--this gave me
great hopes that my repentance was accepted, and that God
had yet mercies in store for me.
With these reflections, I worked my mind up, not only to
a resignation to the will of God in the present disposition of
my circumstances, but even to a sincere thankfulness for my
condition; and that I, who was yet a living man, ought not to
complain, seeing I had not the due punishment of my sins;
that I enjoyed so many mercies which I had no reason to have
expected in that place, that I ought never more to repine at
my condition, but to rejoice, and to give daily thanks for that
daily bread, which nothing but a crowd of wonders could
have brought; that I ought to consider I had been fed by a
miracle, even as great as that of feeding Elijah by ravens; nay,
by a long series of miracles: and that I could hardly have
named a place in the uninhabitable part of the world where I
could have been cast more to my advantage; a place where,
as I had no society, which was my affliction on one hand, so
I found no ravenous beasts, no furious wolves or tigers, to
threaten my life; no venomous or poisonous creatures, which
I might feed on to my hurt; no savages, to murder and de-
your me. In a word, as my life was a life of sorrow one way,
so it was a life of mercy another; and I wanted nothing to
make it a life of comfort, but to make myself sensible of God's
goodness to me, and care over me in this condition; and after
I did make a just improvement of these things, I went away,
and was no more sad.
I had now been here so long, that many things which I
brought on shore for my help were either quite gone, or very
much wasted, and near spent.
My ink, as I observed, had been gone for some time, all but
a very little, which I eked out with water, a little and a little,
till it was so pale, it scarce left any appearance of black upon
the paper. As long as it lasted, I made use of it to minute
down the days of the month on which any remarkable thing
happened to me: and, first, by casting up times past, I re-
member that there was a strange concurrence of days in the
various providences which befel me, and which, if I had been
superstitiously inclined to observe days as fatal or fortunate, I
might have had reason to have looked upon with a great deal
of curiosity.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
105
First, I had observed, that the same day that I broke away
from my father and my friends, and ran away to Hull, in order
to go to sea, the same day afterwards I was taken by the Sallee
man of war, and made a slave: the same day of the year that
I escaped out of the wreck of the ship in Yarmouth Roads,
that same day-year afterwards I made my escape from Sallee
in the boat and the same day of the year I was born on, viz.
the 30th of September, that same day I had my life so mira-
culously saved twenty-six years after, when I was cast on shore
in this island so that my wicked life and my solitary life be-
gan both on one day.
The next thing to my ink being wasted, was that of my
bread, I mean the biscuit which I brought out of the ship;
this I had husbanded to the last degree, allowing myself but
one cake of bread a day for above a year; and yet I was quite
without bread for near a year before I got any corn of my own,
and great reason I had to be thankful that I had any at all,
the getting it being, as has been already observed, next to mi-
raculous.
My clothes, too, began to decay mightily: as to linen, I
had none for a great while, except some chequered shirts which
I found in the chests of the other seamen, and which I care-
fully preserved, because many times I could bear no clothes on
but a shirt; and it was a very great help to me that I had, among
all the men's clothes of the ship, almost three dozen of shirts.
There were also, indeed, several thick watch-coats of the
seamen's which were left, but they were too hot to wear;
and though it is true that the weather was so violently hot that
there was no need of clothes, yet I could not go quite naked,
no, though I had been inclined to it, which I was not, nor
could I abide the thought of it, though I was all alone. The
reason why I could not go quite naked was, I could not bear
the heat of the sun so well when quite naked as with some
clothes on; nay, the very heat frequently blistered my skin :
whereas, with a shirt on, the air itself made some motion, and
whistling under the shirt, was twofold cooler than without it.
No more could I ever bring myself to go out in the heat of
the sun without a cap or hat; the heat of the sun beating
with such violence as it does in that place, would give me
the head-ach presently, by darting so directly upon my head,
without a cap or hat on, so that I could not bear it; whereas,
if I put on my hat, it would presently go away.
Upon these views, I began to consider about putting the
few rags
I had which I called clothes, into scme order; I
VOL. I.
P
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ADVENTURES OF
had worn out all the waistcoats I had, and my business was
now to try if I could not make jackets out of the great watch-
coats that I had by me, and with such other materials as I had;
so I set to work a tailoring, or rather, indeed, a botching, for
I made most piteous work of it. However, I made shift to
make two or three new waistcoats, which I hoped would serve
me a great while: as for breeches or drawers, I made but a
very sorry shift indeed, till afterwards.
I have mentioned, that I saved the skins of all the creatures
that I killed, I mean four-footed ones; and I had hung them
up, stretched out with sticks, in the sun, by which means some
of them were so dry and hard that they were fit for little, but
others I found very useful. The first thing I made of these
was a great cap for my head, with the hair on the outside, to
shoot off the rain; and this I performed so well, that after
this I made me a suit of clothes wholly of the skins, that is to
say, a waistcoat, and breeches, open at the knees, and both
loose; for they were rather wanting to keep me cool than
warm. I must not omit to acknowledge that they were
wretchedly made; for if I was a bad carpenter, I was a worse
tailor. However, they were such as I made very good shift
with; and when I was abroad, if it happened to rain, the hair
of my waistcoat and cap being uppermost, I was kept very dry.
After this, I spent a great deal of time and pains to make
me an umbrella: I was indeed in great want of one, and had
a great mind to make one; I had seen them made in the Bra-
sils, where they were very useful in the great heats which are
there; and I felt the heats every jot as great here, and greater
too, being nearer the equinox: besides, as I was obliged to be
much abroad, it was a most useful thing to me, as well for the
rains as the heats. I took a world of pains at it, and was a
great while before I could make any thing likely to hold; nay,
after I thought I had hit the way, I spoiled two or three before
I made one to my mind; but at last I made one that answered
indifferently well; the main difficulty I found was to make it
to let down: I could make it spread, but if it did not let down
too, and draw in, it was not portable for me any way but just
over my head, which would not do. However, at last, as I
said, I made one to answer, and covered it with skins, the hair
upwards, so that it cast off the rain like a pent-house, and kept
off the sun so effectually, that I could walk out in the hottest
of the weather with greater advantage than I could before in
the coolest; and when I had no need of it, could close it, and
carry it under my arm.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
107
Thus I lived mighty comfortably, my mind being entirely
composed by resigning to the will of God, and throwing my-
self wholly upon the disposal of his providence. This made
my life better than sociable; for when I began to regret the
want of conversation, I would ask myself, whether thus con-
versing mutually with my own thoughts, and, as I hope I may
say, with even God himself, by ejaculations, was not better
than the utmost enjoyment of human society in the world?
I cannot say that after this, for five years, any extraordinary
thing happened to me, but I lived on in the same course, in
the same posture and place, just as before; the chief things I
was employed in, besides my yearly labour of planting my barley
and rice, and curing my raisins, of both which I always kept
up just enough to have sufficient stock of one year's provision
beforehand; I say, besides this yearly labour, and my daily
pursuit of going out with my gun, I had one labour, to make
me a canoe, which at last I finished: so that by digging a
canal to it of six feet wide, and four feet deep, I brought it
into the creek, almost half a mile. As for the first, which
was so vastly big, as I made it without considering beforehand,
as I ought to do, how I should be able to launch it, so, never
being able to bring it into the water, or bring the water to it,
I was obliged to let it lie where it was, as a memorandum to
teach me to be wiser the next time: indeed, the next time,
though I could not get a tree proper for it, and was in a place
where I could not get the water to it at any less distance than,
as I have said, near half a mile, yet as I saw it was practicable
at last, I never gave it over: and though I was near two years
about it, yet I never grudged my labour, in hopes of having a
boat to go off to sea at last.
However, though my little periagua was finished, yet the
size of it was not at all answerable to the design which I had
in view when I made the first; I mean, of venturing over to
the terra firma, where it was above forty miles abroad; accord-
ingly, the smallness of my boat assisted to put an end to that
design, and now I thought no more of it. As I had a boat,
my next design was to make a cruise round the island; for as
I had been on the other side in one place, crossing, as I have
already described it, over the land, so the discoveries I made
in that little journey made me very eager to see other parts of
the coast; and now I had a boat, I thought of nothing but
sailing round the island.
For this purpose, that I might do every thing with discretion
and consideration, I fitted up a little mast in my boat, and
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made a sail to it out of some of the pieces of the ship's sail
which lay in store, and of which I had a great stock by me
Having fitted my mast and sail, and tried the boat, I found
she would sail very well: then I made little lockers, or boxes,
at each end of my boat, to put provisions, necessaries, ammu-
nition, &c. into, to be kept dry, either from rain or the spray
of the sea; and a little long hollow place I cut in the inside of
the boat, where I could lay my gun, making a flap to hang
down over it, to keep it dry.
I fixed my umbrella also in a step at the stern, like a mast,
to stand over my head, and keep the heat of the sun off me,
like an awning; and thus I every now and then took a little
voyage upon the sea, but never went far out, nor far from the
little creek. At last, being eager to view the circumference of
my little kingdom, I resolved upon my cruise; and accordingly,
I victualled my ship for the voyage, putting in two dozen of
loaves (cakes I should rather call them) of barley bread, an
earthen pot full of parched rice (a food I ate a great deal of,)
a little bottle of rum, half a goat, and powder and shot for kill-
ing more, and two large watch-coats, of those which, as I
mentioned before, I had saved out of the seamen's chests;
these I took, one to lie upon, and the other to cover me in the
night.
It was the 6th of November, in the sixth year of my reign,
or my captivity, which you please, that I set out on this voy-
age, and I found it much longer than I expected; for though
the island itself was not very large, yet when I came to the
east side of it, I found a great ledge of rocks lie out about
two leagues into the sea, some above water, some under it;
and beyond that a shoal of sand, lying dry half a league more,
so that I was obliged to go a great way out to sea to double
the point.
When first I discovered them, I was going to give over my
enterprize, and come back again, not knowing how far it might
oblige me to go out to sea, and, above all, doubting how I
should get back again; so I came to an anchor; for I had
made me a kind of an anchor with a piece of a broken grap-
pling which I got out of the ship.
Having secured my boat, I took my gun and went on shore,
climbing up on a hill, which seemed to overlook that point,
where I saw the full extent of it, and resolved to venture.
In my viewing the sea from that hill where I stood, I per-
ceived a strong, and indeed a most furious current, which ran to
the cast, and even came close to the point; and I took the more
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
109
notice of it, because I saw there might be some danger, that
when I came into it, I might be carried out to sea by the
strength of it, and not be able to make the island again: and,
indeed, had I not got first upon this hill, I believe it would
have been so; for there was the same current on the other
side the island, only that it set off at a farther distance, and
I saw there was a strong eddy under the shore; so I had no-
thing to do but to get out of the first current, and I should
presently be in an eddy.
I lay here, however, two days, because the wind blowing
pretty fresh at E. S. E. and that being just contrary to the
said current, made a great breach of the sea upon the point;
so that it was not safe for me to keep too close to the shore,
for the breach, nor to go too far off, because of the stream.
The third day, in the morning, the wind having abated over-
night, the sea was calm, and I ventured: but I am a warning-
piece again to all rash and ignorant pilots; for no sooner was
I come to the point, when I was not even my boat's length
from the shore, but I found myself in a great depth of water,
and a current like the sluice of a mill; it carried my boat along
with it with such violence, that all I could do could not keep
her so much as on the edge of it; but I found it hurried me
farther and farther out from the eddy, which was on my left
hand. There was no wind stirring to help me, and all I could
do with my paddles signified nothing: and now I began to
give myself over for lost; for as the current was on both sides
of the island, I knew in a few leagues distance they must join
again, and then I was irrecoverably gone; nor did I see any
possibility of avoiding it; so that I had no prospect before me
but of perishing, not by the sea, for that was calm enough
but of starving for hunger. I had indeed found a tortoise on
the shore, as big almost as I could lift, and had tossed it into
the boat; and I had a great jar of fresh water, that is to say,
one of my earthen pots; but what was all this to being driven
into the vast ocean, where, to be sure, there was no shore, no
main land or island, for a thousand leagues at least ?
And now I saw how easy it was for the providence of God
to make even the most miserable condition of mankind worse.
Now I looked back upon my desolate solitary island, as the
most pleasant place in the world; and all the happiness my
heart could wish for was to be but there again. I stretched
out my hands to it, with eager wishes: "O happy desert!
said I," I shall never see thee more. O miserable creature!
whither am I going!" Then I reproached myself with my
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unthankful temper, and how I had repined at my solitary con-
dition; and now what would I give to be on shore there again!
Thus we never see the true state of our condition till it is il-
lustrated to us by its contraries, nor know how to value what
we enjoy, but by the want of it. It is scarce possible to
imagine the consternation I was now in, being driven from my
beloved island (for so it appeared to me now to be) into the
wide ocean, almost two leagues, and in the utmost despair of
ever recovering it again. However, I worked hard, till indeed
my strength was almost exhausted, and kept my boat as much
to the northward, that is, towards the side of the current which
the eddy lay on, as possibly I could; when about noon, as the
sun passed the meridian, I thought I felt a little breeze of wind
in my face, springing up from the S. S. E. This cheered my
heart a little, and especially when, in about half an hour more,
it blew a pretty gentle gale. By this time I was got at a
frightful distance from the island, and had the least cloudy or
hazy weather intervened, I had been undone another way too;
for I had no compass on board, and should never have known
how to have steered towards the island, if I had but once lost
sight of it; but the weather continuing clear, I applied myself
to get up my mast again, and spread my sail, standing away to
the north as much as possible, to get out of the current.
Just as I had set my mast and sail, and the boat began to
stretch away, I saw even by the clearness of the water some
alteration of the current was near; for where the current was
so strong, the water was foul; but perceiving the water clear,
I found the current abate; and presently I found to the east,
at about half a mile, a breach of the sea upon some rocks :
these rocks I found caused the current to part again, and as
the main stress of it ran away more southerly, leaving the rocks
to the north-east, so the other returned by the repulse of the
rocks, and made a strong eddy, which ran back again to the
north-west, with a very sharp stream.
They who know what it is to have a reprieve brought to
them upon the ladder, or to be rescued from thieves just going
to murder thein, or who have been in such like extremities,
may guess what my present surprise of joy was, and how
gladly I put my boat into the stream of this eddy; and the
wind also freshening, how gladly I spread my sail to it, running
cheerfully before the wind, and with a strong tide or eddy
ander foot.
This eddy carried me about a league in my way back again,
directly towards the island, but about two leagues more to the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
111
northward than the current which carried me away at first; so
that when I came near the island, I found myself open to the
northern shore of it, that is to say, the other end of the island,
opposite to that which I went out from.
When I had made something more than a league of way by
the help of this current or eddy, I found it was spent, and
served me no farther. However, I found that being between
two great currents, viz. that on the south side, which had
hurried me away, and that on the north, which lay about a
league on the other side; I say, between these two, in the
wake of the island, I found the water at least still, and running
no way; and having still a breeze of wind fair for me, I kept
on steering directly for the island, though not making such
fresh way as I did before.
About four o'clock in the evening, being then within a
league of the island, I found the point of the rocks which oc-
casioned this disaster, stretching out, as is described before, to
the southward, and casting off the current more southerly, had,
of course, made another eddy to the north; and this I found
very strong, but not directly setting the way. my course lay,
which was due west, but almost full north. However, having
a fresh gale, I stretched across this eddy, slanting north-west;
and, in about an hour, came within about a mile of the shore,
where it being smooth water, I soon got to land.
When I was on shore, I fell on my knees, and gave God
thanks for my deliverance, resolving to lay aside all thoughts
of my deliverance by my boat; and refreshing myself with
such things as I had, I brought my boat close to the shore, in
a little cove that I had spied under some trees, and laid me
down to sleep, being quite spent with the labour and fatigue of
the voyage.
*
I was now at a great loss which way to get home with my
boat I had run so much hazard, and knew too much of the
case, to think of attempting it by the way I went out; and
what might be at the other side (I mean the west side) ' knew
not, nor had I any mind to run any more ventures; so I only
resolved in the morning to make my way westward along the
shore, and to see if there was no creek where I might lay up
my frigate in safety, so as to have her again, if I wanted her.
In about three miles, or thereabout, coasting the shore, I came
to a very good inlet or bay, about a mile over, which narrow-
ed till it came to a very little rivulet or brook, where I found a
very convenient harbour for my boat, and where she lay as if
she had been in a little dock made on purpose for her. Here
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I put in, and having stowed my boat very safe, I went on shore
to look about me, and see where I was.
I soon found I had but a little passed by the place where I had
been before, when I travelled on foot to that shore; so taking
nothing out of my boat but my gun and umbrella, for it was
exceeding hot, I began my march. The way was comforta-
ble enough after such a voyage as I had been upon, and I
reached my old bower in the evening, where I found every
thing standing as I left it; for I always kept it in good order,
being, as I said before, my country house.
I got over the fence, and laid me down in the shade, to rest
my limbs, for I was very weary, and fell asleep: but judge
you, if you can, that read my story, what a surprise I must be
in, when I was awaked out of my sleep by a voice, calling me
by my name several times, "Robin, Robin, Robin Crusoe ;
poor Robin Crusoe! Where are you, Robin Crusoe? Where
are you? Where have you been?"
I was so dead asleep at first, being fatigued with rowing, or
paddling, as it is called, the first part of the day, and with walking
the latter part, that I did not wake thoroughly; but dozing
between sleeping and waking, thought I dreamed that some-
body spoke to me: but as the voice continued to repeat Robin
Crusoe, Robin Crusoe, at last I began to wake more perfectly,
and was at first dreadfully frightened, and started up in the ut-
most consternation; but no sooner were my eyes open, but I
saw my Poll sitting on the top of the hedge; and immediately
knew it was he that spoke to me; for just in such bemoaning
language I had used to talk to him, and teach him; and he
had learned it so perfectly, that he would sit upon my finger,
and lay his bill close to my face, and cry, "Poor Robin Cru-
soe! Where are you? Where have you been? How came you
here?" and such things as I had taught him.
However, even though I knew it was the parrot, and that in-
deed it could be nobody else, it was a good while before I could
compose myself: First, I was amazed how the creature got
thither, and then, how he should just keep about the place,
and no where else: but as I was well satisfied it could be no-
body but honest Poll, I got over it; and holding out my hand,
and calling him by his name, Poll, the sociable creature came
to me, and sat upon my thumb, as he used to do, and continued
talking to me, Poor Robin Crusoe! and how did I come here?
and where had I been? just as if he had been overjoyed to see
me again and so I carried him home along with me.
I now had enough of rambling to sea for some time, and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
113
had enough to do for many days, to sit still, and reflect upon
the danger I had been in. I would have been very glad to
have had my boat again on my side of the island; but I knew
not how it was practicable to get it about.
As to the east side
of the island, which I had gone round, I knew well enough
there was no venturing that way; my very heart would shrink,
and my very blood run chill, but to think of it; and as to the
other side of the island, I did not know how it might be there;
but supposing the current ran with the same force against the
shore at the east as it passed by it on the other, I might run
the same risk of being driven down the stream, and carried by
the island, as I had been before of being carried away from it;
so, with these thoughts, I contented myself to be without any
boat, though it had been the product of so many months la-
bour to make it, and of so many more to get it into the sea.
In this government of my temper I remained near a year,
lived a very sedate, retired life, as you may well suppose; and
my thoughts being very much composed, as to my condition,
and fully comforted in resigning myself to the dispositions of
Providence, I thought I lived really very happily in all things,
except that of society.
I improved myself in this time in all the mechanic exercises
which my necessities put me upon applying myself to; and I
believe I could, upon occasion, have made a very good carpen-
ter, especially considering how few tools I had.
Besides this, I arrived at an unexpected perfection in my
earthen ware, and contrived well enough to make them with a
wheel, which I found infinitely easier and better; because I
made things round and shapable, which before were filthy things
indeed to look on. But I think I was never more vain of my
own performance, or more joyful for any thing I found out,
than for my being able to make a tobacco-pipe; and though
it was a very ugly clumsy thing, when it was done, and only
burnt red, like other earthen ware, yet as it was hard and firm,
and would draw the smoke, I was exceedingly comforted
with it, for I had been always used to smoke: and there
were pipes in the ship, but I forgot them at first, not thinking
that there was tobacco in the island; and afterwards, when I
searched the ship again, I could not come at any pipes at all.
In my wicker-ware also I improved much, and made abun-
dance of necessary baskets, as well as my invention showed me;
though not very handsome, yet they were such as were very
handy and convenient for my laying things up in, or fetching
VOL. I.
114
ADVENTURES OF
things home. For example, if I killed a goat abroad, I could
hang it up in a tree, flay it, dress it, and cut it in pieces,
and bring it home in a basket; and the like by a turtle. I
could cut it up, take out the eggs, and a piece or two of the
flesh, which was enough for me, and bring them home in a
basket, and leave the rest behind me. Also large deep baskets
were the receivers of my corn, which I always rubbed out as
soon as it was dry, and cured, and kept it in great baskets.
I began now to perceive my powder abated considerably;
this was a want which it was impossible for me to supply,
and I began seriously to consider what I must do when I should
have no more powder; that is to say, how I should do to kill
any goats. I had, as is observed, in the third year of my being
here, kept a young kid, and bred her up tame, and I was in
hopes of getting a he-goat; but I could not by any means bring
it to pass, till my kid grew an old goat; and as I could never
find in my heart to kill her, she died at last of mere age.
But being now in the eleventh year of my residence, and, as
I have said, my ammunition growing low, I set myself to study
some art to trap and snare the goats, to see whether I could
not catch some of them alive; and particularly, I wanted a she-
goat great with young. For this purpose, I made snares to
hamper them; and I do believe they were more than once
taken in them; but my tackle was not good, for I had no wire,
and I always found them broken, and my bait devoured. At
length I resolved to try a pit-fall: so I dug several large pits
in the earth, in places where I had observed the goats used to
feed, and over those pits I placed hurdles, of my own making
too, with a great weight upon them; and several times I put
ears of barley and dry rice, without setting the trap, and I
could easily perceive that the goats had gone in and eaten up
the com, for I could see the marks of their feet. At length
I set three traps in one night, and going the next morning, I
found them all standing, and yet the bait eaten and gone; this
was very discouraging. However, I altered my traps; and,
not to trouble you with particulars, going one morning to see
my traps, I found in one of them a large old he-goat, and in
one of the others three kids, a male and two females.
As to the old one, I knew not what to do with him; he
was so fierce, I durst not go into the pit to him; that is to say,
to go about to bring him away alive, which was what I want-
ed: I could have killed him, but that was not my business
nor would it answer my end; so I even let him out, and
he ran away, as if he had been frightened out of his wits
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
115
But I had forgot then, what I had learned afterwards, that
hunger will tame a lion. If I had let him stay there three or
four days without food, and then have carried him some water
to drink, and then a little corn, he would have been as tame
as one of the kids; for they are mighty sagacious, tractable
creatures, where they are well used.
However, for the present I let him go, knowing no better
at that time then I went to the three kids, and taking them
one by one, I tied them with strings together, and with some
difficulty brought them all home.
It was a good while before they would feed; but throwing
them some sweet corn, it tempted them, and they began to be
tame. And now I found that if I expected to supply myself
with goat's flesh when I had no powder or shot left, breeding
some up tame was my only way; when, perhaps, I might have
them about my house like a flock of sheep. But then it oc-
curred to me, that I must keep the tame from the wild, or else
they would always run wild when they grew up: and the only
way for this was, to have some enclosed piece of ground, well
fenced, either with hedge or pale, to keep them in so effectu-
ally, that those within might not break out, or those without
break in.
This was a great undertaking for one pair of hands; yet as
I saw there was an absolute necessity for doing it, my first
work was to find out a proper piece of ground, where there
was likely to be herbage for them to eat, water for them to
drink, and cover to keep them from the sun.
Those who understand such enclosures will think I had very
little contrivance, when I pitched upon a place very proper
for all these (being a plain open piece of meadow land, or
savannah, as our people call it in the western colonies,) which
had two or three little drills of fresh water in it, and at one
end was very woody; I say, they will smile at my forecast,
when I shall tell them, I began my enclosing this piece of
ground in such a manner, that my hedge or pale must have
been at least two miles about. Nor was the madness of it so
great as to the compass, for if it was ten miles about, I was
like to have time enough to do it in; but I did not consider
that my goats would be as wild in so much compass as if they
had had the whole island, and I should have so much room
to chase them in, that I should never catch them.
My hedge was begun and carried on, I believe about fifty
yards, when this thought occurred to me; so I presently stop-
ped short, and, for the first beginning, I resolved to enclose a
..6
ADVENTURES OF
piece of about 150 yards in length, and 100 yards in breadth;
which, as it would maintain as many as I should have in any
reasonable time, so, as my stock increased, I could add more
ground to my enclosure.
This was acting with some prudence, and I went to work
with courage. I was about three months hedging in the first
piece; and, till I had done it, I tethered the three kids in the
best part of it, and used them to feed as near me as possible,
to make them familiar; and very often I would go and carry
them some ears of barley, or a handful of rice, and feed them
out of my hand: so that after my enclosure was finished, and
I let them loose, they would follow me up and down, bleating
after me for a handful of corn.
This answered my end; and in about a year and a half I
had a flock of about twelve goats, kids and all; and in two
years more, I had three and forty, besides several that I took
and killed for my food. After that I enclosed five several
pieces of ground to feed them in, with little pens to drive them
nto, to take them as I wanted, and gates out of one piece of
ground into another.
But this was not all; for now I not only had goat's flesh to
feed on when I pleased, but milk too; a thing which, indeed,
in the beginning, I did not so much as think of, and which,
when it came into my thoughts, was really an agreeable sur-
prise for now I set up my dairy, and had sometimes a gallon
or two of milk in a day. And as nature, who gives supplies
of food to every creature, dictates even naturally how to make
use of it, so I, that had never milked a cow, much less a goat,
or seen butter or cheese made, only when I was a boy, after a
great many essays and miscarriages, made me both butter and
cheese at last, and also salt, (though I found it partly made to
my hand by the heat of the sun upon some of the rocks of the
sea,) and never wanted it afterwards. How mercifully can our
Creator treat his creatures, even in those conditions in which
they seemed to be overwhelmed in destruction! How can he
sweeten the bitterest providences, and give us cause to praise
him for dungeons and prisons! What a table was here spread
for me in a wilderness, where I saw nothing, at first, but to
perish for hunger!
It would have made a stoic smile, to have seen me and my
little family sit down to dinner: there was my majesty, the
the prince and lord of the whole island; I had the lives of ali
my subjects at my absolute command; I could hang, draw
give liberty, and take it away; and no rebels among all my
KOBINSON CRUSOE.
117
subjects. Then to see how like a king I dined too, all alone,
attended by my servants: Poll, as if he had been my favourite,
was the only person permitted to talk to me. My dog, who
was now grown very old and crazy, and had found no species
to multiply his kind upon, sat always at my right hand; and
two cats, one on one side of the table, and one on the other,
expecting now and then a bit from my hand, as a mark of
special favour.
But these were not the two cats which I brought on shore at
first, for they were both of them dead, and had been interred
near my habitation by my own hand; but one of them having
multiplied by I know not what kind of creature, these were two
which I had preserved tame; whereas the rest run wild in the
woods, and became indeed troublesome to me at last; for
they would often come into my house, and plunder me too,
till at last I was obliged to shoot them, and did kill a great
many; at length they left me.-With this attendance, and in
this plentiful manner, I lived; neither could I be said to want
any thing but society; and of that, some time after this, I was
like to have too much.
I was something impatient, as I have observed, to have the
use of my boat, though very loth to run any more hazards;
and therefore sometimes I sat contriving ways to get her about
the island, and at other times I sat myself down contented
enough without her. But I had a strange uneasiness in my
mind to go down to the point of the island, where, as I have
said, in my last ramble, I went up the hill to see how the shore
lay, and how the current set, that I might see what I had to
do this inclination increased upon me every day, and at length
I resolved to travel thither by land, following the edge of the
shore. I did so; but had any one in England been to meet
such a man as I was, it must either have frightened him, or
raised a great deal of laughter and as I frequently stood still
to look at myself, I could not but smile at the notion of my
travelling through Yorkshire, with such an equipage, and in
such a dress. Be pleased to take a sketch of my figure, as
follows:
I had a great high shapeless cap, made of a goat's skin, with
a flap hanging down behind, as well to keep the sun from me
as to shoot the rain off from running into my neck; nothing
being so hurtful in these climates as the rain upon the flesh,
under the clothes.
I had a short jacket of goat's skin, the skirts coming down to
about the middle of the thighs, and a pair of open-kneed
118
ADVENTURES OF
breeches of the same; the breeches were made of the skin of
an old he-goat, whose hair hung down such a length on either
side, that, like pantaloons, it reached to the middle of my legs;
stockings and shoes I had none, but had made me a pair of
somethings, I scarce know what to call them, like buskins, to
flap over my legs, and lace on either side like spatterdashes:
but of a most barbarous shape, as indeed were all the rest of
my clothes.
I had on a broad belt of goat's skin dried, whch I drew to-
gether with two thongs of the same, instead of buckles; and
in a kind of a frog on either side of this, instead of a sword
and dagger, hung a little saw and a hatchet; one on one side,
and one on the other. I had another belt, not so broad, and
fastened in the same manner, which hung over my shoulder;
and at the end of it, under my left arm, hung two pouches,
both made of goat's skin too; in one of which hung my powder,
in the other my shot. At my back I carried my basket, and
on my shoulder my gun; and over my head a great clumsy
ugly goat's skin umbrella, but which, after all, was the most
necessary thing I had about me, next to my gun.
As for my
face, the colour of it was really not so mulatto-like as one might
expect from a man not at all careful of it, and living within
nine or ten degrees of the equinox. My beard I had once
suffered to grow till it was about a quarter of a yard long; but
as I had both scissars and razors sufficient, I had cut it pretty
short, except what grew on my upper lip, which I had trimmed
into a large pair of Mahometan whiskers, such as I had seen
worn by some Turks at Sallee; for the Moors did not wear
such, though the Turks did: of these mustachios or whiskers,
I will not say they were long enough to hang my hat upon
them, but they were of a length and shape monstrous enough,
and such as, in England, would have passed for frightful.
But all this is by the bye; for, as to my figure, I had so few
to observe me that it was of no manner of consequence; so
I say no more to that part. In this kind of figure I went my
new journey, and was out five or six days. I travelled first
along the sea-shore, directly to the place where I first brought
my boat to an anchor, to get upon the rocks; and having no
boat now to take care of, I went over the land, a nearer way,
to the same height that I was upon before; when looking
forward to the point of the rocks which lay out, and which I
was obliged to double with my boat, as is said above, I was
surprised to see the sea all smooth and quiet; no rippling, no
motion, no current, any more there than in any other places.

"I went my new journey, and was out five or six days.'
days."-Page 213.
This day is published, to be continued Weekly, No. I., Price Threepence, of
THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES
OF
ROBINSON
CRUSOE:
BY DANIEL DEFOE.
PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD
FROM DESIGNS BY GRANDVILLE.
Character of the Work.
'Perhaps there exists no work, either of instruction or entertainment, in the English
language, which has been more generally read, and more universally admired, than the Life
and Adventures of ROBINSON CRUsoe. It is difficult to say in what the charm consists,
by which persons of all classes and denominations are thus fascinated; yet the majority of
readers will recollect it as among the first works that awakened and interested their youth-
ful attention; and feel, even in advanced life, and in the maturity of their understanding,
that there are still associated with ROBINSON CRUSOE, the sentiments peculiar to that
period, when all is new, all glittering in prospect, and when those visions are most bright,
which the experience of after life tends only to darken and destroy.
"ROBINSON CRUSOE is eagerly read by young people; and there is hardly a child so
devoid of imagination as not to have supposed for himself a solitary island, in which he
could act ROBINSON CRUSOE, were it but in the corner of the nursery. Neither does a re-
perusal at a more advanced age, diminish early impressions. The situation is such as every
make his own; and, being possible in itself, is, by the exquisite art of the narrator,
rendered as probable as it is interesting. It has the merit, too, of that species of accurate
painting which can be looked at again and again with new pleasure.
man may
Neither has the admiration of the work been confined to England, although ROBINSON
CRUSOE himself, with his rough good sense, his prejudices, and his obstinate determination
not to sink under evils which can be surmounted by exertion, forms no bad specimen of the
TRUE-BORN ENGLISHMAN. It is computed that within forty years from the appearance
of the original work, no less than forty-one different ROBINSONS appeared, besides fifteen
imitations, in which other titles were used. Upon the whole, the work is as unlikely
to lose its celebrity as it is to be equalled in its peculiar character by any other of similar
excellence.”—Sir Walter Scott's Biographies of the Novelists.
The whole Work will be completed in about Forty Numbers, Price Threepence,
or Ten Monthly Parts, Price One Shilling.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
119
I was at a strange loss to understand this, and resolved to
spend some time in the observing it, to see if nothing from the
sets of the tide had occasioned it; but I was presently con-
vinced how it was, viz. that the tide of ebb setting from the
west, and joining with the current of waters from some great
river on the shore, must be the occasion of this current; and
that according as the wind blew more forcibly from the west,
or from the north, this current came nearer, or went farther
from the shore; for waiting thereabouts till evening, I went
up to the rock again, and then the tide of ebb being made, I
plainly saw the current again as before, only that it ran farther
off, being near half a league from the shore; whereas, in my
case, it set close upon the shore, and hurried me and my canoe
along with it; which, at another time, it would not have
done.
This observation convinced me, that I had nothing to do but
to observe the ebbing and the flowing of the tide, and I might
very easily bring my boat about the island again; but when I
began to think of putting it in practice, I had such a terror
upon my spirits at the remembrance of the danger I had been
in, that I could not think of it again with any patience; but,
on the contrary, I took up another resolution, which was more
safe, though more laborious; and this was, that I would build,
ɔr rather make me, another periagua or canoe; and so have
ɔne for one side of the island, and one for the other.
You are to understand, that now I had, as I may call it, two
plantations in the island; one, my little fortification or tent,
with the wall about it, under the rock, with the cave behind
me, which, by this time, I had enlarged into several apartments
or caves, one within another. One of these, which was the
driest and largest, and had a door out beyond my wall or forti-
fication, that is to say, beyond where my wall joined to the rock,
was all filled up with the large earthern pots, of which I have
given an account, and with fourteen or fifteen great baskets,
which would hold five or six bushels each, where I laid up my
stores of provision, especially my corn, some in the ear, cut
off short from the straw, and the other subbed out with my
hand.
As for my wall, made, as before, with long stakes or piles,
those piles grew all like trees, and were by this time grown so
big, and spread so very much, that there was not the least ap-
pearance, to any one's view, of any habitation behind them.
Near this dwelling of mine, but a little farther within the
land, and upon lower ground, lay my two pieces of corn land,
120
ADVENTURES OF
which I kept duly cultivated and sowed, and which duly
yielded me their harvest in its season: and whenever I had
occasion for more corn, I had more land adjoining as fit as that
Besides this, I had my country seat; and I had now a to-
lerable plantation there also: for, first, I had my little bower,
as I called it, which I kept in repair; that is to say, I kept
the hedge which encircled it in constantly fitted up to its usual
height, the ladder standing always in the inside: I kept the
trees, which at first were no more than my stakes, but were
now grown very firm and tall, always cut so, that they might
spread and grow thick and wild, and make the more agreeable
shade; which they did effectually to my mind. In the middle
of this I had my tent always standing, being a piece of a sail
spread over poles, set up for that purpose, and which never
wanted any repair or renewing; and under this I had made
me a squab or couch, with the skins of the creatures I had
killed, and with other soft things; and a blanket laid on them,
such as belonged to our sea-bedding, which I had saved, and a
great watch-coat to cover me: and here, whenever I had oc-
casion to be absent from my chief seat, I took up my country
habitation.
Adjoining to this I had my enclosures for my cattle, that is
to say, my goats; and as I had taken an inconceivable deal of
pains to fence and enclose this ground, I was so anxious to see
it kept entire, lest the goats should break through, that I never
left off, till, with infinite labour, I had stuck the outside of the
hedge so full of small stakes, and so near to one another, that
it was rather a pale than a hedge, and there was scarce room
to put a hand through between them; which afterwards, when
those stakes grew, as they all did in the next rainy season,
made the enclosure strong like a wall,-indeed, stronger than
any wall.
This will testify for me that I was not idle, and that I spared
no pains to bring to pass whatever appeared necessary for my
comfortable support; for I considered the keeping up a breed
of tame creatures thus at my hand would be a living maga-
zine of flesh, milk, butter, and cheese for me as long as I lived
in the place, if it were to be forty years; and that keeping
them in my reach depended entirely upon my perfecting my
enclosures to such a degree, that I might be sure of keeping
them together; which, by this method, indeed, I so effectually
secured, that when these little stakes began to grow, I had
planted them so very thick, that I was forced to pull some or
them up again.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
121
In this place also I had my grapes growing, which I princi-
pally depended on for my winter store of raisins, and which
I never failed to preserve very carefully, as the best and most
agreeable dainty of my whole diet: and, indeed, they were not
only agreeable, but physical, wholesome, nourishing, and re-
freshing to the last degree.
As this was also about half-way between my other habi-
tation and the place were I had laid up my boat, I generally
stayed and lay here in my way thither; for I used frequently
to visit my boat; and I kept all things about, or belonging to
her, in very good order: sometimes I went out in her to di-
vert myself, but no more hazardous voyages would I go, nor
scarce ever above a stone's-cast or two from the shore, I was
so apprehensive of being hurried out of my knowledge again
by the currents or winds, or any other accident. But now I
come to a new scene of my life.
It happened one day, about noon, going towards my boat,
I was exceedingly surprised with the print of a man's naked
foot on the shore, which was very plain to be seen in the sand.
I stood like one thunder-struck, or as if I had seen an appari-
tion; I listened, I looked round me, but I could hear nothing,
nor see any thing; I went up to a rising ground, to look
farther; I went up the shore, and down the shore, but it
was all one; I could see no other impression but that one.
I went to it again to see if there were any more, and to ob-
serve if it might not be my fancy; but there was no room for
that, for there was exactly the print of a foot, toes, heel, and
every part of a foot: how it came thither I knew not, nor
could I in the least imagine; but, after innumerable fluttering
thoughts, like a man perfectly confused and out of myself, I
came home to my fortification, not feeling, as we say, the
ground I went on, but terrified to the last degree; looking be-
hind me at every two or three steps, mistaking every bush and
tree, and fancying every stump at a distance to be a man. Nor
is it possible to describe how many various shapes my affrighted
imagination represented things to me in, how many wild ideas
were found every moment in my fancy, and what strange un-
accountable whimsies came into my thoughts by the way.
When I came to my castle, (for so I think I called it ever
after this,) I fled into it like one pursued; whether I went
over by the ladder, as first contrived, or went in at the hole in
the rock, which I had called a door, I cannot remember; no,
nor could I remember the next morning; for never frightened
VOL. I.
R
122
ADVENTURES OF
hare fled to cover, or fox to earth, with more terror of mind
than I to this retreat.
I slept none that night; the farther I was from the occasion
of my fright, the greater my apprehensions were; which is
something contrary to the nature of such things, and especially
to the usual practice of all creatures in fear; but I was so em-
barrassed with my own frightful ideas of the thing, that I
formed nothing but dismal imaginations to myself, even though
I was now a great way off it. Sometimes I fancied it must be
the Devil, and reason joined in with me upon this supposition;
for how should any other thing in human shape come into the
place? Where was the vessel that brought them? What marks
were there of any other footsteps? And how was it possible
a man should come there? But then to think that Satan should
take human shape upon him in such a place, where there could
be no manner of occasion for it, but to leave the print of his
foot behind him, and that even for no purpose too, for he could
not be sure I should see it,-this was an amusement the other
way. I considered that the Devil might have found out abun-
dance of other ways to have terrified me than this of the single
print of a foot; that as I lived quite on the other side of the
island, he would never have been so simple as to leave a mark
in a place where it was ten thousand to one whether I should
ever see it or not, and in the sand too, which the first surge of
the sea, upon a high wind, would have defaced entirely all
this seemed inconsistent with the thing itself, and with all the
notions we usually entertain of the subtilty of the Devil.
:
Abundance of such things as these assisted to argue me out
of all apprehensions of its being the Devil; and I presently con-
cluded then, that it must be some more dangerous creature,
viz. that it must be some of the savages of the main land over
against me, who had wandered out to sea in their canoes, and
either driven by the currents or by contrary winds, had made
the island, and had been on shore, but were gone away again
to sea; being as loath, perhaps, to have stayed in this desolate
island as I would have been to have had them.
While these reflections were rolling upon my mind, I was
very thankful in my thoughts that I was so happy as not to be
thereabouts at that time, or that they did not see my boat, by
which they would have concluded that some inhabitants had
been in the place, and perhaps have searched farther for me:
then terrible thoughts racked my imagination about their hav-
ing found my boat, and that there were people here; and that
if so, I should certainly have them come again in greater num-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
123
bers, and devour me; that if it should happen so that they
should not find me, yet they would find my enclosure, destroy
all my corn, carry away all my flock of tame goats, and I should
perish at last for mere want,
I re-
Thus my fear banished all my religious hope, all that former
confidence in God, which was founded upon such wonderful
experience as I had had of his goodness, as if he that had fed
me by miracle hitherto could not preserve, by his power, the
provision which he had made for me by his goodness.
proached myself with my lazinesss, that would not sow any
more corn one year than would just serve me till the next sea-
son, as if no accident would intervene to prevent my enjoying
the crop that was upon the ground; and this I thought so just
a reproof, that I resolved for the future to have two or three
years corn beforehand; so that whatever might come, I might
not perish for want of bread.
How strange a checquer-work of Providence is the life of
man! and by what secret different springs are the affections
hurried about, as different circumstances present! To-day we
love what to-morrow we hate; to-day we seek what to-morrow
we shun; to-day we desire what to-morrow we fear, nay,
even tremble at the apprehensions of: this was exemplified in
me, at this time, in the most lively manner imaginable; for I,
whose only affliction was that I seemed banished from human
society, that I was alone, circumscribed by the boundless ocean,
cut off from mankind, and condemned to what I called silent
life; that I was as one whom Heaven thought not worthy to
be numbered among the living, or to appear among the rest of
his creatures; that to have seen one of my own species would
have seemed to me a raising me from death to life, and the
greatest blessing that Heaven itself, next to the supreme bless-
ing of salvation, could bestow; I say, that I should now trem-
ble at the very apprehensions of seeing a man, and was ready
to sink into the ground at but the shadow or silent appearance
of a man's having set his foot in the island.
Such is the uneven state of human life; and it afforded me
a great many curious speculations afterwards, when I had a
little recovered my first surprise. I considered that this was the
station of life the infinitely wise and good providence of God
had determined for me; that as I could not foresee what the
ends of divine wisdom might be in all this, so I was not to dispute
his sovereignty, who, as I was his creature, had an undoubted
right, by creation, to govern and dispose of me absolutely as
he thought fit; and who, as I was a creature that had offended
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him, had likewise a judicial right to condemn me to what pu-
nishment he thought fit; and that it was my part to submit to
bear his indignation, because I had sinned against him. I then
reflected, that as God, who was not only righteous, but om-
nipotent, had thought fit thus to punish and afflict me, so he
was able to deliver me; that if he did not think fit to do so, it
was my unquestioned duty to resign myself absolutely and en-
tirely to his will: and, on the other hand, it was my duty also
to hope in him, pray to him, and quietly to attend the dictates
and directions of his daily providence.
These thoughts took me up many hours, days, nay, I may
say, weeks and months; and one particular effect of my cogi-
tations on this occasion I cannot omit: One morning early,
lying in my bed, and filled with thoughts about my danger
from the appearances of savages, I found it discomposed me
very much; upon which these words of the scripture came
into my thoughts, "Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I
will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." Upon this, rising
cheerfully out of my bed, my heart was not only comforted, but
I was guided and encouraged to pray earnestly to God for de-
liverance: when I had done praying, I took up my bible, and
opening it to read, the first words that presented to me were,
"Wait on the Lord, and be of good cheer, and he shall
strengthen thy heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." It is impos-
sible to express the comfort this gave me. In answer, I thank-
fully laid down the book, and was no more sad, at least on
that occasion.
In the middle of these cogitations, apprehensions, and re-
flections, it came into my thoughts one day, that all this might
be a mere chimera of my own, and that this foot might be the
print of my own foot, when I came on shore from my boat:
this cheered me up a little too, and I began to persuade my-
self it was all a delusion; that it was nothing else but my own
foot and why might I not come that way from the boat, as
well as I was going that way to the boat? Again, I considered
also, that I could by no means tell, for certain, where I had
trod, and where I had not; and that if, at last, this was only
the print of my own foot, I had played the part of those fools
who try to make stories of spectres and apparitions, and then
are frightened at them more than any body.
Now I began to take courage, and to peep abroad again,
for I had not stirred out of my castle for three days and nights,
so that I began to starve for provisions; for I had little or
nothing within doors but some barley-cakes and water: then
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
125
I knew that my goats wanted to be milked too, which usually
was my evening diversion; and the poor creatures were in
great pain and inconvenience for want of it; and, indeed, it
almost spoiled some of them, and almost dried up their milk.
Encouraging myself, therefore, with the belief that this was
nothing but the print of one of my own feet, and that I might
be truly said to start at my own shadow, I began to go abroad
again, and went to my country house to milk my flock: but
to see with what fear I went forward, how often I looked be-
hind me, how I was ready, every now and then, to lay down
my basket, and run for my life, it would have made any one
thought I was haunted with an evil conscience, or that I had
been lately most terribly frightened; and so, indeed, I had.
However, as I went down thus two or three days, and having
seen nothing, I began to be a little bolder, and to think there
was really nothing in it but my own imagination; but I could
not persuade myself fully of this till I should go down to the
shore again, and see this print of a foot, and measure it by my
own, and see if there was any similitude or fitness, that I might
be assured it was my own foot: but when I came to the place,
first, it appeared evidently to me, that when I laid up my boat,
I could not possibly be on shore any where thereabout: se-
condly, when I came to measure the mark with my own foot,
I found my foot not so large by a great deal. Both these things
filled my head with new imaginations, and gave me the va-
pours again to the highest degree, so that I shook with cold
like one in an ague; and I went home again, filled with the
belief that some man or men had been on shore there; or, in
short, that the island was inhabited, and I might be surprised
before I was aware; and what course to take for my security
I knew not.
O what ridiculous resolutions men take when possessed
with fear! It deprives them of the use of those means which
reason offers for their relief. The first thing I proposed to
myself was, to throw down my enclosures, and turn all my
tame cattle wild into the woods, lest the enemy should find
them, and then frequent the island in prospect of the same
or the like booty: then to the simple thing of digging up my
two corn fields, lest they should find such a grain there, and
still be prompted to frequent the island: then to demolish my
bower and tent, that they might not see any vestiges of habi-
tation, and be prompted to look farther, in order to find out the
persons inhabiting.
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ADVENTURES OF
These were the subject of the first night's cogitations after
I was come home again, while the apprehensions which had so
overrun my mind were fresh upon me, and my head was full
of vapours, as above. Thus fear of danger is ten thousand
times more terrifying than danger itself, when apparent to the
eyes; and we find the burthen of anxiety greater, by much,
than the evil which we are anxious about: and, which was
worse than all this, I had not that relief in this trouble from
the resignation I used to practise that I hoped to have.
looked, I thought, like Saul, who complained not only that
the Philistines were upon him, but that God had forsaken
him; for I did not now take due ways to compose my mind,
by crying to God in my distress, and resting upon his provi-
dence, as I had done before, for my defence and deliverance ;
which, if I had done, I had at least been more cheerfully sup-
ported under this new surprise, and perhaps carried through it
with more resolution.
This confusion of my thoughts kept me awake all night;
but in the morning I fell asleep; and having, by the amuse-
ment of my mind, been, as it were, tired, and my spirits ex-
hausted, I slept very soundly, and waked much better com-
posed than I had ever been before. And now I began to
think sedately; and, upon the utmost debate with myself, I
concluded that this island, which was so exceeding pleasant,
fruitful, and no farther from the main land than as I had seen,
was not so entirely abandoned as I might imagine; that al-
though there were no stated inhabitants who lived on the spot,
yet that there might sometimes come boats off from the shore,
who, either with design, or perhaps never but when they were
driven by cross winds, might come to this place; that I had
lived here fifteen years now, and had not met with the least
shadow or figure of any people yet; and that if at any time they
should be driven here, it was probable they went away again
as soon as ever they could, seeing they had never thought fit to
fix here upon any occasion; that the most I could suggest
any danger from, was from any casual accidental landing of
straggling people from the main, who, as it was likely, if they
were driven hither, were here against their wills, so they made
no stay here, but went off again with all possible speed; sel-
dom staying one night on shore, lest they should not have the
help of the tides and day-light back again; and that, therefore,
I had nothing to do but to consider of some safe retreat, in
case I should see any savages land upon the spot.
Now I began sorely to repent that I had dug my cave so large
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127
as to bring a door through again, which door, as I said, came
out beyond where my fortification joined to the rock: upon
maturely considering this, therefore, I resolved to draw me a
second fortification, in the same manner of a semicircle, at a
distance from my wall, just where I had planted a double row
of trees about twelve years before, of which I made mention:
these trees having been planted so thick before, they wanted
but few piles to be driven between them, that they might be
thicker and stronger, and my wall would be soon finished: so
that I had now a double wall; and my outer wall was thick-
ened with pieces of timber, old cables, and every thing I could
think of, to make it strong; having in it seven little holes,
about as big as I might put my arm out at. In the inside of
this, I thickened my wall to about ten feet thick, with con-
tinually bringing earth out of my cave, and laying it at the
foot of the wall, and walking upon it; and through the seven
holes I contrived to plant the muskets, of which I took notice
that I had got seven on shore out of the ship; these I planted
like my cannon, and fitted them into frames, that held them
like a carriage, so that I could fire all the seven guns in two
minutes time: this wall I was many a weary month in finish-
ng, and yet never thought myself safe till it was done.
When this was done, I stuck all the ground without my
wall, for a great length every way, as full with stakes, or sticks,
of the osier-like wood, which I found so apt to grow, as they
could well stand; insomuch, that I believe I might set in near
twenty thousand of them, leaving a pretty large space between
them and my wall, that I might have room to see an enemy,
and they might have no shelter from the young trees, if they
attempted to approach my outer wall.
Thus, in two years time, I had a thick grove; and in five or
six years time I had a wood before my dwelling, growing so
monstrous thick and strong, that it was indeed perfectly im-
passable; and no men, of what kind soever, would ever im-
agine that there was any thing beyond it, much less a habi-
tation. As for the way which I proposed to myself to go in
and out, (for I left no avenue) it was by setting two ladders,
one to a part of the rock which was low, and then broke in,
and left room to place another ladder upon that; so when the
two ladders were taken down, no man living could come down
to me without doing himself mischief; and if they had come
down, they were still on the outside of my outer wall.
Thus I took all the measures human prudence could suggest
for my own preservation; and it will be seen, at length, that
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they were not altogether without just reason; though I foresaw
nothing at that time more than my mere fear suggested to me.
While this was doing, I was not altogether careless of my
other affairs; for I had a great concern upon me for my little
herd of goats; they were not only a ready supply to me on
every occasion, and began to be sufficient for me, without the
expense of powder and shot, but also without the fatigue of
hunting after the wild ones; and I was loath to lose the ad-
vantage of them, and to have them all to nurse up over again.
For this purpose, after long consideration, I could think of
but two ways to preserve them: one was, to find another con-
venient place to dig a cave under ground, and to drive them
into it every night; and the other was, to enclose two or three
little bits of land, remote from one another, and as much con-
cealed as I could, where I might keep about half a dozen young
goats in each place; so that if any disaster happened to the
flock in general, I might be able to raise them again with little
trouble and time: and this, though it would require a great
deal of time and labour, I thought was the most rational
design.
Accordingly, I spent some time to find out the most retired
parts of the island; and I pitched upon one, which was as
private, indeed, as my heart could wish for: it was a little damp
piece of ground, in the middle of the hollow and thick woods,
where, as is observed, I almost lost myself once before, en-
deavouring to come back that way from the eastern part of the
island. Here I found a clear piece of land, near three acres,
so surrounded with woods, that it was almost an enclosure by
nature; at least, it did not want near so much labour to make
it so as the other pieces of ground I had worked so hard at.
I immediately went to work with this piece of ground, and
in less than a month's time I had so fenced it round, that my
flock, or herd, call it which you please, who were not so wild
now as at first they might be supposed to be, were well enough
secured in it so, without any farther delay, I removed ten
young she-goats and two he-goats to this piece; and when
they were there, I continued to perfect the fence, till I had
made it as secure as the other; which, however, I did at more
leisure, and it took me up more time by a great deal. All this
labour I was at the expense of, purely from my apprehensions
on the account of the print of a man's foot which I had seen;
for, as yet, I never saw any human creature come near the
island; and I had now lived two years under this uneasiness,
which, indeed, made my life much less comfortable than it
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129
F
was before, as may be well imagined by any who knows what
it is to live in the constant snare of the fear of man. And
this I must observe, with grief too, that the discomposure of
my mind had too great impressions also upon the religious part
of my thoughts: for the dread and terror of falling into the
hands of savages and cannibals lay so upon my spirits, that I
seldom found myself in a due temper for application to my
Maker, at least not with the sedate calmness and resignation
of soul which I was wont to do: I rather prayed to God as
under great affliction and pressure of mind, surrounded with
danger, and in expectation every night of being murdered and
devoured before morning; and I must testify from my experi-
ence, that a temper of peace, thankfulness, love, and affection,
is much the more proper frame for prayer than that of terror
and discomposure; and that under the dread of mischief im-
pending, a man is no more fit for a comforting performance of
the duty of praying to God, than he is for a repentance on
a sick bed; for these discomposures affect the mind, as the
others do the body; and the discomposure of the mind must
necessarily be as great a disability as that of the body, and much
greater; praying to God being properly an act of the mind,
not of the body.
But to go on after I had thus secured one part of my little
living stock, I went about the whole island, searching for an-
other private place to make such another deposite; when wan-
dering more to the west point of the island than I had ever
done yet, and looking out to sea, I thought I saw a boat
upon the sea, at a great distance. I had found a perspective
glass or two in one of the seamen's chests, which I saved out
of our ship, but I had it not about me; and this was so re-
mote, that I could not tell what to make of it, though I looked
at it till my eyes were not able to hold to look any longer :
whether it was a boat or not, I do not know, but as I descended
from the hill I could see no more of it; so I gave it over;
only I resolved to go no more out without a perspective glass
in my pocket. When I was come down the hill to the end
of the island, where, indeed, I had never been before, I was
presently convinced that the seeing the print of a man's foot wa
not such a strange thing in the island as I imagined: and, (but
that it was a special providence that I was cast upon the side
of the island were the savages never came,) I should easily have
known that nothing was more frequent than for the canoes
from the main, when they happened to be a little too far out
at sea, to shoot over to that side of the island for harbour :
VOL. I.
ន
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likewise, as they often met and fought in their canoes, the
victors having taken any prisoners, would bring them over to
this shore, where, according to their dreadful customs, being
all cannibals, they would kill and eat them; of which here-
after.
When I was come down the hill to the shore, as I said
above, being the S. W. point of the island, I was perfectly con-
founded and amazed; nor is it possible for me to express the
horror of my mind, at seeing the shore spread with skulls,
hands, feet, and other bones of human bodies; and, particu-
larly, I observed a place where there had been a fire made,
and a circle dug in the earth, like a cock-pit, where I sup-
posed the savage wretches had sat down to their inhuman
feastings upon the bodies of their fellow-creatures.
I was so astonished with the sight of these things, that I
entertained no notions of any danger to myself from it for a
long while all my apprehensions were buried in the thoughts
of such a pitch of inhuman, hellish brutality, and the horror
of the degeneracy of human nature, which, though I had heard
of it often, yet I never had so near a view before: in short, I
turned away my face from the horrid spectacle; my stomach
grew sick, and I was just at the point of fainting, when nature
discharged the disorder from my stomach; and having vo-
mited with uncommon violence, I was a little relieved, but
could not bear to stay in the place a moment; so I got me up
the hill again with all the speed I could, and walked on towards
my own habitation.
When I came a little out of that part of the island, I stood
still awhile, as amazed, and then recovering myself, I looked
up with the utmost affection of my soul, and with a flood of
tears in my eyes, gave God thanks, that had cast my first lot
in a part of the world where I was distinguished from such
dreadful creatures as these; and that, though I had esteemed
my present condition very miserable, had yet given me so
many comforts in it, that I had still more to give thanks for
than to complain of: and this, above all, that I had, even in
this miserable condition, been comforted with the knowledge
of himself, and the hope of his blessing; which was a felicity
more than sufficiently equivalent to all the misery which I had
suffered, or could suffer.
In this frame of thankfulness, I went home to my castle,
and began to be much easier now, as to the safety of my cir-
cumstances, than ever I was before: for I observed that these
wretches never came to this island in search of what they
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131
could get; perhaps not seeking, not wanting, or not expect-
ing any thing here; and having often, no doubt, been up in
the covered, woody part of it, without finding any thing to
their purpose. I knew I had been here now almost eighteen
years, and never saw the least footsteps of human creature
there before; and I might be eighteen years more as entirely
concealed as I was now, if I did not discover myself to them,
which I had no manner of occasion to do; it being my only
business to keep myself entirely concealed where I was, unless
I found a better sort of creatures than cannibals to make myself
known to. Yet I entertained such an abhorrence of the sa-
vage wretches that I have been speaking of, and of the wretched
inhuman custom of their devouring and eating one another
up, that I continued pensive and sad, and kept close within
my own circle, for almost two years after this: when I say
my own circle, I mean by it my three plantations, viz. my
castle, my country seat, which I called my bower, and my
enclosure in the woods; nor did I look after this for any other
use than as an enclosure for my goats for the aversion which
nature gave me to these hellish wretches was such, that I was
as fearful of seeing them as of seeing the Devil himself. I did
not so much as go to look after my boat all this time, but be-
gan rather to think of making me another; for I could not
think of ever making any more attempts to bring the other
boat round the island to me, lest I should meet with some of
these creatures at sea; in which, if I had happened to have
fallen into their hands, I knew what would have been my lot.
Time, however, and the satisfaction I had that I was in no
danger of being discovered by these people, began to wear off
my uneasiness about them; and I began to live just in the
same composed manner as before; only with this difference,
that I used more caution, and kept my eyes more about me
than I did before, lest I should happen to be seen by any of
them; and particularly, I was more cautious of firing my gun,
lest any of them being on the island should happen to hear it.
It was therefore a very good providence to me that I had fur-
nished myself with a tame breed of goats, and that I had no
need to hunt any more about the woods, or shoot at them;
and if I did catch any of them after this, it was by traps and
snares, as I had done before: so that for two years after this,
I believe I never fired my gun once off, though I never went
out without it; and, which was more, as I had saved three
pistols out of the ship, I always carried them out with me, or
at least two of them, sticking them in my goat's skin belt. I
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also furbished up one of the great cutlasses that I had out of
the ship, and made me a belt to hang it on also; so that I was
now a most formidable fellow to look at when I went abroad,
if you add to the former description of myself, the particular
of two pistols, and a great broad-sword hanging at my side in
a belt, but without a scabbard.
Things going on thus, as I have said, for some time, I seemed,
excepting these cautions, to be reduced to my former calm se-
date way of living. All these things tended to show me, more
and more, how far my condition was from being miserable,
compared to some others; nay, to many other particulars of
life, which it might have pleased God to have made my lot.
It put me upon reflecting how little repining there would be
among mankind at any condition of life, if people would rather
compare their condition with those that were worse, in order
to be thankful, than be always comparing them with those
which are better, to assist their murmurings and complainings.
As in my present condition there were not really many things
which I wanted, so, indeed, I thought that the frights I had
been in about these savage wretches, and the concern I had
been in for my own preservation, had taken off the edge of
my invention for my own conveniences; and I had dropped a
good design, which I had once bent my thoughts too much
upon, and that was, to try if I could not make some of my
barley into malt, and then try to brew myself some beer. This
was really a whimsical thought, and I reproved myself often
for the simplicity of it; for I presently saw there would be the
want of several things necessary to the making my beer, that
it would be impossible for me to supply: as, first, casks to
preserve it in, which was a thing that, as I have observed al-
ready, I could never compass; no, though I spent not only
many days, but weeks, nay, months, in attempting it, but to
no purpose. In the next place, I had no hops to make it keep,
no yeast to make it work, no copper or kettle to make it boil;
and yet, with all these things wanting, I verily believe, had
not the frights and terrors I was in about the savages inter-
vened, I had undertaken it, and perhaps brought it to pass too;
for I seldom gave any thing over without accomplishing it,
when once I had it in my head to begin it. But my invention
now ran quite another way; for, night and day, I could think
of nothing but how I might destroy some of these monsters
in their cruel, bloody entertainment, and, if possible, save the
victim they should bring hither to destroy. It would take up
a larger volume than this whole work is intended to be, to set
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133
down all the contrivances I hatched, or rather brooded upon, in
my thoughts, for the destroying these creatures, or at least
frightening them, so as to prevent their coming hither any
more: but all this was abortive; nothing could be possible
to take effect, unless I was to be there to do it myself: and
what could one man do among them, when perhaps there
might be twenty or thirty of them together, with their darts,
or their bows and arrows, with which they could shoot as
true to a mark as I could with my gun?
Sometimes I thought of digging a hole under the place where
they made their fire, and put in five or six pounds of gun-
powder, which, when they kindled their fire, would conse-
quently take fire, and blow up all that was near it: but as, in
the first place, I should be unwilling to waste so much powder
upon them, my store being now within the quantity of one
barrel, so neither could I be sure of its going off at any cer-
tain time, when it might surprise them; and, at best, that it
would do little more than just blow the fire about their ears,
and fright them, but not sufficient to make them forsake the
place: so I laid it aside; and then proposed that I would place
myself in ambush in some convenient place, with my three
guns all double-loaded, and, in the middle of their bloody cere-
mony, let fly at them, when I should be sure to kill or wound
perhaps two or three at every shot; and then falling in upon
them with my three pistols, and my sword, I made no doubt
but that if there were twenty I should kill them all. This
fancy pleased my thoughts for some weeks; and I was so full
of it, that I often dreamed of it, and sometimes that I was
just going to let fly at them in my sleep. I went so far with
it in my imagination, that I employed myself several days to
find out proper places to put myself in ambuscade, as I said,
to watch for them; and I went frequently to the place itself,
which was now grown more familiar to me: but while
my mind was thus filled with thoughts of revenge, and a
bloody putting twenty or thirty of them to the sword, as I
may call it, the horror I had at the place, and at the signals
of the barbarous wretches devouring one another, abetted my
malice. Well, at length, I found a place in the side of the
hill, where I was satisfied I might securely wait till I saw any
of their boats coming and might then, even before they
would be ready to come on shore, convey myself, unseen, into
some thickets of trees, in one of which there was a hollow
large enough to conceal me entirely; and there I might sit
and observe all their bloody doings, and take my full aim at
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their heads, when they were so close together as that it would
be next to impossible that I should miss my shot, or that I
could fail wounding three or four of them at the first shot.
In this place, then, I resolved to fix my design; and, accord-
ingly, I prepared two muskets and my ordinary fowling-piece.
The two muskets I loaded with a brace of slugs each, and
four or five smaller bullets, about the size of pistol-bullets;
and the fowling-piece I loaded with near a handful of swan-
shot, of the largest size: I also loaded my pistols with about
four bullets each: and in this posture, well provided with
ammunition for a second and third charge, I prepared myself
for my expedition.
After I had thus laid the scheme of my design, and, in my
imagination, put it in practice, I continually made my tour
every morning up to the top of the hill, which was from my
castle, as I called it, about three miles, or more, to see if I
could observe any boats upon the sea, coming near the island,
or standing over towards it: but I began to tire of this hard
duty, after I had, for two or three months, constantly kept
my watch, but came always back without any discovery;
there having not, in all that time, been the least appearance,
not only on or near the shore, but on the whole ocean, so far
as my eyes or glasses could reach every way.
As long as I kept my daily tour to the hill to look out, so
.ong also I kept up the vigour of my design, and my spirits
seemed to be all the while in a suitable form for so outrageous
an execution as the killing twenty or thirty naked savages, for
an offence which I had not at all entered into a discussion of
in my thoughts, any farther than my passions were at first
fired by the horror I conceived at the unnatural custom of
the people of that country; who, it seems, had been suffered
by Providence, in his wise disposition of the world, to have no
other guide than that of their own abominable and vitiated
passions; and, consequently, were left, and perhaps had been
so for some ages, to act such horrid things, and receive such
dreadful customs, as nothing but nature, entirely abandoned
by Heaven, and actuated by some hellish degeneracy, could
have run them into. But now, when, as I have said, I began
to be weary of the fruitless excursion which I had made so
long and so far every morning in vain, so my opinion of the
action itself began to alter; and I began, with cooler and
calmer thoughts, to consider what I was going to engage in;
what authority or call I had to pretend to be judge and exe-
cutioner upon these men as criminals, whom Heaven had
ROBINSON CRUSOE
135
thought fit, for so many ages, to suffer, unpunished, to go on,
and to be, as it were, the executioners of his judgements one
upon another. How far these people were offenders against
me, and what right I had to engage in the quarrel of that
blood which they shed promiscuously upon one another, I
debated this very often with myself, thus: How do I know
what God himself judges in this particular case? It is certain
these people do not commit this as a crime; it is not against
their own consciences reproving, or their light reproaching
them; they do not know it to be an offence, and then com-
mit it in defiance of divine justice, as we do in almost all the
sin we commit. They think it no more a crime to kill a
captive taken in war, than we do to kill an ox; nor to eat
human flesh, than we do to eat mutton.
When I considered this a little, it followed necessarily that I
was certainly in the wrong in it; that these people were not
murderers in the sense that I had before condemned them in
my thoughts, any more than those Christians were murderers
who often put to death the prisoners taken in battle; or more
frequently, upon many occasions, put whole troops of men to
the sword, without giving quarter, though they threw down
their arms and submitted. In the next place, it occurred to
me, that although the usage they gave one another was thus
brutish and inhuman, yet it was really nothing to me; these
people had done me no injury: that if they attempted me, or
I saw it necessary, for my immediate preservation, to fall upon
them, something might be said for it; but that I was yet out
of their power, and they really had no knowledge of me, and
consequently no design upon me; and therefore it could not
be just for me to fall upon them: that this would justify the
conduct of the Spaniards in all their barbarities practised in
America, where they destroyed millions of these people; who,
however they were idolaters and barbarians, and had several
bloody and barbarous rites in their customs, such as sacrificing
human bodies to their idols, were yet, as to the Spaniards, very
innocent people; and that the rooting them out of the country
is spoken of with the utmost abhorrence and detestation by
even the Spaniards themselves at this time, and by all other
Christian nations in Europe, as a mere butchery, a bloody
and unnatural piece of cruelty, unjustifiable either to God or
man; and for which the very name of a Spaniard is reckoned
to be frightful and terrible to all people of humanity, or of
Christian compassion; as if the kingdom of Spain were par-
ticularly eminent for the produce of a race of men who were
136
ADVENTURES OF
without principles of tenderness, or the common bowels of pity
to the miserable, which is reckoned to be a mark of generous
temper in the mind.
These considerations really put me to a pause, and to a kind
of a full stop; and I began, by little and little, to be off my
design, and to conclude I had taken wrong measures in my re-
solution to attack the savages; and that it was not my business
to meddle with them, unless they first attacked me; and this
it was my business, if possible, to prevent; but that if I were
discovered and attacked by them, I knew my duty. On the
other hand, I argued with myself, that this really was the way
not to deliver myself, but entirely to ruin and destroy myself;
for unless I was sure to kill every one that not only should be
on shore at that time, but that should ever come on shore after-
wards, if but one of them escaped to tell their country people
what had happened, they would come over again by thousands
to revenge the death of their fellows, and I should only bring
upon myself a certain destruction, which, at present, I had no
manner of occasion for. Upon the whole, I concluded, that
neither in principle or in policy, I ought, one way or other, to
concern myself in this affair: that my business was, by all
possible means, to conceal myself from them, and not to leave
the least signal to them to guess by that there were any living
creatures upon the island, I mean of human shape. Religion
joined in with this prudential resolution; and I was convinced
now, many ways, that I was perfectly out of my duty when I
was laying all my bloody schemes for the destruction of inno-
cent creatures, I mean innocent as to me. As to the crimes
they were guilty of towards one another, I had nothing to do
with them; they were national, and I ought to leave them
to the justice of God, who is the governor of nations, and knows
how, by national punishments, to make a just retribution for
national offences, and to bring public judgements upon those
who offend in a public manner, by such ways as best please
him. This appeared so clear to me now, that nothing was a
greater satisfaction to me than that I had not been suffered
to do a thing which I now saw so much reason to believe
would have been no less a sin than that of wilful murder, if I
had committed it; and I gave most humble thanks on my knees
to God, that had thus delivered me from blood-guiltiness; be-
seeching him to grant me the protection of his providence,
that I might not fall into the hands of the barbarians, or that
I might not lay my hands upon them, unless I had a more
clear call from Heaven to do it, in defence of my own life.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
137
In this disposition I continued for near a year after this; and
so far was I from desiring an occasion for falling upon these
wretches, that in all that time I never once went up the hill
to see whether there were any of them in sight, or to know
whether any of them had been on shore there or not, that I
might not be tempted to renew any of my contrivances against
them, or be provoked, by any advantage which might present
itself, to fall upon them: only this I did, I went and removed
my boat, which I had on the other side of the island, and car-
ried it down to the east end of the whole island, where I ran
it into a little cove, which I found under some high rocks,
and where I knew, by reason of the currents, the savages
durst not, at least would not come with their boats, upon any
account whatever. With my boat I carried away every thing
that I had left there belonging to her, though not necessary
for the bare going thither, viz. a mast and sail which I had
made for her, and a thing like an anchor, but which, indeed,
could not be called either anchor or grapnel; however, it was
the best I could make of its kind: all these I removed, that
there might not be the least shadow of any discovery, or any
appearance of any boat, or of any human habitation upon the
island. Besides this, I kept myself, as I said, more retired
than ever, and seldom went from my cell, other than upon my
constant employment, viz. to milk my she-goats and manage
my little flock in the wood, which, as it was quite on the other
part of the island, was quite out of danger; for certain it is,
that these savage people, who sometimes haunted this island,
never came with any thoughts of finding any thing here, and
consequently never wandered off from the coast; and I doubt
not but they might have been several times on shore after
my apprehensions of them had made me cautious, as well as
before. Indeed, I looked back with some horror upon the
thoughts of what my condition would have been if I had chop-
ped upon them and been discovered before that, when, naked
and unarmed, except with one gun, and that loaded often only
with small shot, I walked every where, peeping and peering
about the island to see what I could get; what a surprise
should I have been in, if, when I discovered the print of a
man's foot, I had, instead of that, seen fifteen or twenty sa-
vages, and found them pursuing me, and by the swiftness of
their running, no possibility of my escaping them? The
thoughts of this sometimes sunk my very soul within me, and
distressed my mind so much, that I could not soon recover it,
to think what I should have done, and how I should not only
VOL. I.
T
168
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have been unable to resist them, but even should not have had
presence of mind enough to do what I might have done;
much less what now, after so much consideration and prepara-
tion, I might be able to do. Indeed, after serious thinking
of these things, I would be very melancholy, and sometimes
it would last a great while; but I resolved it all, at last, into
thankfulness to that Providence which had delivered me from
so many unseen dangers, and had kept from me those mis-
chiefs which I could have no way been the agent in delivering
myself from, because I had not the least notion of any such
thing depending, or the least supposition of its being possible.
This renewed a contemplation which often had come to my
thoughts in former time, when first I began to see the merci-
ful dispositions of Heaven, in the dangers we run through in
this life; how wonderfully we are delivered when we know
nothing of it; how, when we are in (a quandary, as we call
it) a doubt or hesitation, whether to go this way, or that way,
a secret hint shall direct us this way, when we intended to go
that way nay, when sense, our own inclination, and perhaps
business, has called to go the other way, yet a strange impres-
sion upon the mind, from we know not what springs, and by
we know not what power, shall overrule us to go this way;
and it shall afterwards appear, that had we gone that way
which we should have gone, and even to our imagination ought
to have gone, we should have been ruined and lost. Upon
these, and many like reflections, I afterwards made it a certain
rule with me, that whenever I found those secret hints or
pressings of mind, to doing or not doing any thing that pre-
sented, or going this way or that way, I never failed to obey
the secret dictate; though I knew no other reason for it than
that such a pressure, or such a hint hung upon my mind. I
could give many examples of the success of this conduct in the
course of my life, but more especially in the latter part of my
inhabiting this unhappy island; besides many occasions which
it is very likely I might have taken notice of, if I had seen
with the same eyes then that I see with now. But it is never
too late to be wise; and I cannot but advise all considering
men, whose lives are attended with such extraordinary incidents
as mine, or even though not so extraordinary, not to slight
such secret intimations of Providence, let them come from what
invisible intelligence they will; that I shall not discuss, and
perhaps cannot account for; but certainly they are a proof of
the converse of spirits, and a secret communication between
those embodied and those unembodied, and such a proof as
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
139
can never be withstood; of which I shall have occasion to
give some very remarkable instances in the remainder of my
solitary residence in this dismal place.
I believe the reader of this will not think it strange if I con-
fess that these anxieties, these constant dangers I lived in, and
the concern that was now upon me, put an end to all inven-
tion, and to all the contrivances that I had laid for my future
accommodations and conveniences. I had the care of my safe-
ty more now upon my hands than that of my food. I cared
not to drive a nail, or chop a stick of wood now, for fear the
noise I might make should be heard; much less would I fire
a gun, for the same reason: and, above all, I was intolerably
uneasy at making any fire, lest the smoke, which is visible at
a great distance in the day, should betray me. For this reason
I removed that part of my business which required fire, such
as burning of pots and pipes, &c. into my new apartment in
the woods; where, after I had been some time, I found, to my
unspeakable consolation, a mere natural cave in the earth,
which went in a vast way, and where, I dare say, no savage,
had he been at the mouth of it, would be so hardy as to ven-
ture in; nor, indeed, would any man else, but one who, like
me, wanted nothing so much as a safe retreat.
The mouth of this hollow was at the bottom of a great rock,
where by mere accident (I would say, if I did not see abun-
dant reason to ascribe all such things now to Providence,) I was
cutting down some thick branches of trees to make charcoal;
and, before I go on, I must observe the reason of my making
this charcoal, which was thus: I was afraid of making a
smoke about my habitation, as I said before; and yet I could
not live there without baking my bread, cooking my meat, &c.;
so I contrived to burn some wood here, as I had seen done in
England, under turf, till it became chark, or dry coal; and
then putting the fire out, I preserved the coal to carry home,
and perform the other services for which fire was wanting,
without danger of smoke. But this is by the bye:-While I
was cutting down some wood here, I perceived that behind a
very thick branch of low brush-wood, or under-wood, there
was a kind of hollow place: I was curious to look in it, and
getting with difficulty into the mouth of it, I found it was
pretty large that is to say, sufficient for me to stand upright
in it, and perhaps another with me: but I must confess to you
that I made more haste out than I did in, when looking far-
ther into the place, and which was perfectly dark, I saw two
broad shining eyes of some creature, whether devil or man I
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ADVENTURES OF
knew not, which twinkled like two stars; the dim light from
the cave's mouth shining directly in, and making the reflection.
However, after some pause, I recovered myself, and began
to call myself a thousand fools, and to think, that he that
was afraid to see the devil was not fit to live twenty years in
an island all alone; and that I might well think there was
nothing in this cave that was more frightful than myself. Upon
this, plucking up my courage, I took up a firebrand, and in
I rushed again, with the stick flaming in my hand: I had not
gone three steps in, but I was almost as much frightened as
I was before; for I heard a very loud sigh, like that of a man
in some pain, and it was followed by a broken noise, as of
words half expressed, and then a deep sigh again. I stepped
back, and was indeed struck with such a surprise, that it put
me into a cold sweat; and if I had had a hat on my head, I
will not answer for it, that my hair might not have lifted i*
off. But still plucking up my spirits as well as I could, and
encouraging myself a little with considering that the power and
presence of God was every where, and was able to protect me,
upon this I stepped forward again, and by the light of the fire-
brand, holding it up a little over my head, I saw lying on the
ground a most monstrous, frightful old he-goat, just making
his will, as we say, and gasping for life; and dying, indeed, of
mere old age. I stirred him a little to see if I could get him
out, and he essayed to get up, but was not able to rise himself;
and I thought with myself he might even lay there; for if he
had frightened me so, he would certainly fright any of the
savages, if any of them should be so hardy as to come in there
while he had any life in him.
I was now recovered from my surprise, and began to look
round me, when I found the cave was but very small, that is
to say, it might be about twelve feet over, but in no manner
of shape, neither round nor square, no hand having ever been
employed in making it but those of mere nature. I observed
also that there was a place at the farther side of it that went
in further, but was so low that it required me to creep upon
my hands and knees to go into it, and whither it went I knew
not so having no candle, I gave it over for that time; but
resolved to come again the next day, provided with candles
and a tinder-box, which I had made of the lock of one of the
muskets, with some wild-fire in the pan.
Accordingly, the next day I came provided with six large
candles of my own making (for I made very good candles
now of goat's tallow, but was hard set for candle-wick, using
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
141
sometimes rags or rope-yarn, and sometimes the dried rind of
a weed like nettles); and going into this low place, I was
obliged to creep upon all fours, as I have said, almost ten yards;
which, by the way, I thought was a venture bold enough, con-
sidering that I knew not how far it might go, nor what was
beyond it. When I had got through the strait, I found the
roof rose higher up, I believe near twenty feet: but never was
such a glorious sight seen in the island, I dare say, as it was,
to look round the sides and roof of this vault or cave; the
walls reflected an hundred thousand lights to me from my two
candles. What it was in the rock, whether diamonds, or any
other precious stones, or gold, which I rather supposed it to be,
I knew not. The place I was in was a most delightful cavity
or grotto of its kind, as could be expected, though perfectly
dark; the floor was dry and level, and had a sort of a small
loose gravel upon it, so that there was no nauseous or venom-
ous creature to be seen, neither was there any damp or wet on
the sides or roof: the only difficulty in it was the entrance;
which, however, as it was a place of security, and such a re-
treat as I wanted, I thought that was a convenience; so that
I was really rejoiced at the discovery, and resolved, without any
delay, to bring some of those things which I was most anxious
about to this place; particularly, I resolved to bring hither
my magazine of powder, and all my spare arms, viz. two fowl-
ing-pieces, for I had three in all, and three muskets, for of
them I had eight in all; so I kept at my castle only five, which
stood ready mounted, like pieces of cannon, on my outmost
fence; and were ready also to take out upon any expedition.
Upon this occasion of removing my ammunition, I happened
to open the barrel of powder which I took up out of the sea,
and which had been wet; and I found that the water had
penetrated about three or four inches into the powder on every
side, which caking and growing hard, had preserved the inside
like a kernel in the shell; so that I had near sixty pounds of
very good powder in the centre of the cask: this was a very
agreeable discovery to me at that time; so I carried all away
thither, never keeping above two or three pounds of powder
with me in my castle, for fear of a surprise of any kind: I also
carried thither all the lead I had left for bullets.
I fancied myself now like one of the ancient giants, which
were said to live in caves and holes in the rocks, where none
could come at them; for I persuaded myself, while I was here,
if five hundred savages were to hunt me, they could never find
me out; or, if they did, they would not venture to attack me
142
ADVENTURES OF
here. The old goat, whom I found expiring, died in the
mouth of the cave the next day after I made this discovery:
and I found it much easier to dig a great hole there, and throw
him in and cover him with earth, than to drag him out; so I
interred him there, to prevent offence to my nose.
I was now in the twenty-third year of my residence in this
island; and was so naturalized to the place, and the manner of
living, that, could I have but enjoyed the certainty that no
savages would come to the place to disturb me, I could have
been content to have capitulated for spending the rest of my
time there, even to the last moment, till I had laid me down
and died, like the old goat in the cave. I had also arrived
to some little diversions and amusements, which made the
time pass a great deal more pleasantly with me than it did
before: as, first, I had taught my Poll, as I noted before, to
speak; and he did it so familiarly, and talked so articulately
and plain, that it was very pleasant to me; for I believe no
bird ever spoke plainer; and he lived with me no less than six
and twenty years: how long he might have lived afterwards I
know not, though I know they have a notion in the Brasils
that they live an hundred years. My dog was a very pleasant
and loving companion to me for no less than sixteen years of
my time, and then died of mere old age. As for my cats, they
multiplied, as I have observed, to that degree, that I was
obliged to shoot several of them at first, to keep them from
devouring me and all I had; but, at length, when the two
old ones I brought with me were gone, and after some time
continually driving them from me, and letting them have no
provision with me, they all ran wild into the woods, except
two or three favourites, which I kept tame, and whose young,
when they had any, I always drowned; and these were part
of my family. Besides these, I always kept two or three house-
hold kids about me, whom I taught to feed out of my hand;
and I had two more parrots, which talked pretty well, and
would all call Robin Crusoe, but none like my first; nor, in-
deed, did I take the pains with any of them that I had done
with him. I had also several tame sea-fowls, whose names
I knew not, that I caught upon the shore, and cut their wings
and the little stakes which I had planted before my castle wall
being now grown up to a good thick grove, these fowls all
lived among these low trees, and bred there, which was very
agreeable to me; so that, as I said above, I began to be very
well contented with the life I led, if I could but have been
secured from the dread of the savages. But it was otherwise
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
143
directed; and it may not be amiss for all people who shall
meet with my story, to make this just observation from it, viz.
How frequently, in the course of our lives, the evil which in it-
self we seek most to shun, and which, when we are fallen into,
is the most dreadful to us, is oftentimes the very means or
door of our deliverance, by which alone we can be raised again
from the affliction we are fallen into. I could give many ex-
amples of this in the course of my unaccountable life; but in
nothing was it more particularly remarkable than in the cir-
cumstances of my last years of solitary residence in this island.
It was now the month of December, as I said above, in my
twenty-third year; and this being the southern solstice (for
winter I cannot call it), was the particular time of my harvest,
and required my being pretty much abroad in the fields: when
going out pretty early in the morning, even before it was
thorough day-light, I was surprised with seeing a light of some
fire upon the shore, at a distance from me of about two miles,
towards the end of the island where I had observed some sa-
vages had been, as before, and not on the other side; but, to
my great affliction, it was on my side of the island.
I was indeed terribly surprised at the sight, and stopped short
within my grove, not daring to go out, lest I might be surprised;
and yet I had no more peace within, from the apprehensions I
had that if these savages, in rambling over the island, should
find my corn standing or cut, or any of my works and improve-
ments, they would immediately conclude that there were
people in the place, and would then never give over till they
had found me out. In this extremity, I went back directly to
my castle, pulled up the ladder after me, and made all things
without look as wild and natural as I could.
Then I prepared myself within, putting myself in a posture
of defence: I loaded all my cannon, as I called them, that is
to say, my muskets, which were mounted upon my new forti-
fication, and all my pistols, and resolved to defend myself to
the last gasp; not forgetting seriously to commend myself to
the divine protection, and earnestly to pray to God to deliver
me out of the hands of the barbarians. I continued in this
posture about two hours; and began to be mighty impatient
for intelligence abroad, for I had no spies to send out. After
sitting a while longer, and musing what I should do in this
case, I was not able to bear sitting in ignorance any longer;
so setting up my ladder to the side of the hill, where there
was a flat place, as I observed before, and then pulling the
ladder up after me, I set it up again, and mounted to the top
44
ADVENTURES OF
of the hill; and pulling out my perspective glass, which I had
taken on purpose, I laid me down flat on my belly on the
ground, and began to look for the place. I presently found
there were no less than nine naked savages, sitting round a
small fire they had made, not to warm them, for they had no
need of that, the weather being extremely hot, but, as I sup-
posed, to dress some of their barbarous diet of human flesh,
which they had brought with them, whether alive or dead I
could not tell.
They had two canoes with them, which they had hauled up
upon the shore; and as it was then tide of ebb, they seemed
to me to wait for the return of the flood to go away again.
It is not easy to imagine what confusion this sight put me into,
especially seeing them come on my side of the island, and so
near me too; but when I considered their coming must be
always with the current of the ebb, I began, afterwards, to be
more sedate in my mind, being satisfied that I might go abroad
with safety all the time of the tide of flood, if they were not
on shore before; and having made this observation, I went
abroad about my harvest-work with the more composure.
As I expected, so it proved; for as soon as the tide made to
the westward, I saw them all take boat, and row (or paddle, as
we call it) away. I should have observed, that for an hour or
more before they went off, they went a dancing; and I could
easily discern their postures and gestures by my glass. I could
not perceive, by my nicest observation, but that they were stark
naked, and had not the least covering upon them; but whether
they were men or women, I could not distinguish.
As soon as I saw them shipped and gone, I took two guns
pon my shoulders, and two pistols in my girdle, and my great
word by my side, without a scabbard, and with all the speed
I was able to make, went away to the hill where I had dis-
covered the first appearance of all; and as soon as I got thither,
which was not in less than two hours (for I could not go apace,
being so loaden with arms as I was), I perceived there had been
three canoes more of savages at that place; and looking out
farther, I saw they were all at sea together, making over for
the main. This was a dreadful sight to me, especially as, going
down to the shore, I could see the marks of horror, which the
dismal work they had been about had left behind it, viz. the
blood, the bones, and part of the flesh of human bodies, eaten
and devoured by those wretches with merriment and sport. I
was so filled with indignation at the sight, that I now began to
premeditate the destruction of the next that I saw there, let
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
145
them be whom or how many soever. It seemed evident to
me that the visits which they made thus to this island were
not very frequent, for it was above fifteen months before any
more of them came on shore there again; that is to say, I
neither saw them, or any footsteps or signals of them, in all
that time; for, as to the rainy seasons, then they are sure not
to come abroad, at least not so far: yet all this while I lived
uncomfortably, by reason of the constant apprehensions of their
coming upon me by surprise: from whence I observe, that
the expectation of evil is more bitter than the suffering, espe-
cially if there is no room to shake off that expectation, or those
apprehensions.
During all this time I was in the murdering humour, and
took up most of my hours, which should have been better em-
ployed, in contriving how to circumvent and fall upon them,
the very next time I should see them; especially if they should
be divided, as they were the last time, into two parties: nor
did I consider at all, that if I killed one party, suppose ten or
a dozen, I was still the next day, or week, or month, to kill
another, and so another, even ad infinitum, till I should be at
length no less a murderer than they were in being man-eaters,
and perhaps much more so. I spent my days now in great
perplexity and anxiety of mind, expecting that I should, one
day or other, fall into the hands of these merciless creatures;
and if I did at any time venture abroad, it was not without
looking round me with the greatest care and caution imagin-
able. And now I found, to my great comfort, how happy it
was that I provided for a tame flock or herd of goats; for I
durst not, upon any account, fire my gun, especially near that
side of the island where they usually came, lest I should alarm
the savages; and if they had fled from me now, I was sure to
have them come again, with perhaps two or three hundred
canoes with them, in a few days, and then I knew what to
expect. However, I wore out a year and three months more
before I ever saw any more of the savages, and then I found
them again, as I shall soon observe. It is true, they might
have been there once or twice, but either they made no stay,
or at least I did not see them: but in the month of May, as
near as I could calculate, and in my four and twentieth year,
I had a very strange encounter with them; of which in its
place.
The perturbation of my mind, during this fifteen or sixteen
months interval, was very great; I slept unquiet, dreamed al-
ways frightful dreams, and often started out of my sleep in the
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ADVENTURES OF
night in the day, great troubles overwhelmed my mind; and
in the night, I dreamed often of killing the savages, and of the
reasons why I might justify the doing of it. But, to waive al
this for a while. It was in the middle of May, on the six
teenth day, I think, as well as my poor wooden calendar would
reckon, for I marked all upon the post still; I say, it was on
the sixteenth of May that it blew a very great storm of wind
all day, with a great deal of lightning and thunder, and a very
foul night it was after it. I knew not what was the particular
occasion of it, but as I was reading in the bible, and taken up
with very serious thoughts about my present condition, I was
surprised with the noise of a gun, as I thought, fired at sea.
This was, to be sure, a surprise quite of a different nature from
any I had met with before; for the notions this put into my
thoughts were quite of another kind. I started up in the great-
est haste imaginable, and, in a trice, clapped my ladder to the
middle place of the rock, and pulled it after me; and mount-
ing it the second time, got to the top of the hill the very mo-
ment that a flash of fire bid me listen for a second gun, which
accordingly, in about half a minute, I heard; and, by the sound,
knew that it was from that part of the sea where I was driven
down the current in my boat. I immediately considered that
this must be some ship in distress, and that they had some
comrade, or some other ship in company, and fired these guns
for signals of distress, and to obtain help. I had the presence
of mind, at that minute, to think, that though I could not help
them, it might be they might help me so I brought together
all the dry wood I could get at hand, and making a good hand-
some pile, I set it on fire upon the hill. The wood was dry,
and blazed freely; and though the wind blew very hard, yet
it burnt fairly out; so that I was certain, if there was any
such thing as a ship, they must needs see it; and no doubt
they did; for as soon as ever my fire blazed up I heard ano-
ther gun, and after that several others, all from the same quar-
ter. I plied my fire all night long, till day-break; and when
it was broad day, and the air cleared up, I saw something at
a great distance at sea, full east of the island, whether a sail
or a hull I could not distinguish, no, not with my glass; the
distance was so great, and the weather still something hazy
also; at least, it was so out at sea.
I looked frequently at it all that day, and soon perceived
that it did not move; so I presently concluded that it was a
ship at anchor; and being eager, you may be sure, to be sa-
tisfied, I took my gun in my hand, and ran towards the south
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
147
side of the island, to the rocks where I had formerly been car-
ried away with the current; and getting up there, the weather
by this time being perfectly clear, I could plainly see, to my
great sorrow, the wreck of a ship, cast away in the night
upon those concealed rocks which I found when I was out in
my boat; and which rocks, as they checked the violence of
the stream, and made a kind of counter stream, or eddy, were
the occasion of my recovering from the most desperate, hope-
less condition that ever I had been in all my life. Thus, what
is one man's safety is another man's destruction; for it seems
these men, whoever they were, being out of their knowledge,
and the rocks being wholly under water, had been driven upon
them in the night, the wind blowing hard at E. N. E. Had
they seen the island, as I must necessarily suppose they did
not, they must, as I thought, have endeavoured to have saved
themselves on shore by the help of their boat; but their firing
off guns for help, especially when they saw, as I imagined,
my fire, filled me with many thoughts: First, I imagined that
upon seeing my light, they might have put themselves into
their boat, and endeavoured to make the shore; but that the
sea going very high, they might have been cast away: other
times I imagined that they might have lost their boat before,
as might be the case, many ways; as, particularly, by the
breaking of the sea upon their ship, which many times obliges
men to stave, or take in pieces their boat, and sometimes to
throw it overboard with their own hands: other times I ima-
gined they had some other ship or ships in company, who,
upon the signals of distress they had made, had taken them
up and carried them off: other times I fancied they were all
gone off to sea in their boat, and being hurried away by the
current that I had been formerly in, were carried out into the
great ocean, where there was nothing but misery and perish-
ing; and that, perhaps, they might by this time think of starv-
ing, and of being in a condition to eat one another.
As all these were but conjectures at best, so, in the condi-
tion I was in, I could do no more than look on upon the mi-
sery of the poor men, and pity them; which had still this good
effect on my side, that it gave me more and more cause to
give thanks to God, who had so happily and comfortably pro-
vided for me in my desolate condition; and that of two ships'
companies who were now cast away upon this part of the world,
not one life should be spared but mine. I learned here again
to observe, that it is very rare that the providence of God casts
us into any condition of life so low, or any misery so great,
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ADVENTURES OF
but we may see something or other to be thankful for, and
may see others in worse circumstances than our own. Such
certainly was the case of these men, of whom I could not so
much as see room to suppose any of them were saved; nothing
could make it rational so much as to wish or expect that they
did not all perish there, except the possibility only of their
being taken up by another ship in company; and this was but
mere possibility indeed, for I saw not the least sign or ap-
pearance of any such thing. I cannot explain, by any possi-
ble energy of words, what a strange longing or hankering of
desires I felt in my soul upon this sight, breaking out some-
times thus-O that there had been but one or two; nay, or
but one soul saved out of this ship, to have escaped to me,
that I might but have had one companion, one fellow-crea-
ture to have spoken to me, and to have conversed with! In
all the time of my solitary life, I never felt so earnest, so
strong a desire after the society of my fellow-creatures, or se
deep a regret at the want of it.
There are some secret moving springs in the affections,
which, when they are set a-going by some object in view, or,
though not in view, yet rendered present to the mind by the
power of imagination, that motion carries out the soul, by its
impetuosity, to such violent, eager embracings of the object,
that the absence of it is insupportable. Such were these ear-
nest wishings that but one man had been saved. I believe
I repeated the words, O that it had been but one! a thousand
times; and my desires were so moved by it, that when I spoke
the words my hands would clinch together, and my fingers
would press the palms of my hands, that if I had had any soft
thing in my hand, it would have crushed it involuntarily; and
the teeth in my head would strike together, and set against
one another so strong, that for some time I could not part them
again. Let the naturalists explain these things, and the reason
and manner of them all I can say to them is, to describe the
fact, which was even surprising to me, when I found it, though
I knew not from whence it proceeded: it was doubtless the
effect of ardent wishes, and of strong ideas formed in my
mind, realizing the comfort which the conversation of one of
my fellow Christians would have been to me.-But it was not
to be; either their fate or mine, or both, forbade it: for, till
the last year of my being on this island, I never knew whether
any were saved out of that ship or no; and had only the afflic-
tion, some days after, to see the corps of a drowned boy come
on shore at the end of the island which was next the shipwreck.
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
149
F
He had no clothes on but a seaman's waistcoat, a pair of open-
kneed linen drawers, and a blue linen shirt; but nothing to
direct me so much as to guess what nation he was of: he had
nothing in his pockets but two pieces of eight and a tobacco
pipe; the last was to me of ten times more value than the
first.
It was now calm, and I had a great mind to venture out in
my boat to this wreck, not doubting but I might find some-
thing on board that might be useful to me: but that did not
altogether press me so much as the possibility that there might
be yet some living creature on board, whose life I might not
only save, but might, by saving that life, comfort my own to
the last degree; and this thought clung so to my heart, that
I could not be quiet night or day, but I must venture out in
my boat on board this wreck; and committing the rest to
God's providence, I thought the impression was so strong upon
my mind that it could not be resisted, that it must come from
some invisible direction, and that I should be wanting to my-
self if I did not go.
Under the power of this impression, I hastened back to my
castle, prepared every thing for my voyage, took a quantity of
bread, a great pot of fresh water, a compass to steer by, a
bottle of rum (for I had still a great deal of that left), and a
basket of raisins: and thus, loading myself with every thing
necessary, I went down to my boat, got the water out of her,
put her afloat, loaded all my cargo in her, and then went home
again for more. My second cargo was a great bag of rice,
the umbrella, to set up over my head for a shade, another large
pot of fresh water, and about two dozen of my small loaves,
or barley-cakes, more than before, with a bottle of goat's milk
and a cheese: all which, with great labour and sweat, I carried
to my boat; and praying to God to direct my voyage, I put
out; and rowing, or paddling, the canoe along the shore, came
at last to the utmost point of the island on the north east side.
And now I was to launch out into the ocean, and either to
venture or not to venture. I looked on the rapid currents
which ran constantly on both sides of the island at a dis-
tance, and which were very terrible to me, from the remem-
brance of the hazard I had been in before, and my heart began
to fail me; for I foresaw that if I was driven into either of
those currents, I should be carried a great way out to sea, and
perhaps out of my reach, or sight of the island again; and
that then, as my boat was but small, if any little gale of wind
should rise, I should be inevitably lost.
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ADVENTURES OF
These thoughts so oppressed my mind, that I began to give
over my enterprize; and having hauled my boat into a little
creek on the shore, I stepped out, and sat me down upon a
rising bit of ground, very pensive and anxious, between fear
and desire, about my voyage; when, as I was musing, I could
perceive that the tide was turned, and the flood come on; upon
which my going was impracticable for so many hours. Upon
this, presently it occurred to me, that I should go up to the
highest piece of ground I could find, and observe, if I could,
how the sets of the tide, or currents, lay when the flood came
in, that I might judge whether, if I was driven one way out,
I might not expect to be driven another way home, with the
same rapidness of the currents. This thought was no sooner
in my head than I cast my eye upon a little hill, which suf-
ficiently overlooked the sea both ways, and from whence I had
a clear view of the currents, or sets of the tide, and which way
I was to guide myself in my return. Here I found, that as
the current of the ebb set out close by the south point of the
island, so the current of the flood set in close by the shore of
the north side; and that I had nothing to do but to keep to
the north side of the island in my return, and I should do
well enough.
Encouraged with this observation, I resolved, the next morn-
ing, to set out with the first of the tide; and reposing myself
for the night in my canoe, under the great watch-coat I men-
tioned, I launched out. I first made a little out to sea, full
north, till I began to feel the benefit of the current, which set
eastward, and which carried me at a great rate; and yet did not
so hurry me as the current on the so .th side had done before,
so as to take from me all government of the boat; but having
a strong steerage with my paddle, I went at a great rate di-
rectly for the wreck, and in less than two hours I came up to
it. It was a dismal sight to look at the ship, which, by its
building, was Spanish, stuck fast, jammed in between two rocks;
all the stern and quarter of her were beaten to pieces with the
sea; and as her forecastle, which stuck in the rocks, had run
on with great violence, her mainmast and foremast were brought
by the board, that is to say, broken short off; but her bowsprit
was sound, and the head and bow appeared firm. When I
came close to her, a dog appeared upon her, who seeing me
coming, yelped and cried; and as soon as I called him, jumped
into the sea to come to me; I took him into the boat, but
found him almost dead with hunger and thirst. I gave him
a cake of my bread, and he devoured it like a ravenous wolf
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
151
I then gave
that had been starving a fortnight in the snow:
the poor creature some fresh water, with which, if I would
have let him, he would have burst himself. After this, I went
on board; but the first sight I met with was two men drowned
in the cook-room, or forecastle of the ship, with their arms
fast about one another. I concluded, as is indeed probable,
that when the ship struck, it being in a storm, the sea broke
so high, and so continually over her, that the men were not
able to bear it, and were strangled with the constant rushing
in of the water, as much as if they had been under water.
Besides the dog, there was nothing left in the ship that had
life, nor any goods, that I could see, but what were spoiled by
the water. There were some casks of liquor, whether wine or
brandy I knew not, which lay lower in the hold, and which,
the water being ebbed out, I could see; but they were too big
to meddle with. I saw several chests, which I believed be-
longed to some of the seamen; and I got two of them into
the boat, without examining what was in them. Had the stern
of the ship been fixed, and the forepart broken off, I am per-
suaded I might have made a good voyage; for, by what I found
in these two chests, I had room to suppose the ship had a great
deal of wealth on board; and, if I may guess from the course
she steered, she must have been bound from Buenos Ayres,
or the Rio de la Plata, in the south part of America, beyond
the Brasils, to the Havanna, in the Gulph of Mexico, and se
perhaps to Spain. She had, no doubt, a great treasure in her,
but of no use, at that time, to any body; and what became of
her crew, I then knew not.
:
I found, besides these chests, a little cask full of liquor, of
about twenty gallons, which I got into my boat with much
difficulty. There were several muskets in the cabin, and a
great powder-horn, with about four pounds of powder in it;
as for the muskets, I had no occasion for them, so I left them,
but took the powder-horn. I took a fire-shovel and tongs,
which I wanted extremely; as also two little brass kettles, a
copper pot to make chocolate, and a gridiron and with this
cargo, and the dog, I came away, the tide beginning to make
home again; and the same evening, about an hour within night,
I reached the island again, weary and fatigued to the last de-
gree. I reposed that night in the boat; and in the morning I
resolved to harbour what I had got in my new cave, and not
carry it home to my castle. After refreshing myself, I got all
my cargo on shore, and began to examine the particulars. The
cask of liquor I found to be a kind of rum, but not such as
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ADVENTURES OF
we had at the Brasils, and, in a word, not at all good; but
when I came to open the chests, I found several things of
great use to me; for example, I found in one a fine case of
bottles, of an extraordinary kind, and filled with cordial waters,
fine and very good; the bottles held about three pints each,
and were tipped with silver. I found two pots of very good
succades, or sweatmeats, so fastened also on the top, that the
salt water had not hurt them, and two more of the same, which
the water had spoiled. I found some very good shirts, which
were very welcome to me; and about a dozen and a half of white
linen handkerchiefs and coloured neckcloths; the former were
also very welcome, being exceeding refreshing to wipe my
face in a hot day. Besides this, when I came to the till in the
chest, I found there three great bags of pieces of eight, which
held about eleven hundred pieces in all; and in one of them,
wrapped up in a paper, six doubloons of gold, and some small
bars or wedges of gold; I suppose they might all weigh near
a pound. In the other chest were some clothes, but of little
value; but, by the circumstances, it must have belonged to
the gunner's mate, though there was no powder in it, except
two pounds of fine glazed powder, in three small flasks, kept,
I suppose, for charging their fowling-pieces on occasion. Upon
the whole, I got very little by this voyage that was of any use
to me; for, as to the money, I had no manner of occasion for
it; it was to me as the dirt under my feet; and I would have
given it all for three or four pair of English shoes and stockings,
which were things I greatly wanted, but had none on my
feet for many years. I had indeed got two pair of shoes now,
which I took off the feet of the two drowned men whom I saw
in the wreck, and I found two pair more in one of the chests,
which were very welcome to me; but they were not like our
English shoes, either for ease or service, being rather what we
call pumps than shoes.
than shoes. I found in this seaman's chest about
fifty pieces of eight in rials, but no gold: I suppose this be-
longed to a poorer man than the other, which seemed to be-
long to some officer. Well, however, I lugged this money
home to my cave, and laid it up, as I had done that before
which I brought from our own ship: but it was a great
pity, as I said, that the other part of this ship had not come to
my share; for I am satisfied I might have loaded my canoe
several times over with money; and, thought I, if I ever
escape to England, it might lie here safe enough till I may
come again and fetch it.
Having now brought all my things on shore, and secured
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
153
?
them, I went back to my boat, and rowed or paddled her along
the shore to her old harbour, where I laid her up, and made
the best of my way to my old habitation, where I found every
thing safe and quiet. I began now to repose myself, live after
my old fashion, and take care of my family affairs; and, for a
while, I lived easy enough, only that I was more vigilant than
I used to be, looked out oftener, and did not go abroad so
much; and if at any time I did stir with any freedom, it was
always to the east part of the island, where I was pretty well
satisfied the savages never came, and where I could go with-
out so many precautions, and such a load of arms and ammu-
nition as I always carried with me, if I went the other way.
I lived in this condition near two years more; but my unlucky
head, that was always to let me know it was born to make my
body miserable, was all these two years filled with projects and
designs, how, if it were possible, I might get away from this
island for, sometimes I was for making another voyage to the
wreck, though my reason told me that there was nothing left
there worth the hazard of my voyage: sometimes for a ramble
one way, sometimes another; and I believe verily, if I had
had the boat that I went from Sallee in, I should have ven-
tured to sea, bound any where, I knew not whither. I have
been, in all my circumstances, a memento to those who are
touched with the general plague of mankind, whence, for
ought I know, one half of their miseries flow; I mean that of
not being satisfied with the station wherein God and nature
hath placed them: for, not to look back upon my primitive
condition, and the excellent advice of my father, the opposition
to which was, as I may call it, my original sin, my subsequent
mistakes of the same kind had been the means of my coming
into this miserable condition; for had that Providence, which
so happily seated me at the Brasils as a planter, blessed me with
confined desires, and I could have been contented to have gone
on gradually, I might have been, by this time, I mean in the
time of my being in this island, one of the most considerable
planters in the Brasils; nay, I am persuaded, that by the im-
provements I had made in that little time I lived there, and
the increase I should probably have made if I had remained, I
might have been worth an hundred thousand moidores: and
what business had I to leave a settled fortune, a well-stocked
plantation, improving and increasing, to turn supercargo to
Guinea to fetch negroes, when patience and time would hav
so increased our stock at home, that we could have bought
them at our own door from those whose business it was to
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ADVENTURES OF
fetch them; and though it had cost us something more, yet the
difference of that price was by no means worth saving at so
great a hazard? But as this is usually the fate of young heads,
so reflection upon the folly of it is as commonly the exercise
of more years, or of the dear-bought experience of time: so
it was with me now; and yet so deep had the mistake taken
root in my temper, that I could not satisfy myself in my station,
but was continually poring upon the means and possibility of
my escape from this place: and that I may, with the greater
pleasure to the reader, bring on the remaining part of my story,
it may not be improper to give some account of my first con-
ceptions on the subject of this foolish scheme for my escape,
and how, and upon what foundation, I acted.
I am now to be supposed retired into my castle, after my
late voyage to the wreck, my frigate laid up and secured under
water, as usual, and my condition restored to what it was be-
fore; I had more wealth, indeed, than I had before, but was
not at all the richer; for I had no more use for it than the In-
dians of Peru had before the Spaniards came there.
It was one of the nights in the rainy season in March, the
four and twentieth year of my first setting foot in this island
of solitude, I was lying in my bed, or hammock, awake;
very well in health, had no pain, no distemper, no uneasiness
of body, nor any uneasiness of mind, more than ordinary,
but could by no means close my eyes, that is, so as to sleep;
no, not a wink all night long, otherwise than as follows:-It
is impossible to set down the innumerable crowd of thoughts
that whirled through that great thorough-fare of the brain,
the memory, in this night's time: I run over the whole his-
tory of my life in miniature, or by abridgment, as I may call it,
to my coming to this island, and also of that part of my life
since I came to this island. In my reflections upon the state
of my case since I came on shore on this island, I was com-
paring the happy posture of my affairs in the first years of my
habitation here, compared to the life of anxiety, fear and care
which I had lived in, ever since I had seen the print of a foot
in the sand; not that I did not believe the savages had fre-
quented the island even all the while, and might have been
several hundreds of them at times on shore there, but I had
never known it, and was incapable of any apprehensions about
it; my satisfaction was perfect, though my danger was the
same, and I was as happy in not knowing my danger as if I
had never really been exposed to it. This furnished my thoughts
with many very profitable reflections, and particularly this one:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
155
How infinitely good that Providence is, which has provided, in
its government of mankind, such narrow bounds to his sight
and knowledge of things: and though he walks in the midst
of so many thousand dangers, the sight of which, if discovered
to him, would distract his mind and sink his spirits, he is kept
serene and calm, by having the events of things hid from his
eyes, and knowing nothing of the dangers which surround
him.
After these thoughts had for some time entertained me, I
came to reflect seriously upon the real danger I had been in
for so many years in this very island, and how I had walked
about in the greatest security, and with all possible tranquillity,
even when perhaps nothing but the brow of a hill, a great tree,
or the casual approach of night, had been between me and the
worst kind of destruction, viz. that of falling into the hands of
cannibals and savages, who would have seized on me with the
same view as I would on a goat or a turtle, and have thought
it no more a crime to kill and devour me, than I did of a pigeon
or curlew. I would unjustly slander myself, if I should say
I was not sincerely thankful to my great Preserver, to whose
singular protection I acknowledged, with great humility, all
these unknown deliverances were due, and without which I
must inevitably have fallen into their merciless hands.
When these thoughts were over, my head was for some
time taken up in considering the nature of these wretched
creatures, I mean the savages, and how it came to pass in the
world, that the wise Governor of all things should give up any
of his creatures to such inhumanity, nay, to something so much
below even brutality itself, as to devour its own kind: but as
this ended in some (at that time fruitless) speculations, it oc-
curred to me to inquire, what part of the world these wretches
lived in? How far off the coast was from whence they came ?
What they ventured over so far from home for? What kind
of boats they had? And why I might not order myself and my
business so, that I might be as able to go over thither as they
were to coine to me?
I never so much as troubled myself to consider what I should
do with myself when I went thither; what would become of
me, if I fell into the hands of the savages; or how I should
escape from them, if they attacked me; no, nor so much as
how it was possible for me to reach the coast, and not be at-
tacked by some or other of them, without any possibility of
delivering myself; and if I should not fall into their hands,
what I should do for provision, or whither I should bend my
156
ADVENTURES OF
course: none of these thoughts, I say, so much as came in my
way; but my mind was wholly bent upon the notion of my
passing over in my boat to the main land. I looked upon
my present condition as the most miserable that could possibly
be; that I was not able to throw myself into any thing, but
death, that could be called worse; and if I reached the shore
of the main, I might perhaps meet with relief, or I might coast
along, as I did on the African shore, till I came to some in-
habited country, and where I might find some relief; and after
all, perhaps, I might fall in with some Christian ship that
might take me in; and if the worst came to the worst, I could
but die, which would put an end to all these miseries at once.
Pray note, all this was the fruit of a disturbed mind, an im-
patient temper, made desperate, as it were, by the long con-
tinuance of my troubles, and the disappointments I had met
in the wreck I had been on board of, and where I had been
so near obtaining what I so earnestly longed for, viz. some-
body to speak to, and to learn some knowledge from them of
the place where I was, and of the probable means of my de-
liverance. I was agitated wholly by these thoughts; all my
calm of mind, in my resignation to Providence, and waiting
the issue of the dispositions of Heaven, seemed to be suspend-
ed; and I had, as it were, no power to turn my thoughts to
any thing but to the project of a voyage to the main; which
came upon me with such force, and such an impetuosity of
desire, that it was not to be resisted.
When this had agitated my thoughts for two hours or more,
with such violence that it set my very blood into a ferment,
and my pulse beat as if I had been in a fever, merely with the
extraordinary fervour of my mind about it, nature, as if I had
been fatigued and exhausted with the very thought of it, threw
me into a sound sleep. One would have thought I should have
dreamed of it, but I did not, nor of any thing relating to it:
but I dreamed that as I was going out in the morning, as usual,
from my castle, I saw upon the shore two canoes and eleven
savages coming to land, and that they brought with them another
savage, whom they were going to kill, in order to eat him;
when, on a sudden, the savage that they were going to kill
jumped away, and ran for his life; and I thought, in my sleep,
that he came running into my little thick grove before my for-
tification, to hide himself; and that I, seeing him alone, and
not perceiving that the others sought him that way, showed
myself to him, and smiling upon him, encouraged him that
he kneeled down to me, seeming to pray me to assist him ·
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
157
upon which I showed him my ladder, made him go up, and
carried him into my cave, and he became my servant: and
that as soon as I had got this man, I said to myself, now I
may certainly venture to the main land; for this fellow will
serve me as a pilot, and will tell me what to do, and whither
to go for provisions, and whither not to go for fear of being
devoured; what places to venture into, and what to shun. I
waked with this thought; and was under such inexpressible
impressions of joy at the prospect of my escape in my dream,
that the disappointments which I felt upon coming to myself,
and finding that it was no more than a dream, were equally
extravagant the other way, and threw me into a very great
dejection of spirits.
Upon this, however, I made this conclusion; that my only
way to go about to attempt an escape was, if possible, to get
a savage into my possession; and, if possible, it should be one
of their prisoners whom they had condemned to be eaten, and
should bring hither to kill. But these thoughts still were at-
tended with this difficulty, that it was impossible to effect this
without attacking a whole caravan of them, and killing them
all; and this was not only a very desperate attempt, and might
miscarry, but, on the other hand, I had greatly scrupled the
lawfulness of it to myself; and my heart trembled at the
thoughts of shedding so much blood, though it was for my de-
liverance. I need not repeat the arguments which occurred to
me against this, they being the same mentioned before: but
though I had other reasons to offer now, viz. that those men
were enemies to my life, and would devour me, if they could;
that it was self-preservation, in the highest degree, to deliver
myself from this death of a life, and was acting in my own de-
fence as much as if they were actually assaulting me, and the
like; I say, though these things argued for it, yet the thoughts
of shedding human blood for my deliverance were very terri-
ble to me, and such as I could by no means reconcile myself
to for a great while. However, at last, after many secret dis-
putes with myself, and after great perplexities about it (for all
these arguments, one way and another, struggled in my head
a long time), the eager prevailing desire of deliverance at length
mastered all the rest; and I resolved, if possible, to get one of
those savages into my hands, cost what it would. My next
thing was to contrive how to do it; and this indeed was very
difficult to resolve on: but as I could pitch upon no probable
means for it, so I resolved to put myself upon the watch, to
see them when they came on shore, and leave the rest to the
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the event; taking such measures as the opportunity should
present, let what would be.
With these resolutions in my thoughts, I set myself upon
the scout as often as possible, and indeed so often, that I was
heartily tired of it; for it was above a year and a half that I
waited; and for great part of that time went out to the west
end, and to the south-west corner of the island, almost every
day, to look for canoes, but none appeared. This was very
discouraging, and began to trouble me much; though I can-
not say that it did in this case (as it had done some time be-
fore) wear off the edge of my desire to the thing; but the
longer it seemed to be delayed, the more eager I was for it.
in a word, I was not at first so careful to shun the sight of
these savages, and avoid being seen by them, as I was now
eager to be upon them. Besides, I fancied myself able to
manage one, nay, two or three savages, if I had them, so as
to make them entirely slaves to me, to do whatever I should
direct them, and to prevent their being able at any time to do
me any hurt.
It was a great while that I pleased myself with
this affair; but nothing still presented; all my fancies and
schemes came to nothing, for no savages came near me for a
great while.
•
About a year and a half after I entertained these notions,
(and by long musing had, as it were, resolved them all
into nothing, for want of an occasion to put them into execu-
tion,) I was surprised, one morning early, with seeing no less
than five canoes all on shore together on my side the island,
and the people who belonged to them all landed, and out of
my sight. The number of them broke all my measures; for
seeing so many, and knowing that they always came four or
six, or sometimes more, in a boat, I could not tell what to
think of it, or how to take my measures, to attack twenty or
thirty men single-handed; so lay still in my castle, perplexed
and discomforted: however, I put myself into all the same
postures for an attack that I had formerly provided, and was
just ready for action, if any thing had presented. Having
waited a good while, listening to hear if they made any noise,
at length, being very impatient, I set my guns at the foot of
my ladder, and clambered up to the top of the hill, by my two
stages, as usual; standing so, however, that my head did not
appear above the hill, so that they could not perceive me by
any means. Here I observed, by the help of my perspective
glass, that they were no less than thirty in number; that they
ad a fire kindled, and that they had meat dressed. How
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159
they had cooked it I knew not, or what it was; but they were
all dancing, in I know not how many barbarous gestures and
figures, their own way, round the fire.
While I was thus looking on them, I perceived, by my per-
spective, two miserable wretches dragged from the boats,
where, it seems, they were laid by, and were now brought out
for the slaughter. I perceived one of them immediately fall,
being knocked down, I suppose, with a club or wooden
sword, for that was their way, and two or three others were
at work immediately, cutting him open for their cookery,
while the other victim was left standing by himself, till they
should be ready for him. In that very moment, this poor
wretch seeing himself a little at liberty, and unbound, nature
inspired him with hopes of life, and he started away from
them, and ran with incredible swiftness along the sands, di-
rectly towards me, I mean towards that part of the coast
where my habitation was. I was dreadfully frightened, I
must acknowledge, when I perceived him run my way, and
especially when, as I thought, I saw him pursued by the
whole body and now I expected that part of my dream was
coming to pass, and that he would certainly take shelter in
my grove; but I could not depend, by any means, upon my
dream for the rest of it, viz. that the other savages would not
pursue him thither, and find him there. However, I kept my
station, and my spirits began to recover, when I found that
there was not above three men that followed him; and still
more was I encouraged when I found that he outstripped them
exceedingly in running, and gained ground of them; so that
if he could but hold it for half an hour, I saw easily he would
fairly get away from them all.
:
There was between them and my castle the creek, which
mentioned often in the first part of my story, when I landed
my cargoes out of the ship; and this I saw plainly he must
necessarily swim over, or the poor wretch would be taken
there but when the savage escaping came thither, he made
nothing of it, though the tide was then up, but plunging in,
swam through in about thirty strokes, or thereabouts, landed,
and ran on with exceeding strength and swiftness. When the
three persons came to the creek, I found that two of them
could swim, but the third could not, and that, standing on the
other side, he looked at the others, but went no farther, and
soon after went softly back again; which, as it happened, was
very well for him in the end. I observed, that the two
who swam were yet more than twice as long swimming over
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ADVENTURES OF
the creek as the fellow was that fled from them. It came
now very warmly upon my thoughts, and indeed irresistibly,
that now was the time to get me a servant, and perhaps a
companion or assistant, and that I was called plainly by Pro-
vidence to save this poor creature's life. I immediately ran
down the ladders with all possible expedition, fetched my two
guns, for they were both at the foot of the ladders, as I ob-
served above, and getting up again, with the same haste, to
the top of the hill, I crossed toward the sea, and having a very
short cut, and all down hill, placed myself in the way between
the pursuers and the pursued, hollowing aloud to him that
fled, who, looking back, was at first, perhaps, as much fright-
ened at me as at them; but I beckoned with my hand to him
to come back; and, in the mean time, I slowly advanced to-
wards the two that followed; then rushing at once upon the
foremost, I knocked him down with the stock of my piece. I
was loath to fire, because I would not have the rest hear;
though, at that distance, it would not have been easily heard,
and being out of sight of the smoke too, they would not have
easily known what to make of it. Having knocked this fellow
down, the other who pursued him stopped, as if he had been
frightened, and I advanced apace towards him: but as I came
nearer, I perceived presently he had a bow and arrow, and
was fitting it to shoot at me; so I was then necessitated to
shoot at him first, which I did, and killed him at the first
shot. The poor savage who fled, but had stopped, though he
saw both his enemies fallen and killed, as he thought, yet was
so frightened with the fire and noise of my piece, that he
stood stock-still, and neither came forward nor went back-
ward, though he seemed rather inclined to still fly, than to
come on. I hollowed again to him, and made signs to come
forward, which he easily understood, and came a little way,
then stopped again, and then a little farther, and stopped again;
and I could then perceive that he stood trembling, as if he had
been taken prisoner, and had just been to be killed, as his two
enemies were. I beckoned to him again to come to me, and
gave him all the signs of encouragement that I could think of;
and he came nearer and nearer, kneeling down every ten or
twelve steps, in token of acknowledgment for saving his life
I smiled at him, and looked pleasantly, and beckoned to him
to come still nearer at length he came close to me; and then
he kneeled down again, kissed the ground, and laid his head
upon the ground, and taking me by the foot, set my foot upon
his head; this, it seems, was in token of swearing to be my
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161
slave for ever. I took him up, and made much of him, and
encouraged him all I could. But there was more work to do
yet; for I perceived the savage whom I knocked down was
not killed, but stunned with the blow, and began to come
to himself: so I pointed to him, and showed him the sa-
vage, that he was not dead; upon this, he spoke some words
to me, and though I could not understand them, yet I thought
they were pleasant to hear; for they were the first sound of a
man's voice that I had heard, my own excepted, for above
twenty-five years. But there was no time for such reflections
now v; the savage who was knocked down recovered himself so
far as to sit up upon the ground, and I perceived that my sa-
vage began to be afraid; but when I saw that, I presented my
other piece at the man, as if I would shoot him : upon this
my savage, for so I call him now, made a motion to me to
lend him my sword, which hung naked in a belt by my
side, which I did. He no sooner had it, but he runs to his
enemy, and, at one blow, cut off his head so cleverly, no ex-
ecutioner in Germany could have done it sooner or better;
which I thought very strange for one who, I had reason to be-
lieve, never saw a sword in his life before, except their own
wooden swords: however, it seems, as I learned afterwards,
they make their wooden swords so sharp, so heavy, and the
wood is so hard, that they will cut off heads even with them,
aye, and arms, and that at one blow too. When he had done
this, he comes laughing to me, in sign of triumph, and
brought me the sword again, and with abundance of gestures,
which I did not understand, laid it down, with the head of the
savage that he had killed, just before me. But that which
astonished him most, was to know how I killed the other In-
dian so far off: so pointing to him, he made signs to me to
let him go to him; so I bade him go, as well as I could. When
he came to him, he stood like one amazed, looking at him,
turning him first on one side, then on the other, looked at the
wound the bullet had made, which, it seems, was just in his
breast, where it had made a hole, and no great quantity of
blood had followed; but he had bled inwardly, for he was
quite dead. He took up his bow and arrows, and came back;
so I turned to go away, and beckoned him to follow me,
making signs to him that more might come after them.
Upon this, he made signs to me that he should bury them
with sand, that they might not be seen by the rest, if they fol-
lowed; and so I made signs to him again to do so. He fell
to work; and, in an instant, he had scraped a hole in the
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sand with his hands, big enough to bury the first in, and then
dragged him into it, and covered him; and did so by the other
also: I believe he had buried them both in a quarter of an
hour. Then calling him away, I carried him, not to my castle,
but quite away to my cave, on the farther part of the island:
so I did not let my dream come to pass in that part, viz. that
he came into my grove for shelter. Here I gave him bread
and a bunch of raisins to eat, and a draught of water, which
I found he was indeed in great distress for, by his running:
and having refreshed him, I made signs for him to go and
lie down to sleep, showing him a place where I had laid some
rice-straw, and a blanket upon it, which I used to sleep upon
myself sometimes; so the poor creature lay down, and went
to sleep.
He was a comely, handsome fellow, perfectly well made,
with straight strong limbs, not too large, tall, and well shaped;
and, as I reckon, about twenty-six years of age. He had a
very good countenance, not a fierce and surly aspect, but
seemed to have something very manly in his face; and yet he
had all the sweetness and softness of an European in his coun-
tenance too, especially when he smiled. His hair was long
and black, not curled like wool; his forehead very high and
large; and a great vivacity and sparkling sharpness in his eyes
The colour of his skin was not quite black, but very tawny;
and yet not of an ugly, yellow, nauseous tawny, as the Bra-
silians and Virginians, and other natives of America are, but
of a bright kind of a dun olive colour, that had in it something
very agreeable, though not very easy to describe. His face
was round and plump; his nose small, not flat like the ne-
groes; a very good mouth, thin lips, and his fine teeth well set,
and as white as ivory.
After he had slumbered, rather than slept, about half an
hour, he awoke again, and came out of the cave to me, for
I had been milking my goats, which I had in the enclosure just
by: when he espied me, he came running to me, laying him-
self down again upon the ground, with all the possible signs
of an humble thankful disposition, making a great many antic
gestures to show it. At last, he lays his head flat upon the
ground, close to my foot, and sets my other foot upon his head,
as he had done before; and after this, made all the signs to me
of subjection, servitude, and submission imaginable, to let me
know how he would serve me so long as he lived. I understood
him in many things, and let him know I was very well pleased
with him. In a little time I began to speak to him, and teach
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163
him to speak to me; and, first, I let him know his name should
be FRIDAY, which was the day I saved his life: I called him
so for the memory of the time. I likewise taught him to say,
Master; and then let him know that was to be my name :
I likewise taught him to say yes and no, and to know the
meaning of them. I gave him some milk in an earthen pot,
and let him see me drink it before him, and sop my bread in
it; and gave him a cake of bread to do the like, which he
quickly complied with, and made signs that it was very good
for him. I kept there with him all that night; but as soon as
it was day, I beckoned to him to come with me, and let him
know I would give him some clothes; at which he seemed
very glad, for he was stark naked. As we went by the place
where he had buried the two men, he pointed exactly to the
place, and showed me the marks that he had made to find them
again, making signs to me that we should dig them up again,
and eat them. At this I appeared very angry, expressed my
abhorrence of it, made as if I would vomit at the thoughts of
it, and beckoned with my hand to him to come away; which he
did immediately, with great submission. I then led him up
to the top of the hill, to see if his enemies were gone; and
pulling out my glass, I looked, and saw plainly the place where
they had been, but no appearance of them or their canoes; so
that it was plain they were gone, and had left their two com-
rades behind them, without any search after them.
But I was not content with this discovery; but having now
more courage, and consequently more curiosity, I took my
man Friday with me, giving him the sword in his hand, with
the bow and arrows at his back, which I found he could use
very dexterously, making him carry one gun for me, and I two
for myself; and away we marched to the place were these
creatures had been; for I had a mind now to get some fuller
intelligence of them. When I came to the place, my very
blood ran chill in my veins, and my heart sunk within me, at
the horror of the spectacle; indeed, it was a dreadful sight, at
least it was so to me, though Friday made nothing of it. The
place was covered with human bones, the ground dyed with
their blood, and great pieces of flesh left here and there, half-
eaten, mangled, and scorched; and, in short, all the tokens of
the triumphant feast they had been making there, after a vic-
tory over their enemies. I saw three sculls, five hands, and
the bones of three or four legs and feet, and abundance of
other parts of the bodies; and Friday, by his signs, made me
understand that they brought over four prisoners to feast upon;
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ADVENTURES OF
that three of them were eaten up, and that he, pointing to him-
self, was the fourth; that there had been a great battle be-
tween them and their next king, whose subjects, it seems, he
had been one of, and that they had taken a great number of
prisoners; all which were carried to several places by those
who had taken them in the fight, in order to feast upon them,
as was done here by these wretches upon those they brought
hither.
I caused Friday to gather all the skulls, bones, flesh, and
whatever remained, and lay them together in a heap, and
make a great fire upon it, and burn them all to ashes. I found
Friday had still a hankering stomach after some of the flesh,
and was still a cannibal in his nature; but I discovered so
much abhorrence at the very thoughts of it, and at the least
appearance of it, that he durst not discover it: for I had, by
some means, let him know, that I would kill him if he of-
fered it.
When he had done this, we came back to our castle; and
there I fell to work for my man Friday and first of all, I
gave him a pair of linen drawers, which I had out of the poor
gunner's chest I mentioned, which I found in the wreck; and
which, with a little alteration, fitted him very well and then
I made him a jerkin of goat's-skin, as well as my skill would
allow (for I was now grown a tolerable good tailor); and I
gave him a cap, which I had made of hare's-skin, very con-
venient, and fashionable enough: and thus he was clothed for
the present, tolerably well, and was mighty well pleased to see
himself almost as well clothed as his master. It is true, he
went aukwardly in these clothes at first; wearing the drawers
was very aukward to him, and the sleeves of the waistcoat
galled his shoulders, and the inside of his arms; but a little
easing them where he complained they hurt him, and using
himself to them, he took to them at length very well.
The next day after I came home to my hutch with him, I
began to consider where I should lodge him; and that I might
do well for him, and yet be perfectly easy myself, I made a
little tent for him in the vacant place between my two forti-
fications, in the side of the last, and in the outside of the
first. As there was a door or entrance there into my cave, I
made a formal framed door-case, and a door to it of boards,
and set it up in the passage, a little within the entrance; and
causing the door to open in the inside, I barred it up in the
night, taking in my ladders too: so that Friday could no way
come at me in the inside of my innermost wall, without
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165
making so much noise in getting over that it must needs
waken me; for my first wall had now a complete roof over
it of long poles, covering all my tent, and leaning up to the
side of the hill; which was again laid across with smaller
sticks, instead of laths, and then thatched over a great thick-
ness with the rice-straw, which was strong, like reeds; and
at the hole or place which was left to go in or out by the
ladder, I had placed a kind of trap-door, which, if it had been
attempted on the outside, would not have opened at all, but
would have fallen down, and made a great noise as to wea-
pons, I took them all into my side every night. But I needed
none of all this precaution; for never man had a more faithful,
loving, sincere servant, than Friday was to me; without pas-
sions, sullenness, or designs, perfectly obliged and engaged; his
very
affections were tied to me, like those of a child to a father;
and I dare say, he would have sacrificed his life for the saving
mine, upon any occasion whatsoever the many testimonies
he gave me of this put it out of doubt, and soon convinced me
that I needed to use no precautions, as to my safety, on his
account.
:
This frequently gave me occasion to observe, and that with
wonder, that however it had pleased God, in his providence,
and in the government of the works of his hands, to take from
so great a part of the world of his creatures the best uses to
which their faculties and the powers of their souls are adapted,
yet that he has bestowed upon them the same powers, the
same reason, the same affections, the same sentiments of kind-
ness and obligation, the same passions and resentments of
wrongs, the same sense of gratitude, sincerity, fidelity, and all
the capacities of doing good and receiving good, that he has
given to us; and that when he pleases to offer them occasions
of exerting these, they are as ready, nay, more ready, to apply
them to the right uses for which they were bestowed, than we
This made me very melancholy sometimes, in reflecting,
as the several occasions presented, how mean a use we make of
all these, even though we have these powers enlightened by the
great lamp of instruction, the Spirit of God, and by the know-
ledge of his word added to our understanding; and why it has
pleased God to hide the like saving knowledge from so many mil-
lions of souls, who, if I might judge by this poor savage, would
make a much better use of it than we did. From hence, I some-
times was led too far, to invade the sovereignty of Providence,
and as it were arraign the justice of so arbitrary a disposition of
things, that should hide that light from some, and reveal it to
are.
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ADVENTURES OF
others, and yet expect a like duty from both; but I shut it up,
and checked my thoughts with this conclusion: first, That we
did not know by what light and law these should be condemned;
but that as God was necessarily, and, by the nature of his being,
infinitely holy and just, so it could not be, but if these creatures
were all sentenced to absence from himself, it was on account of
sinning against that light, which, as the Scripture says, was a
law to themselves, and by such rules as their consciences would
acknowledge to be just, though the foundation was not dis-
covered to us; and, secondly, That still, as we all are the clay
in the hand of the potter, no vessel could say to him, Why
hast thou formed me thus ?
But to return to my new companion:-I was greatly de-
lighted with him, and made it my business to teach him every
thing that was proper to make him useful, handy and helpful;
but especially to make him speak, and understand me when I
spoke and he was the aptest scholar that ever was; and par-
ticularly was so merry, so constantly diligent, and so pleased
when he could but understand me, or make me understand
him, that it was very pleasant to me to talk to him. Now my
life began to be so easy, that I began to say to myself, that
could I but have been safe from more savages, I cared not if
I was never to remove from the place where I lived.
After I had been two or three days returned to my castle,
I thought that, in order to bring Friday off from his horrid
way of feeding, and from the relish of a cannibal's stomach, I
ought to let him taste other flesh; so I took him out with me
one morning to the woods; I went, indeed, intending to kill
a kid out of my own flock, and bring it home and dress it;
but as I was going, I saw a she-goat lying down in the shade,
and two young kids sitting by her. I catched hold of Fri-
day;-Hold, says I stand still; and made signs to him not.
to stir: immediately I presented my piece, shot, and killed one
of the kids. The poor creature, who had, at a distance, in-
deed, seen me kill the savage, his enemy, but did not know, nor
could imagine how it was done, was sensibly surprised, trem-
bled and shook, and looked so amazed, that I thought he
would have sunk down. He did not see the kid I shot at, or
perceived I had killed it, but ripped up his waistcoat, to feel
whether he was not wounded; and, as I found presently,
thought I was resolved to kill him: for he came and kneeled
down to me, and embracing my knees, said a great many things
I did not understand; but I could easily see the meaning was,
to pray me not to kill him.

HAdlanl scrip.
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CRUSOE.
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I soon found a way to convince him that I would do him
no harm; and taking him up by the hand, laughed at him,
and pointing to the kid which I had killed, beckoned to him
to run and fetch it, which he did: and while he was wondering
and looking to see how the creature was killed, I loaded my
gun again. By and by, I saw a great fowl, like a hawk, sit-
ting upon a tree, within shot; so, to let Friday understand a
little what I would do, I called him to me again, pointed at
the fowl, which was indeed a parrot, though I thought it had
been a hawk; I say, pointing to the parrot, and to my gun,
and to the ground under the parrot, to let him see I would
make it fall, I made him understand that I would shoot and
kill that bird; accordingly, I fired, and bade him look, and
immediately he saw the parrot fall. He stood like one fright-
ened again, notwithstanding all I had said to him; and I found
he was the more amazed, because he did not see me put any
thing into the gun, but thought that there must be some won-
derful fund of death and destruction in that thing, able to kill
man, beast, bird, or any thing near or far off; and the aston-
shment this created in him was such, as could not wear off
for a long time; and I believe, if I would have let him, he
would have worshipped me and my gun. As for the gun itself,
he would not so much as touch it for several days after; but
he would speak to it, and talk to it, as if it had answered him,
when he was by himself; which, as I afterwards learned of
him, was to desire it not to kill him. Well, after his aston-
ishment was a little over at this, I pointed to him to run and
fetch the bird I had shot, which he did, but staid some time;
for the parrot not being quite dead, had fluttered away a good
distance from the place where she fell however, he found her,
took her up, and brought her to me; and as I had perceived
his ignorance about the gun before, I took this advantage to
charge the gun again, and not to let him see me do it, that
might be ready for any other mark that might present; bu
nothing more offered at that time: so I brought home the kid
and the same evening I took the skin off, and cut it out as wel
as I could; and having a pot fit for that purpose, I boiled or
stewed some of the flesh, and made some very good broth.
After I had begun to eat some, I gave some to my man, who
seemed very glad of it, and liked it very well; but that which
was strangest to him, was to see me eat salt with it. He made
a sign to me that the salt was not good to eat; and putting a
little into his own mouth, he seemed to nauseate it, and would
spit and sputter at it, washing his mouth with fresh water after
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ADVENTURES OF
it: on the other hand, I took some meat into my mouth with-
out salt, and I pretended to spit and sputter for want of salt,
as fast as he had done at the salt; but it would not do; he
would never care for salt with his meat or in his broth; at
least, not for a great while, and then but a very little.
:
Having thus fed him with boiled meat and broth, I was re-
solved to feast him the next day with roasting a piece of the
kid this I did, by hanging it before the fire on a string, as I
had seen many people do in England, setting two poles up,
one on each side of the fire, and one across on the top, and tie-
ing the string to the cross stick, letting the meat turn conti-
nually. This Friday admired very much; but when he came
to taste the flesh, he took so many ways to tell me how well
he liked it, that I could not but understand him; and at last
he told me, as well as he could, he would never eat man's flesh
any more, which I was very glad to hear.
The next day, I set him to work to beating some corn out,
and sifting it in the manner I used to do, as I observed before;
and he soon understood how to do it as well as I, especially
after he had seen what the meaning of it was, and that it was
to make bread of it; for after that I let him see me make my
Dread, and bake it too; and in a little time Friday was able to
do all the work for me, as well as I could do it myself.
I began now to consider, that having two mouths to feed
instead of one, I must provide more ground for my harvest,
and plant a larger quantity of corn than I used to do; so I
marked out a larger piece of land, and began the fence in the
same manner as before, in which Friday worked not only very
willingly and very hard, but did it very cheerfully and I told
him what it was for; that it was for corn to make more bread,
because he was now with me, and that I might have enough
for him and myself too. He appeared very sensible of that
part, and let me know that he thought I had much more la-
bour upon me on his account, than I had for myself; and that
he would work the harder for me, if I would tell him what
to do.
This was the pleasantest year of all the life I led in this
place; Friday began to talk pretty well, and understand the
names of almost every thing I had occasion to call for, and of
every place I had to send him to, and talked a great deal to
me; so that, in short, I began now to have some use for my
tongue again, which, indeed, I had very little occasion for be-
fore, that is to say, about speech. Besides the pleasure of
talking to him, I had a singular satisfaction in the fellow him-
self: his simple unfeigned honesty appeared to me more and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
169
more every day, and I began really to love the creature; and,
on his side, I believe he loved me more than it was possible
for him ever to love any thing before.
I had a mind once to try if he had any hankering inclination
to his own country again; and having taught him English so
well that he could answer me almost any question, I asked
him whether the nation that he belonged to never conquered
in battle? At which he smiled, and said, "Yes, yes, we always
fight the better :" that is, he meant, always get the better in
fight; and so we began the following discourse:
Master. You always fight the better; how came you to
be taken prisoner then, Friday?
Friday. My nation beat much, for all that.
Master. How beat? If your nation beat them, how came
you to be taken ?
Friday. They more many than my nation in the place
where me was; they take one, two, three, and me; my nation
over beat them in the yonder place, where me no was; there
my nation take one, two, great thousand.
Master. But why did not your side recover you from the
hands of your enemies then?
Friday. They run one, two, three, and me, and make go
in the canoe; my nation have no canoe that time.
Master. Well, Friday, and what does your nation do with
the men they take? Do they carry them away and eat them, as
these did?
Friday. Yes, my nation eat mans too; eat all up.
Master. Where do they carry them?
Friday. Go to other place, where they think.
Master. Do they come hither?
Friday. Yes, yes, they come hither; come other else
place.
Master. Have you been here with them?
Friday. Yes, I have been here; (points to the N. W.
side of the island, which, it seems, was their side.)
By this I understood that my man Friday had formerly been
among the savages who used to come on shore on the farther
part of the island, on the same man-eating occasions he was
now brought for; and, some time after, when I took the cou-
rage to carry him to that side, being the same I formerly men-
tioned, he presently knew the place, and told me he was there
once when they eat up twenty men, two women, and one
child: he could not tell twenty in English, but he numbered
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ADVENTURES OF
them, by laying so many stones in a row, and pointing to me
to tell them over.
I have told this passage, because it introduces what follows;
that after I had this discourse with him, I asked him how far
it was from our island to the shore, and whether the canoes
were not often lost. He told me there was no danger, no ca-
noes ever lost; but that, after a little way out to sea, there was
a current and wind, always one way in the morning, the other
in the afternoon. This I understood to be no more than the
sets of the tide, as going out or coming in; but I afterwards
understood it was occasioned by the great draft and reflux of
the mighty river Oroonoko, in the mouth or gulph of which
river, as I found afterwards, our island lay; and that this land
which I perceived to the W. and N. W. was the great island
Trinidad, on the north point of the mouth of the river. I asked
Friday a thousand questions about the country, the inhabitants,
the sea, the coast, and what nations were near he told me all
he knew, with the greatest openness imaginable. I asked him
the names of the several nations of his sort of people, but could
get no other name than Caribs: from whence I easily under-
stood, that these were the Caribbees, which our maps place on
the part of America which reaches from the mouth of the river
Oroonoko to Guinea, and onwards to St. Martha. He told me
that up a great way beyond the moon, that was, beyond the
setting of the moon, which must be west from their country,
there dwelt white bearded men, like me, and pointed to my
great whiskers, which I mentioned before; and that they had
killed much mans, that was his word: by all which I under-
stood, he meant the Spaniards, whose cruelties in America
has been spread over the whole country, and were remembered
by all the nations, from father to son.
I inquired if he could tell me how I might go from this
"Yes,
island and get among those white men he told me,
yes, you may go in two canoe." I could not understand what
he meant, or make him describe to me what he meant by two
canoe; till, at last, with great difficulty, I found he meant it
must be in a large boat, as big as two canoes. This part of
Friday's discourse began to relish with me very well, and from
this time I entertained some hopes that, one time or other, I
might find an opportunity to make my escape from this place
and that this poor savage might be a means to help me.
During the long time that Friday had now been with
and that he began to speak to me, and understand me,
me,
I was
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
171
not wanting to lay a foundation of religious knowledge in hist
mind: particularly I asked him one time, who made him? The
poor creature did not understand me at all, but thought I had
asked him who was his father: but I took it up by another han-
dle, and asked him who made the sea, the ground we walked
on, and the hills and woods? He told me, it was one old Be-
namuckee, that lived beyond all; he could describe nothing
of this great person, but that he was very old, much older, he
said, than the sea or the land, than the moon or the stars. I
asked him then, if this old person had made all things, why
did not all things worship him? He looked very grave, and
with a perfect look of innocence said, "All things say O to
him." I asked him if the people who die in his country went
away any where? He said, yes; they all went to Benamuckee :
then I asked him whether these they eat up went thither too?
He said, yes.
From these things I began to instruct him in the knowledge
of the true God: I told him that the great Maker of all things
lived up there, pointing up towards heaven; that he governed
the world by the same power and providence by which he
made it; that he was omnipotent, and could do every thing
for us, give every thing to us, take every thing from us; and
thus, by degrees, I opened his eyes. He listened with great
attention, and received with pleasure the notion of Jesus Christ
being sent to redeem us, and of the manner of making our
prayers to God, and his being able to hear us, even in heaven.
He told me one day, that if our God could hear us up beyond
the sun, he must needs be a greater God than their Benamuc-
kee, who lived but a little way off, and yet could not hear till
they went up to the great mountains where he dwelt to speak
to him. I asked him if ever he went thither to speak to him?
He said, no; they never went that were young men; none
went thither but the old men, whom he called their Oowoka-
kee; that is, as I made him explain it to me, their religious,
or clergy; and that they went to say O, (so he called saying
prayers,) and then came back, and told them what Benamuc-
kee said. By this I observed, that there is priestcraft even
among the most blinded, ignorant pagans in the world; and
the policy of making a secret of religion, in order to preserve
the veneration of the people to the clergy, is not only to be
found in the Roman, but perhaps among all religions in the
world, even among the most brutish and barbarous savages.
I endeavoured to clear up this fraud to my man Friday; and
told him, that the pretence of their old men going up to the
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ADVENTURES OF
mountains to say O to their god Benamuckee was a cheat;
and their bringing word from thence what he said was much
more so; that if they met with any answer, or spake with any
one there, it must be with an evil spirit: and then I entered
into a long discourse with him about the Devil, the ori-
ginal of him, his rebellion against God, his enmity to man, the
reason of it, his setting himself up in the dark parts of the
world to be worshipped instead of God, and as God, and the
many stratagems he made use of to delude mankind to their
ruin; how he had a secret access to our passions and to our
affections, and to adapt his snares to our inclinations, as to
cause us even to be our own tempters, and run upon our de-
struction by our own choice.
I found it was not so easy to imprint right notions in his
mind about the Devil, as it was about the being of a God :
nature assisted all my arguments to evidence to him even the
necessity of a great First Cause, and overruling, governing
Power, a secret, directing Providence, and of the equity and
justice of paying homage to him that made us, and the like
but there appeared nothing of this kind in the notion of an evil
spirit; of his original, his being, his nature, and, above all, of
his inclination to do evil, and to draw us in to do so too:
and the poor creature puzzled me once in such a manner, by
a question merely natural and innocent, that I scarce knew
what to say to him. I had been talking a great deal to him of
the power of God, his omnipotence, his aversion to sin, his
being a consuming fire to the workers of iniquity; how, as he
had made us all, he could destroy us and all the world in a
moment; and he listened with great seriousness to me all the
while. After this, I had been telling him how the Devil was
God's enemy in the hearts of men, and used all his malice
and skill to defeat the good designs of Providence, and to ruin
the kingdom of Christ in the world, and the like. Well,"
says Friday, "but you say God is so strong, so great; is he
not much strong, much might as the Devil?"-" Yes, yes,"
says I, "Friday, God is stronger than the Devil : God is above
the Devil, and therefore we pray to God to tread him down
under our feet, and enable us to resist his temptations, and
quench his fiery darts."-" But," says he again, " if God
much stronger, much might as the Devil, why God no kill the
Devil, so make him no more do wicked?" I was strangely
surprised at this question; and, after all, though I was now an
old man, yet I was but a young doctor, and ill qualified for 1
casuist, or a solver of difficulties; and, at first, I could not teil
(C
ROBINSON CRUSOE
173
what to say; so I pretended not to hear him, and asked
him what he said; but he was too earnest for an answer
to forget his question, so that he repeated it in the very same
broken words as above. By this time I had recovered my-
self a little, and I said, "God will at last punish him severely;
he is reserved for the judgement, and is to be cast into the
bottomless pit, to dwell with everlasting fire." This did not
satisfy Friday; but he returns upon me, repeating my words,
"Reserve at last: Me no understand; but why not kill
the Devil now; not kill great ago ?"-
not kill great ago ?"—" You may as well ask
me," said I, “
why God does not kill you and me, when
we do wicked things here that offend him? We are preserved
to repent and be pardoned." He mused some time on this :
"Well, well," says he, mighty affectionately, "that well: so
you, I, Devil, all wicked, all preserve, repent, God pardon all."
Here I was run down again by him to the last degree; and it
was a testimony to me, how the mere notions of nature, though
they will guide reasonable creatures to the knowledge of a
God, and of a worship or homage due to the supreme being
of God, as the consequence of our nature, yet nothing but di-
vine revelation can form the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and
of redemption purchased for us, of a Meditator of the new co-
venant, and of an Intercessor at the footstool of God's throne;
I say, nothing but a revelation from Heaven can form these
in the soul; and that, therefore, the gospel of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, I mean the Word of God, and the Spirit
of God, promised for the guide and sanctifier of his people, are
the absolutely necessary instructors of the souls of men in the
saving knowledge of God, and the means of salvation.
I therefore diverted the present discourse between me and
my man, rising up hastily, as upon some sudden occasion of
going out; then sending him for something a good way off, I
seriously prayed to God that he would enable me to instruct
savingly this poor savage; assisting, by his Spirit, the heart of
the poor ignorant creature to receive the light of the knowledge
of God in Christ, reconciling him to himself, and would guide
me to speak so to him from the word of God, as his conscience
might be convinced, his eyes opened, and his soul saved. When
he came again to me, I entered into a long discourse with him
upon the subject of the redemption of man by the Saviour of
the world, and of the doctrine of the gospel preached from
heaven, viz. of repentance towards God, and faith in our
blessed Lord Jesus. I then explained to him, as well as I
could, why our blessed Redeemer took not on him the nature
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ADVENTURES OF
of angels, but the seed of Abraham; and how, for that rea-
son, the fallen angels had no share in the redemption; that he
came only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and the
like.
I had, God knows, more sincerity than knowledge in all the
methods I took for this poor creature's instruction, and must
acknowledge, what I believe all that act upon the same prin-
ciple will find, that in laying things open to him, I really in-
formed and instructed myself in many things that either I did
not know, or had not fully considered before, but which oc-
curred naturally to my mind upon searching into them, for
the information of this poor savage; and I had more affection
in my inquiry after things upon this occasion than ever I felt
before so that, whether this poor wild wretch was the better
for me or no, I had great reason to be thankful that ever he
came to me; my grief sat lighter upon me; my habitation grew
comfortable to me beyond measure: and when I reflected, that
in this solitary life which I had been confined to, I had not
only been moved to look up to Heaven myself, and to seek to
the hand that had brought me here, but was now to be made
an instrument, under Providence, to save the life, and, for ought
I knew, the soul of a poor savage, and bring him to the true
knowledge of religion, and of the Christian doctrine, that he
might know Christ Jesus, in whom is life eternal; I say, when
I reflected upon all these things, a secret joy ran through every
part of my soul, and I frequently rejoiced that ever I was
brought to this place, which I had so often thought the most
dreadful of all afflictions that could possibly have befallen me.
I continued in this thankful frame all the remainder of my
time; and the conversation which employed the hours between
Friday and me was such, as made the three years which we
lived there together perfectly and completely happy, if any
such thing as complete happiness can be formed in a sublunary
state. This savage was now a good Christian, a much better
than I; though I have reason to hope, and bless God for it,
that we were equally penitent, and comforted, restored peni-
tents. We had here the word of God to read, and no farther
off from his Spirit to instruct, than if we had been in England.
I always applied myself, in reading the scriptures, to let him
know, as well as I could, the meaning of what I read; and he
again, by his serious inquiries and questionings, made me, as I
said before, a much better scholar in the scripture-knowledge
than I should ever have been by my own mere private read-
ing. Another thing I cannot refrain from observing here also,
from experience, in this retired part of my life, viz. how infi-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
175
nite and inexpressible a blessing it is that the knowledge of
God, and of the doctrine of salvation by Christ Jesus, is so
plainly laid down in the word of God, so easy to be received
and understood, that, as the bare reading the scripture made
me capable of understanding enough of my duty to carry me
directly on to the great work of sincere repentance for my sins,
and laying hold of a Saviour for life and salvation, to a stated
reformation in practice, and obedience to all God's commands,
and this without any teacher or instructor, I mean human; so,
the same plain instruction sufficiently served to the enlightening
this savage creature, and bringing him to be such a Christian,
as I have known few equal to him in my life.
As to all the disputes, wrangling, strife, and contention,
which have happened in the world about religion, whether
niceties in doctrines, or schemes of church-government, they
were all perfectly useless to us, and, for ought I can yet see,
they have been so to the rest of the world. We had the sure
guide to heaven, viz. the word of God; and we had, blessed
be God, comfortable views of the Spirit of God teaching and
instructing us by his word, leading us into all truth, and
making us both willing and obedient to the instruction of his
word. And I cannot see the least use that the greatest know-
ledge of the disputed points in religion, which have made such
confusions in the world, would have been to us, if we could
have obtained it.-But I must go on with the historical part
of things, and take every part in its order.
After Friday and I became more intimately acquainted, and
that he could understand almost all I said to him, and speak
pretty fluently, though in broken English, to me, I acquainted
him with my own history, or at least so much of it as related
to my coming to this place; how I had lived here, and how
long I let him into the mystery, for such it was to him, of
gunpowder and bullet, and taught him how to shoot. I gave
him a knife, which he was wonderfully delighted with; and I
made him a belt, with a frog hanging to it, such as in England
we wear hangers in; and in the frog, instead of a hanger, I
gave him a hatchet, which was not only as good a weapon, in
some cases, but much more useful upon other occasions.
I described to him the country of Europe, particularly Eng-
land, which I came from; how we lived, how we worshipped
God, how we behaved to one another, and how we traded in
ships to all parts of the world. I gave him an account of the
wreck which I had been on board of, and showed him, as near
as I could, the place where she lay; but she was all beaten in
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ADVENTURES OF
pieces before, and gone. I showed him the ruins of our boat,
which we lost when we escaped, and which I could not stir
with my whole strength then ; but was now fallen almost all
to pieces. Upon seeing this boat, Friday stood musing a great
while, and said nothing. I asked him what it was he studied
upon? At last, says he, "Me see such boat like come to place
at my nation." I did not understand him a good while; but,
at last, when I had examined farther into it, I understood by
him, that a boat, such as that had been, came on shore upon
the country where he lived; that is, as he explained it, was
driven thither by stress of weather. I presently imagined that
some European ship must have been cast away upon their
coast, and the boat might get loose, and drive ashore; but was
so dull, that I never once thought of men making their escape
from a wreck thither, much less whence they might come: so
I only inquired after a description of the boat.
Friday described the boat to me well enough; but brought
me better to understand him when he added, with some
warmth, "We save the white mans from drown.” Then I
presently asked him, if there were any white mans, as he call-
ed them, in the boat? "Yes," he said; "the boat full of
white mans." I asked him how many? He told upon his
fingers seventeen. I asked him then what became of them?
He told me,
They live, they dwell at my nation."
This put new thoughts into my head; for I presently ima-
gined that these might be the men belonging to the ship that
was cast away in the sight of my island, as I now called it;
and who, after the ship was struck on the rock, and they saw
her inevitably lost, had saved themselves in their boat, and
were landed upon that wild shore among the savages. Upon
this, I inquired of him more critically what was become of
them: he assured me they lived still there; that they had been
there about four years; that the savages let them alone, and
gave them victuals to live on. I asked him how it came to
pass they did not kill them, and eat them? He said, "No, they
make brother with them;" that is, as I understood him, a truce;
and then he added, " They no eat mans but when make the
war fight;" that is to say, they never eat any men but such
as come to fight with them, and are taken in battle.
It was after this some considerable time, that being upon
the top of the hill, at the east side of the island, from whence,
as I have said, I had, in a clear day, discovered the main or con-
tinent of America, Friday, the weather being very serene,
looks very earnestly towards the main land, and, in a kind of
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
surprise, falls a jumping and dancing, and calls out to me, for
I was at some distance from him: I asked him what was the
matter? "O joy!" says he; "O glad! there see my country,
there my nation!" I observed an extraordinary sense of plea-
sure appeared in his face, and his eyes sparkled, and his coun-
tenance discovered a strange eagerness, as if he had a mind
to be in his own country again. This observation of mine put
a great many thoughts into me, which made me at first not so
easy about my new man Friday as I was before; and I made
no doubt but that if Friday could get back to his own nation
again, he would not only forget all his religion, but all his ob-
ligation to me, and would be forward enough to give his
countrymen an account of me, and come back perhaps with
an hundred or two of them, and make a feast upon me, at
which he might be às merry as he used to be with those of his
enemies, when they were taken in war. But I wronged the
poor honest creature very much, for which I was very sorry
afterwards. However, as my jealousy increased, and held me
some weeks, I was a little more circumspect, and not so fa-
miliar and kind to him as before: in which I was certainly
in the wrong too; the honest, grateful creature, having no
thought about it, but what consisted with the best principles,
both as a religious Christian, and as a grateful friend; as ap-
peared afterwards, to my full satisfaction.
While my jealousy of him lasted, you may be sure I was
every day pumping him, to see if he would discover any of
the new thoughts which I suspected were in him: but I found
every thing he said was so honest and so innocent, that I could
find nothing to nourish my suspicion; and, in spite of all my
uneasiness, he made me at last entirely his own again; nor
did he, in the least, perceive that I was uneasy, and therefore
I could not suspect him of deceit.
One day, walking up the same hill, but the weather being
hazy at sea, so that we could not see the continent, I called
to him, and said, “ Friday, do not you wish yourself in your
own country, your own nation?"- "Yes," he said, "I be
much O glad to be at my own nation.". -"What would you do
there?" said I : "Would you turn wild again, eat men's
flesh again, and be a savage, as you were before?" He looked
full of concern, and shaking his head, said, "No, no; Friday
tell them to live good, tell them to pray God, tell them to eat
corn-bread, cattle-flesh, milk; no eat man again.'
"Why
then," said I to him, they will kill you." He looked grave
at that, and then said, "No, no; they no kill me, they
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"" I
willing love learn." He meant by this, they would be willing
to learn. He added, they learned much of the bearded mans
that came in the boat. Then I asked him if he would go
back to them? He smiled at that, and told me that he could
not swim so far. I told him, I would make a canoe for him.
He told me he would go, if I would go with him. I go!"
says I ; why, they will eat me, if I come there.". No,
no," says he; me make they no eat you; me make they
much love you.
He meant, he would tell them how I had
killed his enemies, and saved his life, and so he would make
them love me. Then he told me, as well as he could, how
kind they were to seventeen white men, or bearded men, as
he called them, who came on shore there in distress.
<<
""
From this time, I confess I had a mind to venture over, and
see if I could possibly join with those bearded men, who, I
made no doubt, were Spaniards and Portuguese: not doubting
but if I could, we might find some method to escape from
thence, being upon the continent, and a good company toge-
ther, better than I could from an island forty miles off the
shore, and alone, without help. So, after some days, I took
Friday to work again, by way of discourse; and told him I
would give him a boat to go back to his own nation; and ac-
cordingly I carried him to my frigate, which lay on the other side
of the island, and having cleared it of water (for I always kept
it sunk in water) I brought it out, showed it him, and we
both went into it. I found he was a most dexterous fellow at
managing it, and would make it go almost as swift again as I
could so when he was in, I said to him, "Well, now, Friday,
shall we go to your nation?" He looked very dull at my saying
so; which, it seems, was because he thought the boat too small
to go so far: I then told him I had a bigger; so the next
day I went to the place where the first boat lay which I had
made, but which I could not get into the water. He said that
was big enough: but then, as I had taken no care of it, and
it had lain two or three and twenty years there, the sun had
split and dried it, that it was in a manner rotten. Friday told
me such a boat would do very well, and would carry much
enough vittle, drink, bread; that was his way of talking.
Upon the whole, I was by this time so fixed upon my design
of going over with him to the continent, that I told him we
would go and make one as big as that, and he should go home
in it. He answered not one word, but looked very grave and
sad. I asked him what was the matter with him? He asked
me again, Why you angry mad with Friday? What me
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ROBINSON CRUSOE.
179
done?" I asked him what he meant? I told him I was
not angry with him at all. "No angry!" says he, repeating
the words several times; CC
Why send Friday home away to
my nation ?”—“ Why,” says I,
Why," says I," Friday, did not you say, you
wished you were there?"-"Yes, yes," says he, "wish be both
there ; no wish Friday there, no master there." In a word,
he would not think of going there without me. "I go there,
Friday!" says I; "what shall I do there?" He returned very
quick upon me at this; "You do great deal much good,"
says he;"
you teach wild mans be good, sober, tame mans;
you tell them know God, pray God, and live new life.".
"Alas! Friday," says I, " thou knowest not what thou sayest;
I am but an ignorant man myself."- "Yes, yes," says he,
you teachee me good, you teachee them good.'
"No, no,
Friday," says I, "you
you shall go without me; leave me here to
live by myself, as I did before." He looked confused again
at that word; and running to one of the hatchets which he
used to wear, he takes it up hastily, and gives it to me.
"What
must I do with this?" says I to him. "You take kill Friday,"
says he.
"What must I kill you for?" said I again. He re-
turns very quick, "What you send Friday away for? Take
kill Friday, no send Friday away." This he spoke so earnestly,
that I saw tears stand in his eyes: in a word, I so plainly dis-
covered the utmost affection in him to me, and a firm resolu-
tion in him, that I told him then, and often after, that I would
never send him away from me, if he was willing to stay with
me.
Upon the whole, as I found, by all his discourse, a settled
affection to me, and that nothing should part him from me, so
I found all the foundation of his desire to go to his own coun-
try was laid in his ardent affection to the people, and his hopes
of my doing them good; a thing, which, as I had no notion of
myself, so I had not the least thought, or intention, or desire
of undertaking it. But still I found a strong inclination to my
attempting an escape, as above, founded on the supposition
gathered from the discourse, viz. that there were seventeen
bearded men there: and, therefore, without any more delay,
I went to work with Friday, to find out a great tree proper to
fell, and make a large periagua, or canoe, to undertake the
voyage. There were trees enough in the island to have built
a little fleet, not of periaguas, or canoes, but even of good large
vessels but the main thing I looked at was to get one so near
the water that we might launch it when it was made, to avoid
the mistake I committed at first. At last, Friday pitched upon a
180
ADVENTURES OF
tree; for I found he knew much better than I what kind of
wood was fittest for it; nor can I tell, to this day, what wood
to call the tree we cut down, except that it was very like the
tree we call fustic, or between that and the Nicaragua wood,
for it was much of the same colour and smell. Friday was
for burning the hollow or cavity of this tree out, to make it
for a boat, but I showed him how to cut it with tools; which,
after I had showed him how to use, he did very handily:- and
in about a month's hard labour we finished it, and made it very
handsome; especially when, with our axes, which I showed
him how to handle, we cut and hewed the outside into the true
shape of a boat. After this, however, it cost us near a fort-
night's time to get her along, as it were inch by inch, upon
great rollers into the water; but when she was in, she would
have carried twenty men with great ease.
(6
:
When she was in the water, and though she was so big, it
amazed me to see with what dexterity, and how swift my man
Friday would manage her, turn her, and paddle her along; so
I asked him if he would, and if we might venture over in her?
"Yes," he said ;
we venture over in her very well, though
great blow wind." However, I had a farther design, that he
knew nothing of, and that was to make a mast and a sail, and
to fit her with an anchor and cable. As to a mast, that was
easy enough to get; so I pitched upon a straight young cedar
tree, which I found near the place, and which there were
great plenty of in the island and I set Friday to work to cut
it down, and gave him directions how to shape and order it.
But as to the sail, that was my particular care. I knew I had
old sails, or rather pieces of old sails enough; but as I had had
them now six and twenty years by me, and had not been very
careful to preserve them, not imagining that I should ever have
this kind of use for them, I did not doubt but they were all
rotten, and, indeed, most of them were so: however, I found
two pieces, which appeared pretty good, and with these I
went to work; and with a great deal of pains, and aukward
stitching, you may be sure, for want of needles, I, at length,
made a three-cornered ugly thing, like what we call in Eng-
land a shoulder-of-mutton sail, to go with a boom at bottom,
and a little short sprit at the top, such as usually our ships'
long-boats sail with, and such as I best knew how to manage,
as it was such a one I had to the boat in which I made my
escape from Barbary, as related in the first part of my story.
I was near two months performing this last work, viz. rig-
ging and fitting my mast and sails; for I finished them very
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
181
complete, making a small stay, and a sail, or fore-sail, to it,
to assist, if we should turn to windward; and, which was
more than all, I fixed a rudder to the stern of her to steer with.
I was but a bungling ship-wright, yet, as I knew the useful-
ness, and even necessity of such a thing, I applied myself with
so much pains to do it, that at last I brought it to pass; though,
considering the many dull contrivances I had for it that failed,
I think it cost me almost as much labour as making the boat.
After all this was done, I had my man Friday to teach as to
what belonged to the navigation of my boat; for though he
knew very well how to paddle a canoe, he knew nothing what
belonged to a sail and a rudder; and was the most amazed
when he saw me work the boat to and again in the sea by the
rudder, and how the sail gibbed, and filled this way, or that
way, as the course we sailed changed; I say, when he saw
this, he stood like one astonished and amazed. However,
with a little use, I made all these things familiar to him, and
he became an expert sailor, except that as to the compass; I
could make him understand very little of that. On the other
hand, as there was very little cloudy weather, and seldom or
never any fogs in those parts, there was the less occasion for a
compass, seeing the stars were always to be seen by night, and
the shore by day, except in the rainy seasons, and then nobody
cared to stir abroad, either by land or sea.
I was now entered on the seven and twentieth year of my
captivity in this place; though the three last years that I had
this creature with me ought rather to be left out of the account,
my habitation being quite of another kind than in all the rest
of the time. I kept the anniversary of my landing here with
the same thankfulness to God for his mercies as at first; and
if I had such cause of acknowledgement at first, I had much
more so now, having such additional testimonies of the care of
Providence over me, and the great hopes I had of being effec-
tually and speedily delivered; for I had an invincible impres-
sion upon my thoughts that my deliverance was at hand, and
that I should not be another year in this place. I went on,
however, with my husbandry; digging, planting, and fencing
as usual; I gathered and cured my grapes, and did every ne-
cessary thing as before.
The rainy season was, in the mean time, upon me, when I
kept more within doors than at other times. We had stowed
our new vessel as secure as we could, bringing her up into the
creek, where, as I said in the beginning, I landed my rafts
from the ship; and hauling her up to the shore, at high-water
182
ADVENTURES OF
mark, I made my man Friday dig a little dock, just big enough
to hold her, and just deep enough to give her water enough to
float in; and then, when the tide was out, we made a strong
dam across the end of it, to keep the water out; and so she
lay dry, as to the tide from the sea; and to keep the rain off,
we laid a great many boughs of trees, so thick, that she was
as well thatched as a house; and thus we waited for the
months of November and December, in which I designed to
make my adventure.
to me,
<<
When the settled season began to come in, as the thought
of my design returned with the fair weather, I was preparing
daily for the voyage: and the first thing I did was to lay by a
certain quantity of provisions, being the stores for our voyage:
and intended, in a week or a fortnight's time, to open the dock,
and launch out our boat. I was busy one morning upon some-
thing of this kind, when I called to Friday, and bid him go to
the sea-shore, and see if he could find a turtle, or tortoise, a
thing which we generally got once a week, for the sake of the
eggs as well as the flesh. Friday had not been long gone,
when he came running back, and flew over my outer wall, or
fence, like one that felt not the ground, or the steps he set his
feet on; and before I had time to speak to him, he cries out
"O master! O master! O sorrow! O bad!"-
"What's the matter, Friday?" says I. "O yonder, there,
says he, "
one, two, three canoe; one, two, three." By this
way of speaking, I concluded there were six; but, on inquiry,
I found it was but three. Well, Friday," says I, ❝ do not be
frightened!" So I heartened him up as well as I could: however,
I saw the poor fellow was most terribly scared; for nothing ran
in his head but that they were come to look for him, and would
cut him in pieces, and eat him; and the poor fellow trembled
so, that I scarce knew what to do with him. I comforted him as
well as I could, and told him I was in as much danger as he,
and that they would eat me as well as him: "But," says I,
Friday, we must resolve to fight them. Can you fight, Fri-
day?".
"Me shoot," says he ; " but there come many great
number. "No matter for that," said I, again;
our guns
will fright them we that do not kill." So I asked him whether,
if I resolved to defend him, he would defend me, and stand by
me, and do just as I bid him. He said, "Me die, when you
bid die, master." So I went and fetched a good dram of rum
and gave him ;
for I had been so good a husband of my rum,
that I had a great deal left. When he drank it, I made him
take the two fowling-pieces, which we always carried, and load-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
183
ed them with large swan-shot, as big as small pistol-bullets;
then I took four muskets, and loaded them with two slugs,
and five small bullets each; and my two pistols I loaded with
a brace of bullets each: I hung my great sword, as usual,
naked by my side, and gave Friday his hatchet. When I had
thus prepared myself, I took my perspective glass, and went
up to the side of the hill, to see what I could discover; and I
found quickly, by my glass, that there were one and twenty
savages, three prisoners, and three canoes; and that their whole
business seemed to be the triumphant banquet upon these three
human bodies; a barbarous feast, indeed! but nothing more
than, as I had observed, was usual with them. I observed also,
that they were landed, not where they had done when Friday
made his escape, but nearer to my creek: where the shore was
low, and where a thick wood came almost close down to the
sea. This, with the abhorrence of the inhuman errand these
wretches came about, filled me with such indignation, that I
came down again to Friday, and told him I was resolved to go
down to them, and kill them all; and asked him if he would
stand by me. He had now got over his fright, and his spirits
being a little raised with the dram I had given him, he was
very cheerful, and told me, as before, he would die when I
bid die.
In this fit of fury, I took and divided the arms which I had
charged, as before, between us: I gave Friday one pistol to
stick in his girdle, and three guns upon his shoulder; and I
took one pistol, and the other three guns myself; and in this
posture we marched out. I took a small bottle of rum in my
pocket, and gave Friday a large bag with more powder and
bullets; and, as to orders, I charged him to keep close behind
me, and not to stir, or shoot, or do any thing, till I bid him;
and, in the mean time, not to speak a word.
In this posture,
I fetched a compass to my right hand of near a mile, as well
to get over the creek as to get into the wood, so that I might
come within shot of them before I should be discovered, which
I had seen, by my glass, it was easy to do.
While I was making this march, my former thoughts re-
turning, I began to abate my resolution: I do not mean that
I entertained any fear of their number; for, as they were
naked, unarmed wretches, it is certain I was superior to them,
nay, though I had been alone. But it occured to my thoughts,
what call, what occasion, much less what necessity I was in,
to go and dip my hands in blood, to attack people who had
neither done or intended me any wrong? Who, as to me, were
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ADVENTURES OF
innocent, and whose barbarous customs were their own disas-
ter; being, in them, a token indeed of God's having left
them, with the other nations of that part of the world, to such
stupidity, and to such inhuman courses, but did not call me
to take upon me to be a judge of their actions, much less an
executioner of his justice; that, whenever he thought fit, he
would take the cause into his own hands, and, by national ven-
geance, punish them, as a people, for national crimes; but that,
in the mean time, it was none of my business; that, it was
true, Friday might justify it, because he was a declared enemy,
and in a state of war with those very particular people, and it
was lawful for him to attack them; but I could not say the
same with respect to myself. These things were so warmly
pressed upon my thoughts all the way as I went, that I resolved
I would only go and place myself near them, that I might ob-
serve their barbarous feast, and that I would act then as God
should direct; but that, unless something offered that was
more a call to me than yet I knew of, I would not meddle
with them.
With this resolution I entered the wood; and, with all
possible wariness and silence, Friday following close at my
heels, I marched till I came to the skirt of the wood, on the
side which was next to them, only that one corner of the wood
lay between me and them. Here I called softly to Friday,
and showing him a great tree, which was just at the corner
of the wood, I bade him go to the tree, and bring me word
if he could see there plainly what they were doing. He did
so; and came immediately back to me, and told me they
might be plainly viewed there; that they were all about
their fire, eating the flesh of one of their prisoners, and that
another lay bound upon the sand, a little from them, which,
he said, they would kill next, and which fired all the very soul
within me.
He told me it was not one of their nation, but
one of the bearded men he had told me of, that came to their
country in the boat. I was filled with horror at the very
naming the white bearded man; and going to the tree, I saw
plainly, by my glass, a white man, who lay upon the beach of
the sea, with his hands and his feet tied with flags, or things
like rushes, and that he was an European, and had clothes on.
There was another tree, and a little thicket beyond it, about
fifty yards nearer to them than the place where I was, which,
by going a little way about, I saw I might come at undisco-
vered, and that then I should be within half a shot of them:
so I withheld my passion, though I was indeed enraged to the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
185
highest degree; and going back about twenty paces, I got be-
hind some bushes, which held all the way till I came to the
other tree; and then came to a little rising ground, which
gave me a full view of them, at the distance of about eighty
yards.
I had now not a moment to lose, for nineteen of the dread-
ful wretches sat upon the ground, all close huddled together,
and had just sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian,
and bring him, perhaps, limb by limb, to their fire; and they
were stooping down to untie the bands at his feet. I turned
to Friday" Now, Friday," said I, " do as I bid thee." Fri-
day said he would. "Then, Friday," says I, " do exactly
as you see me do; fail in nothing." So I set down one of the
muskets and the fowling-piece upon the ground, and Friday
did the like by his; and with the other musket I took my aim
at the savages, bidding him to do the like; then asking him if
he was ready, he said yes. "Then fire at them," said I ;
and the same moment I fired also.
Friday took his aim so much better than I, that on the side
that he shot, he killed two of them, and wounded three more ;
and on my side, I killed one, and wounded two. They were,
you may be sure, in a dreadful consternation; and all of them
who were not hurt jumped upon their feet, but did not immedi-
ately know which way to run, or which way to look, for they
knew not from whence their destruction came. Friday kept
his eyes close upon me, that, as I had bid him, he might ob-
serve what I did; so, as soon as the first shot was made, I
threw down the piece, and took up the fowling-piece, and Fri-
day did the like: he saw me cock and present; he did the
same again. "Are you ready, Friday?" said I.-" Yes,'
says he.
"Let fly, then," says I," in the name of God !"
and with that, I fired again among the amazed wretches, and
so did Friday; and as our pieces were now loaden with what
I called swan-shot, or small pistol-bullets, we found only two
drop, but so many were wounded, that they ran about yelling
and screaming like mad creatures, all bloody, and most of
them miserably wounded, whereof three more fell quickly after,
though not quite dead.
"Now, Friday," says I, laying down the discharged pieces,
and taking up the musket which was yet loaden, "follow me;
which he did, with a great deal of courage: upon which I
rushed cut of the wood, and showed myself, and Friday close
at my foot. As soon as I perceived they saw me, I shouted
as loud as I could, and bade Friday do so too; and running as
2 B
VOL. I.
186
ADVENTURES OF
fast as I could, which, by the way, was not very fast, being
loaded with arms as I was, I made directly towards the poor
victim, who was, as I said, lying upon the beach, or shore,
between the place where they sat and the sea. The two
butchers, who were just going to work with him, had left him
at the surprise of our first fire, and fled in a terrible fright to
the sea-side, and had jumped into a canoe, and three more
of the rest made the same way. I turned to Friday, and bade
him step forwards, and fire at them; he understood me im-
mediately, and running about forty yards, to be nearer them,
he shot at them, and I thought he had killed them all, for I
saw them all fall of a heap into the boat, though I saw two
of them up again quickly : however, he killed two of them, and
wounded the third so, that he lay down in the bottom of the
boat as if he had been dead.
anus;
While my man Friday fired at them, I pulled out my knife
and cut the flags that bound the poor victim; and loosing his
hands and feet, I lifted him up, and asked him, in the Portu-
guese tongue, what he was. He answered, in Latin, Christi-
but was so weak and faint that he could scarce stand or
speak. I took my bottle out of my pocket, and gave it him,
making signs that he should drink, which he did; and I gave
him a piece of bread, which he eat. Then I asked him what
countryman he was: and he said, Espagniole; and being a
little recovered, let me know, by all the signs he could possi-
bly make, how much he was in my debt for his deliverance.
Seignior," said I, with as much Spanish as I could make up,
we will talk afterwards, but we must fight now: if you
have any strength left, take this pistol and sword, and lay about
you." He took them very thankfully; and no sooner had he
the arms in his hands, but, as if they had put new vigour into
him, he flew upon his murderers like a fury, and had cut two
of them in pieces in an instant; for the truth is, as the whole
was a surprise to them, so the poor creatures were so much
frightened with the noise of our pieces, that they fell down for
mere amazement and fear, and had no more power to attempt
their own escape, than their flesh had to resist our shot
that was the case of those five that Friday shot at in the boat;
for as three of them fell with the hurt they received, so the
other two fell with the fright.
and
I kept my piece in my hand still without firing, being will-
ing to keep my charge ready, because I had given the Spaniard
my pistol and sword: so I called to Friday, and bade him run
up to the tree from whence we first fired, and fetch the arms
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
187
which lay there that had been discharged, which he did with
great swiftness; and then giving him my musket, I sat down
myself to load all the rest again, and bade them come to me
when they wanted. While I was loading these pieces, there
happened a fierce engagement between the Spaniard and one
of the savages, who made at him with one of their great wood-
en swords, the same-like weapon that was to have killed him
before, if I had not prevented it. The Spaniard, who was as
bold and brave as could be imagined, though weak, had fought
this Indian a good while, and had cut him two great wounds
on his head; but the savage being a stout lusty fellow, clos-
ing in with him, had thrown him down, being faint, and was
wringing my sword out of his hand; when the Spaniard,
though undermost, wisely quitting the sword, drew the pistol.
from his girdle, shot the savage through the body, and killed
him upon the spot, before I, who was running to help him,
could come near him.
Friday being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying
wretches, with no weapen in his hand but his hatchet; and
with that he dispatched those three, who, as I said before, were
wounded at first, and fallen, and all the rest he could come up
with and the Spaniard coming to me for a gun, I gave him
one of the fowling-pieces, with which he pursued two of the
savages, and wounded them both; but, as he was not able to
run, they both got from him into the wood, where Friday pur-
sued them, and killed one of them, but the other was too
nimble for him; and though he was wounded, yet had plunged
himself into the sea, and swam, with all his might, off to those
two who were left in the canoe; which three in the canoe,
with one wounded, that we knew not whether he died or no,
were all that escaped our hands of one and twenty; the ac-
count of the whole is as follows: 3 killed at our first shot
from the tree; 2 killed at the next shot; 2 killed by Friday
in the boat; 2 killed by Friday of those at first wounded;
1 killed by Friday in the wood; 3 killed by the Spaniard;
4 killed, being found dropped here and there of their wounds,
or killed by Friday in his chase of them; 4 escaped in the
boat, whereof one wounded, if not dead.-Twenty-one in all.
Those that were in the canoe worked hard to get out of
gun-shot, and though Friday made two or three shots at them,
I did not find that he hit any of them. Friday would fain
have had me take one of their canoes, and pursue them; and
indeed, I was very anxious about their escape, lest carrying
the news home to their people, they should come back perhaps
188
ADVENTURES OF
with two or three hundred of the canoes, and devour us by
mere multitude; so I consented to pursue them by sea, and
running to one of their canoes, I jumped in, and bade Friday
follow me; but when I was in the canoe, I was surprised to
find another poor creature lie there, bound hand and foot, as
the Spaniard was, for the slaughter, and almost dead with fear,
not knowing what was the matter; for he had not been able
to look up over the side of the boat, he was tied so hard neck
and heels, and had been tied so long, that he had really but
little life in him.
I immediately cut the twisted flags or rushes, which they
had bound him with, and would have helped him up; but he
could not stand or speak, but groaned most piteously, believ-
ing, it seems, still, that he was only unbound in order to be
killed. When Friday came to him, I bade him speak to him,
and tell him of his deliverance; and pulling out my bottle,
made him give the poor wretch a dram; which, with the news
of his being delivered, revived him, and he sat up in the boat.
But when Friday came to hear him speak, and look in his face,
it would have moved any one to tears to have seen how Fri-
day kissed him, embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed,
hollowed, jumped about, danced, sung; then cried again,
wrung his hands, beat his own face and head; and then sung
and jumped about again, like a distracted creature. It was a
good while before I could make him speak to me, or tell me
what was the matter; but when he came a little to himself,
he told me that it was his father.
It is not easy for me to express how it moved me to see
what ecstasy and filial affection had worked in this poor savage
at the sight of his father, and of his being delivered from death;
nor, indeed, can I describe half the extravagancies of his affec-
tion after this; for he went into the boat, and out of the boat,
a great many times: when he went into him, he would sit
down by him, open his breast, and hold his father's head close
to his bosom for many minutes together, to nourish it; then
he took his arms and ankles, which were numbed and stiff
with the binding, and chafed and rubbed them with his hands;
and I, perceiving what the case was, gave him some rum out
of my bottle to rub them with, which did them a great deal
of good.
This affair put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with the
other savages, who were now got almost out of sight; and it
was happy for us that we did not, for it blew so hard within
two hours after, and before they could be got a quarter of their
ROBINSON CRusoe.
189
way, and continued blowing so hard all night, and that from
the north-west, which was against them, that I could not sup-
pose their boat could live, or that they ever reached their own
coast.
:
But, to return to Friday; he was so busy about his father,
that I could not find in my heart to take him off for some
time but after I thought he could leave him a little, I called
him to me, and he came jumping and laughing, and pleased
to the highest extreme; then I asked him if he had given his
father any bread. He shook his head, and said,
"None;
ugly dog eat all up self." I then gave him a cake of bread,
out of a little pouch I carried on purpose; I also gave him a
dram for himself, but he would not taste it, but carried it to
his father. I had in my pocket two or three bunches of rai-
sins, so I gave him a handful of them for his father. He had
no sooner given his father, these raisins, but I saw him come
out of the boat, and run away, as if he had been bewitched,
he ran at such a rate; for he was the swiftest fellow on his feet
that ever I saw: I say, he ran at such a rate, that he was out
of sight, as it were, in an instant; and though I called, and
hollowed out too, after him, it was all one, away he went; and
in a quarter of an hour I saw him come back again, though
not so fast as he went; and as he came nearer, I found his
pace was slacker, because he had something in his hand.
When he came up to me, I found he had been quite home
for an earthen jug, or pot, to bring his father some fresh water,
and that he had got two more cakes or loaves of bread; the
bread he gave me, but the water he carried to his father.
however, as I was very thirsty too, I took a little sup of it
The water revived his father more than all the rum or spirits
I had given him, for he was just fainting with thirst.
When his father had drank, I called to him to know if there
was any water left: he said yes; and I bade him give it to
the poor Spaniard, who was in as much want of it as his father;
and I sent one of the cakes that Friday brought to the Spa-
niard too, who was indeed very weak, and was reposing himself
upon a green place under the shade of a tree; and whose
limbs were also very stiff, and very much swelled with the
rude bandage he had been tied with. When I saw that upon
Friday's coming to him with the water he sat up and drank,
and took the bread, and began to eat, I went to him and gave
him a handful of raisins: he looked up in my face with all the
tokens of gratitude and thankfulness that could appear in an
countenance; but was so weak, notwithstanding he had so
exerted himself in the fight, that he could not stand up upon his
190
ADVENTURES OF
feet; he tried to do it two or three times, but was really not
able, his ankles were so swelled and so painful to him; so I
bade him sit still, and caused Friday to rub his ankles, and
bathe them with rum, as he had done his father's.
I observed the poor affectionate creature, every two minutes,
or perhaps less, all the while he was here, turn his head
about, to see if his father was in the same place and posture
as he left him sitting; and at last he found he was not to be
seen; at which he started up, and, without speaking a word,
flew with that swiftness to him, that one could scarce per-
ceive his feet to touch the ground as he went: but when he
came, he only found he had laid himself down to ease his
limbs, so Friday came back to me presently; and then I spoke
to the Spaniard to let Friday help him up, if he could, and lead
him to the boat, and then he should carry him to our dwelling,
where I would take care of him but Friday, a lusty strong
fellow, took the Spaniard quite up upon his back, and carried
him away to the boat, and set him down softly upon the side
or gunnel of the canoe, with his feet in the inside of it; and
then lifting him quite in, he set him close to his father; and
presently stepping out again, launched the boat off, and pad-
dled it along the shore faster than I could walk, though the
wind blew pretty hard too: so he brought them both safe into
our creek, and leaving them in the boat, ran away to fetch
the other canoe. As he passed me, I spoke to him, and asked
him whither he went. He told me, "Go fetch more boat:'
so away he went like the wind, for sure never man or horse
run like him; and he had the other canoe in the creek almost
as soon as I got to it by land; so he wafted me over, and then
went to help our new guests out of the boat, which he did;
but they were neither of them able to walk, so that poor Fri-
day knew not what to do.
To remedy this, I went to work in my thought, and calling
to Friday to bid them sit down on the bank while he came to
me, I soon made a kind of a hand-barrow to lay them on, and
Friday and I carried them both up together upon it, between
us.
But when we got them to the outside of our wall, or
fortification, we were at a worse loss than before, for it was
impossible to get them over, and I was resolved not to
break it down so I set to work again; and Friday and I, in
about two hours time, made a very handsome tent, covered
with old sails, and above that with boughs of trees, being in
the space without our outward fence, and between that and the
grove of young wood which I had planted; and here we made
>
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
191
them two beds of such things as I had, viz. of good rice-straw,
with blankets laid upon it, to lie on, and another to cover them,
on each bed.
My island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich
in subjects; and it was a merry reflection, which I frequently
made, how like a king I looked. First of all, the whole coun-
try was my own mere property, so that I had an undoubted
right of dominion. Secondly, my people were perfectly sub-
jected; I was absolutely lord and lawgiver; they all owed
their lives to me, and were ready to lay down their lives, if
there had been occasion for it, for me. It was remarkable, too,
I had but three subjects, and they were of three different reli-
gions: my man Friday was a Protestant, his father was a
Pagan and a cannibal, and the Spaniard was a Papist: however,
I allowed liberty of conscience throughout my dominions:
But this is by the way.
As soon as I had secured my two weak rescued prisoners,
and given them shelter, and a place to rest them upon, I began
to think of making some provision for them; and the first
thing I did, I ordered Friday to take a yearling goat, betwixt
a kid and a goat, out of my particular flock, to be killed;
when I cut off the hinder-quarter, and chopping it into small
pieces, I set Friday to work to boiling and stewing, and made
them a very good dish, I assure you, of flesh and broth, hav-
ing put some barley and rice also into the broth and as I
cooked it without-doors, for I made no fire within my inner
wall, so I carried it all into the new tent, and having set a
table there for them, I sat down, and eat my own dinner also
with them, and, as well as I could, cheered them, and en-
couraged them. Friday was my interpreter, especially to his
father, and, indeed, to the Spaniard too; for the Spaniard spoke
the language of the savages pretty well.
:
After we had dined, or rather supped, I ordered Friday to take
one of the canoes, and go and fetch our muskets and other fire-
arms, which, for want of time, we had left upon the place of
battle and, the next day, I ordered him to go and bury the
dead bodies of the savages, which lay open to the sun, and
would presently be offensive. I also ordered him to bury the
horrid remains of their barbarous feast, which I knew were
pretty much, and which I could not think of doing myself;
nay, I could not bear to see them, if I went that way; all
which he punctually performed, and effaced the very appear-
ance of the savages being there; so that when I went again,
I could scarce know where it was, otherwise than by the cor-
ner of the wood pointing to the place.
192
ADVENTURES OF
I then began to enter into a little conversation with my
two new subjects: and, first, I set Friday to inquire of his
father what he thought of the escape of the savages in that
canoe, and whether we might expect a return of them, with a
power too great for us to resist. His first opinion was, that
the savages in the boat never could live out the storm which
olew that night they went off, but must, of necessity, be
drowned, or driven south to those other shores, where they
were as sure to be devoured as they were to be drowned, if
they were cast away: but, as to what they would do, if they
came safe on shore, he said he knew not; but it was his opi-
nion, that they were so dreadfully frightened with the manner
of their being attacked, the noise, and the fire, that he believed
they would tell the people they were all killed by thunder and
lightning, not by the hand of man; and that the two which
appeared, viz. Friday and I, were two heavenly spirits, or fu-
ries, come down to destroy them, and not men with weapons.
This, he said, he knew; because he heard them all cry out so,
in their language, one to another; for it was impossible for
them to conceive that a man could dart fire, and speak thun-
der, and kill at a distance, without lifting up the hand, as was
done now: and this old savage was in the right; for, as I un-
derstood since, by other hands, the savages never attempted
to go over to the island afterwards, they were so terrified with
the accounts given by those four men (for, it seems, they did
escape the sea,) that they believed whoever went to that en-
chanted island would be destroyed with fire from the gods.
This, however, I knew not; and therefore was under conti-
nual apprehensions for a good while, and kept always upon my
guard, with all my army: for, as there were now four of us,
I would have ventured upon a hundred of them, fairly in the
open field, at any time.
In a little time, however, no more canoes appearing, the
fear of their coming wore off; and I began to take my former
thoughts of a voyage to the main into consideration; being
likewise assured, by Friday's father, that I might depend upon
good usage from their nation, on his account, if I would go.
But my thoughts were a little suspended when I had a serious
discourse with the Spaniard, and when I understood that there
were sixteen more of his countrymen and Portuguese, who,
having been cast away, and made their escape to that side, lived
there at peace, indeed, with the savages, but were very sore put
to it for necessaries, and indeed for life. I asked him all the
particulars of their voyage, and found they were a Spanish ship,
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
193
bound from the Rio de la Plata to the Havanna, being directed
to leave their loading there, which was chiefly hides and silver
and to bring back what European goods they could meet with
there; that they had five Portuguese seamen on board, whom
they took out of another wreck; that five of their own men
were drowned, when first the ship was lost, and that these
escaped, through infinite dangers and hazards, and arrived,
almost starved, on the cannibal coast, where they expected to
have been devoured every moment. He told me they had
some arms with them, but they were perfectly useless, for that
they had neither powder or ball, the washing of the sea having
spoiled all their powder, but a little, which they used, at their
first landing, to provide themselves some food.
I asked him what he thought would become of them there,
and if they had formed no design of making any escape.
He
said they had many consultations about it; but that having
neither vessel, or tools to build one, or provisions of any
kind, their councils always ended in tears and despair. I
asked him how he thought they would receive a proposal
from me, which might tend towards an escape; and whether,
if they were all here, it might not be done. I told him,
with freedom, I fear mostly their treachery and ill usage
of me, if I put my life in their hands; for that gratitude
was no inherent virtue in the nature of man, nor did men al-
ways square their dealings by the obligations they had re-
ceived, so much as they did by the advantages they expected.
I told him it would be very hard that I should be the instru-
ment of their deliverance, and that they should afterwards
make me their prisoner in New Spain, where an Englishman
was certain to be made a sacrifice, what necessity, or what ac-
cident soever brought him thither; and that I had rather be
delivered up to the savages, and be devoured alive, than fall
into the merciless claws of the priests, and be carried into the
Inquisition. I added, that otherwise I was persuaded, if they
were all here, we might, with so many hands, build a bark
large enough to carry us all away, either to the Brasils, south-
ward, or to the islands, or Spanish coast, northward; but that
if, in requital, they should, when I had put weapons into their
hands, carry me by force among their own people, I might be
ill used for my kindness to them, and make my case worse
than it was before.
He answered, with a great deal of candour and ingenuous-
ness, that their condition was so miserable, and that they were
❤ sensible of it, that, he believed, they would abhor the
VOL. I
2 c
194
ADVENTURES OF
thought of using any man unkindly that should contribute to
their deliverance; and that, if I pleased, he would go to them
with the old man, and discourse with them about it, and re-
turn again, and bring me their answer; that he would make
conditions with them upon their solemn oath, that they should
De absolutely under my leading, as their commander and cap-
tain; and that they should swear upon the holy sacraments and
gospel to be true to me, and go to such Christian country
as that I should agree to, and no other, and to be directed
wholly and absolutely by my orders, till they were landed safely
in such country as I intended; and that he would bring a
contract from them, under their hands, for that
purpose. Then
he told me he would first swear to me himself, that he would
never stir from me as long as he lived, till I gave him orders;
and that he would take my side to the last drop of his blood,
if there should happen the least breach of faith among his coun-
trymen. He told me they were all of them very civil, honest
men, and they were under the greatest distress imaginable,
having neither weapons or clothes, nor any food, but at the
mercy and discretion of the savages; out of all hopes of ever
returning to their own country; and that he was sure, if I
would undertake their relief, they would live and die by me.
Upon these assurances, I resolved to venture to relieve them,
if possible, and to send the old savage and this Spaniard over
to them to treat. But when we had got all things in readiness
to go, the Spaniard himself started an objection, which had so
much prudence in it, on one hand, and so much sincerity, on
the other hand, that I could not but be very well satisfied in
it; and, by his advice, put off the deliverance of his comrades
for at least half a year. The case was thus: He had been
with us now about a month, during which time I had let him
see in what manner I had provided, with the assistance of
Providence, for my support; and he saw evidently what stock
of corn and rice I had laid up; which, though it was more than
sufficient for myself, yet it was not sufficient, without good
husbandry, for my family, now it was increased to four; but
much less would it be sufficient if his countrymen, who were,
she said, sixteen still alive, should come over; and, least of
all, would it be sufficient to victual our vessel, if we should
build one, for a voyage to any of the Christian colonies of
America; so he told me he thought it would be more advis-
ble to let him and the other two dig and cultivate some more
and, as much as I could spare seed to sow, and that we should
wait another harvest, that we might have a supply of corn for
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
19
his countrymen, when they should come; for want might be
a temptation to them to disagree, or not to think themselves
delivered, otherwise than out of one difficulty into another
"You know," says he," the children of Israel, though they
rejoiced at first for their being delivered out of Egypt, yet re-
belled even against God himself, that delivered them, when
they came to want bread in the wilderness."
His caution was so seasonable, and his advice so good, tha
I could not but be very well pleased with his proposal, as well
as I was satisfied with his fidelity: so we fell to digging all
four of us, as well as the wooden tools we were furnished with
permitted; and in about a month's time, by the end of which
it was seed-time, we had got as much land cured and trimmed
up as we sowed two and twenty bushels of barley on, and six-
teen jars of rice; which was, in short, all the seed we had to
spare: nor, indeed, did we leave ourselves barley sufficient for
our own food, for the six months that we had to expect our
crop; that is to say, reckoning from the time we set our seed
aside for sowing; for it is not to be supposed it is six months
in the ground in that country.
Having now society enough, and our number being suffi-
cient to put us out of fear of the savages, if they had come, un-
less their number had been very great, we went freely all over
the island, whenever we found occasion; and as here we had
our escape or deliverance upon our thoughts, it was impossi-
ble, at least for me, to have the means of it out of mine. For
this purpose, I marked out several trees which I thought fit
for our work, and I set Friday and his father to cutting them
down; and then I caused the Spaniard, to whom I imparted
my thought on that affair, to oversee and direct their work.
I showed them with what indefatigable pains I had hewed
a large tree into single planks, and I caused them to do the
like, till they had made about a dozen large planks of good
oak, near two feet broad, thirty-five feet long, and from two
inches to four inches thick: what prodigious labour it took
up, any one may imagine.
At the same time, I contrived to increase my little flock o
tame goats as much as I could; and, for this purpose, I made
Friday and the Spaniard go out one day, and myself with Fri-
day the next day, (for we took our turns) and by this mean
we got about twenty young kids to breed up with the rest
for whenever we shot the dam, we saved the kids, and adde
hem to our flock. But, above all, the season for curing the
grapes coming on, I caused such a prodigious quantity to be
ADVENTURES OF
hung up in the sun, that, I believe, had we been at Alicant
where the raisins of the sun are cured, we could have filled
sixty or eighty barrels: and these, with our bread, was a great
part of our food, and was very good living too, I assure you,
for it is exceeding nourishing.
It was now harvest, and our crop in good order: it was not
the most plentiful increase I had seen in the island, but, how-
ever, it was enough to answer our end; for from twenty-two
bushels of barley we brought in and threshed out above two
hundred and twenty bushels, and the like in proportion of the
rice; which was store enough for our food to the next harvest,
though all the sixteen Spaniards had been on shore with me;
or if we had been ready for a voyage, it would very plentifully
have victualled our ship to have carried us to any part of the
world, that is to say, any part of America. When we had
thus housed and secured our magazine of corn, we fell to
work to make more wicker-ware, viz. great baskets, in which
we kept it; and the Spaniard was very handy and dexterous
at this part, and often blamed me that I did not make some
things for defence of this kind of work; but I saw no need
of it.
And now having a full supply of food for all the guests I
expected, I gave the Spaniard leave to go over to the main, to
see what he could do with those he had left behind him there.
I gave him a strict charge not to bring any man with him who
would not first swear, in the presence of himself and the old
savage, that he would no way injure, fight with, or attack the
person he should find in the island, who was so kind as to send
for them in order to their deliverance; but that they would
stand by him, and defend him against all such attempts, and
wherever they went, would be entirely under and subjected to
his command; and that this should be put in writing, and
signed with their hands. How they were to have done this,
when I knew they had neither pen or ink, was a question which
we never asked. Under these instructions, the Spaniard and
the old savage, the father of Friday, went away in one of the
canoes which they might be said to come in, or rather were
brought in, when they came as prisoners to be devoured by
the savages. I gave each of them a musket, with a firelock
on it, and about eight charges of powder and ball, charging
them to be very good husbands of both, and not to use either
of them but upon urgent occasion.
This was a cheerful work, being the first measures used by
me, in view of my deliverance, for now twenty-seven years
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
197
and some days. I gave them provisions of bread, and of dried
grapes, sufficient for themselves for many days, and sufficient
for all the Spaniards for about eight days time; and wishing
them a good voyage, I saw them go; agreeing with them
about a signal they should hang out at their return, by which
I should know them again, when they came back, at a dis-
tance, before they came on shore. They went away with a
fair gale, on the day that the moon was at full, by my account
in the month of October; but as for an exact reckoning of
days, after I had once lost it, I could never recover it again;
nor had I kept even the number of years so punctually as to
be sure I was right; though, as it proved, when I afterwards
examined my account, I found I had kept a true reckoning of
years.
It was no less than eight days I had waited for them, when
a strange and unforeseen accident intervened, of which the
like has not perhaps been heard of in history. I was fast asleep
in my hutch one morning, when my man Friday came run-
ning in to me, and called aloud, "Master, master, they are
come, they are come!" I jumped up, and, regardless of dan-
ger, I went out as soon as I could get my clothes on, through
my little grove, which, by the way, was by this time grown
to be a very thick wood; I say, regardless of danger, I wen
without my arms, which was not my custom to do: but I
was surprised, when turning my eyes to the sea, I presently
.saw a boat at about a league and a half distance, standing in
for the shore, with a shoulder-of-mutton sail, as they call it,
and the wind blowing pretty fair to bring them in also I ob-
served presently, that they did not come from that side which
the shore lay on, but from the southermost end of the island.
Upon this, I called Friday in, and bade him lie close, for these
were not the people we looked for, and that we might not
know yet whether they were friends or enemies. In the next
place, I went in to fetch my perspective glass, to see what I
could make of them; and having taken the ladder out, I
climbed up to the top of the hill, as I used to do when I was
apprehensive of any thing, and to take my view the plainer,
without being discovered. I had scarce set my foot upon the
hill, when my eye plainly discovered a ship lying at an anchor,
at about two leagues and a half distance from me, S. S. E.
but not above a league and a half from the shore. By my
observation, it appeared plainly to be an English ship, and the
boat appeared to be an English long-boat.
I cannot express the confusion i was in; though the joy of
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ADVENTURES OF
seeing a ship, and one that I had reason to believe was man
ned by my own countrymen, and consequently friends, was
such as I cannot describe; but yet I had some secret doubts
hung about me, I cannot tell from whence they came, bidding
me keep upon my guard. In the first place, it occured to me
to consider what business an English ship could have in that
part of the world, since it was not the way to or from any part
of the world where the English had any traffic; and I knew
there had been no storms to drive them in there, as in distress;
and that if they were really English, it was most probable that
they were here upon no good design; and that I had better
continue as I was, than fall into the hands of thieves and mur-
derers.
Let no man despise the secret hints and notices of danger,
which sometimes are given him when he may think there is
no possibility of its being real. That such hints and notices
are given us, I believe few that have made any observations
of things can deny; that they are certain discoveries of an in-
visible world, and a converse of spirits, we cannot doubt; and
if the tendency of them seems to be to warn us of danger,
why should we not suppose they are from some friendly agent
(whether supreme, or inferior and subordinate, is not the
uestion,) and that they are given for our good?
The present question abundantly confirms me in the justice
of this reasoning; for had I not been made cautious by this
secret admonition, come it from whence it will, I had been
undone inevitably, and in a far worse condition than before, as
you will see presently. I had not kept myself long in this pos-
ture, but I saw the boat draw near the shore, as if they looked
for a creek to thrust in at, for the convenience of landing
however, as they did not come quite far enough, they did not
see the little inlet where I formerly landed my rafts, but run
their boat on shore upon the beach, at about half a mile from
me, which was very happy for me; for otherwise they would
have landed just at my door, as I may say, and would soon
have beaten me out of my castle, and perhaps have plundered
me of all I had. When they were on shore, I was fully sa-
tisfied they were Englishmen, at least most of them; one or
two I thought were Dutch, but it did not prove so; there were
in all eleven men, whereof three of them I found were un-
armed, and, as I thought, bound; and when the first four or
five of them were jumped on shore, they took those three out
of the boat, as prisoners: one of the three I could perceive
using the most passionate gestures of entreaty, affliction, and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
199
despair, even to a kind of extravagance; the other two, I could
perceive, lifted up their hands sometimes, and appeared con-
cerned, indeed, but not to such a degree as the first. I was
perfectly confounded at the sight, and knew not what the
meaning of it should be. Friday called out to me in English,
as well as he could, "O master! you see English mans eat
prisoner as well as savage mans. "Why, Friday," says I,
"do you think they are going to eat them then?"-"Yes,"
says Friday," they will eat them."-" No, no," says I,
day; I am afraid they will murder them, indeed, but you may
be sure they will not eat them."
"Fri-
All this while I had no thought of what the matter really
was, but stood trembling with the horror of the sight, expect-
ing every moment when the three prisoners should be killed;
nay, once I saw one of the villains lift up his arm with a great
cutlass, as the seamen call it, or sword, to strike one of the
poor men; and I expected to see him fall every moment; at
which all the blood in my body seemed to run chill in my veins.
I wished heartily now for my Spaniard, and the savage that
was gone with him, or that I had any way to have come un-
discovered within shot of them, that I might have rescued the
three men, for I saw no fire-arms they had among them; but
fell out to my mind another way. After I had observed the
outrageous usage of the three men by the insolent seamen, I
observed the fellows run scattering about the island, as if they
wanted to see the country. I observed that the three other men
had liberty to go also where they pleased, but they sat down all
three upon the ground, very pensive, and looked like men in
despair. This put me in mind of the first time when I came
on shore, and began to look about me; how I gave myself
over for lost; how wildly I looked round me; what dreadful
apprehensions I had; and how I lodged in the tree all night,
for fear of being devoured by wild beasts. As I knew no-
thing, that night, of the supply I was to receive by the providen-
tial driving of the ship nearer the land by the storms and tide,
by which I have since been so long nourished and supported;
so these three poor desolate men knew nothing how certain of
deliverance and supply they were, how near it was to them,
and how effectually and really they were in a condition of safe-
ty, at the same time that they thought themselves lost, and their
case desperate. So little do we see before us in the world,
and so much reason have we to depend cheerfully upon the
great Maker of the world, that he does not leave his creatures
so absolutely destitute, but that, in the worst circumstances,
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ADVENTURES OF
they have always something to be thankful for, and sometimes
are nearer their deliverance than they imagine; nay, are even
brought to their deliverance by the means by which they seem
to be brought to their destruction.
It was just at the top of high-water when these people came
on shore; and partly while they rambled about to see what
kind of a place they were in, they had carelessly staid till the
tide was spent, and the water was ebbed considerably away,
leaving their boat aground. They had left two men in the
boat, who, as I found afterwards, having drank a little too
much brandy, fell asleep; however, one of them waking a
little sooner than the other, and finding the boat too fast
aground for him to stir it, hollowed out for the rest, who were
straggling about; upon which they all soon came to the boat :
but it was past all their strength to launch her, the boat being
very heavy, and the shore on that side being a soft oozy sand,
almost like a quick-sand. In this condition, like true seamen,
who are perhaps the least of all mankind given to forethought,
they gave it over, and away they strolled about the country
again; and I heard one of them say aloud to another, calling
them off from the boat, "Why, let her alone, Jack, can't you?
she'll float next tide:" by which I was fully confirmed in the
main inquiry of what countrymen they were. All this while
I kept myself very close, not once daring to stir out of my
castle, any farther than to my place of observation, near the top
of the hill; and very glad I was to think how well it was for-
tified. I knew it was no less than ten hours before the boat
could float again, and by that time it would be dark, and I
might be at more liberty to see their motions, and to hear
their discourse, if they had any. In the mean time, I fitted
myself up for a battle, as before, though with more caution,
knowing I had to do with another kind of enemy than I had
at first. I ordered Friday also, whom I had made an excel-
lent marksman with his gun, to load himself with arms.
took myself two fowling-pieces, and I gave him three mus-
kets. My figure, indeed, was very fierce; I had my formid-
able goats' skin coat on, with the great cap I have mentioned,
a naked sword by my side, two pistols in my belt, and a gun
upon each shoulder.
:
I
It was my design, as I said above, not to have made any
attempt till it was dark but about two o'clock, being the
heat of the day, I found that, in short, they were all gone
straggling into the woods, and, as I thought, laid down to
sleep. The three poor distressed men, too anxious for their
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
201
condition to get any sleep, were, however, sat down under the
shelter of a great tree, at about a quarter of a mile from me,
and, as I thought, out of sight of any of the rest. Upon this
I resolved to discover myself to them, and learn something of
their condition; immediately I marched in the figure as above,
my man Friday at a good distance behind me, as formidable
for his arms as I, but not making quite so staring a spectre-
like figure as I did. I came as near them undiscovered as I
could, and then, before any of them saw me, I called aloud to
them in Spanish, "What are ye, gentlemen ?" They started
up at the noise, but were ten times more confounded when
they saw me, and the uncouth figure that I made. They
made no answer at all, but I thought I perceived them just
going to fly from me, when I spoke to them in English :
"Gentlemen," said I, "do not be surprised at me; perhaps
you may have a friend near, when you did not expect it.".
"He must be sent directly from Heaven then," said one of
them very gravely to me, and pulling off his hat at the same
time to me;
"for our condition is past the help of man."
"All help is from Heaven, Sir," said I: "But can you put
a stranger in the way how to help you? for you seem to be
in some great distress. I saw you when you landed; and
when you seemed to make application to the brutes that
came with you, I saw one of them lift up his sword to kill
you."
The poor man, with tears running down his face, and trem-
bling, looking like one astonished, returned,
"Am I talking
to God or man? Is it a real man or an angel?”- -"Be in no
fear about that, Sir," said I; "if God had sent an angel to
relieve you, he would have come better clothed, and armed
after another manner than you see me: pray lay aside your
fears; I am a man, an Englishman, and disposed to assist
you: you see I have one servant only; we have arms and
ammunition; tell us freely, can we serve you? What is your
case?"-" Our case," said he, "Sir, is too long to tell you,
while our murderers are so near us: but, in short, Sir, I was
commander of that ship, my men have mutinied against me;
they have been hardly prevailed on not to murder me; and at
last have set me on shore in this desolate place, with these
two men with me, one my mate, the other a passenger,
where we expected to perish, believing the place to be unin-
habited, and know not yet what to think of it."-" Where
are these brutes, your enemies?" said I: "Do you know
where they are gone?" "There they lie, Sir," said he
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pointing to a thicket of trees; my heart trembles for fear
they have seen us, and heard you speak; if they have, they will
certainly murder us all.". -"Have they any fire-arms?" said I.
He answered they had only two pieces, one of which they left
in the boat. "Well then," said I, " leave the rest to me;
I see they are all asleep, it is an easy thing to kill them all:
but shall we rather take them prisoners?" He told me there
were two desperate villains among them, that it was scarce
safe to show any mercy to; but if they were secured, he be-
lieved all the rest would return to their duty. I asked him
which they were? He told me he could not at that distance
distinguish them, but he would obey my orders in any thing
I would direct. Well," says I," let us retreat out of their
view or hearing, lest they awake, and we will resolve fur-
ther." So they willingly went back with me, till the woods
eovered us from them.
<<
“Look you, Sir,” said I, “ if I venture upon your deliver-
ance, are you willing to make two conditions with me?" He
anticipated my proposals, by telling me, that both he and the
ship, if recovered, should be wholly directed and commanded
by me in every thing; and, if the ship was not recovered, he
would live and die with me in what part of the world soever
I would send him; and the two other men said the same.
Well," says I, “ my conditions are but two: 1st, That
while you stay in this island with me, you will not pretend to
any authority here; and if I put arms in your hands, you will,
upon all occasions, give them up to me, and do no prejudice
to me or mine upon this island; and, in the mean time, be
governed by my orders: 2d, That if the ship is, or may be re-
covered, you will carry me and my man to England passage
free."
He gave me all the assurances that the invention or faith of
man could devise, that he would comply with these most
reasonable demands; and, besides, would owe his life to me,
and acknowledge it upon all occasions, as long as he lived.
"Well then,” said I, "here are three muskets for you, with
powder and ball: tell me next what you think is proper to be
done." He showed all the testimonies of his gratitude that
he was able, but offered to be wholly guided by me. I told
him I thought it was hard venturing any thing; but the best
method I could think of was to fire upon them at once, as
they lay, and if any was not killed at the first volley, and
offered to submit, we might save them, and so put it wholly
upon God's providence to direct the shot. He said very mo-
ROBINSON CRUSOE
203
destly, that he was loath to kill them, if he could help it; but
that those two were incorrigible villains, and had been the
authors of all the mutiny in the ship, and if they escaped, we
should be undone still; for they would go on board and bring
the whole ship's company, and destroy us all.
"Well then,"
says I,
necessity legitimates my advice, for it is the only way to
save our lives." However, seeing him still cautious of shed-
ding blood, I told him they should go themselves, and manage.
as they found convenient.
In the middle of this discourse we heard some of them awake,
and soon after we saw two of them on their feet. I asked him
if either of them were the heads of the mutiny? He said no.
"Well then," said I, you may let them escape; and Pro-
vidence seems to have awakened them on purpose to save
themselves. Now," says I, "if the rest escape you, it is your
fault." Animated with this, he took the musket I had given
him in his hand, and a pistol in his belt, and his two comrades
with him, with each a piece in his hand; the two men who
were with him going first, made some noise, at which one of
the seamen who was awake turned about, and seeing them
coming, cried out to the rest; but it was too late then, for the
moment he cried out they fired; I mean the two men, the
captain wisely reserving his own piece. They had so well
aimed their shot at the men they knew, that one of them was
killed on the spot, and the other very much wounded; but
not being dead, he started up on his feet, and called eagerly
for help to the other; but the captain stepping to him, told
him it was too late to cry for help, he should call upon God to
forgive his villany; and with that word knocked him down
with the stock of his musket, so that he never spoke more :
there were three more in the company, and one of them was
also slightly wounded. By this time I was come; and when
they saw their danger, and that it was in vain to resist, they
begged for mercy. The captain told them he would spare their
lives, if they would give him any assurance of their abhor-
rence of the treachery they had been guilty of, and would swear
to be faithful to him in recovering the ship, and afterwards in
carrying her back to Jamaica, from whence they came. They
gave him all the protestations of their sincerity that could be
desired, and he was willing to believe them, and spare their
lives, which I was not against, only that I obliged him to keep
them bound hand and foot while they were on the island.
While this was doing, I sent Friday with the captain's mate
to the boat, with orders to secure her, and bring away the cars
204
ADVENTURES OF
and sails, which they did: and by and by three straggling men,
that were (happily for them) parted from the rest, came back
upon hearing the guns fired, and seeing the captain, who be-
fore was their prisoner, now their conqueror, they submitted
to be bound also; and so our victory was complete.
It now remained that the captain and I should inquire into one
another's circumstances: I began first, and told him my whole
history, which he heard with an attention even to amazement;
and particularly at the wonderful manner of my being furnished
with provisions and ammunition; and, indeed, as my story
is a whole collection of wonders, it affected him deeply. But
when he reflected from thence upon himself, and how I seem-
ed to have been preserved there on purpose to save his life, the
tears ran down his face, and he could not speak a word more.
After this communication was at an end, I carried him and his
two men into my apartment, leading them in just where I
came out, viz. at the top of the house, where I refreshed them
with such provisions as I had, and showed them all the con-
trivances I had made, during my long, long inhabiting that
place.
All I showed them, all I said to them, was perfectly amaz-
ing; but, above all, the captain admired my fortification, and
how perfectly I had concealed my retreat with a grove of trees,
which, having been now planted near twenty years, and the
trees growing much faster than in England, was become a
little wood, and so thick, that it was impassable in any part of
it, but at that one side where I had reserved my little winding
passage into it. I told him this was my castle and my resi-
dence, but that I had a seat in the country, as most princes
have, whither I could retreat upon occasion, and I would show
him that too another time; but at present our business was
to consider how to recover the ship. He agreed with me as
to that; but told me, he was perfectly at a loss what measures
to take, for that there were still six and twenty hands on board,
who having entered into a cursed conspiracy, by which they
had all forfeited their lives to the law, would be hardened in
it now by desperation, and would carry it on, knowing that, if
they were subdued, they would be brought to the gallows, as
soon as they came to England, or to any of the English colo-
nies; and that, therefore, there would be no attacking them
with so small a number as we were.
I mused for some time upon what he had said, and found it
was a very rational conclusion, and that, therefore, something
was to be resolved on speedily, as well to draw the men on
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
205
;
board into some snare for their surprise, as to prevent their
landing upon us, and destroying us. Upon this, it presently
occurred to me, that in a little while the ship's crew, wonder-
ing what was become of their comrades, and of the boat, would
certainly come on shore in their other boat, to look for them
and that then, perhaps, they might come armed, and be too
strong for us: this he allowed to be rational. Upon this, I
told him the first thing we had to do was to stave the boat,
which lay upon the beach, so that they might not carry her off;
and taking every thing out of her, leave her so far useless as
not to be fit to swim: accordingly we went on board, took
the arms which were left on board out of her, and whatever
else we found there, which was a bottle of brandy, and another
of rum, a few biscuit-cakes, a horn of powder, and a great
lump of sugar in a piece of canvas (the sugar was five or six
pounds); all which was very welcome to me, especially the
brandy and sugar, of which I had none left for many years.
When we had carried all these things on shore, (the oars,
mast, sail and rudder of the boat were carried away before, as
above,) we knocked a great hole in her bottom, that if they
had come strong enough to master us, yet they could not car-
ry off the boat. Indeed, it was not much in my thoughts that
we could be able to recover the ship; but my view was, that
if they went away without the boat, I did not much question
to make her fit again to carry us to the Leeward Islands, and
call upon our friends the Spaniards in my way; for I had them
still in my thoughts.
While we were thus preparing our designs, and had first, by
main strength, heaved the boat upon the beach so high, that
the tide would not float her off at high water mark, and, be-
sides, had broke a hole in her bottom too big to be quickly
stopped, and were set down musing what we should do, we
heard the ship fire a gun, and saw her make a waft with her
ensign as a signal for the boat to come on board: but no boat
stirred; and they fired several times, making other signals for
the boat. At last, when all their signals and firing proved
fruitless, and they found the boat did not stir, we saw them,
by the help of my glasses, hoist another boat out, and row to-
wards the shore; and we found, as they approached, that there
were no less than ten men in her, and that they had fire-arms
with them.
As the ship lay almost two leagues from the shore, we had
a full view of them as they came, and a plain sight even of
their faces; because the tide having set them a little to the
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ADVENTURES OF
east of the other boat, they rowed up under shore, to come to
the same place where the other had landed, and where the boa
lay; by this means, I say, we had a full view of them, and
the captain knew the persons and characters of all the men
in the boat, of whom, he said, there were three very honest
fellows, who, he was sure, were led into this conspiracy by the
rest, being overpowered and frightened; but that as for the
boatswain, who, it seems, was the chief officer among them,
and all the rest, they were as outrageous as any of the ship's
crew, and were no doubt made desperate in their new enter-
prize; and terribly apprehensive he was that they would be
too powerful for us. I smiled at him, and told him that men
in our circumstances were past the operation of fear; that see-
ing almost every condition that could be was better than that
which we were supposed to be in, we ought to expect that the
consequence, whether death or life, would be sure to be a de-
liverance. I asked him what he thought of the circumstances
of my life, and whether a deliverance were not worth ventur-
ing for?
"And where, Sir," said I, "is your belief of my
being preserved here on purpose to save your life, which ele-
vated you a little while ago? For my part," said I,
"there
seems to me but one thing amiss in all the prospect of it.".
"What is that?" says he. Why," said. I, "it is, that as
you say there are three or four honest fellows among them,
which should be spared, had they been all of the wicked part
of the crew I should have thought God's providence had
singled them out to deliver them into your hands; for, de-
pend upon it, every man that comes ashore are our own, and
shall die or live as they behave to us." As I spoke this with
a raised voice and cheerful countenance, I found it greatly
encouraged him; so we set vigorously to our business.
CC
We had, upon the first appearance of the boat's coming
from the ship, considered of separating our prisoners; and we
had, indeed, secured them effectually. Two of them, of whom
the captain was less assured than ordinary, I sent with Friday,
and one of the three delivered men, to my cave, where they
were remote enough, and out of danger of being heard or dis-
covered, or of finding their way out of the woods if they could
have delivered themselves: here they left them bound, but
gave them provisions; and promised them, if they continued
there quietly, to give them their liberty in a day or two; but
that if they attempted their escape, they should be put to death
without mercy. They promised faithfully to bear their con-
finement with patience, and were very thankful that they had
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
207
such good usage as to have provisions and light left them,
for Friday gave them candles (such as we made ourselves) for
their comfort; and they did not know but that he stood sen-
tinel over them at the entrance.
The other prisoners had better usage; two of them were
kept pinioned, indeed, because the captain was not free to trust
them; but the other two were taken into my service, upon
the captain's recommendation, and upon their solemnly en-
gaging to live and die with us so with them and the three
honest men we were seven men well armed; and I made no
doubt we should be able to deal well enough with the ten that
were coming, considering that the captain had said there were
three or four honest men among them also. As soon as they
got to the place where their other boat lay, they ran their boat
into the beach, and came all on shore, hauling the boat up af-
ter them, which I was glad to see; for I was afraid they would
rather have left the boat at an anchor, some distance from the
shore, with some hands in her, to guard her, and so we should
not be able to seize the boat. Being on shore, the first thing
they did, they ran all to their other boat; and it was easy to
see they were under a great surprise to find her stripped, as
above, of all that was in her, and a great hole in her bottom
After they had mused a while upon this, they set up two oi
three great shouts, hollowing with all their might, to try it
they could make their companions hear; but all was to no
purpose: then they came all close in a ring, and fired a volley
of their small arms, which, indeed, we heard, and the echoes
made the woods ring; but it was all one; those in the cave
we were sure could not hear, and those in our keeping, though
they heard it well enough, yet durst give no answer to them
They were so astonished at the surprise of this, that, as they
told us afterwards, they resolved to go all on board again to
their ship, and let them know that the men were all murdered,
and the long-boat staved; accordingly, they immediately
launched their boat again, and got all of them on board.
The captain was terribly amazed, and even confounded at
this, believing they would go on board the ship again, and set
sail, giving their comrades over for lost, and so he should still
lose the ship, which he was in hopes we should have recovered ;
but he was quickly as much frightened the other way.
They had not been long put off with the boat, but we per-
eived them all coming on shore again; but with this new
measure in their conduct, which it seems they consulted to-
gether upon, viz. to leave three men in the boat, and the rest
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ADVENTURES OF
to go on shore, and go up into the country to look for their
fellows. This was a great disappointment to us, for now we
were at a loss what to do; as our seizing those seven men on
shore would be no advantage to us, if we let the boat escape;
because they would then row away to the ship, and then the
rest of them would be sure to weigh and set sail, and so our
recovering the ship would be lost. However, we had no re-
medy but to wait and see what the issue of things might pre-
sent. The seven men came on shore, and the three who re-
mained in the boat put her off to a good distance from the
shore, and came to an anchor to wait for them; so that it was
impossible for us to come at them in the boat. Those that
came on shore kept close together, marching towards the top
of the little bill under which my habitation lay; and we could
see them plainly, though they could not perceive us. We
could have been very glad they would have come nearer to us,
so that we might have fired at them, or that they would have
gone farther off, that we might have come abroad. But when
they were come to the brow of the hill, where they could see
a great way into the valleys and woods, which lay towards the
north-east part, and where the island lay lowest, they shouted
and hollowed till they were weary; and not caring, it seems,
to venture far from the shore, nor far from one another, they
sat down together under a tree, to consider of it.
Had they
thought fit to have gone to sleep there, as the other part of
them had done, they had done the job for us; but they were
too full of apprehensions of danger to venture to go to sleep,
though they could not tell what the danger was they had to
fear neither.
The captain made a very just proposal to me upon this con-
sultation of theirs, viz. that perhaps they would all fire a volley
again, to endeavour to make their fellows hear, and that we
should all sally upon them, just at the juncture when their
pieces were all discharged, and they would certainly yield, and
we should have them without bloodshed. I liked this propo-
sal, provided it was done while we were near enough to come
up to them before they could load their pieces again. But
this event did not happen; and we lay still a long time, very
irresolute wnat course to take. At length I told them there
would be nothing done, in my opinion, till night; and then,
if they did not return to the boat, perhaps we might find a
way to get between them and the shore, and so might use
some stratagem with them in the boat to get them on shore.
We waited a great while, though very impatient for their re-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
209
moving; and were very uneasy, when, after long consultations,
we saw them all start up, and march down towards the sea :
it seems they had such dreadful apprehensions upon them of
the danger of the place, that they resolved to go on board the
ship again, give their companions over for lost, and so go on
with their intended voyage with the ship.
As soon as I perceived them to go towards the shore, I
imagined it to be, as it really was, that they had given over
their search, and were for going back again; and the captain,
as soon as I told him my thoughts, was ready to sink at the
apprehensions of it: but I presently thought of a stratagem
to fetch them back again, and which answered my end to a
tittle. I ordered Friday and the captain's mate to go over the
little creek westward, towards the place where the savages
came on shore when Friday was rescued, and as soon as they
came to a little rising ground, at about half a mile distance, I
bade them hollow out, as loud as they could, and wait till they
found the seamen heard them; that as soon as ever they heard
the seamen answer them, they should return it again; and
then keeping out of sight, take a round, always answering
when the others hollowed, to draw them as far into the island,
and among the woods, as possible, and then wheel about again
to me, by such ways as I directed them.
They were just going into the boat when Friday and the
mate hollowed; and they presently heard them, and answer-
ing, run along the shore westward, towards the voice they
heard, when they were presently stopped by the creek, where
the water being up, they could not get over, and called for the
boat to come up and set them over; as, indeed, I expected.
When they had set themselves over, I observed that the boat
being gone a good way into the creek, and, as it were, in a
harbour within the land, they took one of the three men out
of her, to go along with them, and left only two in the boat,
having fastened her to the stump of a little tree on the shore.
This was what I wished for; and immediately leaving Friday
and the captain's mate to their business, I took the rest with
me, and crossing the creek out of their sight, we surprised the
two men before they were aware; one of them lying on the
shore, and the other being in the boat. The fellow on shore
was between sleeping and waking, and going to start up; the
captain, who was foremost, ran in upon him, and knocked
him down; and then called out to him in the boat to yield, or
he was a dead man. There needed very few arguments to
persuade a single man to yield, when he saw five men upon
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ADVENTURES OF
him, and his comrade knocked down; besides, this was, it
seems, one of the three who were not so hearty in the mutiny
as the rest of the crew, and therefore was easily persuaded not
only to yield, but afterwards to join very sincerely with us.
In the mean time, Friday and the captain's mate so well
managed their business with the rest, that they drew them,
by hollowing and answering, from one hill to another, and
from one wood to another, till they not only heartily tired
them, but left them where they were very sure they could not
reach back to the boat before it was dark; and, indeed, they
were heartily tired themselves also, by the time they came
back to us.
We had nothing now to do but to watch for them in the
dark, and to fall upon them, so as to make sure work with
them. It was several hours after Friday came back to me be-
fore they came back to their boat; and we could hear the fore-
most of them, long before they came quite up, calling to those
behind to come along; and could also hear them answer, and
complain how lame and tired they were, and not able to come
any faster; which was very welcome news fɔ us. At length
they came up to the boat: but it is impossible to express their
confusion when they found the boat fast aground in the creek,
the tide ebbed out, and their two men gone. We could hear
them call to one another in a most lamentable manner, telling
one another they were got into an enchanted island; that
either there were inhabitants in it, and they should all be mur-
dered, or else there were devils and spirits in it, and they
should be all carried away and devoured. They hollowed
again, and called their two comrades by their names a great
many times; but no answer. After some time, we could
see them, by the little light there was, run about, wringing
their hands like men in despair; and that sometimes they
would go and sit down in the boat, to rest themselves; then
come ashore again, and walk about again, and so the same
thing over again. My men would fain have had me given
them leave to fall upon them at once in the dark; but I was
willing to take them at some advantage, so to spare them, and
kill as few of them as I could; and especially I was unwilling
to hazard the killing any of our men, knowing the others were
very well armed. I resolved to wait, to see if they did not
seperate; and, therefore, to make sure of them, I drew my
ambuscade nearer, and ordered Friday and the captain to creep
upon their hands and feet, as close to the ground as they
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
21:
could, that they might not be discovered, and get as near them
as they could possibly, before they offered to fire.
They had not been long in that posture, when the boatswain,
who was the principal ringleader of the mutiny, and had now
shown himself the most dejected and dispirited of all the rest,
came walking towards them, with two more of the crew: the
captain was so eager at having this principal rogue so much
in his power, that he could hardly have patience to let him
come so near as to be sure of him, for they only heard his
tongue before but when they came nearer, the captain and
Friday, starting up on their feet, let fly at them. The boat-
swain was killed upon the spot; the next man was shot into
the body, and fell just by him, though he did not die till an
hour or two after; and the third run for it. At the noise of
the fire, I immediately advanced with my whole army, which
was now eight men, viz. myself, generalissimo; Friday, my
lieutenant-general; the captain and his two men, and the
three prisoners of war, whom we had trusted with arms. We
came upon them, indeed, in the dark, so that they could not
see our number; and I made the man they had left in the
boat, who was now one of us, to call them by name, to try if
I could bring them to a parley, and so might perhaps reduce
them to terms; which fell out just as we desired: for, indeed,
it was easy to think, as their condition then was, they would
be very willing to capitulate. So he calls out, as loud as he
could, to one of them, "Tom Smith! Tom Smith!" Tom
Smith answered immediately, "Is that Robinson ?" For
it seems, he knew the voice. The other answered, Aye,
aye; for God's sake, Tom Smith, throw down your arms and
yield, or you are all dead men this moment."-" Who must
we yield to? Where are they?" says Smith again.
"Here
they are," says he; "here's our captain, and fifty men with
him, have been hunting you these two hours: the boatswain
is killed, Will Fry is wounded, and I am a prisoner; and if
you do not yield, you are all lost.”—“ Will they give us
quarter then," says Tom Smith, " and we will yield ?”—“ I
will go ask, if you promise to yield," says Robinson :
so he
asked the captain; and the captain himself then calls out,
You, Smith, you know my voice; if you lay down your
arms immediately, and submit, you shall have your lives, all
but Will Atkins.'
""
Upon this Will Atkins cried out "For God's sake, cap-
tain, give me quarter; what have I done? They have all been
as bad as I:" which, by the way, was not true neither; for, it
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ADVENTURES OF
seems, this Will Atkins was the first man that laid hold of
the captain, when they first mutinied, and used him barbar-
ously, in tying his hands, and giving him injurious language.
However, the captain told him he must lay down his arms at
discretion, and trust to the governor's mercy by which he
meant me, for they all called me governor. In a word, they
all laid down their arms, and begged their lives; and I sent
the man that had parlied with them, and two more, who
bound them all; and then my great army of fifty men, which,
particularly with those three, were in all but eight, came up
and seized upon them, and upon their boat; only that I kept
myself and one more out of sight, for reasons of state.
Our next work was to repair the boat, and think of seizing
the ship and as for the captain, now he had leisure to parley
with them, he expostulated with them upon the villany of
their practices with him, and at length upon the further
wickedness of their design, and how certainly it must bring
them to misery and distress in the end, and perhaps to the
gallows. They all appeared very penitent, and begged hard
for their lives. As for that, he told them they were none of
his prisoners, but the commander's of the island; that they
thought they had set him on shore in a barren, uninhabited
island; but it had pleased God so to direct them, that it
was inhabited, and that the governor was an Englishman;
that he might hang them all there, if he pleased; but as he
had given them all quarter, he supposed he would send them
to England, to be dealt with there as justice required, except
Atkins, whom he was commanded by the governor to advise
to prepare for death, for that he would be hanged in the
morning.
Though this was all but a fiction of his own, yet it had its
desired effect: Atkins fell upon his knees, to beg the captain
to intercede with the governor for his life; and all the res
begged of him, for God's sake, that they might not be sent to
England.
It now occurred to me, that the time of our deliverance
was come, and that it would be a most easy thing to bring
these fellows in to be hearty in getting possession of the ship;
so I retired in the dark from them, that they might not see
what kind of a governor they had, and called the captain to
me: when I called, as at a good distance, one of the men
was ordered to speak again, and say to the captain, "Captain,
the commander calls for you;' and presently the captain re-
plied, "Tell his excellency I am just a-coming." This more
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
213
perfectly amused them, and they all believed that the com-
mander was just by with his fifty men. Upon the captain's
coming to me, I told him my project for seizing the ship,
which he liked wonderfully well, and resolved to put it in
execution the next morning. But, in order to execute it with
more art, and to be secure of success, I told him we must
divide the prisoners, and that he should go and take Atkins,
and two more of the worst of them, and send them pinioned
to the cave where the others lay. This was committed to
Friday, and the two men who came on shore with the captain.
They conveyed them to the cave, as to a prison: and it was,
indeed, a dismal place, especially to men in their condition.
The other I ordered to my bower, as I called it, of which I
have given a full description; and as it was fenced in, and
they pinioned, the place was secure enough, considering they
were upon their behaviour.
To these in the morning I sent the captain, who was to en-
ter into a parley with them; in a word, to try them, and tell
me whether he thought they might be trusted or no to go on
board and surprise the ship. He talked to them of the injury
done him, of the condition they were brought to, and that
though the governor had given them quarter for their lives, as
to the present action, yet that if they were sent to England,
they would all be hanged in chains, to be sure; but that if
they would join in so just an attempt as to recover the ship,
he would have the governor's engagement for their pardon.
Any one may guess how readily such a proposal would be
accepted by men in their condition; they fell down on their
knees to the captain, and promised, with the deepest impre-
cations, that they would be faithful to him to the last drop,
and that they should owe their lives to him, and would go with
him all over the world; that they would own him as a father
to them as long as they lived. "Well," says the captain, "I
must go and tell the governor what you say, and see what I can
do to bring him to consent to it." So he brought me an account
of the temper he found them in, and that he verily believed they
would be faithful. However, that we might be very secure, I
told him he should go back again and choose out those five,
and tell them, that they might see he did not want men, that he
would take out those five to be his assistants, and that the go-
vernor would keep the other two, and the three that were sent
prisoners to the castle (my cave) as hostages for the fidelity of
those five; and that if they proved unfaithful in the execution,
the five hostages should be hanged in chains alive on the shore.
This looked severe, and convinced them that the governor was
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in earnest : however, they had no way left them but to accept
it; and it was now the business of the prisoners, as much as
of the captain, to persuade the other five to do their duty.
Our strength was now thus ordered for the expedition : 1st
The captain, his mate and passenger: 2d, Then the two pri-
soners of the first gang, to whom, having their characters from
the captain, I had given their liberty, and trusted them with
arms 3d, The other two that I had kept till now in my
bower pinioned, but, on the captain's motion, had now re-
leased: 4th, These five released at last; so that they were
twelve in all, besides five we kept prisoners in the cave for
hostages.
I asked the captain if he was willing to venture with these
hands on board the ship: but as for me and my man Friday,
I did not think it was proper for us to stir, having seven
men left behind; and it was employment enough for us
to keep them asunder, and supply them with victuals. As
to the five in the cave, I resolved to keep them fast, but
Friday went in twice a-day to them, to supply them with
necessaries; and I made the other two carry provisions to a
certain distance, where Friday was to take it.
When I showed myself to the two hostages, it was with
the captain, who told them I was the person the governor
had ordered to look after them; and that it was the governor's
pleasure they should not stir any where but by my direction;
that if they did, they would be fetched into the castle, and be
laid in irons : so that as we never suffered them to see me
as a governor, I now appeared as another person, and spoke
of the governor, the garrison, the castle, and the like, upon
all occasions.
The captain now had no difficulty before him, but to fur-
nish his two boats, stop the breach of one, and man them. He
made his passenger captain of one, with four of the men; and
himself, his mate, and five more, went in the other, and
they contrived their business very well, for they came up to the
ship about midnight. As soon as they came within call of the
ship, he made Robinson hail them, and tell them they had
brought off the men and the boat, but that it was a long time
before they had found them, and the like, holding them in a
chat till they came to the ship's side; when the captain and
the mate entering first, with their arms, immediately knocked
down the second mate and carpenter with the butt-end of their
muskets, being very faithfully seconded by their men; they se-
cured all the rest that were upon the main and quarter-decks,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
2
and began to fasten the hatches, to keep them down tha
were below; when the other boat and their men entering
at the fore-chains, secured the fore-castle of the ship, and
the scuttle which went down into the cook-room, making
three men they found there prisoners.
When this was
done, and all safe upon deck, the captain ordered the
mate, with three men, to break into the round-house, where
the new rebel captain lay, who having taken the alarm, had
got up, and with two men and a boy had got fire-arms in their
hands; and when the mate, with a crow, split open the door,
the new captain and his men fired boldly among them, and
wounded the mate with a musket-ball, which broke his arm,
and wounded two more of the men, but killed nobody. The
mate calling for help, rushed, however, into the round-house,
wounded as he was, and with his pistol shot the new captain
through the head, the bullet entering at his mouth, and came
out again behind one of his ears, so that he never spoke a word
more upon which the rest yielded, and the ship was taken
effectually, without any more lives lost.
As soon as the ship was thus secured, the captain ordered
seven guns to be fired, which was the signal agreed upon with
me to give me notice of his success, which you may be sure
I was very glad to hear, having sat watching upon the shore
for it till near two o'clock in the morning. Having thus heard
the signal plainly, I laid me down; and it having been a day
of great fatigue to me, I slept very sound, till I was something
surprised with the noise of a gun; and presently starting up,
I heard a man call me by the name of Governor, Governor,
and presently I knew the captain's voice; when climbing up
to the top of the hill, there he stood, and pointing to the ship
he embraced me in his arms. My dear friend and deliverer,"
says he, "there's your ship, for she is all your's, and so are
we, and all that belong to her." I cast my eyes to the ship,
and there she rode within little more than half a mile of the
shore; for they had weighed her anchor as soon as they were
masters of her, and the weather being fair, had brought her
to an anchor just against the mouth of the little creek; and the
tide being up, the captain had brought the pinnace in near the
place where I at first landed my rafts, and so landed just at my
door. I was at first ready to sink down with the surprise:
for I saw my deliverance, indeed, visibly put into my hands
all things easy, and a large ship just ready to carry me away
whither I pleased to go. At first, for some time, I was no
able to answer him one word; but as he had taken me in his
16
ADVENTURES OF
arins, I held fast by him, or I should have fallen to the ground
He perceived the surprise, and immediately pulls a bottle out
of his pocket, and gave me a dram of cordial, which he had
brought on purpose for me. After I had drank it, I sat down
upon the ground; and though it brought me to myself, yet i
was a good while before I could speak a word to him. All
this time the poor man was in as great an ecstasy as I, only not
under any surprise, as I was; and he said a thousand kind and
tender things to me, to compose and bring me to myself: but
such was the flood of joy in my breast, that it put all my
spirits into confusion; at last it broke out into tears; and in a
little while after I recovered my speech. I then took my turn,
and embraced him as my deliverer, and we rejoiced together.
I told him I looked upon him as a man sent from Heaven to
deliver me, and that the whole transaction seemed to be a chain
of wonders; that such things as these were the testimonies we
had of a secret hand of Providence governing the world, and
an evidence that the eye of an infinite Power could search into
the remotest corner of the world, and send help to the miser-
able whenever he pleased. I forgot not to lift up my heart in
thankfulness to Heaven; and what heart could forbear to bless
him, who had not only in a miraculous manner provided for me
in such a wilderness, and in such a desolate condition, but from
whom every deliverance must always be acknowledged to
proceed?
When we had talked a while, the captain told me he had
brought me some little refreshment, such as the ship afforded,
and such as the wretches that had been so long his masters
had not plundered him of. Upon this he called aloud to the
boat, and bade his men bring the things ashore that were for
the governor; and, indeed, it was a present as if I had been
one that was not to be carried away with them, but as if I had
been to dwell upon the island still. First, he had brought
me a case of bottles full of excellent cordial waters, six large
bottles of Madeira wine (the bottles held two quarts each), two
pounds of excellent good tobacco, twelve good pieces of the
ship's beef, and six pieces of pork, with a bag of peas, and
about a hundred weight of biscuit: he also brought me a box
of sugar, a box of flour, a bag full of lemons, and two bottles
of lime juice, and abundance of other things. But, besides
these, and what was a thousand times more useful to me, li
brought me six new clean shirts, six very good neckcloths,
two pair of gloves, one pair of shoes, a hat, and one pair o
stockings, with a very good suit of clothes of his own, which
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
217
had been worn but very little; in a word, he clothed me from
head to foot. It was a very kind and agreeable present, as
any one may imagine, to one in my circumstances; but never
was any thing in the world of that kind so unpleasant, auk-
ward, and uneasy, as it was to me to wear such clothes at
first.
After these ceremonies were past, and after all his good
things were brought into my little apartment, we began to
consult what was to be done with the prisoners we had; for
it was worth considering whether we might venture to take
them away with us or no, especially two of them, whom he
knew to be incorrigible and refractory to the last degree; and
the captain said he knew they were such rogues, that there
was no obliging them; and if he did carry them away, it
must be in irons, as malefactors, to be delivered over to jus-
tice at the first English colony he could come at; and I found
that the captain himself was very anxious about it. Upon
this I told him, that if he desired it, I would undertake to
bring the two men he spoke of to make it their own request
that he should leave them upon the island. "I should be
very glad of that,' says the captain, "with all my heart."
"Well," says I, "I will send for them up, and talk with
them for you." So I caused Friday and the two hostages, for
they were now discharged, their comrades having performed
their promise; I say, I caused them to go to the cave, and
bring up the five men, pinioned as they were, to the bower,
and keep them there till I came. After some time, I came
thither dressed in my new habit; and now I was called go-
vernor again. Being all met, and the captain with me, I caused
the men to be brought before me, and I told them I had got
a full account of their villanous behaviour to the captain, and
how they had run away with the ship, and were preparing to
commit farther robberies, but that Providence had ensnared
them in their own ways, and that they were fallen into the pit
which they had dug for others. I let them know that by my
direction the ship had been seized; that she lay now in the
road; and they might see, by and by, that their new captain
had received the reward of his villany, and that they would see
him hanging at the yard-arm: that as to them, I wanted to
know what they had to say why I should not execute them as
pirates, taken in the fact, as by my commission they could not
doubt but I had authority so to do.
One of them answered in the name of the rest, that they
had nothing to say but this, that when they were taken, the
VOL. I.
2 F
218
ADVENTURES OF
captain promised them their lives, and they humbly implored
my mercy. But I told them I knew not what mercy to
show them; for as for myself, I had resolved to quit the
island with all my men, and had taken passage with the cap-
tain to go for England; and as for the captain, he could not
carry them to England other than as prisoners, in irons, to be
tried for mutiny, and running away with the ship; the con-
sequence of which, they must needs know, would be the gal-
Lows; so that I could not tell what was best for them, unless
they had a mind to take their fate in the island: if they de-
sired that, as I had liberty to leave the island, I had some
inclination to give them their lives, if they thought they could
shift on shore. They seemed very thankful for it, and said
they would much rather venture to stay there than be carried
to England to be hanged: so I left it on that issue.
However, the captain seemed to make some difficulty of it,
as if he durst not leave them there. Upon this I seemed a
little angry with the captain, and told him that they were my
prisoners, not his; and that seeing I had offered them so much
favour, I would be as good as my word; and that if he did
not think fit to consent to it I would set them at liberty, as I
found them; and if he did not like it, he might take them
again, if he could catch them. Upon this they appeared very
thankful, and I accordingly set them at liberty, and bade them
retire into the woods to the place whence they came, and I
would leave them some fire-arms, some ammunition, and
some directions how they should live very well, if they thought
fit. Upon this I prepared to go on board the ship; but told
the captain I would stay that night to prepare my things, and
desired him to go on board, in the mean time, and keep all
right in the ship, and send the boat on shore next day for
me; ordering him, at all events, to cause the new captain,
who was killed, to be hanged at the yard-arm, that these men
might see him.
When the captain was gone, I sent for the men up to me
to my apartment, and entered seriously into discourse with
them on their circumstances. I told them I thought they
had made a right choice; that if the captain had carried them
away, they would certainly be hanged. I showed them the
new captain hanging at the yard-arm of the ship, and told
them they had nothing less to expect.
When they had all declared their willingness to stay, I then
told them I would let them into the story of my living there,
and put them into the way of making it easy to them: ac-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
219
cordingly, I gave them the whole history of the place, and of
my coming to it; showed them my fortifications, the way I
made my bread, planted my corn, cured my grapes; and, in
a word, all that was necessary to make them easy. I told
them the story also of the seventeen Spaniards that were to be
expected, for whom I left a letter, and made them promise to
treat them in common with themselves. Here it may be no-
ted, that the captain had ink on board, who was greatly sur-
prised that I never hit upon a way of making ink of charcoal
and water, or of something else, as I had done things much
more difficult.
I left them my fire-arms, viz. five muskets, three fowling-
pieces, and three swords. I had above a barrel and a half of
powder left; for after the first year or two I used but little,
and wasted none. I gave them a description of the way I
managed the goats, and directions to milk and fatten them,
and to make both butter and cheese: in a word, I gave them
every part of my own story; and told them I should prevail
with the captain to leave them two barrels of gunpowder
more, and some garden-seeds, which I told them I would
have been very glad of: also I gave them the bag of pease
which the captain had brought me to eat, and bade them be
sure to sow and increase them.
Having done all this, I left them the next day, and went
on board the ship. We prepared immediately to sail, but did
not weigh that night. The next morning early, two of the
five men came swimming to the ship's side, and making a
most lamentable complaint of the other three, begged to be
taken into the ship, for God's sake, for they should be mur-
dered, and begged the captain to take them on board, though
he hanged them immediately. Upon this, the captain pretend-
ed to have no power without me; but after some difficulty,
and after their solemn promises of amendment, they were
taken on board, and were some time after soundly whipped
and pickled after which they proved very honest and quiet
fellows.
:
Some time after this, the boat was ordered on shore, the
tide being up, with the things promised to the men; to which
the captain, at my intercession, caused their chests and clothes
to be added, which they took, and were very thankful for.
I also encouraged them, by telling them that if it lay in my
power to send any vessel to take them in, I would not forget
them.
When I took leave of this island, I carried on board, for
220
ADVENTURES OF
reliques, the great goat-skin cap I had made, my umbrella,
and one of my parrots; also I forgot not to take the money I
formerly mentioned, which had lain by me so long useless,
that it was grown rusty or tarnished, and could hardly pass for
silver, till it had been a little rubbed and handled; as also the
money I found in the wreck of the Spanish ship. And thus
I left the island, the 19th of December, as I found by the
ship's account, in the year 1686, after I had been upon it
eight and twenty years, two months, and nineteen days;
being delivered from this second captivity the same day of the
month that I first made my escape in the long-boat from
among the Moors of Sallee. In this vessel, after a long
voyage, I arrived in England the 11th of June, in the year
1687, having been thirty-five years absent.
When I came to England, I was as perfect a stranger to all
the world as if I had never been known there. My bene-
factor and faithful steward, whom I had left my money in
trust with, was alive, but had had great misfortunes in the
world; was become a widow the second time, and very low
in the world. I made her very easy as to what she owed me,
assuring her I would give her no trouble; but, on the con-
trary, in gratitude for her former care and faithfulness to me,
I relieved her as my little stock would afford; which, at that
time, would indeed allow me to do but little for her; but I
assured her I would never forget her former kindness to me;
nor did I forget her when I had sufficient to help her, as
shall be observed in its proper place. I went down after-
wards into Yorkshire; but my father was dead, and my mo-
ther and all the family extinct, except that I found two sisters
and two of the children of one of my brothers; and as I had
been long ago given over for dead, there had been no provision
made for me: so that, in a word, I found nothing to relieve
or assist me; and that the little money I had would not do
much for me as to settling in the world.
I met with one piece of gratitude, indeed, which I did not
expect; and this was, that the master of the ship whom I had
so happily delivered, and by the same means saved the ship and
cargo, having given a very handsome account to the owners
of the manner how I had saved the lives of the men, and
the ship, they invited me to meet them, and some other mer-
chants concerned, and all together made me a very handsome
compliment upon the subject, and a present of almost 2001
sterling.
But after making several reflections upon the circumstances
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
221
of my life, and how little way this would go towards settling
me in the world, I resolved to go to Lisbon, and see if I might
not come by some information of the state of my plantation in
the Brasils, and of what was become of my partner, who, I
had reason to suppose, had some years past given me over for
dead. With this view I took shipping for Lisbon, where I
arrived in April following; my man Friday accompanying me
very honestly in all these ramblings, and proving a most faithful
servant upon all occasions. When I came to Lisbon, I found
out, by inquiry, and to my particular satisfaction, my old friend
the captain of the ship who first took me up at sea off the shore
of Africa. He was now grown old, and had left off going to
sea, having put his son, who was far from a young man, into
his ship, and who still used the Brasil trade. The old man
did not know me; and, indeed, I hardly knew him; but I soon
brought him to my remembrance, and as soon brought myself
to his remembrance, when I told him who I was.
After some passionate expressions of the old acquaintance
between us, I inquired, you may be sure, after my plantation
and my partner. The old man told me he had not been in the
Brasils for about nine years; but that he could assure me,
that when he came away my partner was living; but the
trustees, whom I had joined with him to take cognizance of
my part, were both dead: that, however, he believed I would
have a very good account of the improvement of the planta-
tion; for that upon the general belief of my being cast away
and drowned, my trustees had given in the account of the pro-
duce of my part of the plantation to the procurator-fiscal, who
had appropriated it, in case I never came to claim it, one-third
to the king, and two-thirds to the monastery of St. Augustine,
to be expended for the benefit of the poor, and for the conver-
sion of the Indians to the Catholic faith; but that if I appeared,
or any one for me, to claim the inheritance, it would be re-
stored; only that the improvement, or annual production,
being distributed to charitable uses, could not be restored: but
he assured me that the steward of the king's revenue from
lands, and the proviedore, or steward of the monastery, had
taken great care all along that the incumbent, that is to say,
my partner, gave every year a faithful account of the produce,
of which they had duly received my moiety. I asked him if
he knew to what height of improvement he had brought the
plantation, and whether he thought it might be worth look-
ing after; or whether, on my going thither, I should meet
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ADVENTURES OF
with any obstruction to my possessing my just right in the
moiety. He told me he could not tell exactly to what degree
the plantation was improved, but this he knew, that my part-
ner was grown exceeding rich upon the enjoying his part of
it; and that, to the best of his remembrance, he had heard that
the king's third of my part, which was, it seems, granted away
to some other monastery or religious house, amounted to above
two hundred moidores a-year: that as to my being restored
to a quiet possession of it, there was no question to be made
of that, my partner being alive to witness my title, and my
name being also enrolled in the register of the country: also
he told me, that the survivors of my two trustees were very
fair honest people, and very wealthy; and he believed I would
not only have their assistance for putting me in possession, but
would find a very considerable sum of money in their hands
for my account, being the produce of the farm while their
fathers held the trust, and before it was given up, as above;
which, as he remembered, was for about twelve years.
I showed myself a little concerned and uneasy at this ac-
count, and inquired of the old captain how it came to pass
that the trustees should thus dispose of my effects, when he
knew that I had made my will, and had made him, the Por-
tuguese captain, my universal heir, &c.
He told me that was true; but that as there was no proof of
my being dead, he could not act as executor, until some certain
account should come of my death; and, besides, he was not
willing to intermeddle with a thing so remote that it was
true he had registered my will, and put in his claim; and could
he have given any account of my being dead or alive, he would
have acted by procuration, and taken possession of the inge-
nio (so they called the sugar-house), and have given his son,
who was now at the Brasils, orders to do it.
"But," says
the old man," I have one piece of news to tell you, which,
perhaps, may not be so acceptable to you as the rest; and that
is, believing you were lost, and all the world believing so also,
your partner and trustees did offer to account with me, in your
name, for six or eight of the first years profits, which I received.
There being at that time great disbursements for increasing
the works, building an ingenio, and buying slaves, it did not
amount to near so much as afterwards it produced: how-
ever," says the old man, " I shall give you a true account of
what I have received in all, and how I have disposed of it."
After a few days farther conference with this ancient friend,
he brought me an account of the first six years income of my
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
223
:
plantation, signed by my partner and the merchant trustees,
being always delivered in goods, viz. tobacco in roll, and sugar
in chests, besides rum, molasses, &c. which is the consequence
of a sugar-work; and I found, by this account, that every
year the income considerably increased; but, as above, the dis-
bursements being large, the sum at first was small however,
the old man let me see that he was debtor to me 470 moidores of
gold, besides 60 chests of sugar, and 15 double rolls of tobacco,
which were lost in his ship; he having been shipwrecked
coming home to Lisbon, about eleven years after my leaving
the place. The good man then began to complain of his mis-
fortunes, and how he had been obliged to make use of my
money to recover his losses, and buy him a share in a new
ship. "However, my old friend," says he, " you shall not
want a supply in your necessity; and as soon as my son returns,
you shall be fully satisfied." Upon this, he pulls out an old
pouch, and gives me 160 Portugal moidores in gold; and
giving the writings of his title to the ship, which his son was
gone to the Brasils in, of which he was a quarter part owner,
and his son another, he puts them both into my hands, for se-
curity of the rest.
I was too much moved with the honesty and kindness of
the poor man to be able to bear this; and remembering what
he had done for me, how he had taken me up at sea, and how
generously he had used me on all occasions, and particularly
how sincere a friend he was now to me, I could hardly refrain
weeping at what he had said to me; therefore I asked him if
his circumstances admitted him to spare so much money at
that time, and if it would not straiten him? He told me he
could not say but it might straiten him a little; but, however,
it was my money, and I might want it more than he
Every thing the good man said was full of affection, and I
could hardly refrain from tears while he spoke in short, I took
one hundred of the moidores, and called for a pen and ink to
give him a receipt for them: then I returned him the rest,
and told him if ever I had possession of the plantation, I would
return the other to him also (as, indeed, I afterwards did); and
that as to the bill of sale of his part in his son's ship, I would
not take it by any means; but that if I wanted the money, I
found he was honest enough to pay me; and if I did not,
but came to receive what he gave me reason to expect, I would
never have a penny more from him.
When this was past, the old man asked me if he should put
me into a method to make my claim to my plantation? I told
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ADVENTURES OF
him I thought to go over to it myself. He said I might do
so, if I pleased; but that if I did not, there were ways enough
to secure my right, and immediately to appropriate the profits
to my use and as there were ships in the river of Lisbon
just ready to go away to Brasil, he made me enter my name
in a public register, with his affidavit, affirming, upon oath,
that I was alive, and that I was the same person who took up
the land for the planting the said plantation at first. This being
regularly attested by a notary, and a procuration affixed, he
directed me to send it, with a letter of his writing, to a mer-
chant of his acquaintance at the place; and then proposed my
staying with him till an account came of the return.
Never was any thing more honourable than the proceedings
upon this procuration; for in less than seven months I received
a large packet from the survivors of my trustees, the merchants,
for whose account I went to sea, in which were the following
particular letters and papers enclosed.
First, There was the account-current of the produce of my
farm or plantation, from the year when their fathers had
balanced with my old Portugal captain, being for six years;
the balance appeared to be 1174 moidores in my favour.
Secondly, There was the account of four years more, while
they kept the effects in their hands, before the government
claimed the administration, as being the effects of a person not
、o be found, which they called civil death; and the balance of
this, the value of the plantation increasing, amounted to 19,446
crusadoes, being about 3240 moidores.
Thirdly, There was the prior of Augustine's account, who
had received the profits for above fourteen years; but not
being to account for what was disposed of by the hospital, very
honestly declared he had 872 moidores not distributed, which
he acknowledged to my account: as to the king's part, that
refunded nothing.
There was a letter of my partner's, congratulating me very
affectionately upon my being alive, giving me an account how
the state was improved, and what it produced a year; with a
particular of the number of squares or acres that it contained,
how planted, how many slaves there were upon it, and making
two and twenty crosses for blessings, told me had said so many
Ave Marias to thank the blessed Virgin that I was alive; in-
viting me very passionately to come over and take possession
of my own; and, in the mean time, to give him orders to
whom he should deliver my effects, if I did not come myself;
concluding with a hearty tender of his friendship, and that of
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
nis family; and sent me, as a present, seven fine leopards' skins,
which he had, it seems, received from Africa, by some other
ship that he had sent thither, and who, it seems, had made a
better voyage than I. He sent me also five chests of excellent
sweatmeats, and a hundred pieces of gold uncoined, not quite
so large as moidores. By the same fleet, my two merchant
trustees shipped me 1200 chests of sugar, 800 rolls of tobacco,
and the rest of the whole account in gold.
:
I might well say now, indeed, that the latter end of Job
was better than the beginning. It is impossible to express
the flutterings of my very heart, when I found all my wealth
about me; for as the Brasil ships come all in fleets, the same
ships which brought my letters brought my goods and the
effects were safe in the river before the letters came to my
hand. In a word, I turned pale and grew sick; and had not
the old man run and fetched me a cordial, I believe the sudden
surprise of joy had overset nature, and I had died upon the
spot: nay, after that, I continued very ill, and was so some
hours, till a physician being sent for, and something of the
real cause of my illness being known, he ordered me to be let
blood; after which I had relief, and grew well: but I verily
believe, if I had not been eased by a vent given in that manner
to the spirits, I should have died.
I was now master, all on a sudden, of above five thousand
pounds sterling in money, and had an estate, as I might well call
it, in the Brasils, of above a thousand pounds a-year, as sure
as an estate of lands in England; and, in a word, I was in a
condition which I scarce knew how to understand, or how to
compose myself for the enjoyment of it. The first thing I did
was to recompence my original benefactor, my good old cap-
tain, who had been first charitable to me in my distress, kind
to me in my beginning, and honest to me at the end. I
showed him all that was sent to me; I told him, that next to
the providence of Heaven, which disposed all things, it was
owing to him; and that it now lay on me to reward him,
which I would do a hundredfold: so I first returned to him
the hundred moidores I had received of him; then I sent for
a notary, and caused him to draw up a general release or dis-
charge for the 470 moidores, which he had acknowledged he
owed me, in the fullest and firmest manner possible. After
which I caused a procuration to be drawn, empowering him
to be my receiver of the annual profits of my plantation, and
appointing my partner to account with him, and make the re-
turns by the usual fleets to him in my name; and a clause ir
VOL. I
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226
ADVENTURES OF
the end, being a grant of 100 moidores a-year to him during
ais life, out of the effects, and 50 moidores a-year to his son
after him, for his life and thus I requited my old man.
:
I was now to consider which way to steer my course next,
and what to do with the estate that Providence had thus put
.nto my hands; and, indeed, I had more care upon my head
now than I had in my silent state of life in the island, where
I wanted nothing but what I had, and had nothing but what
I wanted; whereas I had now a great charge upon me, and
my business was how to secure it. I had never a cave now
to hide my money in, or a place where it might lie without
lock or key, till it grew mouldy and tarnished before any body
would meddle with it: on the contrary, I knew not where to
put it, or whom to trust with it. My old patron, the captain,
indeed, was honest, and that was the only refuge I had. In
the next place, my interest in the Brasils seemed to summon
ine thither; but now I could not tell how to think of going
thither till I had settled my affairs, and left my effects in some
safe hands behind me. At first I thought of my old friend
the widow, who I knew was honest, and would be just to me ;
but then she was in years, and but poor, and, for ought I
knew, might be in debt; so that, in a word, I had no way
but to go back to England myself, and take my effects with
me.
It was some months, however, before I resolved upon this ;
and therefore, as I had rewarded the old captain fully, and to
his satisfaction, who had been my former benefactor, so I
began to think of my poor widow, whose husband had been
my first benefactor, and she, while it was in her power, my
faithful steward and instructor. So the first thing I did, I
got a merchant in Lisbon to write to his correspondent in
London, not only to pay a bill, but to go find her out, and
carry her in money a hundred pounds from me, and to talk
with her, and comfort her in her poverty, by telling her she
should, if I lived, have a further supply at the same time I
sent my two sisters in the country a hundred pounds each,
they being, though not in want, yet not in very good circum-
stances; one having been married and left a widow; and
the other having a husband not so kind to her as he should be.
But among all my relations or acquaintances, I could not yet
pitch upon one to whom I durst commit the gross of my
stock, that I might go away to the Brasils, and leave things
safe behind me; and this greatly perplexed me.
I had once a mind to have gone to the Brasils, and have
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
227
settlea myself there; for I was, as it were, naturalized to the
place; but I had some little scruple in my mind about religion,
which insensibly drew me back. However, it was not reli-
gion that kept me from going there for the present; and as
I had made no scruple of being openly of the religion of the
country all the while I was among them, so neither did I
yet; only that, now and then, having of late thought more
of it than formerly, when I began to think of living and dying
among them, I began to regret my having professed myself
a papist, and thought it might not be the best religion to die
with.
But, as I have said, this was not the main thing that kept
me from going to the Brasils, but that really I did not know
with whom to leave my effects behind me; so I resolved, at
last, to go to England with it, where, if I arrived, I concluded
should make some acquaintance, or find some relations that
would be faithful to me; and, accordingly, I prepared to go to
England with all my wealth.
In order to prepare things for my going home, I first, the
Brasil fleet being just going away, resolved to give answers
suitable to the just and faithful account of things I had from
thence; and, first, to the prior of St. Augustine I wrote a let-
ter full of thanks for their just dealings, and the offer of the
87% moidores which were undisposed of, which I desired
might be given, 500 to the monastery, and 372 to the poor,
as the prior should direct; desiring the good padres prayers
for me, and the like. I wrote next a letter of thanks to my
two trustees, with all the acknowledgement that so much jus-
tice and honesty called for; as for sending them any present,
they were far above having any occasion for it. Lastly, I
wrote to my partner, acknowledging his industry in the im-
proving the plantation, and his integrity in increasing the stock
of the works; giving him instructions for his future govern-
ment of my part, according to the powers I had left with my
old patron, to whom I desired him to send whatever became
due to me, till he should hear from me more particularly;
assuring him that it was my intention not only to come to him,
but to settle myself there for the remainder of my life.
this I added a very handsome present of some Italian silks for
his wife and two daughters, for such the captain's son informed
me he had; with two pieces of fine English broad cloth, the
Dest I could get in Lisbon, five pieces of black baize, and some
Flanders lace of a good value.
Το
Having thus settled my affairs, sold my cargo, and turned
228
ADVENTURES OF
all my effects into good bills of exchange, my next difficulty
was, which way to go to England: I had been accustomed
enough to the sea, and yet I had a strange aversion to go to
England by sea at that time; and though I could give no rea-
son for it, yet the difficulty increased upon me so much, that
though I had once shipped my baggage, in order to go, yet I
altered my mind, and that not once, but two or three times.
It is true, I had been very unfortunate by sea, and this
might be some of the reasons; but let no man slight the
strong impulses of his own thoughts in cases of such moment:
two of the ships which I had singled out to go in, I mean,
more particularly singled out than any other, having put my
things on board, and in the other to have agreed with the cap-
tain; I say, two of these ships miscarried, viz. one was taken
by the Algerines, and the other was cast away on the Start,
near Torbay, and all the people drowned, except three; so
that in either of those vessels I had been made miserable.
Having been thus harassed in my thoughts, my old pilot,
to whom I communicated every thing, pressed me earnestly
not to go by sea, but either to go by land to the Groyne, and
cross over the Bay of Biscay to Rochelle, from whence it was
but an easy and safe journey by land to Paris, and so to Calais
and Dover; or to go up to Madrid, and so all the way by
land through France. In a word, I was so prepossessed against
my going by sea at all, except from Calais to Dover, that I re-
solved to travel all the way by land; which, as I was not in
naste, and did not value the charge, was by much the pleasant-
er way and to make it more so, my old captain brought an
English gentleman, the son of a merchant in Lisbon, who
was willing to travel with me; after which we picked up
two more English merchants also, and two young Portuguese
gentlemen, the last going to Paris only; so that in all there
were six of us, and five servants; the two merchants and the
two Portuguese contenting themselves with one servant be-
tween two, to save the charge; and as for me, I got an
English sailor to travel with me as a servant, besides my man
Friday, who was too much a stranger to be capable of supply-
ing the place of a servant on the road.
In this manner I set out from Lisbon; and our company
being very well mounted and armed, we made a little troop,
whereof they did me the honour to call me captain, as well
because I was the oldest man, as because I had two servants,
and, indeed, was the original of the whole journey.
As I have troubled you with none of my sea journals, so I
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
229
shall trouble you now with none of my land journal; but
some adventures that happened to us in this tedious and diffi-
cult journey I must not omit.
When we came to Madrid, we being all of us strangers to
Spain, were willing to stay some time to see the court of Spain,
and to see what was worth observing; but it being the latter
part of the summer, we hastened away, and set out for Madrid
about the middle of October; but when we came to the edge
of Navarre, we were alarmed, at several towns on the way,
with an account that so much snow was fallen on the French
side of the mountains, that several travellers were obliged to
come back to Pampelona, after having attempted, at an extreme
hazard, to pass on.
When we came to Pampelona itself, we found it so, indeed;
and to me, that had been always used to a hot climate, and to
countries where I could scarce bear any clothes on, the cold
was insufferable: nor, indeed, was it more painful than sur-
prising, to come but ten days before out of Old Castile, where
the weather was not only warm, but very hot, and immedi-
ately to feel a wind from the Pyrenean mountains so very keen,
so severely cold, as to be intolerable, and to endanger benumb-
ing and perishing of our fingers and toes.
Poor Friday was really frightened when he saw the moun-
tains all covered with snow, and felt cold weather, which he
had never seen or felt before in his life. To mend the matter,
when we came to Pampelona, it continued snowing with so
much violence, and so long, that the people said winter was
come before its time; and the roads, which were difficult
before, were now quite impassable; for, in a word, the snow
lay in some places too thick for us to travel, and being not hard
frozen, as is the case in the northern countries, there was no
going without being in danger of being buried alive every
step. We stayed no less than twenty days at Pampelona;
when seeing the winter coming on, and no likelihood of its
being better, for it was the severest winter all over Europe that
had been known in the memory of man, I proposed that we
should all go away to Fonterabia, and there take shipping for
Bourdeaux, which was a very little voyage. But while I was
considering this, there came in four French gentlemen, who
having been stopped on the French side of the passes, as we
were on the Spanish, had found out a guide, who, traversing
the country near the head of Languedoc, had brought them over
the mountains by such ways, that they were not much incom-
moded with the snow; for where they met with snow in any
230
ADVENTURES OF
quantity, they said it was frozen hard enough to bear them
and their horses. We sent for this guide, who told us he
would undertake to carry us the same way with no hazard from
the snow, provided we were armed sufficiently to protect our-
selves from wild beasts; for, he said, upon these great snows
it was frequent for some wolves to show themselves at the
foot of the mountains, being made ravenous for want of food,
the ground being covered with snow. We told him we were
well enough prepared for such creatures as they were, if he
would insure us from a kind of two-legged wolves, which, we
were told, we were in most danger from, especially on the
French side of the mountains. He satisfied us that there was
no danger of that kind in the way that we were to go: so we
readily agreed to follow him, as did also twelve other gentle-
men, with their servants, some French, some Spanish, who, as
I said, had attempted to go, and were obliged to come back
again.
Accordingly, we set out from Pampelona, with our guide, on
the 15th of November; and, indeed, I was surprised, when,
instead of going forward, he came directly back with us on the
same road that we came from Madrid, about twenty miles ;
when having passed two rivers, and come into the plain coun-
try, we found ourselves in a warm climate again, where the
country was pleasant, and no snow to be seen; but on a sudden
turning to his left, he approached the mountains another way:
and though it is true the hills and precipices looked dreadful,
yet he made so many tours, such meanders, and led us by such
winding ways, that we insensibly passed the height of the
mountains without being much incumbered with the snow;
and, all on a sudden, he showed us the pleasant fruitful pro-
vinces of Languedoc and Gascony, all green and flourishing,
though, indeed, at a great distance, and we had some rough
way to pass still.
We were a little uneasy, however, when we found it snowed
one whole day and a night so fast, that we could not travel;
but he bid us be easy; we should soon be past it all: we found,
indeed, that we began to descend every day, and to come more
north than before; and so depending upon our guide, we went
(n.'
It was about two hours before night, when our guide being
something before us, and not just in sight, out rushed three
monstrous wolves, and after them a bear, out of a hollow way
adjoining to a thick wood; two of the wolves made at the
guide, and had he been far before us, he would have been
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
231
devoured before we could have helped him; one of them fas-
tened upon his horse, and the other attacked the man with that
violence, that he had not time, or presence of mind enough to
draw his pistol, but hollowed and cried out to us most lustily.
My man Friday being next me, I bade him ride up, and see
what was the matter. As soon as Friday came in sight of the
man, he hollowed out as loud as the other, "O master! O
master!" but, like a bold fellow, rode directly up to the poor
man, and with his pistol shot the wolf that attacked him in
the head.
It was happy for the poor man that it was my man Friday;
for he having been used to such creatures in his country, he
had no fear upon him, but went close up to him and shot him,
as above; whereas, any other of us would have fired at a
farther distance, and have perhaps either missed the wolf, or
endangered shooting the man.
;
But it was enough to have terrified a bolder man than I
and, indeed, it alarmed all our company, when, with the noise
of Friday's pistol, we heard on both sides the most dismal
howling of wolves; and the noise, redoubled by the echo of
the mountains, appeared to us as if there had been a prodigious
number of them; and perhaps there was not such a few as
that we had no cause of apprehensions: however, as Friday
had killed this wolf, the other that had fastened upon the
horse left him immediately, and fled, without doing him any
damage, having happily fastened upon his head, where the
bosses of the bridle had stuck in his teeth. But the man was
most hurt; for the raging creature had bit him twice, once in
the arm, and the other time a little above his knee; and
though he had made some defence, he was just as it were
tumbling down by the disorder of his horse, when Friday came
up and shot the wolf.
It is easy to suppose that at the noise of Friday's pistol we
all mended our pace, and rode up as fast as the way, which
was very difficult, would give us leave, to see what was the
matter. As soon as we came clear of the trees, which blind-
ed us before, we saw clearly what had been the case, and how
Friday had disengaged the poor guide, though we did not pre-
sently discern what kind of creature it was he had killed.
But never was a fight managed so hardily, and in such a
surprising manner, as that which followed, between Friday
and the bear, which gave us all, though at first we were sur-
prised and afraid for him, the greatest diversion imaginable.
As the bear is a heavy clumsy creature, and does not gallop
232
ADVENTURES OF
as the wolf does, who is swift and light, so he has two parti-
cular qualities, which generally are the rule of his actions :
first, as to men, who are not his proper prey, (he does not
usually attempt them, except they first attack him, unless he
be excessive hungry, which it is probable might now be the
case, the ground being covered with snow,) if you do not med-
dle with him, he will not meddle with you; but then you
must take care to be very civil to him, and give him the road,
for he is a very nice gentleman; he will not go a step out of
his way for a prince; nay, if you are really afraid, your best
way is to look another way, and keep going on; for sometimes
if you stop, and stand still, and look steadfastly at him, he
takes it for an affront; but if you throw or toss any thing at
him, and it hits him, though it were but a bit of stick as big
as your finger, he thinks himself abused, and sets all other
business aside to pursue his revenge, and will have satis-
faction in point of honour ;-this is his first quality: the next
is, if he be once affronted, he will never leave you, night nor
day, till he has his revenge, but follows at a good round rate,
till he overtakes you.
My man Friday had delivered our guide, and when we came
up to him, he was helping him off from his horse, for the
man was both hurt and frightened, when, on a sudden, we
espied the bear come out of the wood, and a vast monstrous
one it was, the biggest by far that ever I saw. We were all
a little surprised when we saw him; but when Friday saw
him, it was easy to see joy and courage in the fellow's coun-
tenance: “O, O, O!" says Friday, three times, pointing to
him ;
"O master! you give me te leave, me shakee te hand
with him; me makee you good laugh."
"You
I was surprised to see the fellow so well pleased :
fool," says I, " he will eat you up.”- "Eatee me up! eatee
me up!" says Friday, twice over again;
me eatee him up;
me makee you good laugh; you all stay here, me show you
good laugh.' So down he sits, and gets off his boots in a
moment, and puts on a pair of pumps, (as we call the flat shoes
they wear, and which he had in his pocket,) gives my other
servant his horse, and with his gun away he flew, swift like
the wind.
The bear was walking softly on, and offered to meddle
with nobody, till Friday coming pretty near, calls to him, as if
the bear could understand him," Hark ye, hark ye," says
Friday," me speakee with you.' We followed at a distance;
for now being come down on the Gascony side of the moun-
99
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
233
tains, we were entered a vast great forest, where the country
was plain and pretty open, though it had many trees in it scat-
tered here and there. Friday, who had, as we say, the heels
of the bear, came up with him quickly, and takes up a great
stone and throws it at him, and hit him just on the head, but
did him no more harm than if he had thrown it against a wall;
but it answered Friday's end, for the rogue was so void of fear
that he did it purely to make the bear follow him, and show
us some laugh, as he called it. As soon as the bear felt the
blow, and saw him, he turns about, and comes after him,
taking devilish long strides, and shuffling on at a strange rate,
so as would have put a horse to a middling gallop: away runs
Friday, and takes his course as if he run towards us for help;
so we all resolved to fire at once upon the bear, and deliver
my man; though I was angry at him heartily for bringing the
bear back upon us, when he was going about his own business
another way and especially I was angry that he had turned
the bear upon us, and then run away; and I called out, “ You
dog, is this your making us laugh? Come away, and take your
horse, that we may shoot the creature." He heard me, and
cried out, "No shoot, no shoot; stand still, and you get much
laugh:" and as the nimble creature ran two feet for the bear's
one, he turned on a sudden, on one side of us, and seeing a
great oak tree fit for his purpose, he beckoned to us to follow;
and doubling his pace, he gets nimbly up the tree, laying his
gun down upon the ground, at about five or six yards from the
bottom of the tree. The bear soon came to the tree, and we
followed at a distance: the first thing he did, he stopped at the
gun, smelt to it, but let it lie, and up he scrambles into the
tree, climbing like a cat, though so monstrous heavy. I was
amazed at the folly, as I thought it, of my man, and could not
for my life see any thing to laugh at yet, till seeing the bear
get up the tree, we all rode nearer to him.
When we came to the tree, there was Friday got out to the
small end of a large branch, and the bear got about half-way to
him. As soon as the bear got out to that part where the limb
of the tree was weaker," Ha!" says he to us,
<< now you
see me teachee the bear dance :" so he falls a jumping and
shaking the bough, at which the bear began to totter, but stood
still, and began to look behind him, to see how he should get
back; then, indeed, we did laugh heartily. But Friday had
not done with him by a great deal; when seeing him stand
still, he calls out to him again, as if he had supposed the bear
could speak English, "What, you come no farther? pray you
VOL. I.
2 H
934
ADVENTURES OF
come farther :" so he left jumping and shaking the tree; and
the bear, just as if he understood what he said, did come a little
farther; then he fell a jumping again, and the bear stopped
again. We thought now was a good time to knock him in
the head, and called to Friday to stand still, and we would shoot
the bear but he cried out earnestly, "O pray! O pray! no
shoot, me shoot by and then ;" he would have said by and by.
However, to shorten the story, Friday danced so much, and
the bear stood so ticklish, that we had laughing enough, but
still could not imagine what the fellow would do: for first we
thought he depended upon shaking the bear off; and we found
the bear was too cunning for that too; for he would not go
out far enough to be thrown down, but clings fast with his
great broad claws and feet, so that we could not imagine what
would be the end of it, and what the jest would be at last.
But Friday put us out of doubt quickly: for seeing the bear
eling fast to the bough, and that he would not be persuaded
to come any farther, "Well, well," says Friday, "you no come
farther, me go; you no come to me, me come to you :" and
upon this, he goes out to the smaller end of the bough, where
it would bend with his weight, and gently lets himself down
by it, sliding down the bough, till he came near enough to
jump down on his feet, and away he runs to his gun, takes it
up, and stands still.
Well," said I to him, " Friday, what
will you do now? Why don't you shoot him?"-" No shoot,"
says Friday, no yet; me shoot now, me no kill; me stay,
give you one more laugh:" and, indeed, so he did, as you will
see presently; for when the bear saw his enemy gone, he
comes back from the bough where he stood, but did it mighty
cautiously, looking behind him every step, and coming back-
ward till he got into the body of the tree; then with the
same hinder-end foremost, he came down the tree, grasping
it with his claws, and moving one foot at a time, very leisurely.
At this juncture, and just before he could set his hind-foot on
the ground, Friday stepped up close to him, clapped the
muzzle of his piece into his ear, and shot him dead. Then the
rogue turned about, to see if we did not laugh; and when he
saw we were pleased, by our looks, he falls a laughing himself
very loud.
So we kill bear in my country," says Friday.
"So you kill them?" says I: why, you have no guns.'
"No," says he, no gun, but shoot great much long arrow."
This was a good diversion to us; but we were still in a wild
place, and our guide very much hurt, and what to do we
hardly knew the howling of wolves run much in my head;
""
<<
(6
""
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
235
and, indeed, except the noise I once heard on the shore of
Africa, of which I have said something already, I never heard
any thing that filled me with so much horror.
These things, and the approach of night, called us off, or
else, as Friday would have had us, we should certainly have
taken the skin of this monstrous creature off, which was
worth saving; but we had near three leagues to go, and our
guide hastened us; so we left him, and went forward on our
Journey.
The ground was still covered with snow, though not so deep
and dangerous as on the mountains; and the ravenous crea-
tures, as we heard afterwards, were come down into the forest
and plain country, pressed by hunger, to seek for food, and
had done a great deal of mischief in the villages, where they
surprised the country people, killed a great many of their
sheep and horses, and some people too. We had one danger-
ous place to pass, which our guide told us, if there were more
wolves in the country we should find them there; and this
was a small plain, surrounded with woods on every side, and
a long narrow defile, or lane, which we were to pass to get
through the wood, and then we should come to the village
where we were to lodge. It was within half an hour of sun-
set when we entered the first wood, and a little after sun-set
when we came into the plain: we met with nothing in the
first wood, except that, in a little plain within the wood,
which was not above two furlongs over, we saw five great
wolves cross the road, full speed, one after another, as if they
had been in chace of some prey, and had it in view; they
took no notice of us, and were gone out of sight in a few
moments. Upon this our guide, who, by the way, was but a
faint-hearted fellow, bid us keep in a ready posture, for he
believed there were more wolves a coming. We kept our
arms ready, and our eyes about us; but we saw no more
wolves till we came through that wood, which was near half
a league, and entered the plain. As soon as we came into
the plain, we had occasion enough to look about us: the first
object we met with was a dead horse, that is to say, a poor
horse which the wolves had killed, and at least a dozen of
them at work, we could not say eating of him, but picking of
his bones rather; for they had eaten up all the flesh before.
We did not think fit to disturb them at their feast; neither
did they take much notice of us. Friday would have let fly at
them, but I would not suffer him by any means; for I found
we were like to have more business upon our hands than we
236
ADVENTURES JF
were aware of. We were not gone half over the plain, when
we began to hear the wolves howl in the wood on our left in
a frightful manner, and presently after we saw about a hun-
dred coming on directly towards us, all in a body, and most
of them in a line, as regularly as an army drawn up by expe-
rienced officers. I scarce knew in what manner to receive
them, but found, to draw ourselves in a close line was the
only way; so we formed in a moment: but that we might
not have too much interval, I ordered that only every other
man should fire, and that the others who had not fired should
stand ready to give them a second volley immediately, if they
continued to advance upon us; and then that those who had
fired at first should not pretend to load their fusees again,
but stand ready every one with a pistol, for we were all
armed with a fusee and a pair of pistols each man; so we
were, by this method, able to fire six vollies, half of us at a
time: however, at present we had no necessity; for upon
firing the first volley, the enemy made a full stop, being terri-
fied as well with the noise as with the fire; four of them
being shot in the head, dropped; several others were wounded,
and went bleeding off, as we could see by the snow. I
found they stopped, but did not immediately retreat; where-
upon, remembering that I had been told that the fiercest crea-
tures were terrified at the voice of a man, I caused all the
company to hollow as loud as we could; and I found the no-
tion not altogether mistaken; for upon our shout, they began
to retire, and turn about. I then ordered a second volley to
be fired in their rear, which put them to the gallop, and away
they went to the woods. This gave us leisure to charge our
pieces again; and that we might lose no time, we kept going :
but we had but little more than loaded our fusees, and put
ourselves in readiness, when we heard a terrible noise in the
same wood, on our left, only that it was farther onward, the
same way we were to go.
The night was coming on, and the light began to be dusky,
which made it worse on our side; but the noise increasing,
we could easily perceive that it was the howling and yelling of
those hellish creatures; and on a sudden, we perceived two
or three troops of wolves, one on our left, one behind us, and
one in our front, so that we seemed to be surrounded with
them: however, as they did not fall upon us, we kept our
way forward, as fast as we could make our horses go, which,
the way being very rough, was only a good hard trot. In this
manner we came in view of the entrance of a wood, through
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
237
which we were to pass, at the farther side of the plain; but
we were greatly surprised, when coming nearer the lane or
pass, we saw a confused number of wolves standing just at
the entrance. On a sudden, at another opening of the wood,
we heard the noise of a gun, and looking that way, out rushed
a horse, with a saddle and a bridle on him, flying like the
wind, and sixteen or seventeen wolves after him, full speed;
indeed, the horse had the heels of them, but as we supposed
that he could not hold it at that rate, we doubted not but they
would get up with him at last; no question but they did.
But here we had a most horrible sight; for riding up to
the entrance where the horse came out, we found the carcases
of another horse and of two men, devoured by the ravenous
creatures; and one of the men was no doubt the same whom
we heard fire the gun, for there lay a gun just by him fired
off; but as to the man, his head and the upper part of his
body was eaten up. This filled us with horror, and we knew
not what course to take; but the creatures resolved us soon,
for they gathered about us presently, in hopes of prey; and I
verily believe there were three hundred of them. It happened
very much to our advantage, that at the entrance into the
wood, but a little way from it, there lay some large timber-
trees, which had been cut down the summer before, and I
suppose lay there for carriage. I drew my little troop in
among those trees, and placing ourselves in a line behind one
long tree, I advised them all to alight, and keeping that tree
before us for a breast-work, to stand in a triangle, or" three
fronts, inclosing our horses in the centre. We did so, and it
was well we did; for never was a more furious charge than
the creatures made upon us in this place. They came on
with a growling kind of noise, and mounted the piece of tim-
ber, which, as I said, was our breast-work, as if they were
only rushing upon their prey; and this fury of theirs, it seems,
was principally occasioned by their seeing our horses behind
I ordered our men to fire as before, every other man;
and they took their aim so sure, that they killed several of
the wolves at the first volley; but there was a necessity to
keep a continual firing, for they came on like devils, those
behind pushing on those before.
us.
When we had fired a second volley of our fusees, we thought
they stopped a little, and I hoped they would have gone off;
but it was but a moment, for others came forward again; so
we fired two vollies of our pistols; and I believe in these four
firings we had killed seventeen or eighteen of them, and lamed
238
ADVENTURES OF
•
twice as many, yet they came on again. I was loath to spend
our last shot too hastily; so I called my servant, not my man
Friday, for he was better employed, for, with the greatest
dexterity imaginable, he had charged my fusee and his ow
while we were engaged; but, as I said, I called my other man,
and giving him a horn of powder, I bade him lay a train all
along the piece of timber, and let it be a large train. He did
so; and had but just time to get away, when the wolves came
up to it, and some were got upon it, when I, snapping an
uncharged pistol close to the powder, set it on fire those that
were upon the timber were scortched with it; and six or seven
of them fell, or rather jumped in among us, with the force
and fright of the fire; we dispatched these in an instant, and
the rest were so frightened with the light, which the night,
for it was now very near dark, made more terrible, that they
drew back a little; upon which I ordered our last pistols to be
fired off in one volley, and after that we gave a shout upon
this the wolves turned tail, and we sallied immediately upon
near twenty lame ones, that we found struggling on the ground,
and fell a cutting them with our swords, which answered our
expectation; for the crying and howling they made was better
understood by their fellows; so that they all fled and left us.
We had, first and last, killed about threescore of them;
and had it been day-light, we had killed many more.
The
field of battle being thus cleared, we made forward again, for
we had still near a league to go. We heard the ravenous
creatures howl and yell in the woods as we went, several times,
and sometimes we fancied we saw some of them, but the snow
dazzling our eyes, we were not certain in about an hour
more we came to the town where we were to lodge, which we
found in a terrible fright, and all in arms; for, it seems, the
night before, the wolves and some bears had broke into the
village, and put them in such terror, that they were obliged
to keep guard night and day, but especially in the night, to pre-
serve their cattle, and, indeed, their people.
:
The next morning our guide was so ill, and his leg swelled
so much with the rankling of his two wounds, that he could
go no farther; so we were obliged to take a new guide here,
and go to Thoulouse, where we found a warm climate, a fruit-
ful pleasant country, and no snow, no wolves, or any thing
like them but when we told our story at Thoulouse, they
told us it was nothing but what was ordinary in the great fo-
est at the foot of the mountains, especially when the snow lay
on the ground; but they inquired much what kind of a guide
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
239
we had got, who would venture to bring us that way in such
a severe season; and told us it was surprising we were not all
devoured. When we told them how we placed ourselves,
and the horses in the middle, they blamed us exceedingly, and
told us it was fifty to one but we had been all destroyed; for
it was the sight of the horses which made the wolves so furi-
ous, seeing their prey; and that, at other times, they are really
afraid of a gun; but being excessive hungry, and raging on
that account, the eagerness to come at the horses had made
them senseless of danger; and that if we had not, by the con-
tinued fire, and at last by the stratagem of the train of powder,
mastered them, it had been great odds but that we had been
torn to pieces: whereas, had we been content to have sat still
on horseback, and fired as horsemen, they would not have
taken the horses so much for their own, when men were on
their backs, as otherwise; and withal they told us, that at last,
if we had stood altogether, and left our horses, they would
have been so eager to have devoured them, that we might have
come off safe, especially having our fire-arms in our hands,
and being so many in number. For my part, I was never so
sensible of danger in my life; for seeing above three hundred
devils come roaring and open-mouthed to devour us, and hav-
ing nothing to shelter us, or retreat to, 1 gave myself over for
lost; and, as it was, I believe I shall never care to cross those
mountains again; I think I would much rather go a thousand
leagues by sea, though I was sure to meet with a storm once
a-week.
I have nothing uncommon to take notice of in my passage
through France, nothing but what other travellers have given
an account of, with much more advantage than I can. I tra-
velled from Thoulouse to Paris, and without any considerable
stay came to Calais, and landed safe at Dover, the 14th of
January, after having a severe cold season to travel in.
I was now come to the centre of my travels, and had in a
little time all my new discovered estate safe about me; the
bills of exchange which I brought with me having been very
currently paid.
My principal guide and privy counsellor was my good an-
cient widow; who, in gratitude for the money I had sent her,
thought no pains too much, or care too great, to employ for
me; and I trusted her so entirely with every thing, that I was
perfectly easy as to the security of my effects: and, indeed, I
was very happy from the beginning, and now to the end, in
the unspotted integrity of this good gentlewoman.
240
ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I now resolved to dispose of my plantation in the Brasils, if
I could find means. For this purpose, I wrote to my old friend
at Lisbon; who having offered it to the two merchants, the
survivors of my trustees, who lived in the Brasils, they ac-
cepted the offer, and remitted thirty-three thousand pieces of
eight to a correspondent of theirs at Lisbon, to pay for it.
Having signed the instrument of sale, and sent it to my old
friend, he remitted me bills of exchange for thirty-two thou-
sand eight hundred pieces of eight for the estate, reserving the
payment of a hundred moidores a-year to himself during his
life, and fifty moidores afterwards to his son for life, which I
had promised them.
Though I had sold my estate in the Brasils, yet I could not
keep the country out of my head; nor could I resist the strong
inclination I had to see my island. My true friend, the widow,
earnestly dissuaded me from it, and so far prevailed with me,
that, for almost seven years, she prevented my running abroad;
during which time I took my two nephews, the children of
one of my brothers, into my care: the eldest having something
of his own, I bred up as a gentleman, and gave him a settle-
ment of some addition to his estate, after my decease. The
other I put out to a captain of a ship; and after five years,
finding him a sensible, bold, enterprising young fellow, I put
him into a good ship, and sent him to sea: and this young
fellow afterwards drew me in, as old as I was, to farther ad-
ventures myself.
In the mean time, I in part settled myself here; for, first
of all, I married, and that not either to my disadvantage or dis-
satisfaction, and had three children, two sons and one daughter;
but my wife dying, and my nephew coming home with good
success from a voyage to Spain, my inclination to go abroad,
and his importunity prevailed, and engaged me to go in his
ship as a private trader to the East Indies: this was in the
year 1694.
But these things, with some very surprising incidents in
some new adventures of my own, for ten years more, I shall
give a farther account of in another volume.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
THE LIFE
AND
SURPRISING ADVENTURES
OF
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
THAT homely proverb used on so many occasions in Eng-
land, viz. “That what is bred in the bone, will not go
out of the flesh," was never more verified than in the story
of my life. Any one would think, that after thirty-five years
affliction, and a variety of unhappy circumstances, which few
men, if any, ever went through before, and after near seven
years of peace and enjoyment in the fulness of all things,
grown old, and when, if ever, it might be allowed me to have
had experience of every state of middle life, and to know
which was most adapted to make a man completely happy; I
say, after all this, any one would have thought that the native
propensity to rambling, which I gave an account of in my first
setting out in the world to have been so predominant in my
thoughts, should be worn out, the volatile part be fully eva-
cuated, or at least condensed, and I might, at sixty-one years
of age, have been a little inclined to stay at home, and have
done venturing life and fortune any more.
Nay, farther, the common motive of foreign adventures was
taken away in me; for I had no fortune to make; I had nothing
to seek if I had gained ten thousand pounds, I had been no
richer; for I had already sufficient for me, and for those I had
to leave it to: and that I had was visibly increasing; for hav-
ing no great family, I could not spend the income of what I
VOL. 11.
B
C)
ADVENTURES OF
had, unless I would set up for an expensive way of living,
such as a great family, servants, equipage, gaiety, and the like,
which were things I had no notion of, or inclination to; so
that I had nothing indeed to do but to sit still, and fully enjoy
what I had got, and see it increase daily upon my hands. Yet
all these things had no effect upon me, or at least not enough
to resist the strong inclination I had to go abroad again, which
hung about me like a chronical distemper. In particular, the
desire of seeing my new plantation in the island, and the co-
lony I left there, run in my head continually. I dreamed of
it all night, and my imagination run upon it all day; it was
uppermost in all my thoughts; and my fancy worked so stea-
dily and strongly upon it, that I talked of it in my sleep; in
short, nothing could remove it out of my mind: it even broke
so violently into all my discourses, that it made my conversa-
tion tiresome, for I could talk of nothing else; all my discourse
run into it, even to impertinence; and I saw it in myself.
I have often heard persons of good judgement say, that all
the stir people make in the world about ghosts and apparitions,
is owing to the strength of imagination, and the powerful ope-
ration of fancy in their minds; that there is no such thing as
a spirit appearing, or a ghost walking, and the like: that peo-
ple's poring affectionately upon the past conversation of their
deceased friends, so realizes it to them, that they are capable
of fancying, upon some extraordinary circumstances, that they
see them, talk to them, and are answered by them, when, in
truth, there is nothing but shadow and vapour in the thing,
and they really know nothing of the matter.
For my part, I know not to this hour whether there are
any such things as real apparitions, spectres, or walking of
people after they are dead; or whether there is any thing in
the stories they tell us of that kind, more than the product of
vapours, sick minds, and wandering fancies: but this I know,
that my imagination worked up to such a height, and brought
me into such excess of vapours, or what else I may call it,
that I actually supposed myself often upon the spot, at my old
castle, behind the trees; saw my old Spaniard, Friday's father,
and the reprobate sailors I left upon the island: nay, I fancied
I taiked with them, and looked at them so steadily, though I
was broad awake, as at persons just before me; and this I did
till I often frightened myself with the images my fancy repre-
sented to me. One time, in my sleep, I had the villany of the
three pirate sailors so livelily related to me by the first Spaniard
and Friday's father, that it was surprising; they told me how
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
3
they barbarously attempted to murder all the Spaniards, and
that they set fire to the provisions they had laid up, on pur-
pose to distress and starve them; things that I had never heard
of, and that indeed were never all of them true in fact; but it
was so warm in my imagination, and so realized to me, that,
to the hour I saw them, I could not be persuaded but that it
was, or would be true: also how I resented it, when the Spa-
niard complained to me; and how I brought them to justice,
tried them before me, and ordered them all three to be hanged.
What there was really in this, shall be seen in its place: for
however I came to form such things in my dream, and what
secret converse of spirits injected it, yet there was, I say, much
of it true. I own, that this dream had nothing in it literally
and specifically true; but the general part was so true, the base,
villanous behaviour of these three hardened rogues was such,
and had been so much worse than all I can describe, that the
dream had too much similitude of the fact; and as I would
afterwards have punished them severely, so, if I had hanged
them all, I had been much in the right, and even should have
been justified both by the laws of God and man.
But to re-
turn to my story: In this kind of temper I lived some years;
I had no enjoyment of my life, no pleasant hours, no agree-
able diversion, but what had something or other of this in it;
so that my wife, who saw my mind wholly bent upon it, told
me very seriously one night, that she believed there was some
secret powerful impulse of Providence upon me, which had
determined me to go thither again; and that she found nothing
hindered my going, but my being engaged to a wife and child-
ren. She told me, that it was true she could not think of
parting with me; but as she was assured, that if she was dead
it would be the first thing I would do; so, as it seemed to her
that the thing was determined above, she would not be the
only obstruction; for, if I thought fit, and resolved to go-
Here she found me very intent upon her words, and that
I looked very earnestly at her, so that it a little disordered
her, and she stopped. I asked her, why she did not go on,
and say out what she was going to say? But I perceived that
her heart was too full, and some tears stood in her eyes. Speak
out, my dear, said I; are you willing I should go? No, says
she, very affectionately, I am far from willing; but if you are
resolved to go, says she, and rather than I would be the only
hindrance, I will go with you: for though I think it a most
preposterous thing for one of your years, and in your condi-
tion, yet, if it must be, said she, again weeping, I won't leave
ADVENTURES OF
you; for, if it oe of Heaven, you must do it; there is no re-
sisting it and if Heaven make it your duty to go, he will
also make it mine to go with you, or otherwise dispose of me,
that I may not obstruct it.
This affectionate behaviour of my wife's brought me a little
out of the vapours, and I began to consider what I was doing:
I corrected my wandering fancy, and began to argue with my-
self sedately, what business I had, after threescore years, and
after such a life of tedious sufferings and disasters, and closed
in so happy and easy a manner; I say, what business had I
to rush into new hazards, and put myself upon adventures fit
only for youth and poverty to run into?
With those thoughts I considered my new engagement;
that I had a wife, one child born, and my wife then great
with child of another; that I had all the world could give me,
and had no need to seek hazards for gain; that I was declin-
ing in years, and ought to think rather of leaving what I had
gained, than of seeking to increase it; that as to what my
wife had said of its being an impulse from Heaven, and that
it should be my duty to go, I had no notion of that: so, after
many of these cogitations, I struggled with the power of my
imagination, reasoned myself out of it, as I believe people may
always do in like cases, if they will: and, in a word, I con-
quered it; composed myself with such arguments as occurred
to my thoughts, and which my present condition furnished
me plentifully with; and particularly, as the most effectual
method, I resolved to divert myself with other things, and to
engage in some business that might effectually tie me up from
any more excursions of this kind; for I found that thing re-
turn upon me chiefly when I was idle, and had nothing to
do, nor any thing of moment immediately before me.
this purpose I bought a little farm in the county of Bedford,
and resolved to remove myself thither. I had a little conve-
nient house upon it; and the land about it, I found, was ca-
pable of great improvement; and it was many ways suited
to my inclination, which delighted in cultivating, managing,
planting, and improving of land; and particularly, being an
inland country, I was removed from conversing among sailors,
and things relating to the remote parts of the world.
To
In a word, I went down to my farm, settled my family,
bought me ploughs, harrows, a cart, waggon, horses, cows
and sheep, and, setting seriously to work, became, in one half-
year, a mere country gentleman: my thoughts were entirely
taken up in managing my servants, cultivating the ground,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
5
LA
inclosing, planting, &c.; and I lived, as I thought, the most
agreeable life that nature was capable of directing, or that a
man always bred to misfortunes was capable of retreating to.
I farmed upon my own land, I had no rent to pay, was li-
mited by no articles; I could pull up or cut down as I pleased:
what I planted was for myself, and what I improved was for
my family; and having thus left off the thoughts of wander-
ing, I had not the least discomfort in any part of life as to
this world. Now I thought indeed that I enjoyed the middle
state of life which my father so earnestly recommended to me,
and lived a kind of heavenly life, something like what is de-
scribed by the poet, upon the subject of a country life—
r
"C
Free from vices, free from care,
Age has no pain, and youth no snare.'
99
But, in the middle of all this felicity, one blow from unseen
Providence unhinged me at once; and not only made a breach
upon me inevitable and incurable, but drove me, by its con-
sequences, into a deep relapse of the wandering disposition,
which, as I may say, being born in my very blood, soon re-
covered its hold of me, and, like the returns of a violent dis-
temper, came on with an irresistible force upon me, so that
nothing could make any more impression upon me. This
blow was the loss of my wife. It is not my business here to
write an elegy upon my wife, give a character of her particu-
lar virtues, and make my court to the sex by the flattery of a
funeral sermon. She was, in a few words, the stay of all my
affairs, the centre of all my enterprizes, the engine that, by
her prudence, reduced me to that happy compass I was in,
from the most extravagant and ruinous project that fluttered
in my head, as above, and did more to guide my rambling
genius than a mother's tears, a father's instructions, a friend's
counsel, or all my own reasoning powers could do. I was
happy in listening to her tears, and in being moved by her en-
treaties; and to the last degree desolate and dislocated in the
world by the loss of her.
When she was gone, the world looked awkwardly round
me; I was as much a stranger in it, in my thoughts, as I
was in the Brasils, when I first went on shore there; and as
much alone, except as to the assistance of servants, as I was
in my island. I knew neither what to think nor what to do.
I saw the world busy round me, one part labouring for bread,
another part squandering in vile excesses or empty pleasures,
equally miserable, because the end they proposed still fled from
6
ADVENTURES OF
them; for the men of pleasure every day surfeited of their
vice, and heaped up work for sorrow and repentance; and the
men of labour spent their strength in daily strugglings for
bread to maintain the vital strength they laboured with: so
living in a daily circulation of sorrow, living but to work, and
working but to live, as if daily bread were the only end of
wearisome life, and a wearisome life the only occasion of daily
bread.
This put me in mind of the life I lived in my kingdom, the
island; where 1 suffered no more corn to grow, because I did
not want it; and bred no more goats, because I had no more
use for them; where the money lay in the drawer till it grew
mouldy, and had scarce the favour to be looked upon in twenty
years.
All these things, had I improved them as I ought to have
done, and as reason and religion had dictated to me, would
have taught me to search farther than human enjoyments for a
full felicity; and that there was something which certainly was
the reason and end of life, superior to all these things, and
which was either to be possessed, or at least hoped for, on this
side the grave.
But my sage counsellor was gone; I was like a ship with-
out a pilot, that could only run afore the wind: my thoughts
run all away again into the old affair; my head was quite turned
with the whimsies of foreign adventures; and all the pleasant,
innocent amusements of my farm, my garden, my cattle, and
my family, which before entirely possessed me, were nothing
to me, had no relish, and were like music to one that has no
ear, or food to one that has no taste: in a word, I resolved to
leave off house-keeping, let my farm, and return to London;
and in a few months after, I did so.
When I came to London, I was still as uneasy as I was be-
fore; I had no relish for the place, no employment in it, no-
thing to do but to saunter about like an idle person, of whom it
may be said he is perfectly useless in God's creation, and it is
not one farthing's matter to the rest of his kind whether he be
dead or alive. This also was the thing which, of all circum-
stances of life, was the most my aversion, who had been all my
days used to an active life; and I would often say to myself,
"A state of idleness is the very dregs of life:" and indeed I
thought I was much more suitably employed when I was twenty-
six days making me a deal board.
It was now the beginning of the year 1693, when my nephew,
whom, as I have observed before, I had brought up to the sea,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
and had made him commander of a ship, was come home from
a short voyage to Bilboa, being the first he had made. He came
to me, and told me that some merchants of his acquaintance
had been proposing to him to go a voyage for them to the
East Indies and to China, as private traders.—“ And now,
uncle," says he, "if you will go to sea with me, I will engage
to land you upon your old habitation in the island; for we are
to touch at the Brasils."
Nothing can be a greater demonstration of a future state, and
of the existence of an invisible world, than the concurrence of
second causes with the ideas of things which we form in our
minds, perfectly reserved, and not communicated to any in the
world.
My nephew knew nothing how far my distemper of wander ·
ing was returned upon me, and I knew nothing of what he
had in his thought to say, when that very morning, before he
came to me, I had, in a great deal of confusion of thought,
and revolving every part of my circumstances in my mind,
come to this resolution, viz. that I would go to Lisbon, and
consult with my old sea-captain; and so, if it was rational and
practicable, I would go and see the island again, and see what
was become of my people there. I had pleased myself with
the thoughts of peopling the place, and carrying inhabitants
from hence, getting a patent for the possession, and I knew
not what; when, in the middle of all this, in comes my nephew,
as I have said, with his project of carrying me thither in his
way to the East Indies.
I paused a while at his words, and, looking steadily at him,
"What devil," said I, "sent you on this unlucky errand?"
My nephew stared, as if he had been frightened, at first; but
perceiving that I was not much displeased with the proposal,
he recovered himself. "I hope it may not be an unlucky pro-
posal, Sir," says he; "I dare say you would be pleased to see
your new colony there, where you once reigned with more fe-
licity than most of your brother monarchs in the world."
In a word, the scheme hit so exactly with my temper, that
is to say, the prepossession I was under, and of which I have
said so much, that I told him, in few words, if he agreed with
the merchants I would go with him: but I told him I would
not promise to go any farther than my own island. “
Why,
Sir," says he, "you don't want to be left there again, I hope?'
Why," said I, can you not take me up again on your re-
turn?" He told me it would not be possible to do so; that the
merchants would never allow him to come that way with a
""
8
ADVENTURES OF
laden ship of such value, it being a month's sail out of his
way, and might be three or four." "Besides, Sir; if I should
miscarry," said he, " and not return at all, then you would
be just reduced to the condition you were in before."
This was very rational; but we both found out a remedy
for it; which was, to carry a framed sloop on board the ship,
which being taken in pieces, and shipped on board the ship,
might, by the help of some carpenters, whom we agreed to
carry with us, be set up again in the island, and finished, fit
to go to sea, in a few days.
I was not long resolving; for indeed the importunities of
my nephew joined so effectually with my inclination, that no-
thing could oppose me : on the other hand, my wife being
dead, I had nobody concerned themselves so much for me as
to persuade me to one way or the other, except my ancient
good friend the widow, who earnestly struggled with me to
consider my years, my easy circumstances, and the needless
hazards of a long voyage; and, above all, my young children.
But it was all to no purpose ;-I had an irresistible desire to
the voyage; and I told her I thought there was something so
uncommon in the impressions I had upon my mind for the
voyage, that it would be a kind of resisting Providence if I
should attempt to stay at home: after which she ceased her ex-
postulations, and joined with me, not only in making provision
for my voyage, but also in settling my family affairs for my
absence, and providing for the education of my children.
In order to this, I made my will, and settled the estate I
had in such a manner for my children, and placed in such
hands, that I was perfectly easy and satisfied they would have
justice done them, whatever might befall me; and for their
education, I left it wholly to the widow, with a sufficient
maintenance to herself for her care: all which she richly de-
served, for no mother could have taken more care in their
education, or understood it better; and as she lived till I came
home, I also lived to thank her for it.
My nephew was ready to sail about the beginning of Ja-
nuary 1694-5; and I, with my man Friday, went on board in
the Downs the 8th: having, besides that sloop which I men-
tioned above, a very considerable cargo of all kinds of neces-
sary things for my colony; which, if I did not find in good con-
dition, I resolved to leave so.
First, I carried with me some servants, whom I purposed to
place there as inhabitants, or at least to set on work there,
upon my account, while I stayed, and either to leave them
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
9
there, or carry them forward, as they would appear willing;
particularly, I carried two carpenters, a smith, and a very
handy, ingenious fellow, who was a cooper by trade, and was
also a general mechanic; for he was dexterous at making
wheels, and hand-mills to grind corn, was a good turner, and
a good pot-maker; he also made any thing that was proper to
make of earth, or of wood; in a word, we called him our Jack
of all trades. With these I carried a tailor, who had offered
himself to go a passenger to the East Indies with my nephew,
but afterwards consented to stay on our new plantation; and
proved a most necessary, handy fellow, as could be desired, in
many other businesses besides that of his trade: for, as I
observed formerly, "Necessity arms us for all employments."
My cargo, as near as I can recollect, for I have not kept
account of the particulars, consisted of a sufficient quantity of
linen, and some English thin stuffs, for cloathing the Spaniards
that I expected to find there; and enough of them, as, by my
calculation, might comfortably supply them for seven years:
if I remember right, the materials I carried for cloathing them,
with gloves, hats, shoes, stockings, and all such things as they
could want for wearing, amounted to above two hundred
pounds, including some beds, bedding, and household stuff,
particularly kitchen-utensils, with pots, kettles, pewter, brass,
&c. and near a hundred pounds more in iron-work, nails, tools
of every kind, staples, hooks, hinges, and every necessary thing
I could think of.
I carried also a hundred spare arms, muskets, and fusees;
besides some pistols, a considerable quantity of shot of all sizes,
three or four tons of lead, and two pieces of brass cannon; and
because I knew not what time and what extremities I was pro-
viding for, I carried a hundred barrels of powder, besides
swords, cutlasses, and the iron part of some pikes and halberts :
so that, in short, we had a large magazine of all sorts of stores;
and I made my nephew carry two small quarter-deck guns
more than he wanted for his ship, to leave behind, if there was
occasion; that, when we came there, we might build a fort, and
man it against all sorts of enemies: and, indeed, I at first
thought there would be need enough for all, and much more,
if we hoped to maintain our possession of the island; as shall
be seen in the course of that story.
I had not such bad luck in this voyage as I had been used to
meet with; and therefore shall have the less occasion to inter-
rupt the reader, who perhaps may be impatient to hear how
matters went with my colony: yet some odd accidents, cross
VOL. II.
C
10
ADVENTURES OF
winds, and bad weather, happened on this first setting out,
which made the voyage longer than I expected it at first: and
I, who had never made but one voyage, viz. my first voyage
to Guinea, in which I might be said to come back again, as
the voyage was at first designed, began to think the same ill
fate attended me; and that I was born to be never contented
with being on shore, and yet to be always unfortunate at sea.
Contrary winds first put us to the northward, and we were
obliged to put in at Galway in Ireland, where we lay wind-
bound two and twenty days; but we had this satisfaction with
the disaster, that provisions were here exceeding cheap, and in
the utmost plenty; so that while we lay here, we never touch-
ed the ship's stores, but rather added to them. Here, also, I
took in several live hogs, and two cows, with their calves;
which I resolved, if I had a good passage, to put on shore in
my island; but we found occasion to dispose otherwise of
them.
We set out on the 5th of February from Ireland, and had a
very fair gale of wind for some days. As I remember, it might
be about the 20th of February, in the evening late, when the
mate, having the watch, came into the round-house, and told
us he saw a flash of fire, and heard a gun fired; and while he
was telling us of it, a boy came in, and told us the boatswain
heard another. This made us all run out upon the quarter-
deck, where, for a while, we heard nothing; but in a few
minutes we saw a very great light, and found that there was
some very terrible fire at a distance: immediately we had re-
course to our reckonings, in which we all agreed, that there
could be no land that way in which the fire showed itself, no,
not for 500 leagues, for it appeared at W. N. W. Upon this
we concluded it must be some ship on fire at sea; and as, by
our hearing the noise of guns just before, we concluded that
it could not be far off, we stood directly towards it, and were
presently satisfied we should discover it; because the further
we sailed, the greater the light appeared; though the weather
being hazy, we could not perceive any thing but the light for
a while. In about half an hour's sailing, the wind being fair
for us, though not much of it, and the weather clearing up a
little, we could plainly discern that it was a great ship on fire,
in the middle of the sea.
I was most sensibly touched with this disaster, though not
at all acquainted with the persons engaged in it: I presently
recollected my former circumstances, and in what condition I
was in, when taken up by the Portuguese captain; and how
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
11
much more deplorable the circumstances of the poor creatures
belonging to that ship must be, if they had no other ship in
company with them. Upon this, I immediately ordered that
five guns should be fired, one soon after another; that, if
possible, we might give notice to them that there was help
for them at hand, and that they might endeavour to save
themselves in their boat; for though we could see the flames
of the ship, yet they, it being night, could see nothing of us.
We lay by some time upon this, only driving as the burning
ship drove, waiting for day-light; when, on a sudden, to our
great terror, though we had reason to expect it, the ship blew
up in the air; and immediately, that is to say, in a few
minutes, all the fire was out, that is to say, the rest of the ship
sunk. This was a terrible, and indeed an afflicting sight, for
the sake of the poor men; who, I concluded, must be either
all destroyed in the ship, or be in the utmost distress in their
boat, in the middle of the ocean; which, at present, by rea-
son it was dark, I could not see. However, to direct them as
well as I could, I caused lights to be hung out in all the parts
of the ship where we could, and which we had lanthorns for,
and kept firing guns all the night long; letting them know, by
this, that there was a ship not far off.
About eight o'clock in the morning, we discovered the
ship's boats by the help of our perspective glasses; found there
were two of them, both thronged with people, and deep in
the water. We perceived they rowed, the wind being against
them; that they saw our ship, and did their utmost to make
us see them.
We inmediately spread our ancient, to let them know we
saw them, and hung a waft out, as a signal for them to come
on board; and then made more sail, standing directly to them.
In little more than half an hour, we came up with them;
and, in a word, took them all in, being no less than sixty-four
men, women, and children; for there were a great many
passengers.
Upon the whole, we found it was a French merchant-ship
of 300 tons, homeward-bound from Quebec, in the river of
Canada. The master gave us a long account of the distress of
his ship; how the fire began in the steerage, by the negligence
of the steersman; but on his crying out for help, was, as every
body thought, entirely put out; but they soon found that
some sparks of the first fire had gotten into some part of
the ship so difficult to come at, that they could not effectually
quench it; and afterwards getting in between the timbers,
12
ADVENTURES OF
and within the ceiling of the ship, it proceeded into the hold,
and mastered all the skill and all the application they were able
to exert.
They had no more to do then, but to get into their boats,
which, to their great comfort, were pretty large; being their
long-boat, and a great shallop, besides a small skiff, which was
of no great service to them, other than to get some fresh water
and provisions into her, after they had secured their lives
from the fire. They had, indeed, small hope of their lives by
getting into these boats, at that distance from any land; only,
as they said well, that they were escaped from the fire, and a
possibility that some ship might happen to be at sea, and might
take them in. They had sails, oars, and a compass; and were
preparing to make the best of their way back to Newfoundland,
the wind blowing pretty fair, for it blew an easy gale at S. E
by E. They had as much provisions and water, as, with spar-
ing it so as to be next door to starving, might support them
about twelve days; in which, if they had no bad weather, and
no contrary winds, the captain said he hoped he might get to
the Banks of Newfoundland, and might perhaps take some
fish, to sustain them till they might go on shore. But there
were so many chances against them in all these cases, such as
storms, to overset and founder them; rains and cold, to benumb
and perish their limbs; contrary winds, to keep them out and
starve them; that it must have been next to miraculous if they
had escaped.
In the midst of their consternation, every one being hopeless
and ready to despair, the captain, with tears in his eyes, told
me they were on a sudden surprised with the joy of hearing a
gun fire, and after that four more; these were the five guns
which I caused to be fired at first seeing the light. This re-
vived their hearts, and gave them the notice, which, as above,
I desired it should, viz. that there was a ship at hand for their
help. It was upon the hearing of these guns, that they took
down their masts and sails: the sound coming from the wind-
ward, they resolved to lie by till morning. Some time after
this, hearing no more guns, they fired three muskets, one a
considerable while after another; but these, the wind being
contrary, we never heard.
Some time after that again, they were still more agreeably
surprised with seeing our lights, and hearing the guns, which,
as I have said, I caused to be fired all the rest of the night:
this set them to work with their oars, to keep their boats a-
head, at least, that we might the sooner come up with them;
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
13
and, at last, to their inexpressible joy, they found we saw
them.
;
It is impossible for me to express the several gestures, the
strange ecstasies, the variety of postures, which these poor de-
livered people ran into, to express the joy of their souls at so
unexpected a deliverance. Grief and fear are easily described
sighs, tears, groans, and a very few motions of the head and
hands, make up the sum of its variety; but an excess of joy, a
surprise of joy, has a thousand extravagances in it: there were
some in tears, some raging and tearing themselves, as if they had
been in the greatest agonies of sorrow; some stark raving, and
downright lunatic; some ran about the ship stamping with
their feet, others wringing their hands: some were dancing,
some singing, some laughing, more crying; many quite
dumb, not able to speak a word; others sick and vomiting; se-
veral swooning, and ready to faint; and a few were crossing
themselves, and giving God thanks.
I would not wrong them neither; there might be many that
were thankful afterwards, but the passion was too strong for
them at first, and they were not able to master it: they were
thrown into ecstasies, and a kind of frenzy; and it was but a
very few that were composed and serious in their joy.
Perhaps, also, the case may have some addition to it from
the particular circumstance of that nation they belonged to; I
mean the French, whose temper is allowed to be more volatile,
more passionate, and more sprightly, and their spirits more
fluid, than in other nations. I am not philosopher enough to
determine the cause; but nothing I had ever seen before came
up to it. The ecstasies poor Friday, my trusty savage, was in,
when he found his father in the boat, came the nearest to it;
and the surprise of the master and his two companions, whom
I delivered from the villains that set them on shore in the island,
came a little way towards it; but nothing was to compare to
this, either that I saw in Friday, or any where else in my life.
It is further observable, that these extravagances did not
show themselves, in that different manner I have mentioned, in
different persons only; but all the variety would appear, in a
short succession of moments, in one and the same person. A
man that we saw this minute dumb, and as it were stupid and
confounded, would the next minute be dancing and hollowing
like an antic; and the next moment be tearing his hair, or
pulling his clothes to pieces, and stamping them under his
feet, like a madman; in a few moments after that, we would
have him all in tears, then sick, swooning, and, had not imme-
14
ADVENTURES OF
diate help been had, would in a few moments have been dead :
and thus it was, not with one or two, or ten or twenty, but
with the greatest part of them: and, if I remember right, our
surgeon was obliged to let blood of about thirty of them.
:
There were two priests among them, one an old man, and
the other a young man; and that which was strangest was,
the oldest man was the worst. As soon as he set his foot on
board our ship, and saw himself safe, he dropt down stone dead,
to all appearance; not the least sign of life could be perceived
in him our surgeon immediately applied proper remedies to
recover him, and was the only man in the ship that believed
he was not dead: At length he opened a vein in his arm, having
first chafed and rubbed the part, so as to warm it as much as
possible upon this the blood, which only dropped at first, flow-
ing freely, in three minutes after the man opened his eyes;
and a quarter of an hour after that he spoke, grew better, and
in a little time quite well. After the blood was stopped, he
walked about; told us he was perfectly well; took a dram of
cordial which the surgeon gave him, and was what we called
come to himself. About a quarter of an hour after this, they
came running into the cabin to the surgeon, who was bleed-
ing a French woman that had fainted, and told him the priest
was gone stark mad. It seems he had begun to revolve the
change of his circumstances in his mind, and again this put
him into an ecstacy of joy; his spirits whirled about faster than
the vessels could convey them, the blood grew hot and fever-
ish, and the man was as fit for Bedlam as any creature that
ever was in it: the surgeon would not bleed him again in that
condition, but gave him something to doze and put him to sleep,
which, after some time, operated upon him, and he awoke next
morning perfectly composed and well.
The younger priest behaved with great command of his pas-
sions, and was really an example of a serious, well-governed
mind: at his first coming on board the ship, he threw himself
flat on his face, prostrating himself in thankfulness for his de-
liverance, in which I unhappily and unseasonably disturbed
him, really thinking he had been in a swoon; but he spoke
calmly, thanked me, told me he was giving God thanks for his
deliverance; begged me to leave him a few moments, and that.
next to his Maker, he would give me thanks also.
I was heartily sorry that I disturbed him, and not only left
him, but kept others from interrupting him also. He continued
in that posture about three minutes, or little more, after I left
him; then came to me, as he had said he would, and, with a
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
15
great deal of seriousness and affection, but with tears in his
eyes, thanked me, that had, under God, given him, and so
I told him I had no
many miserable creatures, their lives.
room to move him to thank God for it, rather than me, for I
bad seen that he had done that already; but, I added, that it
was nothing but what reason and humanity dictated to all men,
and that we had as much reason as he to give thanks to God,
who had blessed us so far, as to make us the instruments of his
mercy to so many of his creatures.
After this, the young priest applied himself to his country-
folks; laboured to compose them; persuaded, entreated, ar-
gued, reasoned with them, and did his utmost to keep them
within the exercise of their reason; and with some he had
success, though others were for a time out of all government
of themselves.
I cannot help committing this to writing, as perhaps it may
be useful to those into whose hands it may fall, for the guiding
themselves in all the extravagances of their passions; for if an
excess of joy can carry men out to such a length beyond the
reach of their reason, what will not the extravagances of anger,
rage, and a provoked mind, carry us to? And, indeed, here I
saw reason for keeping an exceeding watch over our passions
of every kind, as well those of joy and satisfaction, as those of
sorrow and anger.
We were something disordered, by these extravagances
among our new guests, for the first day; but when they had
been retired, lodgings provided for them, as well as our ship
would allow, and they had slept heartily-as most of them did,
being fatigued and frightened-they were quite another sort of
people the next day.
Nothing of good manners, or civil acknowledgments for the
kindness shown them, was wanting; the French, it is known,
are naturally apt enough to exceed that way. The captain and
one of the priests came to me the next day, and desired to speak
with me and my nephew: the commander began to consult
with us what should be done with them; and, first, they told
us that as we had saved their lives, so all they had was little
enough for a return to us for that kindness received. The cap-
tain said they had saved some money, and some things of va-
lue, in their boats, catched hastily out of the flames, and if we
would accept it, they were ordered to make an offer of it all to
us; they only desired to be set on shore somewhere in our way,
where, if possible, they might get a passage to France. My
nephew was for accepting their money at first word, and to
16
ADVENTURES OF
consider what to do with them afterwards; but I overruled
him in that part, for I knew what it was to be set on shore
in a strange country: and if the Portuguese captain that took
me up at sea had served me so, and took all I had for my
deliverance, I must have starved, or have been as much a slave
at the Brasils as I had been at Barbary, the mere being sold to
a Mahometan excepted: and perhaps a Portuguese is not a
much better master than a Turk, if not, in some cases, much
worse.
I therefore told the French captain that we had taken them
up in their distress, it was true, but that it was our duty to do
so, as we were fellow creatures; and we would desire to be
so delivered, if we were in the like, or any other extremity;
that we had done nothing for them but what we believed they
would have done for us, if we had been in their case, and they
in ours; but that we took them up to save them, not to plun-
der them; and it would be a most barbarous thing to take
that little from them which they had saved out of the fire, and
then set them on shore and leave them; that this would be
first to save them from death, and then kill them ourselves;
save them from drowning, and abandon them to starving; and
therefore I would not let the least thing be taken from them.
As to setting them on shore, I told them, indeed, that was an
exceeding difficulty to us, for that the ship was bound to the
East Indies; and though we were driven out of our course to
the westward a very great way, and perhaps were directed by
Heaven on purpose for their deliverance, yet it was impos-
sible for us wilfully to change our voyage on their particular
account; nor could my nephew, the captain, answer it to the
freighters, with whom he was under charter-party to pursue his
voyage by the way of Brasil: and all I knew we could do for
them, was to put ourselves in the way of meeting with other
ships homeward-bound from the West Indies, and get them a
passage, if possible, to England or France.
The first part of the proposal was so generous and kind,
they could not but be very thankful for it; but they were in
a very great consternation, especially the passengers, at the
notion of being carried away to the East Indies: they then en-
treated me, that seeing I was driven so far to the westward
before I met with them, I would at least keep on the same
course to the Banks of Newfoundland, where it was probable
I might meet with some ship or sloop that they might hire to
carry them back to Canada, from whence they came.
I thought this was but a reasonable request on their part, and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
17
therefore I inclined to agree to it; for, indeed, I considered,
that to carry this whole company to the East Indies, would
not only be an intolerable severity upon the poor people, but
would be ruining our whole voyage, by devouring all our pro-
visions; so I thought it no breach of charter-party, but what
an unforeseen accident made absolutely necessary to us, and in
which no one could say we were to blame; for the laws of
God and nature would have forbid that we should refuse to
take up two boats full of people in such a distressed condition;
and the nature of the thing, as well respecting ourselves as
the poor people, obliged us to set them on shore somewhere or
other for their deliverance: so I consented that we would car-
ry them to Newfoundland, if wind and weather would permit;
and if not, that I would carry them to Martinico, in the West
Indies.
The wind continued fresh easterly, but the weather pretty
good; and as the winds had continued in the points between
N. E. and S. E. a long time, we missed several opportunities
of sending them to France; for we met several ships bound to
Europe, whereof two were French, from St. Christopher's; but
they had been so long beating up against the wind, that they
durst take in no passengers, for fear of wanting provisions for
the voyage, as well for themselves as for those they should take
in; so we were obliged to go on. It was about a week after
this that we made the Banks of Newfoundland; where, to
shorten my story, we put all our French people on board a
bark, which they hired at sea there, to put them on shore,
and afterwards to carry them to France, if they could get
provisions to victual themselves with. When I say, all the
French went on shore, I should remember that the young
priest I spoke of, hearing we were bound to the East Indies,
desired to go the voyage with us, and to be set on shore on the
coast of Coromandel; which I readily agreed to, for 1 wonder-
fully liked the man, and had very good reason, as will appear
afterwards; also four of the seamen entered themselves on our
ship, and proved very useful fellows.
From hence we directed our course for the West Indies, steer-
ing away S. and S. by E. for about twenty days together, some-
times little or no wind at all; when we met with another sub-
ject for our humanity to work upon, almost as deplorable as
that before.
It was in the latitude of 27 degrees 5 minutes north, and
the 19th day of March 1694-5, when we spied a sail, our course
S. E. and by S.: we soon perceived it was a large vessel, and
VOL. II.
D
18
ADVENTURES OF
}
that she bore up to us, but could not at first know what to
make of her, till after coming a little nearer, we found she had
lost her main top-mast, fore-mast and bowsprit; and presently
she fired a gun, as a signal of distress: the weather was pretty
good, wind at N. N. W. a fresh gale, and we soon came to
speak with her.
We found her a ship of Bristol, bound home from Barbadoes,
but had been blown out of the road at Barbadoes a few days
before she was ready to sail, by a terrible hurricane, while the
captain and chief mate were both gone on shore; so that, be-
sides the terror of the storm, they were in an indifferent case
for good artists to bring the ship home. They had been already
nine weeks at sea, and had met with another terrible storm,
after the hurricane was over, which had blown them quite out
of their knowledge to the westward, and in which they lost
their masts, as above. They told us they expected to have seen
the Bahama islands, but were then driven away again to the
south-east, by a strong gale of wind at N. N. W. the same
that blew now; and having no sails to work the ship with but
a main-course, and a kind of square-sail upon a jury fore-mast,
which they had set up, they could not lie near the wind, but
were endeavouring to stand away for the Canaries.
But that which was worst of all was, that they were almost
starved for want of provisions, besides the fatigues they had
undergone: their bread and flesh was quite gone; they had not
one ounce left in the ship, and had none for eleven days. The
only relief they had was, their water was not all spent, and they
had about half a barrel of flour left; they had sugar enough;
some succades, or sweet-meats, they had at first, but they were
devoured; and they had seven casks of rum.
There was a youth and his mother, and a maid servant, on
board, who were going passengers, and thinking the ship was
ready to sail, unhappily came on board the evening before the
hurricane began; and having no provisions of their own left,
they were in a more deplorable condition than the rest: for the
seamen being reduced to such an extreme necessity themselves,
had no compassion, we may be sure, for the poor passengers;
and they were, indeed, in a condition, that their misery is
very hard to describe.
I had perhaps not known this part, if my curiosity had not
led me (the weather being fair, and the wind abated) to go on
board the ship. The second mate, who, upon this occasion,
commanded the ship, had been on board our ship, and he told
me, indeed, they had three passengers in the great cabin, that
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
19
were in a deplorable condition: nay, says he, I believe they
are dead, for I have heard nothing of them for above two
days; and I was afraid to inquire after them, said he, for I
had nothing to relieve them with.
We immediately applied ourselves to give them what relief
we could spare; and, indeed, I had so far overruled things with
my nephew, that I would have victualled them, though we
had gone away to Virginia, or any other part of the coast of
America, to have supplied ourselves; but there was on neces-
sity for that.
But now they were in a new danger; for they were afraid
of eating too much, even of that little we gave them. The
mate or commander brought six men with him in his boat;
but these poor wretches looked like skeletons, and were so
weak, that they could hardly sit to their oars. The mate him-
self was very ill, and half starved; for he declared he had re-
'served nothing from the men, and went share and share alike
with them in every bit they eat.
I cautioned him to eat sparingly, but set meat before him
immediately; and he had not eaten three mouthfuls before he
began to be sick, and out of order; so he stopped a while, and
our surgeon mixed him up something with some broth, which
he said would be to him both food and physic; and after he
had taken it, he grew better. In the mean time, I forgot not
the men; I ordered victuals to be given them; and the poor
creatures rather devoured than eat it: they were so exceeding
hungry, that they were in a kind ravenous, and had no com-
mand of themselves; and two of them ate with so much greedi-
ness, that they were in danger of their lives the next morning.
The sight of these people's distress was very moving to me,
and brought to mind what I had a terrible prospect of at my
first coming on shore in my island, where I had never the
least mouthful of food, or any prospect of procuring any; be-
sides the hourly apprehensions I had of being made the food of
other creatures. But all the while the mate was thus relating
to me the miserable condition of the ship's company, I could
not put out of my thought the story he had told me of the
three poor creatures in the great cabin, viz. the mother, her
son, and the maid-servant, whom he had heard nothing of for
two or three days, and whom, he seemed to confess, they had
wholly neglected, their own extremities being so great: by
which I understood, that they had really given them no food
at all, and that therefore they must be perished, and be all
lying dead, perhaps, on the floor or deck of the cabin,
20
ADVENTURES OF
As I therefore kept the mate, whom we then called captain,
on board with his men, to refresh them, so I also forgot not
the starving crew that were left on board, but ordered my
own boat to go on board the ship, and, with my mate and
twelve men, to carry them a sack of bread, and four or five
pieces of beef to boil. Our surgeon charged the men to cause
the meat to be boiled while they stayed, and to keep guard in
the cook-room, to prevent the men taking it to eat raw, or
taking it out of the pot before it was well boiled, and then to
give every man but a very little at a time; and by this caution
he preserved the men, who would otherwise have killed them-
selves with that very food that was given them on purpose to
save their lives.
At the same time, I ordered the mate to go into the great
cabin, and see what condition the poor passengers were in; and
if they were alive, to comfort them, and give them what re-
freshment was proper: and the surgeon gave him a large
pitcher, with some of the prepared broth which he had given
the mate that was on board, and which he did not question
would restore them gradually.
I was not satisfied with this; but, as I said above, having a
great mind to see the scene of misery which I knew the ship
itself would present me with, in a more lively manner than I
could have it by report, I took the captain of the ship, as we
now called him, with me, and went myself, a little after, in
their boat.
I found the poor men on board almost in a tumult, to get
the victuals out of the boiler before it was ready; but my mate
observed his orders, and kept a good guard at the cook-room
door; and the man he placed there, after using all possible
persuasion to have patience, kept them off by force: however,
he caused some biscuit-cakes to be dipped in the pot, and sof-
tened with the liquor of the meat, which they call brewis, and
gave them every one some, to stay their stomachs, and told
them it was for their own safety that he was obliged to give
them but little at a time. But it was all in vain; and had I
not come on board, and their own commander and officers
with me, and with good words, and some threats also, of
giving them no more, I believe they would have broken into
the cook-room by force, and tore the meat out of the furnace
for words are indeed of very small force to a hungry belly:
however, we pacified them, and fed them gradually and cau-
tiously for the first, and the next time gave them more, and at
last filled their bellies, and the men did well enough
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
21
But the misery of the poor passengers in the cabin was of
another nature, and far beyond the rest; for as, first, the ship's
company had so little for themselves, it was but too true that
they had at first kept them very low, and at last totally ne-
glected them; so that for six or seven days it might be said
they had really no food at all, and for several days before very
little. The poor mother, who, as the men reported, was a
woman of sense and good breeding, had spared all she could so
affectionately for her son, that at last she entirely sunk under
it; and when the mate of our ship went in, she sat upon the
floor or deck, with her back up against the sides, between two
chairs, which were lashed fast, and her head sunk between her
shoulders, like a corpse, though not quite dead. My mate said
all he could to revive and encourage her, and with a spoon
put some broth into her mouth. She opened her lips, and
lifted up one hand, but could not speak; yet she understood
what he said, and made signs to him, intimating that it was
too late for her, but pointed to her child, as if she would have
said they should take care of him. However, the mate, who
was exceedingly moved with the sight, endeavoured to get
some of the broth into her mouth, and, as he said, got two or
three spoonfuls down; though I question whether he could be
sure of it or not: but it was too late, and she died the same
night.
The youth, who was preserved at the price of his most
affectionate mother's life, was not so far gone; yet he lay in a
cabin bed, as one stretched out, with hardly any life left in
him. He had a piece of an old glove in his mouth, having
eaten up the rest of it: however, being young, and having
more strength than his mother, the mate got something down
his throat, and he began sensibly to revive; though by giving
him, some time after, but two or three spoonfuls extraor-
dinary, he was very sick, and brought it up again.
But the next care was the poor maid: she lay all along upon
the deck, hard by her mistress, and just like one that had fallen
down with an apoplexy, and struggled for life. Her limbs
were distorted; one of her hands was clapsed round the frame
of a chair, and she griped it so hard, that we could not easily
make her let it go: her other arm lay over her head, and her
feet lay both together, set fast against the frame of the cabin
table: in short, she lay just like one in the agonies of death,
and yet she was alive too.
The poor creature was not only starved with hunger, and
terrified with the thoughts of death, but, as the men told us
22
ADVENTURES OF
afterwards, was broken-hearted for her mistress, whom she
saw dying for two or three days before, and whom she loved
most tenderly.
We knew not what to do with this poor girl; for when our
surgeon, who was a man of very great knowledge and expe·
rience, had, with great application, recovered her as to life, he
had her upon his hands as to her senses; for she was little less
than distracted for a considerable time after, as shall appear
presently.
Whoever shall read these memorandums must be desired to
consider, that visits at sea are not like a journey into the coun-
try, where sometimes people stay a week or a fortnight at a
place; our business was to relieve this distressed ship's crew,
but not lie by for them; and though they were willing to steer
the same course with us for some days, yet we could carry no
sail to keep pace with a ship that had no masts: however, as
their captain begged of us to help him to set up a main-topmast,
and a kind of a topmast to his jury foremast, we did, as it were,
lie by him for three or four days; and then having given him
five barrels of beef, a barrel of pork, two hogsheads of biscuit,
and a proportion of peas, flour, and what other things we could
spare; and taking three casks of sugar, some rum, and some
pieces of eight from them for satisfaction, we left them; taking
on board with us, at their own earnest request, the youth and
the maid, and all their goods.
The young lad was about seventeen years of age; a pretty,
well-bred, modest and sensible youth, greatly dejected with
the loss of his mother, and, as it seems, had lost his father but
a few months before, at Barbadoes: he begged of the surgeon
to speak to me to take him out of the ship; for he said the
cruel fellows had murdered his mother: and, indeed, so they
had, that is to say, passively; for they might have spared a
small sustenance to the poor helpless widow, that might have
preserved her life, though it had been but just enough to keep
her alive but hunger knows no friend, no relation, no justice,
no right; and therefore is remorseless, and capable of no com-
passion.
The surgeon told him how far we were going, and that it
would carry him away from all his friends, and put him per-
haps in as bad circumstances almost as those we found him in,
that is to say, starving in the world. He said it mattered not
whither he went, if he was but delivered from the terrible crew
that he was among; that the captain (by which he meant me, fo
he could know nothing of my nephew) had saved his life, and he
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
23
was sure would not hurt him; and as for the maid, he was
sure, if she came to herself, she would be very thankful for it,
let us carry them where we would. The surgeon represented
the case so affectionately to me, that I yielded, and we took
them both on board, with all their goods, except eleven hogs-
heads of sugar, which could not be removed or come at; and
as the youth had a bill of lading for them, I made his com-
mander sign a writing, obliging himself to go, as soon as he
came to Bristol, to one Mr. Rogers, a merchant there, to
whom the youth said he was related, and to deliver a letter
which I wrote to him, and all the goods he had belonging to
the deceased widow; which I suppose was not done, for I
could never learn that the ship came to Bristol, but was, as is
most probable, lost at sea; being in so disabled a condition, and
so far from any land, that I am of opinion the first storm she
met with afterwards she might founder in the sea; for she was
leaky, and had damage in her hold, when we met with her.
I was now in the latitude of 19 degrees 32 minutes, and had
hitherto a tolerable voyage, as to weather, though, at first, the
winds had been contrary. I shall trouble nobody with the
little incidents of wind, weather, currents, &c. on the rest of
our voyage; but, to shorten my story, for the sake of what is
to follow, shall observe, that I came to my old habitation, the
island, on the 10th of April, 1695. It was with no small
difficulty that I found the place; for as I came to it, and went
from it, before, on the south and east side of the island, as
coming from the Brasils, so now, coming in between the main
and the island, and having no chart for the coast, or any land-
mark, I did not know it when I saw it, or know whether I
saw it or not.
We beat about a great while, and went ashore on several
islands in the mouth of the great river Oronooque, but none
for my purpose; only this I learned by my coasting the shore,
that I was under one great mistake before, viz. that the conti-
nent which I thought I saw from the island I lived in, was
really no continent, but a long island, or rather a ridge of islands,
reaching from one to the other side of the extended mouth of
that great river; and that the savages who came to my island
were not properly those which we call Caribees, but islanders,
and other barbarians of the same kind, who inhabited some-
thing nearer to our side than the rest.
In short, I visited several of these islands to no purpose
some I found were inhabited, and some were not: on one of
them I found some Spaniards, and thought they had lived there;
24
ADVENTURES OF
but speaking with them, found they had a sloop lay in a small
creek hard by, and came thither to make salt, and to catch
some pearl muscles, if they could; but that they belonged to
the Isle de Trinidad, which lay farther north, in the latitude of
10 and 11 degrees.
Thus coasting from one island to another, sometimes with
the ship, sometimes with the Frenchmen's shallop, which we
had found a convenient boat, and therefore kept her with their
very good will, at length I came fair on the south side of my
island, and presently knew the very countenance of the place:
so I brought the ship safe to an anchor, broadside with the little
creek where my old habitation was.
As soon as I saw the place, I called for Friday, and asked him
if he knew were he was; he looked about a little, and presently
clapping his hands, cried, O yes, O there, O yes, O there,
pointing to our old habitation, and fell dancing and capering
like a mad fellow; and I had much ado to keep him from
jumping into the sea, to swim ashore to the place.
Well, Friday, says I, do you think we shall find any body
here or no? And do you think we shall see your father?
The fellow stood mute as a stock a good while, but when I
named his father, the poor affectionate creature looked deject-
ed, and I could see the tears run down his face very plenti-
fully. What is the matter, Friday? says I; are you troubled
because you may see your father? No, no, says he, shaking his
head, no see him more; no, never more see him again. Why
so, said I, Friday; how do you know that? O no, O no, says
Friday; he long ago die, long ago; he much old man. Well,
well, says I, Friday, you don't know; but shall we see any one
else then?. The fellow, it seems, had better eyes than I, and he
points to the hill just above my old house; and though we lay
half a league off, he cries out, We see, we see; yes, yes, we
see much man there, and there, and there. I looked, but I
saw nobody, no, not with a perspective glass, which was, I
suppose, because I could not hit the place; for the fellow was
right, as I found upon inquiry the next day; and there were
five or six men all together, who stood to look at the ship,
not knowing what to think of us.
As soon as Friday told me he saw people, I caused the English
ancient to be spread, and fired three guns, to give them notice
we were friends; and in about half a quarter of an hour after,
we perceived a smoke arise from the side of the creek; so I
immediately ordered a boat out, taking Friday with me; and
nanging out a white flag, or a flag of truce, I went directly on
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
25
shore, taking with me the young friar I mentioned, to whom
I had told the story of my living there, and the manner of it,
and every particular both of myself and those I left there, and
who was, on that account, extremely desirous to go with me.
We had besides about sixteen men well armed, if we had found
any new guests there which we did not know of; but we had
no need of weapons.
As we went on shore upon the tide of flood, near high water,
we rowed directly into the creek; and the first man I fixed
my eye upon was the Spaniard whose life I had saved, and
who I knew by his face perfectly well: as to his habit, I shall
describe it afterwards. I ordered nobody to go on shore at
first but myself; but there was no keeping Friday in the boat,
for the affectionate creature had spied his father at a distance,
a good way off the Spaniards, where indeed I saw nothing of
him; and if they had not let him go ashore, he would have
jumped into the sea. He was no sooner on shore, but he flew
away to his father, like an arrow out of a bow. It would have
made any man shed tears, in spite of the firmest resolution, to
have seen the first transports of this poor fellow's joy when
he came to his father: how he embraced him, kissed him,
stroked his face, took him up in his arms, set him down upon
a tree, and lay down by him; then stood and looked at him,
as any one would look at a strange picture, for a quarter of an
hour together; then lie down on the ground, and stroke his
legs, and kiss them, and then get up again, and stare at him;
one would have thought the fellow bewitched. But it would
have made a dog laugh the next day to see how his passion ran
out another way; in the morning he walked along the shore,
to and again, with his father several hours, always leading him
by the hand, as if he had been a lady; and every now and then
he would come to the boat to fetch something or other for him,
either a lump of sugar, a dram, a biscuit-cake, or something
or other that was good. In the afternoon his frolics ran another
way; for then he would set the old man down upon the ground
and dance about him, and make a thousand antic postures and
gestures; and all the while he did this, he would be talking to
him, and telling him one story or other of his travels, and of
what had happened to him abroad, to divert him. In short, if the
same filial affection was to be found in Christians to their pa-
rents in our part of the world, one would be tempted to say, there
would hardly have been any need of the fifth commandment.
But this is a digression: I return to my landing. It would
be needless to take notice of all the ceremonies and civilities
VOL. II.
E
ADVENTURES O7
that the Spaniards received me with. The first Spaniard, who,
as I said, I knew very well, was he whose life I had saved; he
came towards the boat, attended by one more, carrying a flag
of truce also; and he not only did not know me at first, but
he had no thoughts, no notion of its being me that was come,
till I spoke to him. Seignior, said I, in Portuguese, do you not
know me? At which he spoke not a word, but giving his mus-
ket to the man that was with him, threw his arms abroad,
saying something in Spanish that I did not perfectly hear,
came forward and embraced me; telling me he was inexcusa-
ble not to know that face again, that he had once seen as if an
angel from heaven sent to save his life: he said abundance
of very handsome things, as a well-bred Spaniard always knows
how, and then beckoning to the person that attended him, bade
him go and call out his comrades. He then asked me if I
would walk to my old habitation, were he would give me
possession of my own house again, and where I should see
they had made but mean improvements: so I walked along
with him; but, alas! I could no more find the place again
than if I had never been there; for they had planted so many
trees, and placed them in such a posture, so thick and close to
one another, and in ten years time they were grown so big,
that, in short, the place was inaccessible, except by such wind-
ings and blind ways as they themselves only, who made them,
could find.
I asked them what put them upon all these fortifications :
he told me I would say there was need enough of it, when
they had given me an account how they had passed their time
since their arriving in the island, especially after they had the
misfortune to find that I was gone. He told me he could not
but have some satisfaction in my good fortune, when he heard
that I was gone in a good ship, and to my satisfaction; and
that he had oftentimes a strong persuasion that, one time or
other, he should see me again: but nothing that ever befell
him in his life, he said, was so surprising and afflicting to him
at first, as the disappointment he was under when he came
back to the island and found I was not there.
As to the three barbarians (so he called them) that were
left behind, and of whom, he said, he had a long story to tell
me, the Spaniards all thought themselves much better among
the savages, only that their number was so small: and, says
he, had they been strong enough, we had been all long ago in
purgatory; and with that he crossed himself on the breast.
But, Sir, says he, I hope you will not be displeased when"
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
27
shall tell you, how, forced by necessity, we were obliged, for
our own preservation, to disarm them, and make them our
subjects, who would not be content with being moderately our
masters, but would be our murderers. I answered, I was
heartily afraid of it when I left them there, and nothing troubled
me at my parting from the island but that they were not come
back, that I might have put them in possession of every thing
first, and left the others in a state of subjection, as they de-
served; but if they had reduced them to it, I was very glad,
and should be very far from finding any fault with it: for I
knew they were a parcel of refractory, ungoverned villains, and
were fit for any manner of mischief.
While I was thus saying this, the man came whom he had
sent back, and with him eleven men more. In the dress they
were in, it was impossible to guess what nation they were of;
but he made all clear, both to them and to me. First he turned
to me, and pointing to them, said, these, Sir, are some of the
gentlemen who owe their lives to you; and then turning to
them, and pointing to me, he let them know who I was; upon
which they all came up, one by one, not as if they had been
sailors and ordinary fellows, and the like, but really as if they
had been ambassadors of noblemen, and I a monarch or great
conqueror: their behaviour was to the last degree obliging and
courteous, and yet mixed with a manly, majestic gravity, which
very well became them; and, in short, they had so much more
manners than I, that I scarce knew how to receive their civili-
ties, much less how to return them in kind.
The history of their coming to, and conduct in, the island,
after my going away, is so very remarkable, and has so many
incidents, which the former part of my relation will help to
understand, and which will, in most of the particulars, refer to
the account I have already given, that I cannot but com-
mit them, with great delight, to the reading of those that
come after me.
I shall no longer trouble the story with a relation in the first
person, which will put me to the expence of ten thousand saia
I's, and said he's, and he told me's, and I told him's, and the
like; but I shall collect the facts historically, as near as I can
gather them out of my memory, from what they related to me,
and from what I met with in my conversing with them and
with the place.
In order to do this succinctly, and as intelligibly as I can,
I must go back to the circumstance in which I left the island,
and in which the persons were of whom I am to speak. And
28
ADVENTURES OF
first, it is necessary to repeat, that I had sent away Friday's
father and the Spaniard (the two whose lives I had rescued
from the savages) in a large canoe, to the main, as I then
thought it, to fetch over the Spaniard's companions that be
left behind him, in order to save them from the like calamity
that he had been in, and in order to succour them for the pre-
sent; and that, if possible, we might together find some way
for our deliverance afterwards.
When I sent them away, I had no visible appearance of, or
the least room to hope for, my own deliverance, any more
than I had twenty years before, much less had I any fore-
knowledge of what afterwards happened, I mean, of an
English ship coming on shore there to fetch me off; and it
could not but be a very great surprise to them, when they
came back, not only to find that I was gone, but to find three
strangers left on the spot, possessed of all that I had left be-
hind me, which would otherwise have been their own.
The first thing, however, which I inquired into, that I
might begin where I left off, was of their own part; and I
desired he would give me a particular account of his voyage
back to his countrymen with the boat, when I sent him to
fetch them over. He told me there was little variety in that
part, for nothing remarkable happened to them on the way,
having had very calm weather, and a smooth sea. As for
his countrymen, it could not be doubted, he said, but that they
were overjoyed to see him, (it seems he was the principal man
among them, the captain of the vessel they had been ship-
wrecked in having been dead some time); they were, he
said, the more surprised to see him, because they knew that
he was fallen into the hands of the savages, who, they were
satisfied, would devour him, as they did all the rest of their
prisoners; that when he told them the story of his deliverance,
and in what manner he was furnished for carrying them away,
it was like a dream to them, and their astonishment, he said,
was somewhat like that of Joseph's brethren, when he told
them who he was, and told them the story of his exaltation in
Pharaoh's court; but when he showed them the arms, the
powder, the ball, and provisions, that he brought them for
their journey or voyage, they were restored to themselves,
took a just share of the joy of their deliverance, and immedi-
ately prepared to come away with him.
Their first business was to get canoes: and in this they
were obliged not to stick so much upon the honest part of it,
but to trespass upon their friendly savages, and to borrow two
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
29
large canoes, or periaguas, on pretence of going out a fishing,
or for pleasure. In these they came away the next morning.
It seems they wanted no time to get themselves ready; for
they had no baggage, neither clothes nor provisions, nor any
thing in the world but what they had on them, and a few.
roots to eat, of which they used to make their bread.
They were in all three weeks absent; and in that time, un-
luckily for them, I had the occasion offered for my escape, an
I mentioned in my other part, and to get off from the island,
leaving three of the most impudent, hardened, ungoverned,
disagreeable villains behind me, that any man could desire to
meet with; to the poor Spaniards' great grief and disappoint-
ment, you may be sure.
The only just thing the rogues did was, that when the
Spaniards came ashore, they gave my letter to them, and gave
them provisions and other relief, as I had ordered them to do;
also they gave them the long paper of directions which I had
left with them, containing the particular methods which I
took for managing every part of my life there; the way how
I baked my bread, bred up tame goats, and planted my corn;
how I cured my grapes, made my pots, and, in a word, every
thing I did; all this being written down, they gave to the
Spaniards (two of them understood English well enough):
nor did they refuse to accommodate the Spaniards with any
thing else, for they agreed very well for some time. They
gave them an equal admission into the house, or cave, and they
began to live very sociably; and the head Spaniard, who had
seen pretty much of my methods, and Friday's father together,
managed all their affairs: but as for the Englishmen, they did
nothing but ramble about the island, shoot parrots, and catch
tortoises; and when they came home at night, the Spaniards
provided their suppers for them.
The Spaniards would have been satisfied with this, had the
others but have let them alone; which, however, they could
not find in their hearts to do long, but, like the dog in the
manger, they would not eat themselves, neither would they let
the others eat. The differences, nevertheless, were at first
but trivial, and such as are not worth relating, but at last it
broke out into open war: and it begun with all the rudeness
and insolence that can be imagined, without reason, without
provocation, contrary to nature, and, indeed, to common sense.
and though, it is true, the first relation of it came from the
Spaniards themselves, whom I may call the accusers, yet when
I came to examine the fellows, they could not deny a word of it
30
ADVENTURES OF
But before I come to the particulars of this part, I must
supply a defect in my former relation; and this was, I forgot
to set down, among the rest, that just as we were weighing the
anchor to set sail, there happened a little quarrel on board of
our ship, which I was once afraid would have turned to a se-
cond mutiny; nor was it appeased till the captain, rousing up
his courage, and taking us all to his assistance, parted them by
force, and making two of the most refractory fellows prisoners,
he laid them in irons; and as they had been active in the for-
mer disorders, and let fall some ugly, dangerous words, the
second time, he threatened to carry them in irons to England,
and have them hanged there for mutiny, and running away
with the ship. This, it seems, though the captain did not in-
tend to do it, frightened some other men in the ship; and
some of them had put it into the heads of the rest that the
captain only gave them good words for the present, till they
should come to some English port, and that then they should
be all put into gaol, and tried for their lives. The mate got
intelligence of this, and acquainted us with it; upon which it
was desired that I, who still passed for a great man among
them, should go down with the mate, and satisfy the men,
and tell them that they might be assured, if they behaved
well the rest of the voyage, all they had done for the time
past should be pardoned. So I went, and after passing my
honour's word to them, they appeared easy, and the more so
when I caused the two men that were in irons to be released
and forgiven.
But this mutiny had brought us to an anchor for that night;
the wind also falling calm next morning, we found that our
two men who had been laid in irons had stole each of them a
musket, and some other weapons, (what powder or shot they
had we knew not, and had taken the ship's pinnace, which
was not yet haled up, and run away with her to their com-
panions in roguery on shore. As soon as we found this,
I or-
dered the long-boat on shore, with twelve men and the mate,
and away they went to seek the rogues; but they could nei-
ther find them or any of the rest, for they all fled into the
woods when they saw the boat coming on shore. The mate
was once resolved, in justice to their roguery, to have destroy-
ed their plantations, burned all their household stuff and fur-
niture, and left them to shift without it; but having no orders,
he let it all alone, left every thing as he found it, and bring-
ing the pinnace away, came on board without them. These
two men made their number five; but the other three villains
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
31
were so much more wicked than they, that after they had been
two or three days together, they turned the two new comers
out of doors to shift for themselves, and would have nothing
to do with them; nor could they, for a good while, be per-
suaded to give them any food: as for the Spaniards, they were
not yet come.
When the Spaniards came first on shore, the business be-
gan to go forward: the Spaniards would have persuaded the
three English brutes to have taken in their two countrymen
again, that, as they said, they might be all one family; but
they would not hear of it: so the two poor fellows lived by
themselves; and finding nothing but industry and application
would make them live comfortably, they pitched their tents
on the north shore of the island, but a little more to the west,
to be out of danger of the savages, who always landed on the
east parts of the island.
Here they built them two huts, one to lodge in, and the
other to lay up their magazines and stores in; and the Spa-
niards having given them some corn for seed, and especially
some of the peas which I had left them, they dug, planted,
and enclosed, after the pattern I had set for them all, and be-
gan to live pretty well. Their first crop of corn was on the
ground; and though it was but a little bit of land which they
had dug up at first, having had but a little time, yet it was
enough to relieve them, and find them with bread and other
eatables; and one of the fellows being the cook's mate of the
ship, was very ready at making soup, puddings, and such other
preparations as the rice and the milk, and such little flesh as
they got, furnished him to do.
They were going on in this little thriving posture, when the
three unnatural rogues, their own countrymen too, in mere
humour, and to insult them, came and bullied them, and told
them the island was theirs; that the governor, meaning me,
had given them the possession of it, and nobody else had any
right to it; and that they should build no houses upon their
ground, unless they would pay rent for them.
The two men thinking they were jesting at first, asked them
to come in and sit down, and see what fine houses they were
that they had built, and to tell them what rent they demanded;
and one of them merrily said, if they were the ground-land-
lords, he hoped, if they built tenements upon their land, and
made improvements, they would, according to the custom of
landlords, grant a long lease: and desired they would get a
scrivener to draw the writings. One of the three, cursing and
32
ADVENTURES OF
raging, told them they should see they were not in jest; and
going to a little place at a distance, where the honest men had
made a fire to dress their victuals, he takes a firebrand, and
claps it to the outside of their hut, and very fairly set it on
fire; and it would have been all burnt down in a few minutes,
if one of the two had not run to the fellow, thrust him away,
and trod the fire out with his feet, and that not without some
difficulty too.
The fellow was in such a rage at the honest man's thrusting
him away, that he returned upon him, with a pole he had in
his hand, and had not the man avoided the blow very nimbly,
and run into the hut, he had ended his days at once. His
comrade, seeing the danger they were both in, run in after
him, and immediately they came both out with their muskets,
and the man that was first struck at with the pole, knocked
the fellow down that had begun the quarrel with the stock of
his musket, and that before the other two could come to help
him; and then seeing the rest come at them, they stood
together, and presenting the other ends of their pieces to
them, bade them stand off.
The others had fire-arms with them too; but one of the
two honest men, bolder than his comrade, and made desperate
by his danger, told them, if they offered to move hand or foot
they were dead men, and boldly commanded them to lay down
their arms. They did not, indeed, lay down their arms, but
seeing him so resolute, it brought them to a parley; and they
consented to take their wounded man with them and be gone;
and, indeed, it seems the fellow was wounded sufficiently
with the blow. However, they were much in the wrong,
since they had the advantage, that they did not disarm them
effectually, as they might have done, and have gone immedi-
ately to the Spaniards, and given them an account how the
rogues had treated them; for the three villains studied nothing
but revenge, and every day gave them some intimation that
they did so.
But not to croud this part with an account of the lesser part
of the rogueries, such as treading down their corn, shooting
three young kids and a she-goat, which the poor men had got
to breed up tame for their store; and, in a word, plaguing
them night and day in this manner, it forced the two men to
such a desperation, that they resolved to fight them all three,
the first time they had a fair opportunity. In order to this,
they resolved to go to the castle, as they called it, that was
my old dwelling, where the three rogues and the Spaniards all
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
33
lived together, at that time, intending to have a fair battle,
and the Spaniards should stand by, to see fair play so they
got up in the morning before day, and came to the place, and
called the Englishmen by their names, telling a Spaniard that
answered that they wanted to speak with them.
It happened that the day before, two of the Spaniards, hav-
ing been in the woods, had seen one of the two Englishmen,
whom, for distinction, I called the honest men, and he had
made a sad complaint to the Spaniards of the barbarous usage
they had met with from their three countrymen, and how they
had ruined their plantation, and destroyed their corn that they
had laboured so hard to bring forward, and killed the milch-
goat and their three kids, which was all they had provided
for their sustenance; and that if he and his friends, meaning
the Spaniards, did not assist them again, they should be starved.
When the Spaniards came home at night, and they were all at
supper, one of them took the freedom to reprove the three
Englishmen, though in very gentle and mannerly terms, and
asked them how they could be so cruel, they being harmless,
inoffensive fellows; that they were putting themselves in a
way to subsist by their labour, and that it had cost them a
great deal of pains to bring things to such perfection as they
were then in.
One of the Englishmen returned very briskly, What had
they to do there? that they came on shore without leave; and
that they should not plant or build upon the island; it was
none of their ground. Why," says the Spaniard, very
calmly, Seignior Inglese, they must not starve." The
Englishman replied, like a true rough-hewn tarpauling, They
might starve and be d-d; they should not plant nor build
in that place. "But what must they do then, Seignior?"
said the Spaniard. Another of the brutes returned, Do?
d- -n them, they should be servants, and work for them.
"But how can you expect that of them?" says the Spaniard;
they are not bought with your money: you have no right
to make them servants." The Englishman answered, the
island was theirs; the governor had given it to them, and no
man had any thing to do there but themselves; and with that
swore by his Maker that they would go and burn all their
new huts; they should build none upon their land.
"Why,
Seignior," says the Spaniard, "by the same rule, we must be
your servants too.". ""
Aye," says the bold dog, " and so you
shall too, before we have done with you;" (mixing two or
three G―d d—n me's in the proper intervals of his speech.)
""
VOL. II.
F
34
ADVENTURES OF
The Spaniard only smiled at that, and made him no answer.
However, this little discourse had heated them; and, starting
up, one says to the other, I think it was he they called Will
Atkins, "Come, Jack, let's go, and have t'other brush with
'em; we'll demolish their castle, I'll warrant you; they shall
plant no colony in our dominions.”
Upon this they went all trooping away, with every man a
gun, a pistol, and a sword, and muttered some insolent things
among themselves, of what they would do to the Spaniards
too, when opportunity offered; but the Spaniards, it seems,
did not so perfectly understand them as to know all the par-
ticulars, only that, in general, they threatened them hard for
taking the two Englishmen's part.
Whither they went, or how they bestowed their time that
evening, the Spaniards said they did not know; but it seems
they wandered about the country part of the night, and then
lying down in the place which I used to call my bower, they
were weary, and overslept themselves. The case was this;
they had resolved to stay till midnight, and so to take the two
poor men when they were asleep, and, as they acknowledged
afterwards, intended to set fire to their huts while they were
in them, and either burn them there, or murder them as
they came out as malice seldom sleeps very sound, it was
very strange they should not have been kept awake.
However, as the two men had also a design upon them, as I
have said, though a much fairer one than that of burning and
murdering, it happened, and very luckily for them all, that
they were up, and gone abroad, before the bloody-minded
rogues came to their huts.
When they came there, and found the men gone, Atkins,
who it seems, was the forwardest man, called out to his com-
rades, "Ha, Jack, here's the nest, but, d-n them, the birds
are flown." They mused a while, to think what should be
the occasion of their being gone abroad so soon, and suggested
presently that the Spaniards had given them notice of it and
with that they shook hands, and swore to one another that
they would be revenged of the Spaniards. As soon as they
had made this bloody bargain, they fell to work with the poor
men's habitation; they did not set fire, indeed, to any thing,
but they pulled down both their houses, and pulled them so
limb from limb, that they left not the least stick standing, or
scarce any sign on the ground where they stood: they tore
all their little collected household stuff in pieces, and threw
every thing about in such a manner, that the poor men after-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
35
wards found some of their things a mile off their habitation.
When they had done this, they pulled up all the young trees
which the poor men had planted; pulled up an enclosure they
had made to secure their cattle and their corn; and, in a word,
sacked and plundered every thing as completely as a horde of
Tartars would have done.
The two men were, at this juncture, gone to find them out,
and had resolved to fight them wherever they had been, though
they were but two to three; so that, had they met, there cer-
tainly would have been bloodshed among them; for they were
all very stout, resolute fellows, to give them their due.
But Providence took more care to keep them asunder than
they themselves could do to meet; for, as if they had dogged
one another, when the three were gone thither, the two were
here; and afterwards, when the two went back to find them,
the three were come to the old habitation again: we shall see
their different conduct presently. When the three came back
like furious creatures, flushed with the rage which the work
they had been about had put them into, they came up to the
Spaniards, and told them what they had done, by way of scoff
and bravado; and one of them stepping up to one of the Spa-
niards, as if they had been a couple of boys at play, takes hold
of his hat, as it was upon his head, and giving it a twirl about,
fleering in his face, says to him, " And you, Seignior Jack
Spaniard, shall have the same sauce, if you do not mend your
manners. The Spaniard, who, though a quiet civil man, was
as brave a man as could be, and withal a strong, well-made
man, looked at him for a good while, and then having no
weapon in his hand, stepped gravely up to him, and with one
blow of his fist knocked him down, as an ox is felled with a
pole-axe; at which one of the rogues, as insolent as the first,
fired his pistol at the Spaniard immediately: he missed his
body, indeed, for the bullets went through his hair, but one of
them touched the tip of his ear, and he bled pretty much. The
blood made the Spaniard believe he was more hurt than he really
was, and that put him into some heat, for before he acted all
in a perfect calm; but now resolving to go through with his
work, he stooped, and took the fellow's musket whom he had
knocked down, and was just going to shoot the man who had
fired at him, when the rest of the Spaniards, being in the cave,
came out, and calling to him not to shoot, they stepped in,
secured the other two, and took their arms from them.
When they were thus disarmed, and found they had made
all the Spaniards their enemies, as well as their own country-
36
ADVENTURES OF
men, they began to cool, and giving the Spaniards better words,
would have their arms again; but the Spaniards, considering
the feud that was between them and the other two English-
men, and that it would be the best method they could take to
keep them from killing one another, told them they would do
them no harm, and if they would live peaceably, they would
be very willing to assist and associate with them as they did
before; but that they could not think of giving them their
arms again, while they appeared so resolved to do mischief
with them to their own countrymen, and had even threatened
them all to make them their servants.
The rogues were now no more capable to hear reason than
to act with reason; but being refused their arms, they went
raving away, and raging like madmen, threatening what they
would do, though they had no fire-arms. But the Spaniards,
despising their threatening, told them they should take care
how they offered any injury to their plantation or cattle, for
if they did, they would shoot them as they would ravenous
beasts, wherever they found them; and if they fell into their
hands alive, they should certainly be hanged. However, this
was far from cooling them, but away they went, raging and
swearing like furies of hell. As soon as they were gone, the
two men came back, in passion and rage enough also, though
of another kind; for having been at their plantation, and
finding it all demolished and destroyed, as above, it will easily
be supposed they had provocation enough. They could scarcel
have room to tell their tale, the Spaniards were so eager to tell
them theirs; and it was strange enough to find that three men
should thus bully nineteen, and receive no punishment at all.
The Spaniards, indeed, despised them, and especially having
thus disarmed them, made light of their threatenings; but the
two Englishmen resolved to have their remedy against them,
what pains soever it cost to find them out. But the Spaniards
interposed here too, and told them, that as they had disarmed
them, they could not consent that they (the two) should pur-
sue them with fire-arms, and perhaps kill them. But," said
the grave Spaniard, who was their governor,
66 we will endea-
vour to make them do you justice, if you will leave it to us:
for there is no doubt but they will come to us again, when
their passion is over, being not able to subsist without our
assistance: we promise you to make no peace with them,
without having a full satisfaction for you; and upon this con-
dition we hope you will promise to use no violence with them,
other than in your own defence." The two Englishmen yielded
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
37
to this very aukwardly, and with great reluctance; but the
Spaniards protested, that they did it only to keep them from
bloodshed, and to make all easy at last. "For," said they,
we are not so many of us; here is room enough for us all,
and it is a great pity we should not be all good friends." At
length they did consent, and waited for the issue of the thing,
living for some days with the Spaniards; for their own habi-
tation was destroyed.
In about five days time the three vagrants, tired with wan-
dering, and almost starved with hunger, having chiefly lived on
turtles' eggs all that while, came back to the grove; and find-
ing my Spaniard, who, as I have said, was the governor, and
two more with him, walking by the side of the creek, they
came up in a very submissive, humble manner, and begged to
be received again into the family. The Spaniards used them
civilly, but told them they had acted so unnaturally by their
countrymen, and so very grossly by them (the Spaniards) that
they could not come to any conclusion without consulting the
two Englishmen and the rest; but, however, they would go
to them, and discourse about it, and they should know in half
an hour. It may be guessed that they were very hard put to
it; for, it seems, as they were to wait this half hour for an
answer, they begged they would send them out some bread in
the mean time, which they did; sending, at the same time,
a large piece of goat's flesh, and a boiled parrot, which they
ate very heartily, for they were hungry enough.
After half an hour's consultation, they were called in, and
a long debate ensued; their two countrymen charging them
with the ruin of all their labour, and a design to murder
them; all which they owned before, and therefore could not
deny now. Upon the whole, the Spaniards acted the mode-
rator between them; and as they had obliged the two English-
men not to hurt the three while they were naked and unarm-
ed, so they now obliged the three to go and rebuild their fel-
lows' two huts, one to be of the same, and the other of larger
dimensions, than they were before; to fence their ground again
where they had pulled up their fences, plant trees in the room
of those pulled up, dig up the land again for planting corn,
where they had spoiled it, and, in a word, to restore every
thing in the same state as they found it, as near as they could;
for entirely it could not be, the season for the corn, and the
growth of the trees and hedges, not being possible to be re-
covered.
Well, they submitted to all this; and as they had plenty of
38
ADVENTURES OF
provisions given them all the while, they grew very orderly,
and the whole society began to live pleasantly and agreeably
together again; only, that these three fellows could never be
persuaded to work, I mean for themselves, except now and
then a little, just as they pleased: however, the Spaniards told
them plainly, that if they would but live sociably and friendly
together, and study the good of the whole plantation, they
would be content to work for them, and let them walk about
and be as idle as they pleased: and thus having lived pretty
well together for a month or two, the Spaniards ave them arms
again, and gave them liberty to go abroad with them as be-
fore.
It was not above a week after they had these arms, and went
abroad, but the ungrateful creatures began to be as insolent and
troublesome as before: but, however, an accident happened
presently upon this, which endangered the safety of them all;
and they were obliged to lay by all private resentments, and
look to the preservation of their lives.
:
It happened one night, that the Spanish governor, as I call
him, that is to say, the Spaniard whose life I had saved, who
was now the captain or leader, or governor of the rest, found
himself very uneasy in the night, and could by no means get
any sleep he was perfectly well in body, as he told me the
story, only found his thoughts tumultuous; his mind run upon
men fighting and killing of one another, but was broad awake,
and could not by any means get any sleep; in short, he lay a
great while; but growing more and more uneasy, he resolved
to rise. As they lay, being so many of them, upon goat's skins
laid thick upon such couches and pads as they made for them-
selves, and not in hammocks and ship-beds, as I did, who was
but one, so they had little to do, when they were willing to
rise, but to get up upon their feet, and perhaps put on a coat,
such as it was, and their pumps, and they were ready for going
any way that their thoughts guided them. Being thus got up,
he looked out; but, being dark, he could see little or nothing;
and, besides, the trees which I had planted, as in my former
account is described, and which were now grown tall, inter-
cepted his sight, so that he could only look up, and see that it
was a clear star-light night, and hearing no noise, he returned
and laid him down again: but it was all one; he could not
sleep, nor could he compose himself to any thing like rest;
but his thoughts were to the last degree uneasy, and he knew
not for what.
Having made some noise with rising and walking about,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
39
""
going cut and coming in, another of them waked, and calling,
asked who it was that was up? The governor told him how
it had been with him. Say you so?" says the other Spa-
niard; "such things are not to be slighted, I assure you; there
is certainly some mischief working near us: and presently he
asked him, "Where are the Englishmen?”. "They are all
in their huts," says he, "safe enough." It seems the Spa-
niards had kept possession of the main apartment, and had made
a place for the three Englishmen, who, since their last mutiny,
were always quartered by themselves, and could not come at the
rest. "Well," says the Spaniard, "there is something in it,
I am persuaded, from my own experience. I am satisfied our
spirits embodied have a converse with, and receive intelligence
from, the spirits unembodied, and inhabiting the invisible world;
and this friendly notice is given for our advantage, if we knew
how to make use of it. Come," says he, "let us go and look
abroad; and if we find nothing at all in it to justify the trou-
ble, I'll tell you a story to the purpose, that shall convince you
of the justice of my proposing it."
In a word, they went out, to go up to the top of the hill,
where I used to go; but they being strong, and a good com-
pany, not alone, as I was, used none of my cautions, to go up
by the ladder, and pulling it up after them, to go up a second
stage to the top, but were going round through the grove, un-
concerned and unwary, when they were surprised with seeing
a light as of fire, a very little way off from them, and hearing
the voices of men, not of one or two, but of a great number.
In all the discoveries I had made of the savages landing on
the island, it was my constant care to prevent them making
the least discovery of there being any inhabitant upon the
place; and when by any occasion they came to know it,
they felt it so effectually, that they that got away were scarce
able to give any account of it; for we disappeared as soon as
possible; nor did ever any that had seen me escape to tell
any one else, except it was the three savages in our last en-
counter, who jumped into the boat; of whom, I mentioned,
I was afraid they should go home and bring more help.
Whether it was the consequence of the escape of those men
that so great a number came now together, or whether they
came ignorantly, and by accident, on their usual bloody errand,
the Spaniards could not, it seems, understand; but, whatever
it was, it had been their business either to have concealed
themselves, or not to have seen them at all, much less to have
let the savages have seen that there were any inhabitants in
40
ADVENTURES OF
the place; or to have fallen upon them so effectually, as tha
not a man of them should have escaped, which could only have
been but by getting in between them and their boats: but this
presence of mind was wanting to them, which was the ruin of
their tranquillity for a great while.
We need not doubt, but that the governor and the man
with him, surprised with this sight, run back immediately, and
raised their fellows, giving them an account of the imminent
danger they were all in, and they again as readily took the
alarm; but it was impossible to persuade them to stay close
within, where they were, but they must all run out to see
how things stood.
While it was dark, indeed, they were well enough, and they
had opportunity enough, for some hours, to view them by the
light of three fires they had made at a distance from one
another; what they were doing they knew not, and what to
do themselves they knew not. For, first, the enemy were too
many; and, secondly, they did not keep together, but were
divided into several parties, and were on shore in several
places.
The Spaniards were in no small consternation at this sight;
and as they found that the fellows ran straggling all over the
shore, they made no doubt but, first or last, some of them
would chop in upon their habitation, or upon some other place
where they would see the token of inhabitants; and they were
in great perplexity also for fear of their flock of goats, which
would have been little less than starving them, if they should
have been destroyed; so the first thing they resolved upon was,
to dispatch three men away before it was light, two Spaniards
and one Englishmen, to drive all the goats away to the great
valley where the cave was, and, if need were, to drive them
into the very cave itself. Could they have seen the savages
all together in one body, and at a distance from their canoes,
they resolved, if there had been a hundred of them, to have
attacked them; but that could not be obtained; for they were
some of them two miles off from the other; and, as it appear-
ed afterwards, were of two different nations.
After having mused a great while on the course they should
take, and beating their brains in considering their present cir-
cumstances, they resolved, at last, while it was still dark, to
send the old savage, Friday's father, out as a spy, to learn, if
possible, something concerning them; as what they came for,
what they intended to do, and the like. The old man readily
undertook it; and stripping himself quite naked, as most of
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
41
the savages were, away he went. After he had been gone an
hour or two, he brings word that he had been among them
undiscovered; that he found they were two parties, and of
two several nations, who had war with one another, and had a
great battle in their own country: and that both sides having
had several prisoners taken in the fight, they were, by mere
chance, landed all on the same island, for the devouring their
prisoners and making merry, but their coming so by chance
to the same place had spoiled all their mirth; that they were
in a great rage at one another, and were so near, that he be-
lieved they would fight again as soon as day-light began to
appear but he did not perceive that they had any notion of
any body being on the island but themselves. He had hardly
made an end of telling his story, when they could perceive, by
the unusual noise they made, that the two little armies were
engaged in a bloody fight.
Friday's father used all the arguments he could to persuade
our people to lie close, and not be seen; he told them their
safety consisted in it, and that they had nothing to do but lie
still, and the savages would kill one another to their hands,
and then the rest would go away; and it was so to a tittle.
But it was impossible to prevail, especially upon the English-
men; their curiosity was so importunate upon their prudentials,
that they must run out and see the battle: however, they
used some caution too, viz. they did not go openly, just by
their own dwelling, but went farther into the woods, and
placed themselves to advantage, where they might securely
see them manage the fight, and, as they thought, not be seen
by them; but it seems the savages did see them, as we shall
find hereafter.
The battle was very fierce; and, if I might believe the
Englishmen, one of them said he could perceive that some of
them were men of great bravery, of invincible spirits, and of
great policy in guiding the fight. The battle, they said, held
two hours before they could guess which party would be
beaten; but then that party which was nearest our people's
habitation began to appear weakest, and, after some time more,
some of them began to fly; and this put our men again into
a great consternation, lest any one of those that fled should
run into the grove before their dwelling for shelter, and there-
by involuntarily discover the place; and that, by consequence,
the pursuers would do the like in search of them. Upon this
they resolved that they would stand armed within the wall,
and whoever came into the grove, they resolved to sally out
VOL. II.
G
42
ADVENTURES OF
over the wall and kill them: so that, if possible, not one
should return to give an account of it: they ordered also that
it should be done with their swords, or by knocking them
down with the stocks of their muskets, but not by shooting
them, for fear of raising an alarm by the noise.
As they expected it fell out: three of the routed army fled
for life, and crossing the creek, ran directly into the place, not
in the least knowing whither they went, but running as into
a thick wood for shelter. The scout they kept to look abroad
gave notice of this within, with this addition, to our men's great
satisfaction, viz. that the conquerors had not pursued them, or
seen which way they were gone; upon this, the Spaniard go-
vernor, a man of humanity, would not suffer them to kill the
three fugitives, but sending three men out by the top of the
hill, ordered them to go round, come in behind them, and sur-
prise and take them prisoners, which was done. The residue
of the conquered people fled to their canoes, and got off to sea;
the victors retired, made no pursuit, or very little, but draw-
ing themselves into a body together, gave two great scream-
ing shouts, which they supposed was by way of triumph, and
so the fight ended: and the same day, about three o'clock
in the afternoon, they also marched to their canoes. And thus
the Spaniards had their island again free to themselves, their
fright was over, and they saw no savages in several years after.
After they were all gone, the Spaniards came out of their
den, and viewing the field of battle, they found about two and
thirty men dead on the spot: some were killed with great long
arrows, some of which were found sticking in their bodies;
but most of them were killed with great wooden swords, six-
teen or seventeen of which they found in the field of battle,
and as many bows, with a great many arrows. These swords
were strange, great, unwieldy things, and they must be very
strong men that used them: most of those men that were
killed with them had their heads mashed to pieces, as we may
say, or, as we call it in English, their brains knocked out, and
several their arms and legs broken; so that it is evident they
fight with inexpressible rage and fury. We found not one
man that was not stone dead, for either they stay by their enemy
till they have quite killed him, or they carry all the wounded
men that are not quite dead away with them.`
This deliverance tamed our Englishmen for a great while;
the sight had filled them with horror, and the consequences
appeared terrible to the last degree, especially upon supposing
that some time or other they should fall into the hands of
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
43
those creatures, who would not only kill them as enemies, but
kill them for food, as we kill our cattle; and they professed to
me, that the thoughts of being eaten up like beef or mutton,
though it was supposed it was not to be till they were dead,
had something in it so horrible, that it nauseated their very
stomachs, made them sick when they thought of it, and filled
their minds with such unusual terror, that they were not them-
selves for some weeks after. This, as I said, tamed even the
three English brutes I have been speaking of: and, for a great
while after, they were tractable, and went about the common
business of the whole society well enough; planted, sowed,
reaped, and began to be all naturalized to the country. But
some time after this, they fell into such simple measures again,
as brought them into a great deal of trouble.
They had taken three prisoners, as I observed; and these
three being lusty, stout young fellows, they made them ser-
vants, and taught them to work for them; and, as slaves, they
did well enough; but they did not take their measures with
them as I did by my man Friday, viz. to begin with them
upon the principle of having saved their lives, and then in-
struct them in the rational principles of life; much less of reli-
gion, civilizing, and reducing them by kind usage and affec-
tionate arguings; but as they gave them their food every day,
so they gave them their work too, and kept them fully em-
ployed in drudgery enough; but they failed in this by it, that
they never had them to assist them, and fight for them, as I
had my man Friday, who was as true to me as the very flesh
upon my bones.
But to come to the family part. Being all now good friends,
for common danger, as I said above, had effectually reconciled
them, they began to consider their general circumstances; and
the first thing that came under their consideration was, whether,
seeing the savages particularly haunted that side of the island,
and that there were more remote and retired parts of it equal-
ly adapted to their way of living, and manifestly to their ad-
vantage, they should not rather move their habitation, and
plant in some more proper place for their safety, and especially
for the security of their cattle and corn.
Upon this, after long debate, it was concluded that they
would not remove their habitation; because that, some time
or other, they thought they might hear from their governor
again, meaning me; and if I should send any one to seek them,
I should be sure to direct them to that side; where, if they
should find the place demolished, they would conclude the sa◄
44
ADVENTURES OF
;
vages had killed us all, and we were gone; and so our supply
would go too. But as to their corn and cattle, they agreed to
remove them into the valley where my cave was, where the
land was as proper for both, and where, indeed, there was land
enough: however, upon second thoughts, they altered one
part of that resolution too, and resolved only to remove part
of their cattle thither, and plant part of their corn there; and
so if one part was destroyed, the other might be saved. And
one part of prudence they used, which it was very well they
did, viz. that they never trusted those three savages, which
they had prisoners, with knowing any thing of the plantation
they had made in that valley, or of any cattle they had there,
much less of the cave there, which they kept, in case of neces-
sity, as a safe retreat; and thither they carried also the two
barrels of powder which I had sent them at my coming away.
But, however, they resolved not to change their habitation
yet they agreed, that as I had carefully covered it first with a
wall or fortification, and then with a grove of trees, so seeing
their safety consisted entirely in their being concealed, of which
they were now fully convinced, they set to work to cover and
conceal the place yet more effectually than before. For this
purpose, as I had planted trees, or rather thrust in stakes,
which in time all grew up to be trees, for some good distance
before the entrance into my apartments, they went on in the
same manner, and filled up the rest of that whole space of
ground, from the trees I had set quite down to the side of the
creek, where, as I said, I landed my floats, and even into
the very ooze where the tide flowed, not so much as leaving
any place to land, or any sign that there had been any landing
thereabout; these stakes also being of a wood very forward to
grow, as I have noted formerly, they took care to have them
generally much larger and taller than those which I had plant-
ed; and as they grew apace, so they planted them so very
thick and close together, that when they had been three
or four years grown, there was no piercing with the eye any
considerable way into the plantation: and, as for that part
which I had planted, the trees were grown as thick as a man's
thigh, and among them they placed so many other short ones,
and so thick, that, in a word, it stood like a pallisado a quarter
of a mile thick, and it was next to impossible to penetrate it,
but with a little army to cut it all down; for a little dog could
hardly get between the trees, they stood so close.
But this was not all; for they did the same by all the
ground to the right hand and to the left, and round even to
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
45
the top of the hill, leaving no way, not so much as for them-
selves to come out, but by the ladder placed up to the side of
the hill, and then lifted up, and placed again from the first
stage up to the top; and when the ladder was taken down,
nothing but what had wings, or witchcraft to assist it, could
come at them.
This was excellently well contrived; nor was it less than
what they afterwards found occasion for; which served to con-
vince me, that as human prudence has the authority of Pro-
vidence to justify it, so it has doubtless the direction of Provi-
dence to set it to work; and if we listened carefully to the voice
of it, I am persuaded we might prevent many of the disasters
which our lives are now, by our own negligence, subjected to ;
but this by the way.
I return to the story.-They lived two years after this in
perfect retirement, and had no more visits from the savages.
They had, indeed, an alarm given them one morning, which
put them into a great consternation; for some of the Spaniards
being out early one morning on the west side, or rather end, of
the island, (which was that end where I never went, for fear
of being discovered,) they were surprised with seeing above
twenty canoes of Indians just coming on shore. They made
the best of their way home, in hurry enough; and giving the
alarm to their comrades, they kept close all that day and the
next, going out only at night to make observation: but they
had the good luck to be mistaken; for wherever the savages
went, they did not land that time on the island, but pursued
some other design.
And now they had another broil with the three Englishmen,
one of whom, a most turbulent fellow, being in a rage at one
of the three slaves, which I mentioned they had taken, because
the fellow had not done something right which he bid him do,
and seemed a little untractable in his showing him, drew a
hatchet out of a frog-belt, in which he wore it by his side, and
fell upon the poor savage, not to correct him, but to kill him.
One of the Spaniards, who was by, seeing him give the fellow
a barbarous cut with the hatchet, which he aimed at his head,
but struck into his shoulders, so that he thought he had cut
the poor creature's arm off, ran to him, and entreating him
not to murder the poor man, placed himself between him and
the savage, to prevent the mischief. The fellow being en-
raged the more at this, struck at the Spaniard with his hatchet,
and swore he would serve him as he intended to serve the
savage; which the Spaniard perceiving, avoided the blow, and
46
ADVENTURES OF
with a shovel which he had in his hand, (for they were all
working in the field about their corn-land) knocked the brute
down. Another of the Englishmen running at the same
time to help his comrade, knocked the Spaniard down; and
then two Spaniards more came in to help their man, and a
third Englishman fell in upon them. They had none of them
any fire-arms, or any other weapons but hatchets and other
tools, except this third Englishman; he had one of my rusty
cutlasses, with which he made at the two last Spaniards, and
wounded them both. This fray set the whole family in an
uproar, and more help coming in, they took the three English-
men prisoners. The next question was, what should be done
with them? They had been so often mutinous, and were so
very furious, so desperate, and so idle withal, they knew not
what course to take with them, for they were mischievous to
the highest degree, and valued not what hurt they did to any
man; so that, in short, it was not safe to live with them.
The Spaniard who was governor told them, in so many
words, that if they had been of his own country, he would
have hanged them; for all laws and all governors were to pre-
serve society, and those who were dangerous to the society
ought to be expelled out of it; but as they were Englishmen
and that it was to the generous kindness of an Englishman that
they all owed their preservatior and deliverance, he would use
them with all possible lenity, and would leave them to the
judgment of the other two Englishmen, who were their
countrymen.
One of the two honest Englishmen stood up, and said they
desired it might not be left to them; "for," says he, “ I am
sure we ought to sentence them to the gallows :" and with
that he gives an account how Will Atkins, one of the three,
had proposed to have all the five Englishmen join together,
and murder all the Spaniards when they were in their sleep.
When the Spanish governor heard this, he calls to Will
Atkins, How, Seignior Atkins, would you murder us all ?
What have you to say to that?" The hardened villain was so
far from denying it, that he said it was true; and, G―d d—n
him they would do it still, before they had done with them.
(C
Well, but Seignior Atkins," says the Spaniard, "what have
we done to you, that you will kill us? And what would you
get by killing us? And what must we do to prevent you kill-
ing us? Must we kill you, or you kill us? Why will you put
us to the necessity of this, Seignior Atkins?" says the Spaniard
very calmly, and smiling. Seignior Atkins was in such a rage
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
47
at the Spanaird's making a jest of it, that, had he not been held.
by three men, and withal had no weapon near him, it was
thought he would have attempted to have killed the Spaniard
in the middle of all the company. This hair-brained carriage
obliged them to consider seriously what was to be done: the
two Englishmen, and the Spaniard who saved the poor savage,
were of the opinion that they should hang one of the three,
for an example to the rest; and that particularly it should be
he that had twice attempted to commit murder with his
hatchet; and, indeed, there was some reason to believe he had
done it, for the poor savage was in such a miserable condition
with the wound he had received, that it was thought he could
not live. But the governor Spaniard still said no; it was an
Englishman that had saved all their lives, and he would never
consent to put an Englishman to death, though he had mur-
dered half of them: nay, he said, if he had been killed him-
self by an Englishman, and had time left to speak, it should
be that they should pardon him.
This was so positively insisted on by the governor Spaniard,
that there was no gainsaying it; and as merciful counsels are
most apt to prevail, where they are so earnestly pressed, so
they all came into it; but then it was to be considered what
should be done to keep them from doing the mischief they
designed; for all agreed, governor and all, that means were
to be used for preserving the society from danger. After a long
debate, it was agreed, first, that they should be disarmed, and
not permitted to have either gun, powder, shot, sword, or any
weapon; and should be turned out of the society, and left to
live where they would, and how they would, by themselves;
but that none of the rest, either Spaniards or English, should
converse with them, speak with them, or have any thing to
do with them that they should be forbid to come within a
certain distance of the place where the rest dwelt; and if they
offered to commit any disorder, so as to spoil, burn, kill, or de-
stroy any of the corn, plantings, buildings, fences, or cattle
belonging to the society, they should die without mercy, and
they would shoot them wherever they could find them.
:
The governor, a man of great humanity, musing upon the
sentence, considered a little upon it; and turning to the two
honest Englishmen, said, " Hold; you must reflect that it will
be long ere they can raise corn and cattle of their own, and
they must not starve; we must therefore allow them provi-
sions:" so he caused to be added, that they should have a pro-
portion of corn given them to last them eight months, and for
48
ADVENTURES OF
seed to sow, by which time they might be supposed to raise
some of their own; that they should have six milch-goats,
four he-goats, and six kids given them, as well for present
subsistence as for a store; and that they should have tools
given them for their work in the fields, such as six hatchets,
an adze, a saw, and the like; but they should have none of
these tools or provisions, unless they would swear solemnly
that they would not hurt or injure any of the Spaniards with
them, or of their fellow Englishmen.
Thus they dismissed them the society, and turned them out
to shift for themselves. They went away sullen and refractory,
as neither content to go away or to stay; but, as there was
no remedy, they went, pretending to go and choose a place
where they would settle themselves; and some provisions
were given them, but no weapons.
About four or five days after, they came again for some
victuals, and gave the governor an account where they had
pitched their tents, and marked themselves out a habitation
and plantation; and it was a very convenient place, indeed,
on the remotest part of the island, N. E. much about the place
where I providentially landed in my first voyage, when I
was driven out to sea, the Lord alone knows whither, in my
foolish attempt to sail round the island.
Here they built themselves two handsome huts, and con-
trived them in a manner like my first habitation, being close
under the side of a hill, having some trees growing already
on three sides of it, so that by planting others, it would be very
easily covered from the sight, unless narrowly searched for.
They desired some dried goats'-skins, for beds and covering,
which were given them; and upon giving their words that
they would not disturb the rest, or injure any of their planta-
tions, they gave them hatchets, and what other tools they
could spare; some peas, barley, and rice, for sowing; and, in
a word, any thing they wanted, except arms and ammunition.
They lived in this separate condition about six months,
and had got in their first harvest, though the quantity was but
small, the parcel of land they had planted being but little; for,
indeed, having all their plantation to form, they had a great
deal of work upon their hands; and when they came to make
boards and pots, and such things, they were quite out of their
element, and could make nothing of it; and when the rainy
season came on, for want of a cave in the earth, they could
not keep their grain dry, and it was in great danger o
spoiling; and this humbled them much so they came and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
49
begged the Spaniards to help them, which they very readily
did; and in four days worked a great hole in the side of the
hill for them, big enough to secure their corn and other things
from the rain; but it was but a poor place, at best, compared
to mine, and especially as mine was then, for the Spaniards
had greatly enlarged it, and made several new apartments in it.
About three quarters of a year after this separation, a new
frolic took these rogues, which, together with the former vil-
lany they had committed, brought mischief enough upon
them, and had very near been the ruin of the whole colony.
The three new associates began, it seems, to be weary of the
laborious life they led, and that without hope of bettering
their circumstances; and a whim took them, that they would
make a voyage to the continent, from whence the savages
came, and would try if they could seize upon some prisoners
among the natives there, and bring them home, so to make
them do the laborious part of their work for them.
:
The project was not so preposterous, if they had gone no
farther but they did nothing, and proposed nothing, but had
either mischief in the design, or mischief in the event: and, if
I may give my opinion, they seemed to be under a blast from
Heaven; for if we will not allow a visible curse to pursue
visible crimes, how shall we reconcile the events of things
with the divine justice? It was certainly an apparent venge-
ance on their crime of mutiny and piracy that brought them
to the state they were in; and they showed not the least
remorse for the crime, but added new villanies to it, such as
the piece of monstrous cruelty of wounding a poor slave, be-
cause he did not, or perhaps could not, understand to do what
he directed, and to wound him in such a manner as made him
a cripple all his life, and in a place where no surgeon o
medicine could be had for his cure; and what was still worse
the murderous intent, or, to do justice to the crime, the inten-
tional murder, for such to be sure it was, as was afterwards
the formed design they all laid, to murder the Spaniards in
cold blood, and in their sleep.
But I leave observing, and return to the story :-The three
fellows came down to the Spaniards one morning, and in very
humble terms desired to be admitted to speak with them: the
Spaniards very readily heard what they had to say, which was
this That they were tired of living in the manner they did;
and that they were not handy enough to make the necessaries
they wanted, and that having no help, they found they should
VOL. II.
H
50
ADVENTURES OF
be starved; but if the Spaniards would give them leave to
take one of the canoes which they came over in, and give
them arms and ammunition proportioned to their defence, they
would go over to the main and seek their fortunes, and so de-
liver them from the trouble of supplying them with any other
provisions.
The Spaniards were glad enough to get rid of them, but
very honestly represented to them the certain destruction they
were running into; told them they had suffered such hard-
ships upon that very spot, that they could, without any spirit
of prophecy, tell them they would be starved, or murdered,
and bade them consider of it.
The men replied audaciously, they should be starved if they
stayed here, for they could not work, and would not work,
and they could but be starved abroad; and if they were mur-
dered, there was an end of them; they had no wives or child-
ren to cry after them: and, in short, insisted importunately
upon their demand; declaring they would go, whether they
would give them any arms or no.
The Spaniards told them, with great kindness, that if they
were resolved to go, they should not go like naked men, and
be in no condition to defend themselves; and that though
they could ill spare their fire-arms, having not enough for
themselves, yet they would let them have two muskets, a pis-
tol and a cutlass, and each man a hatchet, which they thought
was sufficient for them. In a word, they accepted the offer;
and having baked them bread enough to serve them a month,
and given them as much goat's flesh as they could eat while it
was sweet, and a great basket of dried grapes, a pot of fresh
water, and a young kid alive, they boldly set out in the canoe
for a voyage over the sea, where it was at least forty miles
broad.
The boat, indeed, was a large one, and would very well
have carried fifteen or twenty men, and therefore was rather
too big for them to manage; but as they had a fair breeze,
and flood-tide with them, they did well enough. They had
made a mast of a long pole, and a sail of four large goats'-skins
dried, which they had sewed or laced together; and away
they went merrily enough: the Spaniards called after them,
Bon veyajo; and no man ever thought of seeing them any
more.
The Spaniards were often saying to one another, and to the
two honest Englishmen who remained behind, how quietly
and comfortably they lived, now these three turbulent fellows
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
51
were gone; as for their coming again, that was the remotest
thing from their thoughts that could be imagined; when, be-
hold, after two and twenty days absence, one of the English-
men, being abroad upon his planting work, sees three strange
men coming towards him at a distance, with guns upon their
shoulders.
Away runs the Englishman, as if he was bewitched, comes
frightened and amazed to the governor Spaniard, and tells him
they were all undone, for there were strangers landed upon
the island, but could not tell who. The Spaniard, pausing a
while, says to him, “How do you mean, you cannot tell who?
They are the savages to be sure.". No, no," says the
Englishman; they are men in clothes, with arms.".
<<
Nay then," says the Spaniard, "why are you concerned? If
they are not savages, they must be friends; for there is no
Christian nation upon earth but will do us good rather than
harm."
While they were debating thus, came the three Englishmen,
and standing without the wood, which was new planted, hol-
lowed to them: they presently knew their voices, and so all
the wonder of that kind ceased. But now the admiration was
turned upon another question, viz. What could be the matter,
and what made them come back again?
It was not long before they brought the men in, and inquir-
ing where they had been, and what they had been doing, they
gave them a full account of their voyage in a few words, viz.
That they reached the land in two days, or something less;
but finding the people alarmed at their coming, and preparing
with bows and arrows to fight them, they durst not go on
shore, but sailed on to the northward six or seven hours, till
they came to a great opening, by which they perceived that
the land they saw from our island was not the main, but an
island; upon entering that opening of the sea, they saw another
island on the right hand, north, and several more west; and
being resolved to land somewhere, they put over to one of the
islands which lay west, and went boldly on shore: that they
found the people very courteous and friendly to them; and
that they gave them several roots and some dried fish, and ap-
peared very sociable; and the women, as well as the men,
were very forward to supply them with any thing they could
get for them to eat, and brought it to them a great way upon
their heads.
They continued here four days; and inquired, as well as
they could of them, by signs, what nations were this way,
52
ADVENTURES OF
and that way; and were told of several fierce and terrible
people that lived almost every way, who, as they made known
by signs to them, used to eat men; but as for themselves,
they said, they never eat men or women, except only such as
they took in the wars; and then, they owned, they made a
great feast, and ate their prisoners.
The Englishmen inquired when they had had a feast of that
kind; and they told them about two moons ago, pointing to
the moon, and to two fingers; and that their great king had
two hundred prisoners now, which he had taken in his war,
and they were feeding them to make them fat for the next
feast. The Englishmen seemed mighty desirous of seeing
those prisoners; but the others mistaking them, thought they
were desirous to have some of them to carry away for their
own eating; so they beckoned to them, pointing to the setting
of the sun, and then to the rising; which was to signify, that
the next morning at sun-rising they would bring some for
them; and accordingly, the next morning, they brought down
five women and eleven men, and gave them to the English-
men, to carry with them on their voyage, just as we would
bring so many cows and oxen down to a sea-port town to
victual a ship.
As brutish and barbarous as these fellows were at home,
their stomachs turned at this sight, and they did not know
what to do. To refuse the prisoners would have been the
highest affront to the savage gentry that could be offered them,
and what to do with them they knew not. However, after
some debate, they resolved to accept of them; and, in return,
they gave the savages that brought them one of their hatchets
an old key, a knife, and six or seven of their bullets; which,
though they did not understand their use, they seemed
particularly pleased with; and then tying the poor creatures'
hands behind them, they dragged the prisoners into the boat
for our men.
The Englishmen were obliged to come away as soon as they
had them, or else they that gave them this noble present
would certainly have expected that they should have gone to
work with them, have killed two or three of them the next
morning, and perhaps have invited the donors to dinner. But
having taken their leave, with all the respect and thanks that
could well pass between people, where, on either side, they
understood not one word they could say, they put off with their
boat, and came back towards the first island; where, when
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
53
they arrived, they set eight of their prisoners at liberty, there
being too many of them for their occasion.
In their voyage, they endeavoured to have some communi-
cation with their prisoners, but it was impossible to make
them understand any thing; nothing they could say to them,
or give them, or do for them, but was looked upon as going
to murder them. They first of all unbound them; but the
poor creatures screamed at that, especially the women, as if
they had just felt the knife at their throats; for they immedi-
ately concluded they were unbound on purpose to be killed
If they gave them any thing to eat, it was the same thing:
they then concluded, it was for fear they should sink in flesh,
and so not be fat enough to kill. If they looked at one of
them more particularly, the party presently concluded, it was
to see whether he or she was fattest, and fittest to kill first:
nay, after they had brought them quite over, and began to use
them kindly, and treat them well, still they expected every day
to make a dinner or supper for their new masters.
When the three wanderers had given this unaccountable
history or journal of their voyage, the Spaniard asked them
where their new family was; and being told that they had
brought them on shore, and put them into one of their huts,
and were come up to beg some victuals for them, they (the
Spaniards) and the other two Englishmen, that is to say, the
whole colony, resolved to go all down to the place and see
them; and did so, and Friday's father with them.
When they came into the hut, there they sat all bound;
for when they had brought them on shore, they bound their
hands, that they might not take the boat and make their es-
cape; there, I say, they sat, all of them stark naked. First,
there were three men, lusty, comely fellows, well shaped,
straight and fair limbs, about thirty to thirty-five years of age;
and five women, whereof two might be from thirty to forty;
two more not above four or five and twenty; and the fifth, a
tall comely maiden, about sixteen or seventeen. The women
were well favoured, agreeable persons, both in shape and fea-
tures, only tawny; and two of them, had they been perfect
white, would have passed for very handsome women, even in
London itself, having pleasant agreeable countenances, and of
a very modest behaviour; especially when they came after-
wards to be clothed and dressed, as they called it, though that
dress was very indifferent, it must be confessed; of which
hereafter.
The sight, you may be sure, was something uncouth to our
54
ADVENTURES OF
Spaniards, who were, to give them a just character, men of
the best behaviour, of the most calm, sedate tempers, and per-
fect good-humour, that ever I met with; and, in particular,
of the most modesty, as will presently appear: I say, the sight
was very uncouth, to see three naked men and five naked
women, all together bound, and in the most miserable circum-
stances that human nature could be supposed to be, yiz. to be
expecting every moment to be dragged out, and have their
brains knocked out, and then to be eaten up like a calf that is
killed for a dainty.
The first thing they did was to cause the old Indian, Friday's
father, to go in, and see, first, if he knew any of them, and
then if he understood any of their speech. As soon as the
old man came in, he looked seriously at them, but knew none
of them; neither could any of them understand a word he
said, or a sign he could make, except one of the women.
However, this was enough to answer the end, which was to
satisfy them that the men into whose hands they were fallen
were Christians; that they abhorred eating men or women;
and that they might be sure they would not be killed. As soon
as they were assured of this, they discovered such a joy, and by
such aukward gestures, several ways, as is hard to describe;
for, it seems, they were of several nations.
The woman who was their interpreter was bid, in the next
place, to ask them if they were willing to be servants, and to
work for the men who had brought them away, to save their
lives; at which they all fell a dancing; and presently one fell
to taking up this, and another that, any thing that lay next,
to carry on their shoulders, to imitate that they were willing
to work.
The governor, who found that the having women among
them would presently be attended with some inconvenience,
and might occasion some strife, and perhaps blood, asked the
three men what they intended to do with these women, and
how they intended to use them, whether as servants or as
women? One of the Englishmen answered very boldly and
readily, that they would use them as both; to which the go-
vernor said, I am not going to restrain you from it; you are
your own masters as to that; but this I think is but just, for
avoiding disorders and quarrels among you, and I desire it of
you for that reason only, viz. That you will all engage, that
if any of you take any of these women, as a woman or wife,
that he shall take but one; and that having taken one, none
else shall touch her; for though we cannot marry any one of
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
55
you, yet it is but reasonable that while you stay here, the wo-
man any of you takes should be maintained by the man that
takes her, and should be his wife; I mean, says he, while he
continues here, and that none else shall have any thing to do
with her. All this appeared so just, that every one agreed to
it without any difficulty.
Then the Englishmen asked the Spaniards if they designed
to take any of them? But every one of them answered no:
Some of them said they had wives in Spain, and the others did
not like women that were not Christians: and all together de-
clared that they would not touch one of them; which was an
instance of such virtue as I have not met with in all my tra-
vels. On the other hand, to be short, the five Englishmen
took them every one a wife, that is to say, a temporary wife;
and so they set up a new form of living; for the Spaniards and
Friday's father lived in my old habitation, which they had en-
larged exceedingly within. The three servants which were
taken in the late battle of the savages lived with them; and
these carried on the main part of the colony, supplied all the
rest with food, and assisted them in any thing as they could,
or as they found necessity required.
But the wonder of this story was, how five such refractory,
ill-matched fellows, should agree about these women, and that
two of them should not pitch upon the same woman, espe-
cially seeing two or three of them were, without comparison,
more agreeable than the others: But they took a good way
enough to prevent quarrelling among themselves; for they set
the five women by themselves in one of their huts, and they
went all into the other hut, and drew lots among them who
should choose first.
He that drew to choose first went away by himself to the hut
where the poor naked creatures were, and fetched out her he
chose; and it was worth observing, that he that chose first
took her that was reckoned the homeliest and oldest of the
five, which made mirth enough among the rest; and even the
Spaniards laughed at it but the fellow considered better than
any of them, that it was application and business they were to
expect assistance in, as much as in an, thing else; and she
proved the best wife of all the parcel.
When the poor women saw themselves set in a row thus,
and fetched out one by one, the terrors of their condition re-
turned upon them again, and they firmly believed they were
now going to be devoured. Accordingly, when the English
sailor came in and fetched out one of them, the rest set up a
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ADVENTURES OF
most lamentable cry, and hung about her, and took their leave
of her with such agonies and affection, as would have grieved
the hardest heart in the world; nor was it possible for the
Englishmen to satisfy them that they were not to be immedi-
ately murdered, till they fetched the old man, Friday's father,
who immediately let them know that the five men, who had
fetched them out one by one, had chosen them for their wives.
When they had done, and the fright the women were in
was a little over, the men went to work, and the Spaniards
came and helped them; and in a few hours they had built
them every one a new hut or tent for their lodging apart for
those they had already were crowded with their tools, house-
hold stuff, and provisions. The three wicked ones had pitched
farthest of, and the two honest ones nearer, but both on the
north shore of the island, so that they continued separated as
before and thus my island was peopled in three places; and,
as I might say, three towns were begun to be built.
And here it is very well worth observing, that, as it often
happens in the world, (what the wise ends of God's providence
are in such a disposition of things, I cannot say,) the two ho-
nest fellows had the two worst wives; and the three repro-
bates, that were scarce worth hanging, that were fit for
nothing, and neither seemed born to do themselves good, or
any one else, had three clever, diligent, careful and ingenious
wives; not that the two first were bad wives, as to their tem-
per or humour, for all the five were most willing, quiet, pas-
sive and subjected creatures, rather like slaves than wives; but
my meaning is, they were not alike capable, ingenious, or in-
dustrious, or alike cleanly and neat.
Another observation I must make, to the honour of a dili-
gent application, on one hand, and to the disgrace of a sloth-
ful, negligent, idle temper, on the other, that when I came
to the place, and viewed the several improvements, plantings,
and management of the several little colonies, the two men
had so far out-gone the three, that there was no comparison.
They had, indeed, both of them as much ground laid out for
corn as they wanted, and the reason was, because, according
to my rule, nature dictated that it was to no purpose to sow
more corn than they wanted; but the difference of the culti-
vation, of the planting, of the fences, and, indeed, of every
thing else, was easy to be seen at first view.
The two men had innumerable young trees planted about
their huts, so that when you came to the place, nothing was to
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
57
be seen but a wood: and though they had twice had their
plantation demolished, once by their own countrymen, and
once by the enemy, as shall be shown in its place, yet they
had restored all again, and every thing was thriving and
flourishing about them: they had grapes planted in order, and
managed like a vineyard, though they had themselves never
seen any thing of that kind; and by their good ordering their
vines, their grapes were as good again as any of the others.
They had also found themselves out a retreat in the thickest
part of the woods; where, though there was not a natural
cave, as I had found, yet they made one with incessant labour
of their hands, and where, when the mischief which followed
happened, they secured their wives and children, so as they
could never be found; they having, by sticking innumerable
stakes and poles of the wood which, as I said, grew so readily,
made the grove unpassable, except in some places where they
climbled up to get over the outside part, and then went on by
ways of their own leaving.
As to the three reprobates, as I justly call them, though
they were much civilized by their settlement compared to
what they were before, and were not so quarrelsome, having
not the same opportunity; yet one of the certain companions
of a profligate mind never left them, and that was their idle-
ness. It is true, they planted corn, and made fences; but
Solomon's words were never better verified than in them, " I
went by the vineyard of the slothful, and it was all overgrown
with thorns;" for when the Spaniards came to view their
crop, they could not see it in some places for weeds; the
hedge had several gaps in it, where the wild goats had got in
and eaten up the corn; perhaps here and there a dead bush
was crammed in, to stop them out for the present, but it
was only shutting the stable-door after the steed was stolen :
whereas, when they looked on the colony of the other two,
there was the very face of industry and success upon all they
did; there was not a weed to be seen in all their corn, or a
gap in any of their hedges; and they, on the other hand, veri-
fied Solomon's words in another place," that the diligent hand
maketh rich;" for every thing grew and thrived, and they had
plenty within and without; they had more tame cattle than
the others, more utensils and necessaries within doors, and yet
more pleasure and diversion too.
It is true, the wives of the three were very handy and
cleanly within doors, and having learned the English ways of
dressing and cooking from one of the other Englishmen, who,
VOL. II
I
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ADVENTURES OF
as I said, was a cook's-mate on board the ship, they dressed
their husbands victuals very nicely and well; whereas the
others could not be brought to understand it; but then the
husband, who, as I say, had been cook's-mate, did it himself.
But as for the husbands of the three wives, they loitered about,
fetched turtles' eggs, and caught fish and birds; in a word, any
thing but labour, and they fared accordingly. The diligent
lived well and comfortably; and the slothful lived hard and
beggarly; and so, I believe, generally speaking, it is all over
the world.
But I now come to a scene different from all that had hap-
pened before, either to them or to me; and the original of
the story was this: Early one morning, there came on shore
five or six canoes of Indians or savages, call them which you
please, and there is no room to doubt they came upon the old
errand of feeding upon their slaves; but that part was now so
familiar to the Spaniards, and to our men too, that they did
not concern themselves about it, as I did: but having been
made sensible, by their experience, that their only business
was to lie concealed, and that if they were not seen by any of
the savages, they would go off again quietly, when their busi-
ness was done, having, as yet, not the least notion of there
being any inhabitants in the island; I say, having been made
sensible of this, they had nothing to do but give notice to all
the three plantations to keep within-doors, and not show them-
selves, only placing a scout in a proper place, to give notice
when the boats went to sea again.
This was, without doubt, very right; but a disaster spoiled
all these measures, and made it known among the savages that
there were inhabitants there; which was, in the end, the deso-
lation of almost the whole colony. After the canoes with the
savages were gone off, the Spaniards peeped abroad again; and
some of them had the curiosity to go to the place where they
had been, to see what they had been doing. Here, to their
great surprise, they found three savages left behind, and laying
fast asleep upon the ground. It was supposed they had either
been so gorged with their inhuman feast, that, like beasts, they
were fallen asleep, and would not stir when the others went,
or they had wandered into the woods, and did not come back
in time to be taken in.
The Spaniards were greatly surprised at this sight, and
perfectly at a loss what to do. The Spanish governor, as
it happened, was with them, and his advice was asked, but
he professed he knew not what to do. As for slaves, they
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
50
had enough already; and as to killing them, they were none
of them inclined to that: the Spaniard governor told me,
they could not think of shedding innocent blood: for as to
them, the poor creatures had done them no wrong, invaded
none of their property, and they thought they had no just
quarrel against them, to take away their lives. And here I
must, in justice to these Spaniards, observe, that let the ac-
counts of Spanish cruelty in Mexico and Peru be what they
will, I never met with seventeen men of any nation what-
soever, in any foreign country, who were so universally modest,
temperate, virtuous, so very good-humoured, and so courteous,
as these Spaniards; and as to cruelty, they had nothing of it in
their very nature: no inhumanity, no barbarity, no outrageous
passions; and yet all of them men of great courage and
spirit. Their temper and calmness had appeared in their
bearing the insufferable usage of the three Englishmen ; and
their justice and humanity appeared now in the case of the
savages, as above. After some consultation, they resolved up-
on this; that they would lie still a while longer, till, if possi-
ble, these three men might be gone.
But then the governor
Spaniard recollected, that the three savages had no boat; and
if they were left to rove about the island, they would certainly
discover that there were inhabitants in it; and so they should
be undone that way. Upon this they went back again, and
there lay the fellows fast asleep still and so they resolved to
waken them, and take them prisoners; and they did so.
The poor fellows were strangely frightened when they were
seized upon and bound; and afraid, like the women, that they
should be murdered and eaten for it seems, those people
think all the world does as they do, eating men's flesh; but
they were soon made easy as to that, and away they carried
them.
It was very happy for them that they did not carry them
home to their castle, I mean to my palace under the hill; but
they carried them first to the bower, where was the chief of
their country work, such as the keeping the goats, the plant-
ing the corn, &c.; and afterwards they carried them to the
habitation of the two Englishmen.
Here they were set to work, though it was not much they had
for them to do; and whether it was by negligence in guard-
mg them, or that they thought the fellows could not mend
themselves, I know not, but one of them ran away, and taking
to the woods, they could never hear of him any more.
They had good reason to believe he got home again soon
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after, in some other boats or canoes of savages who came or
shore three or four weeks afterwards; and who, carrying on
their revels as usual, went off in two days time. This thought
terrified them exceedingly; for they concluded, and that not
without good cause indeed, that if this fellow came home safe
among his comrades, he would certainly give them an account
that there were people in the island, and also how few and
weak they were; for this savage, as I observed before, had
never been told, and it was very happy he had not, how many
there were, or where they lived; nor had he ever seen or
heard the fire of any of their guns, much less had they shown
him any of their other retired places; such as the cave in the
valley, or the new retreat which the two Englishmen had
made, and the like.
The first testimony they had that this fellow had given in-
telligence of them was, that about two months after this, six
canoes of savages, with about seven, eight, or ten men in a
canoe, came rowing along the north side of the island, where
they never used to come before, and landed, about an hour
after sun-rise, at a convenient place, about a mile from the
habitation of the two Englishmen, where this escaped man
had been kept. As the Spaniard governor said, had they been
all there, the damage would not have been so much, for not
a man of them would have escaped: but the case differed now
very much, for two men to fifty was too much odds. The
two men had the happiness to discover them about a league
off, so that it was above an hour before they landed; and as
they landed a mile from their huts, it was some time before
they could come at them. Now, having great reason to be-
lieve that they were betrayed, the first thing they did was to
bind the two slaves which were left, and cause two of the
three men whom they brought with the women (who it seems
proved very faithful to them) to lead them, with their two
wives, and whatever they could carry away with them, to their
retired places in the woods, which I have spoken of above,
and there to bind the two fellows hand and foot, till they
heard farthers.
In the next place, seeing the savages were all come on shore,
and that they had bent their course directly that way, they
opened the fences where the milch-goats were kept, and drove
them all out; leaving their goats to straggle in the woods,
whither they pleased, that the savages might think they were
all bred wild; but the rogue who came with them was too
cunning for that, and gave them an account of it all, for they
went directly to the place.
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61
When the two poor frightened men had secured their wives
and goods, they sent the other slave they had of the three who
came with the women, and who was at their place by accident,
away to the Spaniards with all speed, to give them the alarm,
and desire speedy help; and, in the mean time, they took their
arms, and what ammunition they had, and retreated towards
the place in the wood where their wives were sent; keeping
at a distance, yet so that they might see, if possible, which
way the savages took.
They had not gone far, but that from a rising ground they
could see the little army of their enemies come on directly to
their habitation, and in a moment more, could see all their
huts and household stuff flaming up together, to their great
grief and mortification; for they had a very great loss, to them
irretrievable, at least for some time. They kept their station
for a while, till they found the savages, like wild beasts, spread
themselves all over the place, rummaging every way, and every
place they could think of, in search of prey; and in particular
for the people, of whom, now, it plainly appeared, they had
ntelligence.
The two Englishmen seeing this, thinking themselves not
secure where they stood, because it was likely some of the
wild people might come that way, and they might come too
many together, thought it proper to make another retreat about
aalf a mile farther: believing, as it afterwards happened, that
the farther they strolled, the fewer would be together.
Their next halt was at the entrance into a very thick grown
part of the woods, and where an old trunk of a tree stood,
which was hollow and vastly large; and in this tree they both
took their standing, resolving to see there what might offer
They had not stood there long, before two of the savages ap-
peared running directly that way, as if they already had notice
where they stood, and were coming up to attack them; and a
little way farther they espied three more coming after them,
and five more beyond them, all coming the same way: besides
which, they saw seven or eight more at a distance, running
another way; for, in a word, they ran every way, like sports-
men beating for their game.
The poor men were now in great perplexity whether they
should stand and keep their posture, or fly; but, after a very
short debate with themselves, they considered, that if the
savages ranged the country thus before help came, they might
perhaps find out their retreat in the woods, and then all would
be lost; so they resolved to stand them there; and if they
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ADVENTURES OF
were too many to deal with, then they would get up to the
top of the tree, from whence they doubted not to defend them-
selves, fire excepted, as long as their ammunition lasted, though
all the savages that were landed, which was near fifty, were
to attack them.
Having resolved upon this, they next considered whether
they should fire at the first two, or wait for the three, and so
take the middle party, by which the two and the five that fol-
lowed would be separated; at length they resolved to let the
first two pass by, unless they should spy them in the tree, and
come to attack them. The two first savages confirmed them
also in this regulation, by turning a little from them towards
another part of the wood; but the three, and the five after
them, came forward directly to the tree, as if they had known
the Englishmen were there. Seeing them come so straight
toward them, they resolved to take them in a line as they
came; and as they resolved to fire but one at a time, perhaps the
first shot might hit them all three: for which purpose, the man
who was to fire put three or four small bullets into his piece;
and having a fair loop-hole, as it were, from a broken hole in
the tree, he took a sure aim, without being seen, waiting till
they were within about thirty yards of the tree, so that he
could not miss.
While they were thus waiting, and the savages came on, they
plainly saw that one of the three was the runaway savage that
had escaped from them; and they both knew him distinctly,
and resolved that, if possible, he should not escape, though
they should both fire; so the other stood ready with his piece,
that if he did not drop at the first shot, he should be sure to
have a second. But the first was too good a marksman to
miss his aim; for as the savages kept near one another, a little
behind, in a line, he fired, and hit two of them directly: the
foremost was killed outright, being shot in the head; the se-
cond, which was the runaway Indian, was shot through the
body, and fell, but was not quite dead; and the third had a
little scratch in the shoulder, perhaps by the same ball that
went through the body of the second; and being dreadfully
frightened, though not so much hurt, sat down upon the
ground, screaming and yelling in a hideous manner.
The five that were behind, more frightened with the noise
than sensible of the danger, stood still at first; for the woods
made the sound a thousand times bigger than it really was, the
echoes rattling from one side to another, and the fowls rising
from all parts, screaming, and every sort making a different
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63
noise, according to their kind; just as it was when I fired the
first
gun that perhaps was ever shot off in the island.
However, all being silent again, and they not knowing what
the matter was, came on unconcerned, till they came to the
place where their companions lay, in a condition miserable
enough; and here the poor ignorant creatures, not sensible
that they were within reach of the same mischief, stood all of
a huddle over the wounded man, talking, and, as may be sup-
posed, inquiring of him how he came to be hurt; and who, it
is very rational to believe, told them, that a flash of fire first,
and immediately after that thunder from their gods, had killed
those two and wounded him; this, I say, is rational; for nothing
is more certain than that, as they saw no man near them, so
they had never heard a gun in all their lives, nor so much as
heard of a gun; neither knew they any thing of killing and
wounding at a distance with fire and bullets: if they had, one
might reasonably believe they would not have stood so uncon-
cerned in viewing the fate of their fellows, without some ap-
prehensions of their own.
Our two men, though, as they confessed to me, it grieved
them to be obliged to kill so many poor creatures, who, at the
same time, had no notion of their danger; yet, having them
all thus in their power, and the first having loaded his piece
again, resolved to let fly both together among them; and
singling out, by agreement, which to aim at, they shot together,
and killed, or very much wounded, four of them; the fifth,
frightened even to death, though not hurt, fell with the rest;
so that our men seeing them all fall together, thought they
had killed them all.
The belief that the savages were all killed made our two
men come boldly out from the tree before they had charged
their guns, which was a wrong step; and they were under
some surprise when they came to the place, and found no
less than four of them alive, and of them two very little hurt,
and one not at all: this obliged them to fall upon them with
the stocks of their muskets; and first they made sure of the
runaway savage, that had been the cause of all the mischief,
and of another that was hurt in the knee, and put them out
of their pain: then the man that was hurt not at all came
and kneeled down to them, with his two hands held up, and
made piteous moans to them, by gestures and signs, for his
life, but could not say one word to them that they could un-
derstand. However, they made signs to him to sit down at
the foot of a tree hard by; and one of the Englishmen, with a
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ADVENTURES OF
piece of rope twined, which he had by great chance in his
pocket, tied his two hands behind him, and there they left
him; and with what speed they could made after the other
two, which were gone before, fearing they, or any more of
them, should find the way to their covered place in the woods,
where their wives, and the few goods they had left, lay. They
came once in sight of the two men, but it was at a great dis-
tance; however, they had the satisfaction to see them cross
over a valley towards the sea, quite the contrary way from that
which led to their retreat, which they were afraid of; and
being satisfied with that, they went back to the tree where
they left their prisoner, who, as they supposed, was delivered
by his comrades, for he was gone, and the two pieces of rope-
yarn, with which they had bound him, lay just at the foot of
the tree.
They were now in as great a concern as before, not know-
ing what course to take, or how near the enemy might be, or
in what numbers; so they resolved to go away to the place
where their wives were, to see if all was well there, and to
make them easy, who were in fright enough to be sure; for
though the savages were their own country-folk, yet they
were most terribly afraid of them, and perhaps the more for
the knowledge they had of them.
When they came there, they found the savages had been in
the wood, and very near that place, but had not found it; for
it was indeed inaccessible, by the trees standing so thick, as
before, unless the persons seeking it had been directed by those
that knew it, which these did not: they found, therefore, every
thing very safe, only the women in a terrible fright. While
they were here, they had the comfort to have seven of the
Spaniards come to their assistance; the other ten, with their
servants, and old Friday, I mean Friday's father, where gone
in a body to defend their bower, and the corn and cattle that
was kept there, in case the savages should have roved over
to that side of the country; but they did not spread so far.
With the seven Spaniards came one of the three savages who,
as I said, were their prisoners formerly: and with them also
came the savage whom the Englishmen had left bound hand
and foot at the tree; for, it seems, they came that way, saw
the slaughter of the seven men, and unbound the eighth, and
Drought him along with them; where, however, they were
obliged to bind him again, as they had the two others who
were left when the third ran away.
The prisoners began now to be a burthen to them; and
they were so afraid of their escaping, that they were once ro-
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65
solving to kill them all, believing they were under an absolute
necessity to do so, for their own preservation. However, the
Spaniard governor would not consent to it; but ordered, for
the present, that they should be sent out of the way, to my
old cave in the valley, and be kept there, with two Spaniards
to guard them, and give them food for their subsistence, which
was done; and they were bound there hand and foot for that
night.
When the Spaniards came, the two Englishmen were so
encouraged, that they could not satisfy themselves to stay any
longer there; but taking five of the Spaniards and themselves,
with four muskets and a pistol among them, and two stout
quarter-staves, away they went in quest of the savages. And
first they came to the tree where the men lay that had been
killed; but it was easy to see that some more of the savages
bad been there, for they had attempted to carry their dead men
away, and had dragged two of them a good way, but had given
t over. From thence they advanced to the first rising ground,
where they had stood and seen their camp destroyed, and where
they had the mortification still to see some of the smoke; but
neither could they here see any of the savages. They then
resolved, though with all possible caution, to go forward, to-
wards their ruined plantation; but a little before they came
thither, coming in sight of the sea-shore, they saw plainly the
savages all embarked again in their canoes, in order to be gone.
They seemed sorry, at first, that there was no way to come at
them, to give them a parting blow; but, upon the whole, they
were very well satisfied to be rid of them.
The poor Englishmen being now twice ruined, and all their
improvements destroyed, the rest all agreed to come and help
them to rebuild, and to assist them with needful supplies.
Their three countrymen, who were not yet noted for having
the least inclination to do any good, yet as soon as they heard
of it, (for they living remote eastward, knew nothing of the
matter till all was over,) came and offered their help and assist-
ance, and did, very friendly, work for several days, to restore
their habitation, and make necessaries for them. And thus,
in a little time, they were set upon their legs again.
About two days after this, they had the farther satisfaction
of seeing three of the savages canoes come driving on shore,
and, at some distance from them, two drowned men: by which
they had reason to believe that they had met with a storm at
sea, which had overset some of them; for it had blown very
hard the night after they went off.
VOL. II.
K
66
ADVENTURES OF
However, as some might miscarry, so, on the other hand,
enough of them escaped to inform the rest, as well of what
they had done as of what had happened to them, and to whet
them on to another enterprize of the same nature; which they,
it seems, resolved to attempt, with sufficient force to carry all
before them: for except what the first man had told them of
inhabitants, they could say little of it of their own knowledge,
for they never saw one man; and the fellow being killed that
had affirmed it, they had no other witness to confirm it to
them.
It was five or six months after this before they heard any
more of the savages, in which time our men were in hopes
they had either forgot their former bad luck, or given over
hopes of better; when, on a sudden, they were invaded with
a most formidable fleet of no less than eight and twenty canoes,
full of savages, armed with bows and arrows, great clubs,
wooden swords, and such like engines of war; and they brought
such numbers with them, that, in short, it put all our people
into the utmost consternation.
As they came on shore in the evening, and at the eastermost
side of the island, our men had that night to consult and con-
sider what to do; and, in the first place, knowing that their
being entirely concealed was their only safety before, and
would be much more so now, while the number of their ene-
mies was so great, they therefore resolved, first of all, to take
down the huts which were built for the two Englishmen, and
drive away their goats to the old cave; because they supposed
the savages would go directly thither, as soon as it was day, to
play the old gaine over again, though they did not now land
within two leagues of it. In the next place, they drove away
all the flock of goats they had at the old bower, as I called it,
which belonged to the Spaniards; and, in short, left as little
appearance of inhabitants any where as was possible: and the
next morning early they posted themselves, with all their
force, at the plantation of the two men, to wait for their coming.
As they guessed, so it happened: these new invaders leaving
their canoes at the east end of the island, came ranging along
the shore, directly towards the place, to the number of two
hundred and fifty, as near as our men could judge. Our army
was but small, indeed; but that which was worse, they had
not arms for all their number neither. The whole account, it
seems, stood thus: first, as to men, seventeen Spaniards, five
Englishmen, old Friday, or Friday's father, the three slaves ta-
ken with the women, who proved very faithful, and three other
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
67
slaves, who lived with the Spaniards. To arm these, they had
eleven muskets, five pistols, three fowling-pieces, five muskets
or fowling-pieces, which were taken by me from the mutinous
seamen whom I reduced, two swords, and three old halberds.
To their slaves they did not give either musket or fuzee,
but they had every one a halberd, or a long staff, like a quarter-
staff, with a great spike of iron fastened into each end of it,
and by his side a hatchet; also every one of our men had a
hatchet. Two of the women could not be prevailed upon but
they would come into the fight, and they had bows and arrows,
which the Spaniards had taken from the savages when the
first action happened, which I have spoken of, where the In-
dians fought with one another; and the women had hatchets
too.
The Spaniard governor, whom I described so often, com-
manded the whole; and Will Atkins, who, though a dread-
ful fellow for wickedness, was a most daring, bold fellow, com-
manded under him. The savages came forward like lions;
and our men, which was the worst of their fate, had no advan-
tage in their situation; only that Will Atkins, who now proved
a most useful fellow, with six men, was planted just be-
hind a small thicket of bushes, as an advanced guard, with
orders to let the first of them pass by, and then fire into the
middle of them, and as soon as he had fired, to make his re-
treat as nimble as he could round a part of the wood, and so
come in behind the Spaniards, where they stood, having a
thicket of trees before them.
When the savages came on, they ran straggling about every
way in heaps, out of all manner of order, and Will Atkins let
about fifty of them pass by him; then seeing the rest come in
a very thick throng, he orders three of his men to fire, having
loaded their muskets with six or seven bullets a-piece, about
as big as large pistol-bullets. How many they killed or wounded
they knew not, but the consternation and surprise was inex-
pressible among the savages; they were frightened to the last
degree to hear such a dreadful noise, and see their men killed,
and others hurt, but see nobody that did it; when, in the mid-
dle of their fright, Will Atkins and his other three let fly again
among the thickest of them; and in less than a minute the
first three, being loaded again, gave them a third volley.
Had Will Atkins and his men retired immediately, as soon
as they had fired, as they were ordered to do, or had the rest
of the body been at hand, to have poured in their shot con-
tinually, the savages had been effectually routed; for the ter-
68
ADVENTURES OF
ror that was among them came principally from this, viz. that
they were killed by the gods with thunder and lightning, and
could see nobody that hurt them; but Will Atkins, staying to
load again, discovered the cheat: some of the savages who
were at a distance spying them, came upon them behind;
and though Atkins and his men fired at them also, two or
three times, and killed above twenty, retiring as fast as they
could, yet they wounded Atkins himself, and killed one of his
fellow Englishmen with their arrows, as they did afterwards
one Spaniard, and one of the Indian slaves who came with the
This slave was a most gallant fellow, and fought
most desperately, killing five of them with his own hand,
having no weapon but one of the armed staves and a hatchet.
women.
Our men being thus hard laid at, Atkins wounded, and two
other men killed, retreated to a rising ground in the wood;
and the Spaniards, after firing three vollies upon them, retreat-
ed also; for their number was so great, and they were so de-
sperate, that though above fifty of them were killed, and more
than as many wounded, yet they came on in the teeth of our
men, fearless of danger, and shot their arrows like a cloud;
and it was observed that their wounded men, who were not
quite disabled, were made outrageous by their wounds, and
fought like madmen.
When our men retreated, they left the Spaniard and the
Englishman that was killed behind them; and the savages,
when they came up to them, killed them over again in a
wretched manner, breaking their arms, legs and heads, with
their clubs and wooden swords, like true savages; but finding
our men were gone, they did not seem to pursue them, but
drew themselves up in a ring, which is, it seems, their cus-
tom, and shouted twice, in token of their victory; after
which, they had the mortification to see several of their
wounded men fall, dying with the mere loss of blood.
The Spaniard governor having drawn his little body up to-
gether upon a rising ground, Atkins, though he was wounded,
would have had them march and charge again altogether at
once but the Spaniard replied, “ Seignior Atkins, you see how
their wounded men fight, let them alone till morning; all the
wounded men will be stiff and sore with their wounds, and
faint with the loss of blood; and so we shall have the fewer
to engage." This advice was good; but Will Atkins replied
merrily, "That is true, Seignior, and so shall I too; and that
is the reason I would go on while I am warm. "Well,
Seignior Atkins," says the Spaniard, " you have behaved gal-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
69
lantly, and done your part; we will fight for you, if you can-
not come on; but I think it best to stay till morning :" so
they waited.
;
But as it was a clear moon-light night, and they found the
savages in great disorder about their dead and wounded men,
and a great noise and hurry among them where they lay, they
afterwards resolved to fall upon them in the night; especially
if they could come to give them but one volley before they
were discovered, which they had a fair opportunity to do
for one of the two Englishmen, in whose quarter it was where
the fight began, led them round between the woods and the
sea-side westward, and then turning short south, they came
so near where the thickest of them lay, that, before they were
seen or heard, eight of them fired in among them, and did
dreadful execution upon them; in half a minute more, eight
others fired after them, pouring in their small shot in such a
quantity, that abundance were killed and wounded; and all
this while they were not able to see who hurt them, or which
way to fly.
The Spaniards charged again with the utmost expedition
and then divided themselves into three bodies, and resolved to
fall in among them altogether. They had in each body eight
persons, that is to say, twenty-two men, and the two women,
who, by the way, fought desperately. They divided the fire-
arms equally in each party, and so the halberds and staves.
They would have had the women kept back, but they said
they were resolved to die with their husbands. Having thus
formed their little army, they marched out from among the
trees, and came up to the teeth of the enemy, shouting and
hollowing as loud as they could: the savages stood all
ogether, but were in the utmost confusion, hearing the noise
of our men shouting from three quarters together: they
would have fought if they had seen us; for as soon as we
came near enough to be seen, some arrows were shot, and
poor old Friday was wounded, though not dangerously; but
our men gave them no time, but running up to them, fired
among them three ways, and then fell in with the but-ends
of their muskets, their swords, armed staves, and hatchets,
and laid about them so well, that, in a word, they set up a
dismal screaming and howling, flying to save their lives
which way soever they could.
Our men were tired with the execution, and killed or mor-
tally wounded in the two fights about 180 of them; the rest
being frightened out of their wits, scoured through the wooda
70
ADVENTURES OF
and over the hills, with all the speed fear and nimble feet
could help them to do; and as we did not trouble ourselves
much to pursue them, they got all together to the sea-side
where they landed, and where their canoes lay. But their
disaster was not at an end yet; for it blew a terrible storm of
wind that evening from the sea, so that it was impossible for
them to go off; nay, the storm continuing all night, when the
tide came up, their canoes were most of them driven by the
surge of the sea so high upon the shore, that it required in-
finite toil to get them off; and some of them were even dash-
ed to pieces against the beach, or against one another.
Our men, though glad of their victory, yet got little rest
that night; but having refreshed themselves as well as they
could, they resolved to march to that part of the island where
the savages were fled, and see what posture they were in.
This necessarily led them over the place where the fight had
been, and where they found several of the poor creatures not
quite dead, and yet past recovering life; a sight disagreeable
enough to generous minds; for a truly great man, though
obliged by the law of battle to destroy his enemy, takes no de-
light in his misery. However, there was no need to give any
orders in this case; for their own savages, who were their
servants, dispatched these poor creatures with their hatchets.
At length, they came in view of the place where the more
miserable remains of the savages army lay, where there ap-
peared about an hundred still: their posture was generally
sitting upon the ground, with their knees up towards their
mouth, and the head put between the two hands, leaning
down upon the knees.
When our men came within two musket-shots of them, the
Spaniard governor ordered two muskets to be fired, without
ball, to alarm them this he did, that by their countenance
he might know what to expect, viz. whether they were still
in heart to fight, or were so heartily beaten as to be dispirited
and discouraged, and so he might manage accordingly. This
stratagem took; for as soon as the savages heard the first gun
and saw the flash of the second, they started up upon their
feet in the greatest consternation imaginable: and as our men
advanced swiftly towards them, they all ran screaming and
yelling away, with a kind of howling noise, which our mer
did not understand, and had never heard before; and thus
they run up the hills into the country.
At first our men had much rather the weather had been
calm, and they had all gone away to sea; but they did not
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
71
then consider that this might probably have been the occasion
of their coming again in such multitudes as not to be resisted,
or, at least, to come so many, and so often, as would quite
desolate the island, and starve them. Will Atkins, therefore,
who, notwithstanding his wound, kept always with them,
proved the best counsellor in this case: his advice was to take
the advantage that offered, and clap in between them and
their boats, and so deprive them of the capacity of ever re-
turning any more to plague the island.
They consulted long about this; and some were against it,
for fear of making the wretches fly to the woods and live
there desperate, and so they should have them to hunt like
wild beasts, be afraid to stir out about their business, and
have their plantation continually rifled, all their tame goats
destroyed, and, in short, be reduced to a life of continual di-
stress.
Will Atkins told them they had better have to do with an
hundred men than with an hundred nations: that as they
must destroy their boats, so they must destroy the men, or be
all of them destroyed themselves. In a word, he showed them
the necessity of it so plainly, that they all came into it; so
they went to work immediately with the boats, and getting
some dry wood together from a dead tree, they tried to set
some of them on fire, but they were so wet that they would
not burn; however, the fire so burned the upper part, that it
soon made them unfit for swimming in the sea as boats.
When the Indians saw what they were about, some of them
came running out of the woods, and coming as near as they
could to our men, kneeled down and cried, Oa, Oa, Waram-
okoa," and some other words of their language, which none of
the others understood any thing of; but as they made pitiful
gestures and strange noises, it was easy to understand they
begged to have their boats spared, and that they would be gone,
and never come there again. But our men were now satisfied
that they had no way to preserve themselves, or to save their
colony, but effectually to prevent any of these people from
ever going home again : depending upon this, that if even so
much as one of them got back into their country to tell the
story, the colony was undone; so that letting them know that
they should not have any mercy, they fell to work with their
canoes, and destroyed them every one that the storm had not
destroyed before; at the sight of which the savages raised a
hideous cry in the woods, which our people heard plain enough,
after which they ran about the island like distracted men; so
72
ADVENTURES OF
हैं.
that, in a word, our men did not really know at first what to
do with them. Nor did the Spaniards, with all their prudence,
consider, that while they made those people thus desperate,
they ought to have kept a good guard at the same time upon
their plantations; for though, it is true, they had driven away
their cattle, and the Indians did not find out their main
retreat, I mean my old castle at the hill, nor the cave
in the valley, yet they found out my plantation at the
bower, and pulled it all to pieces, and all the fences and
planting about it; trod all the corn under foot, tore up the
vines and grapes, being just then almost ripe, and did our men
an inestimable damage, though to themselves not one farthing's
worth of service.
Though our men were able to fight them upon all occa-
sions, yet they were in no condition to pursue them, or hunt
them up and down; for as they were too nimble of foot for
our men, when they found them single, so our men durst
not go abroad single, for fear of being surrounded with their
numbers. The best was, they had no weapons; for though
they had bows, they had no arrows left, nor any materials to
make any; nor had they any edged tool or weapon among
them.
The extremity and distress they were reduced to was great,
and indeed deplorable; but, at the same time, our men were
also brought to very bad circumstances by them; for though
their retreats were preserved, yet their provision was destroy-
ed, and their harvest spoiled; and what to do, or which way
to turn themselves, they knew not. The only refuge they had
now was the stock of cattle they had in the valley by the cave,
and some little corn which grew there, and the plantation of
the three Englishmen, Will Atkins and his comrades, who
were now reduced to two; one of them being killed by an
arrow, which struck him on the side of his head, just under
the temples, so that he never spoke more and it was very
remarkable, that this was the same barbarous fellow that cut
the poor savage slave with his hatchet, and who afterwards
intended to have murdered the Spaniards.
I looked upon their case to have been worse at this time
than mine was at any time, after I first discovered the grains
of barley and rice, and got into the manner of planting and
raising my corn, and my tame cattle; for now they had, as I
may say, an hundred wolves upon the island, which would
devour every thing they could come at, yet could be hardly
come at themselves.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
73
:
When they saw what their circumstances were, the first
thing they concluded was, that they would, if possible, drive
them up to the farther part of the island, south-west, that if
any more savages came on shore they might not find one
another then that they would daily hunt and harrass them,
and kill as many of them as they could come at, till they
had reduced their number; and if they could at last tame
them, and bring them to any thing, they would give them
corn, and teach them how to plant, and live upon their daily
labour.
In order to this, they so followed them, and so terrified
them with their gur, that in a few days if any of them fired
a gun at an Indian, if he did not hit him, yet he would fall
down for fear; and o dreadfully frightened they were, that
they kept out of sig farther and farther; till, at last, our
men following them,
ing some of them, they
a
almost every day killing or wound-
cpt up in the woods or hollow places
so much, that it reduced them to the utmost misery for want
of food; and many werc afterwards found dead in the woods,
without any hurt, absolutely starved to death.
When our men found this, it made their hearts relent, and
pity moved them, especially the Spaniard governor, who was
the most gentleman-like. generous minded man, that ever I
met with in my life; and he proposed, if possible, to take
one of them alive, and bring him to understand what they
meant, so far as to be able to act as interpreter, and go among
them, and see if they might be brought to some conditions
that might be depended upon, to save their lives and do us ne
harm.
It was some while before any of them could be taken;
but being weak and half-starved, one of them was at last sur-
prised and made a prisoner. He was sullen at first, and
would neither eat or drink; but finding himself kindly used,
and victuals given him, and no violence offered him, he at
last grew tractable, and came to himself. They brought old
Friday to him, who talked often with him, and told him how
kind the others would be to them all; that they would not
only save their lives, but would give them part of the island to
live in, provided they would give satisfaction that they would
keep in their own bounds, and not come beyond it to injure
or prejudice others; and that they should have corn given
them to plant and make it grow for their bread, and some
bread given them for their present subsistence and old Fri-
day bade the fellow go and talk with the rest of his country-
VOL. II.
J
:
ADVENTURES OF
men, and see what they said to it; assuring them, that if they
d not agree immediately, they should be all destroyed.
The poor wretches, thoroughly humbled, and reduced in
number to about thirty-seven, closed with the proposal at
the first offer, and begged to have some food given them ;
upon which, twelve Spaniards and two Englishmen, well
armed, with three Indian slaves and old Friday, marched to
the place where they were. The three Indian slaves carried
them a large quantity of bread, some rice boiled up to cakes
and dried in the sun, and three live goats; and they were or-
dered to go to the side of a hill, where they sat down, ate
their provisions very thankfully, and were the most faithful
fellows to their words that could be thought of; for, except
when they came to beg victuals and directions, they never
came out of their bounds: and there they lived when I came
to the island, and I went to see them.
They had taught them both to plant corn, make bread,
breed tame goats, and milk them they wanted nothing but
wives, and they soon would have been a nation. They were
confined to a neck of land, surrounded with high rocks be-
hind them, and lying plain towards the sea before them, ou
the south-east corner of the island. They had land enough,
and it was very good and fruitful; about a mile and a half
broad, and three or four miles in length.
Our men taught them to make wooden spades, such as I
made for myself, and gave among them twelve hatchets and
three or four knives; and there they lived, the most subjected
innocent creatures that ever were heard of.
After this, the colony enjoyed a perfect tranquillity with
respect to the savages till I came to revisit them, which was
about two years after; not but that, now and then, some
canoes of savages came on shore for their triumphal, unnatural
feasts; but as they were of several nations, and perhaps had
never heard of those that came before, or the reason of it,
they did not make any search or inquiry after their country-
men; and if they had, it would have been very hard to have
found them out.
Thus, I think, I have given a full account of all that hap-
pened to them till my return, at least, that was worth notice
The Indians or savages were wonderfully civilized by them.
and they frequently went among them; but forbid, on pain o
death, any one of the Indians coming to them, because they
would not have their settlement betrayed again. One thing
was very remarkable, viz. that they taught the savages to mak
wicker-work, or baskets, but they soon outdid their masters,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
75
for they made abundance of most ingenious things in wicker-
work, particularly all sorts of baskets, sieves, bird-cages, cup-
boards, &c.; as also chairs to sit on, stools, beds, couches,
and abundance of other things; being very ingenious at such
work, when they were once put in the way of it.
:
My coming was a particular relief to these people, because
we furnished them with knives, scissars, spades, shovels, pick-
axes, and all things of that kind which they could want. With
the help of those tools they were so very handy, that they
came at last to build up their huts, or houses, very handsomely,
raddling or working it up like basket-work all the way round;
which was a very extraordinary piece of ingenuity, and looked
very odd, but was an exceeding good fence, as well against
heat as against all sorts of vermin; and our men were so
taken with it, that they got the wild savages to come and do
the like for them; so that when I came to see the two
Englishmen's colonies, they looked, at a distance, as if they
all lived like bees in a hive. As for Will Atkins, who was
now become a very industrious, useful, and sober fellow, be
had made himself such a tent of basket-work, as, I believe, was
never seen; it was 120 paces round on the outside, as I mea-
sured by my steps; the walls were as close worked as a bas-
ket, in pannels or squares of thirty-two in number, and very
strong, standing about seven feet high in the middle was
another not above twenty-two paces round, but built stronger,
being octagon in its form, and in the eight corners stood eight
very strong posts; round the top of which he laid strong pieces,
pinned together with wooden pins, from which he raised a
pyramid for a roof of eight rafters, very handsome, I assure
you, and joined together very well, though he had no nails,
and only a few iron spikes, which he made himself too, out
of the old iron that I had left there; and, indeed, this fellow
showed abundance of ingenuity in several things which he
had no knowledge of: he made him a forge, with a pair of
wooden bellows to blow the fire; he made himself charcoal
for his work; and he formed out of the iron crows a middling
good anvil to hammer upon : in this manner he made
many things, but especially hooks, staples and spikes, bolts
and hinges. But, to return to the house: After he had
pitched the roof of his innermost tent, he worked it up be-
tween the rafters with basket-work, so firm, and thatched that
over again so ingeniously with rice-straw, and over that a large
leaf of a tree, which covered the top, that his house was as
dry as if it had been tiled or slated. Indeed, he owned that
76
ADVENTURES OF
the savages had made the basket-work for him. The outer
circuit was covered as a lean-to, all round this inner apart-
ment, and long rafters lay from the thirty-two angles to the
top posts of the inner house, being about twenty feet distant ;
so that there was a space like a walk within the outer wicker-
wall and without the inner, near twenty feet wide.
The inner place he partitioned off with the same wicker-
work, but much fairer, and divided it into six apartments, so
that he had six rooms on a floor, and out of every one of
these there was a door; first into the entry, or coming into
the main tent, another door into the main tent, and another
door into the space or walk that was round it; so that walk
was also divided into six equal parts, which served not only
for a retreat, but to store up any necessaries which the family
had occasion for. These six spaces not taking up the whole
circumference, what other apartments the outer circle had
were thus ordered :-As soon as you were in at the door of
the outer circle, you had a short passage strait before you to
the door of the inner house; but on either side was a wicker
partition, and a door in it, by which you went first into a
large room, or storehouse, twenty feet wide, and about thirty
feet long, and through that into another, not quite so long;
so that in the outer circle were ten handsome rooms, six of
which were only to be come at through the apartments of the
inner tent, and served as closets or retiring rooms to the re-
spective chambers of the inner circle, and four large ware-
houses, or barns, or what you please to call them, which went
through one another, two on either hand of the passage, that
led through the outer door to the inner tent.
Such piece of basket-work, I believe, was never seen in
the world, nor a house or tent so neatly contrived, much less
so built.
In this great bee-hive lived the three families, that
is to say, Will Atkins and his companion; the third was kill-
ed, but his wife remained, with three children, for she was, it
seems, big with child when he died and the other two were
not at all backward to give the widow her full share of every
thing, I mean, as to their corn, milk, grapes, &c. and when
they killed a kid, or found a turtle on the shore; so that they
all lived well enough; though, it was true, they were not so
ndustrious as the other two, as has been observed already.
:
One thing, however, cannot be omitted, viz. that as for re-
ligion, I do not know that there was any thing of that kind
among them: they often, indeed, put one another in mind
that there was a God, by the very common method of seamen,
viz. swearing by his name: nor were their poor ignorant
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
77
savage wives much better for having been married to Christ-
ians, as we must call them; for as they knew very little of
God themselves, so they were utterly incapable of entering
into any discourse with their wives about a God, or to talk
any thing to them concerning religion.
The utmost of all the improvement which I can say the
wives had made from them was, that they had taught them
to speak English pretty well; and most of their children,
which were near twenty in all, were taught to speak English
too, from their first learning to speak, though they at first
spoke it in a very broken manner, like their mothers. There
was none of these children above six years old when I came
thither, for it was not much above seven years that they had
fetched these five savage ladies over; but they had all been
pretty fruitful, for they had all children, more or less; I think
the cook's mate's wife was big of her sixth child; and the
mothers were all a good sort of well-governed, quiet, laborious
women, modest and decent, helpful to one another, mighty
observant and subject to their masters (I cannot call them
husbands) and wanted nothing but to be well instructed in the
Christian religion, and to be legally married; both which
were happily brought about afterwards by my means
least, in consequence of my coming among them.
or at
Having thus given an account of the colony in general, and
pretty much of my runagate English, I must say something
of the Spaniards, who were the main body of the family, and
in whose story there are some incidents also remarkable
enough.
I had a great many discourses with them about their cir-
cumstances when they were among the savages. They told
me readily that they had no instances to give of their applica-
tion or ingenuity in that country; that they were a poor,
miserable, dejected handful of people; that if means had been
put into their hands, yet they had so abandoned themselves
to despair, and so sunk under the weight of their misfortune,
that they thought of nothing but starving. One of them, a
grave and sensible man, told me he was convinced they were
in the wrong; that it was not the part of wise men to give
themselves up to their misery, but always to take hold of the
helps which reason offered, as well for present support as for
future deliverance: he told me that grief was the most sense-
less insignificant passion in the world, for that it regarded
only things past, which were generally impossible to be recall-
ed, or to be remedied, but had no views of things to come,
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ADVENTURES OF
and had no share in any thing that looked like deliverance, but
rather added to the affliction than proposed a remedy; and
upon this he repeated a Spanish proverb, which, though I can-
not repeat in just the same words that he spoke it in, yet I re-
member I made it into an English proverb of my own, thus:
In trouble to be troubled,
Is to have your trouble doubled.
He run on then in remarks upon all the little improvements
I had made in my solitude; my unwearied application, as he
called it, and how I had made a condition which in its circum-
stances was at first much worse than theirs, a thousand times
more happy than theirs was, even now when they were all to-
gether. He told me it was remarkable that Englishmen had a
greater presence of mind, in their distress, than any people that
ever he met with: that their unhappy nation and the Portu-
guese were the worst men in the world to struggle with mis-
fortunes; for that their first step in dangers, after the common
efforts were over, was to despair, lie down under it, and die,
without rousing their thoughts up to proper remedies for escape.
I told him their case and mine differed exceedingly; that
they were cast upon the shore without necessaries, without
supply of food or present sustenance, till they could provide ;
that, it was true, I had this disadvantage and discomfort, that
I was alone; but then the supplies I had providentially thrown
into my hands, by the unexpected driving of the ship on shore,
was such a help as would have encouraged any creature in the
world to have applied himself as I had done. Seignior,"
says the Spaniard," had we poor Spaniards been in your case,
we should never have got half those things out of the ship, as
you did: nay,” says he, we should never have found means
to have got a raft to carry them, or to have got the raft on shore
without boat or sail: and how much less should we have done
if any of us had been alone?" Well, I desired him to abate his
compliment, and go on with the history of their coming on
shore, where they landed. He told me they unhappily landed
at a place where there were people without provisions;
whereas, had they had the common sense to have put off to
sea again, and gone to another island a little farther, they had
found provisions, though without people; there being an
island that way, as they had been told, where there were
provisions, though no people; that is to say, that the Spa-
niards of Trinidad had frequently been there, and had filled
the island with goats and hogs at several times, where
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
79
they had bred in such multitudes, and where turtle and sea-
fowls were in such plenty, that they could have been in no
want of flesh, though they had found no bread; whereas here,
they were only sustained with a few roots and herbs, which
they understood not, and which had no substance in them, and
which the inhabitants gave them sparingly enough; and who
could treat them no better, unless they would turn cannibals,
and eat men's flesh, which was the great dainty of their country.
They gave me an account how many ways they strove to
civilize the savages they were with, and to teach them rational
customs in the ordinary way of living, but in vain; and how
they retorted it upon them, as unjust, that they, who came
there for assistance and support, should attempt to set up for
instructors of those that gave them food; intimating, it seems,
that none should set up for the instructors of others but those
who could live without them.
:
They gave me dismal accounts of the extremities they were
driven too; how sometimes they were many days without any
food at all, the island they were upon being inhabited by a sort
of savages that lived more indolent, and for that reason were
less supplied with the necessaries of life, than they had reason
to believe others were in the same part of the world and yet
they found that these savages were less ravenous and vora-
cious than those who had better supplies of food. Also they
added, they could not but see with what demonstrations of
wisdom and goodness the governing providence of God directs
the events of things in the world; which, they said, appeared
in their circumstances; for if, pressed by the hardships they
were under, and the barrenness of the country where they
were, they had searched after a better to live in, they had then
been out of the way of the relief that happened to them by
my means.
; ܪ
They then gave me an account how the savages whom they
lived among expected them to go out with them into their
wars; and, it was true, that as they had fire-arms with them,
had they not had the disaster to lose their ammunition, they
should have been serviceable not only to their friends, but have
made themselves terrible both to friends and enemies but
being without powder and shot, and yet in a condition that
they could not in reason deny to go out with their landlords to
their wars, so when they came into the field of battle, they
were in a worse condition than the savages themselves; for
they had neither bows nor arrows, nor could they use those the
savages gave them; so they could do nothing but stand still,
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ADVENTURES OF
and be wounded with arrows, till they came up to the teeth of
their enemy; and then, indeed, the three halberds they had
were of use to them; and they would often drive a whole little
army before them with those halberds, and sharpened sticks put
into the muzzles of their muskets: but that, for all this, they
were sometimes surrounded with multitudes, and in great dan-
ger from their arrows till at last they found the way to make
themselves large targets of wood, which they covered with
skins of wild beasts, whose names they knew not, and these
covered them from the arrows of the savages: that, notwith-
standing these, they were sometimes in great danger; and
five of them were once knocked down together with the clubs
of the savages, which was the time when one of them was
taken prisoner, that is to say, the Spaniard whom I had re-
lieved that at first they thought he had been killed; but when
they afterwards heard he was taken prisoner, they were under
the greatest grief imaginable, and would willingly have all ven-
tured their lives to have rescued him.
:
They told me that when they were so knocked down, the
rest of their company rescued them, and stood over them fight-
ing till they were come to themselves, all but him whom they
thought had been dead; and then they made their way with
their halberds and pieces, standing close together in a line,
through a body of above a thousand savages, beating down all
that came in their way, got the victory over their enemies,
but to their great sorrow, because it was with the loss of their
friend, whom the other party, finding him alive, carried off,
with some others, as I gave an account before.
They described most affectionately how they were surprised
with joy at the return of their friend and companion in misery,
who, they thought, had been devoured by wild beasts of the
worst kind, viz. by wild men; and yet how more and more
they were surprised with the account he gave them of his errand,
and that there was a Christian in any place near, much more
one that was able, and had humanity enough to contribute to
their deliverance.
They described how they were astonished at the sight of
the relief I sent them, and at the appearance of loaves of
bread, things they had not seen since their coming to that
miserable place; how often they crossed and blessed it as
bread sent from Heaven; and what a reviving cordial it was
to their spirits to taste it, as also the other things I had sent
for their supply: and, after all, they would have told me
something of the joy they were in at the sight of a boat and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
81
pilots, to carry them away to the person and place from
whence all these new comforts came, but it was impossible to
express it by words, for their excessive joy naturally driving
them to unbecoming extravagancies, they had no way to de-
scribe them, but by telling me they bordered upon lunacy,
having no way to give vent to their passions suitable to the
sense that was upon them; that in some it worked one way, and
in some another; and that some of them, through a surprise
of joy, would burst into tears, others be stark mad, and others
immediately faint. This discourse extremely affected me,
and called to my mind Friday's extasy when he met his
father, and the poor people's extasy when I took them up at
sea after their ship was on fire; the joy of the mate of the ship
when he found himself delivered in the place where he ex-
pected to perish; and my own joy, when, after twenty-eight
years captivity, I found a good ship ready to carry me to my
own country. All these things made me more sensible of the
relation of these poor men, and more affected with it.
Having thus given a view of the state of things as I found
them, I must relate the heads of what I did for these people,
and the condition in which I left them. It was their opinion,
and mine too, that they would be troubled no more with the
savages, or if they were, they would be able to cut them off,
if they were twice as many as before; so they had no concern
about that. Then I entered into a serious discourse with the
Spaniard, whom I call governor, about their stay in the island;
for as I was not come to carry any of them off, so it would
not be just to carry off some and leave others, who, perhaps,
would be unwilling to stay if their strength was diminished.
On the other hand, I told them I came to establish them there,
not to remove them: and then I let them know that I had
brought with me relief of sundry kinds for them; that I had
been at a great charge to supply them with all things necessary,
as well for their convenience as their defence; and that I had
such and such particular persons with me, as well to increase
and recruit their number, as by the particular necessary em-
ployments which they were bred to, being artificers, to assist
them in those things in which at present they were in want.
They were altogether when I talked thus to them; and be-
fore I delivered to them the stores I had brought, I asked
them, one by one, if they had entirely forgot and buried the
first animosities that had been among them, and would shake
hands with one another, and engage in a strict friendship and
union of interest, that so there might be no more misunder-
standings or jealousies.
VOL. II.
M
4
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ADVENTURES OF
Will Atkins, with abundance of frankness and good hu-
mour, said, they had met with affliction enough to make
them all sober, and enemies enough to make them all friends ;
that, for his part, he would live and die with them; and was
so far from designing any thing against the Spaniards, that he
owned they had done nothing to him but what his own mad
humour made necessary, and what he would have done, and
perhaps worse, in their case; and that he would ask them
pardon, if I desired it, for the foolish and brutish things he
had done to them, and was very willing and desirous of
living in terms of entire friendship and union with them; and
would do any thing that lay in his power to convince them of
it; and as for going to England, he cared not if he did not go
thither these twenty years.
The Spaniards said, they had, indeed, at first disarmed and
excluded Will Atkins and his two countrymen for their ill
conduct, as they had let me know, and they appealed to me
for the necessity they were under to do so; but that Will
Atkins had behaved himself so bravely in the great fight they
bad with the savages, and on several occasions since, and had
showed himself so faithful to, and concerned for, the general
interest of them all, that they had forgotten all that was past,
and thought he merited as much to be trusted with arms, and
supplied with necessaries, as any of them; and they had tes-
tified their satisfaction in him, by committing the command
to him, next to the governor himself; and as they had entire
confidence in him, and all his countrymen, so they acknow-
ledged they had merited that confidence by all the methods
that honest men could merit to be valued and trusted; and
they most heartily embraced the occasion of giving me this
assurance, that they would never have any interest separate
from one another.
Upon these frank and open declarations of friendship, we
appointed the next day to dine altogether; and, indeed, we
made a splendid feast. I caused the ship's cook and his mate
to come on shore and dress our dinner, and the old cook's
mate we had on shore assisted. We brought on shore six
pieces of good beef, and four pieces of pork, out of the ship's
provision, with our punch-bowl, and materials to fill it; and,
in particular, I gave them ten bottles of French claret, and ten
bottles of English beer; things that neither the Spaniards or
the English had tasted for many years, and which, it may be
supposed, they were very glad of. The Spaniards added to
our feast five whole kids, which the cooks roasted; and three
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
83
of them were sent, covered up close, on board the ship to the
seamen, that they might feast on fresh meat from on shore,
as we did with their salt meat from on board.
After this feast, at which we were very innocently merry
I brought out my cargo of goods; wherein, that there might
be no dispute about dividing, I showed them that there was a
sufficiency for them all, desiring that they might all take an
equal quantity of the goods that were for wearing; that is to
say, equal when made up. As, first, I distributed linen suf-
ficient to make every one of them four shirts, and, at the
Spaniards request, afterwards made them up six; these
were exceeding comfortable to them, having been what, as I
may say, they had long since forgot the use of, or what it was
to wear them. I allotted the thin English stuffs, which I
mentioned before, to make every one a light coat like a frock,
which I judged fittest for the heat of the season, cool and
loose; and ordered that whenever they decayed they should
make more, as they thought fit; the like for pumps, shoes,
stockings, hats, &c.
I cannot express what pleasure, what satisfaction sat upon
the countenances of all these poor men, when they saw the
care I had taken of them, and how well I had furnished them.
They told me I was a father to them; and that having such
a correspondent as I was in so remote a part of the world, it
would make them forget that they were left in a desolate
place; and they all voluntarily engaged to me not to leave
the place without my consent.
Then I presented to them the people I had brought with
me, particularly the tailor, the smith, and the two carpenters,
all of them most necessary people; but, above all, my general
artificer, than whom they could not name any thing that was
more useful to them: and the tailor, to show his concern for
them, went to work immediately, and, with my leave, made
them every one a shirt, the first thing he did; and, which
was still more, he taught the women not only how to sew
and stitch, and use the needle, but made them assist to make
the shirts for their husbands, and for all the rest.
As to the carpenters, I scarce need mention how useful
they were; for they took to pieces all my clumsy, unhandy
things, and made them clever convenient tables, stools, bed-
steads, cup-boards, lockers, shelves, and every thing they
wanted of that kind. But to let them see how nature made
artificers at first, I carried the carpenters to see Will Atkins's
basket-house, as I called it; and they both owned they never
84
ADVENTURES OF
;
saw an instance of such natural ingenuity before, nor any
thing so regular and so handily built, at least of its kind
zid one of them, when he saw it, after musing a good while,
*irning about to me, " I am sure," says he, that man has
no need of us; you need do nothing but give him tools.”
Then I brought them out all my store of tools, and gave
every man a digging spade, a shovel, and a rake, for we had
no harrows or ploughs; and to every separate place a pick-
axe, a crow, a broad-axe, and a saw; always appointing, that
as often as any were broken or worn out they should be sup-
plied, without grudging, out of the general stores that I left be-
hind. Nails, staples, hinges, hammers, chisels, knives, scissars,
and all sorts of iron-work, they had without tale, as they re-
quired; for no man would take more than he wanted, and he
must be a fool that would waste or spoil them on any account
whatever; and, for the use of the smith, I left two tons of un-
wrought iron for a supply.
My magazine of powder and arms which I brought them
was such, even to profusion, that they could not but rejoice at
them; for now they could march as I used to do, with a
musket upon each shoulder, if there was occasion, and were
able to fight a thousand savages, if they had but some little
advantages of situation, which also they could not miss, if
they had occasion.
:
I carried on shore with me the young man whose mother
was starved to death, and the maid also she was a sober,
well educated, religious young woman, and behaved so in-
offensively, that every one gave her a good word; she had,
indeed, an unhappy life with us, there being no woman in the
ship but herself, but she bore it with patience. After a while,
seeing things so well ordered, and in so fine a way of thriving
upon my island, and considering that they had neither business
or acquaintance in the East Indies, or reason for taking so long
a voyage; I say, considering all this, both of them came to
me, and desired I would give them leave to remain on the
island, and be entered among my family, as they called it. I
agreed to this readily; and they had a little plot of ground
allotted to them, where they had three tents or houses set up,
surrounded with a basket-work, pallisadoed like Atkins's, ad-
joining to his plantation. Their tents were contrived so that
they had each of them a room apart to lodge in, and a middle
tent, like a great storehouse, to lay their goods in, and to eat
and drink in. And now the other two Englishmen removed their
habitation to the same place; and so the island was divided into
three colonies, and no more, viz. the Spaniards, with old Fri-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
85
day, and the first servants, at my old habitation under the hill,
which was, in a word, the capital city; and where they had
so enlarged and extended their works, as well under as on the
outside of the hill, that they lived, though perfectly concealed,
yet full at large. Never was there such a little city in a wood,
and so hid in any part of the world; for I verily believe a
thousand men might have ranged the island a month, and, if
they had not known there was such a thing, and looked on
purpose for it, they would not have found it; for the trees
stood so thick and so close, and grew so fast woven one into
another, that nothing but cutting them down first could disco-
ver the place, except the only two narrow entrances where
they went in and out could be found, which was not very easy;
one of them was close down at the water's edge, on the side of
the creek, and it was afterwards above two hundred yards to
the place; and the other was up a ladder at twice, as I have
already formerly described it; and they had also a large wood
thick planted on the top of the hill, containing above an
acre, which grew apace, and concealed the place from all disco-
very there, with only one narrow place between two trees, not
easily to be discovered, to enter on that side.
The other colony was that of Will Atkins, where there
were four families of Englishmen, I mean those I had left there,
with their wives and children; three savages that were slaves ;
the widow and the children of the Englishman that was killed;
the young man and the maid; and, by the way, we made a
wife of her before we went away. There was also the two
carpenters and the tailor, whom I brought with me for them;
also the smith, who was a very necessary man to them, espe-
cially as a gunsmith, to take care of their arms; and my other
man, whom I called Jack of all trades, who was in himself as
good almost as twenty men; for he was not only a very inge-
nious fellow, but a very merry fellow; and before I went away
we married him to the honest maid that came with the youth
in the ship I mentioned before.
And now I speak of marrying, it brings me naturally to say
something of the French ecclesiastic that I had brought with
me out of the ship's crew whom I took up at sea. It is true,
this man was a Roman, and perhaps it may give offence to
some hereafter, if I leave any thing extraordinary upon record
of a man whom, before I begin, I must (to set him out in just
colours) represent in terms very much to his disadvantage, in
the account of Protestants: as, first, that he was a Papist; se-
condly, a Popish priest; and, thirdly, a French Popish priest.
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ADVENTURES OF
But justice demands of me to give him a due character; and
I must say, he was a grave, sober, pious, and most religious
person; exact in his life, extensive in his charity, and exem-
plary in almost every thing he did. What then can any one
say against being very sensible of the value of such a man
notwithstanding his profession? though it may be my opinion,
perhaps, as well as the opinion of others who shall read this,
that he was mistaken.
(
The first hour that I began to converse with him after he
had agreed to go with me to the East Indies, I found reason
to delight exceedingly in his conversation; and he first began
with me about religion in the most obliging manner imaginable.
Sir," says he, " you have not only under God (and at that
he crossed his breast) saved my life, but you have admitted me
to go this voyage in your ship, and by your obliging civility
have taken me into your family, giving me an opportunity o.
free conversation. Now, Sir, you see by my habit what my
profession is, and I guess by your nation what yours is; I may
think it is my duty, and doubtless it is so, to use my utmost
endeavours, on all occasions, to bring all the souls I can to the
knowledge of the truth, and to embrace the Catholic doctrine;
but as I am here under your permission, and in your family, I
am bound, in justice to your kindness, as well as in decency
and good manners, to be under your government, and therefore
I shall not, without your leave, enter into any debate on the
points of religion in which we may not agree, farther than
you shall give me leave."
I told him his carriage was so modest, that I could not but
acknowledge it; that it was true we were such people as they
called heretics, but that he was not the first Catholic I had con-
versed with, without falling into inconveniences, or carrying
the questions to any height in debate; that he should not find
himself the worse used for being of a different opinion from us ;
and if we did not converse, without any dislike on either side,
it should be his fault, not ours.
He replied, that he thought all our conversation might be
easily separated from disputes; that it was not his business to
cap principles with every man he conversed with; and that he
rather desired me to converse with him as a gentleman than as
a religionist; and that if I would give him leave at any time
to discourse upon religious subjects, he would readily comply
with it, and that he did not doubt but I would allow him also
to defend his own opinions as well as he could; but that, with-
out my leave, he would not break in upon me with any such
thing. He told me farther, that he would not cease to do all
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
57
that became him, in his office as a priest as well as a private
Christian, to procure the good of the ship, and the safety of alı
that was in her; and though, perhaps, we would not join with
him, and he could not pray with us, he hoped he might pray
for us, which he would do upon all occasions.
In this manner
we conversed; and as he was of the most obliging, gentleman-
like behaviour, so he was, if I may be allowed to say so, a man
of good sense, and, as I believe, of great learning.
He gave me a most diverting account of his life, and of the
many extraordinary events of it; of many adventures which
had befallen him in the few years that he had been abroad
in the world; and particularly this was very remarkable, viz.
that in the voyage he was now engaged in, he had had the
misfortune to be five times shipped and unshipped, and never
to go to the place whither any of the ships he was in were at
first designed. That his first intent was to have gone to Mar-
tinico, and that he went on board a ship bound thither at St.
Malo; but being forced into Lisbon by bad weather, the ship
received some damage by running aground in the mouth of the
river Tagus, and was obliged to unload her cargo there; but
finding a Portuguese ship there bound to the Madeiras, and
ready to sail, and supposing he should easily meet with a vessel
there bound to Martinico, he went on board, in order to sail to
the Madeiras; but the master of the Portuguese ship being but
an indifferent mariner, had been out of his reckoning, and they
drove to Fyal; where, however, he happened to find a very
good market for his cargo, which was corn, and therefore re-
solved not to go to the Madeiras, but to load salt at the isle of
May, and to go away to Newfoundland. He had no remedy
in this exigence but to go with the ship, and had a pretty good
voyage as far as the Banks, (so they call the place where they
catch the fish,) where meeting with a French ship bound from
France to Quebec, in the river of Canada, and from thence to
Martinico, to carry provisions, he thought he should have an
opportunity to complete his first design; but when he came to
Quebec, the master of the ship died, and the vessel proceeded
no farther so the next voyage he shipped himself for France,
in the ship that was burned when we took them up at sea;
and then shipped with us for the East Indies, as I have already
said. Thus he had been disappointed in five voyages, all, as I
may call it, in one voyage, besides what I shall have occasion
to mention farther of the same person.
But I shall not make digressions into other men's stories,
which have no relation to my own: I return to what concerns
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ADVENTURES OF
our affairs in the island. He came to me one morning, or he
lodged among us all the while we were upon the island, and it
happened to be just when I was going to visit the Englishmen's
colony, at the farthest part of the island; I say, he came to
me, and told me, with a very grave countenance, that he had
for two or three days desired an opportunity of some discourse
with me, which he hoped would not be displeasing to me, be-
cause he thought it might in some measure correspond with my
general design, which was, the prosperity of my new colony,
and perhaps might put it, at least more than he yet thought it
was, in the way of God's blessing.
66
I looked a little surprised at the last part of his discourse,
and turning a little short," How, Sir," said I, can it be said
that we are not in the way of God's blessing, after such visible
assistances and wonderful deliverances as we have seen here,
and of which I have given you a large account?"—" If you
had pleased, Sir," said he, with a world of modesty, and yet
with great readiness," to have heard me, you would have found
no room to have been displeased, much less to think so hard of
me, that I should suggest that you have not had wonderful
assistances and deliverances; and I hope, on your behalf, that
you are in the way of God's blessing, as your design is exceed-
ing good, and will prosper: but, Sir, though it were more so
than is even possible to you, yet there may be some among
you that are not equally right in their actions: and you know,
that in the story of the children of Israel, one Achan in the
camp removed God's blessing from them, and turned his hand
so against them, that six and thirty of them, though not con-
cerned in the crime, were the objects of divine vengeance, and
bore the weight of that punishment."
I was sensibly touched with his discourse, and told him his
inference was so just, and the whole design seemed so sincere,
and was really so religious in its own nature, that I was very sorry
I had interrupted him, and begged him to go on: and, in the
mean time, because it seemed that what we had both to say
might take up some time, I told him I was going to the English-
men's plantations, and asked him to go with me, and we
might discourse of it by the way. He told me he would the
more willingly wait on me thither, because there partly the
thing was acted which he desired to speak to me about: so we
walked on, and I pressed him to be free and plain with me in
what he had to say.
Why then, Sir," says he, "be pleased to give me leave
to lay down a few propositions, as the foundation of what I have
to say, that we may not differ in the general principles, though
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
89
we may be of some differing opinions in the practice of par-
ticulars. First, Sir, though we differ in some of the doctrinal
articles of religion, and it is very unhappy it is so, especially
in the case before us, as I shall show afterwards, yet there are
some general principles in which we both agree, viz. that
there is a God; and that this God having given us some
stated general rules for our service and obedience, we ought
not willingly and knowingly to offend him, either by neglect-
ing to do what he has commanded, or by doing what he has
expressly forbidden: and let our different religions be what
they will, this general principle is readily owned by us all,
that the blessing of God does not ordinarily follow presump-
tuous sinning against his command; and every good Christian
will be affectionately concerned to prevent any that are under
his care living in a total neglect of God and his commands.
It is not your men being Protestants, whatever my opinion
may be of such, that discharges me from being concerned for
their souls, and from endeavouring, if it lies before me, that
they should live in as little distance from enmity with their
Maker as possible, especially if you give me leave to meddle
so far in your circuit.
> "
I could not yet imagine what he aimed at, and told him I
granted all he had said, and thanked him that he would so far
concern himself for us; and begged he would explain the
particulars of what he had observed, that, like Joshua, to take
his own parable, I might put away the accursed thing from us.
Why then, Sir," says he, "I will take the liberty you
give me; and there are three things, which, if I am right,
must stand in the way of God's blessing upon your endeavours
here, and which I should rejoice, for your sake, and their own,
to see removed: and, Sir, I promise myself that you will fully
agree with me in them all, as soon as I name them; especially
because I shall convince you that every one of them may, with
great ease, and very much to your satisfaction, be remedied.
First, Sir," says he, you have here four Englishmen, who
have fetched women from among the savages, and have taken
them as their wives, and have had many children by them all,
and yet are not married to them after any stated, legal manner,
as the laws of God and man require; and therefore are yet,
in the sense of both, no less than fornicators, if not living in
adultery. To this, Sir, I know you will object that there was
no clergyman or priest of any kind, or of any profession, to
perform the ceremony; nor any pen and ink, or paper, to
write down a contract of marriage, and have it signed between
VOL. II.
N
90
ADVENTURES OF
them: and I know also, Sir, what the Spaniard governor has
told you, I mean, of the agreement that he obliged them to
make when they took those women, viz. that they should
choose them out by consent, and keep separately to them;
which, by the way, is nothing of a marriage, no agreement
with the women, as wives, but only an agreement among
themselves, to keep them from quarrelling. But, Sir, the es-
sence of the sacrament of matrimony (so he called it, being a
Roman) consists not only in the mutual consent of the parties
to take one another, as man and wife, but in the formal and
legal obligation that there is in the contract, to compel the
man and woman, at all times, to own and acknowledge each
other; obliging the man to abstain from all other women, to
engage in no other contract while these subsist, and, on all
occasions, as ability allows, to provide honestly for them and
their children; and to oblige the women to the same, or like
conditions, mutatis mutandis, on their side. Now, Sir," says
he," these men may, when they please, or when occasion
presents, abandon these women, disown their children, leave
them to perish, and take other women, and marry them while
these are living :" and here he added, with some warmth,
"How, Sir, is God honoured in this unlawful liberty, and
how shall a blessing succeed your endeavours in this place,
however good in themselves, and however sincere in your
design, while these men, who at present are your subjects, un-
der your absolute government and dominion, are allowed by
you to live in open adultery?"
I confess I was struck with the thing itself, but much
more with the convincing arguments he supported it with;
for it was certainly true, that though they had no clergyman
apon the spot, yet a formal contract on both sides, made be-
fore witnesses, and confirmed by any token which they had
all agreed to be bound by, though it had been but breaking a
stick between them, engaging the men to own these women
for their wives upon all occasions, and never to abandon them
or their children, and the women to the same with their hus-
bands, had been an effectual lawful marriage in the sight of
God; and it was a great neglect that it was not done. But I
thought to have got off my young priest by telling him that all
that part was done when I was not here, and they had lived
so many years with them now, that if it was adultery, it was
past remedy; they could do nothing in it now.
"Sir," says he, " asking your pardon for such freedom,
you are right in this, that it being done in your absence, you
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
91
rould not be charged with that part of the crime; but, I beseech
you, flatter not yourself that you are not therefore under an
obligation to do your utmost now to put an end to it. How
can you think but that, let the time past lie on whom it will,
all the guilt, for the future, will lie entirely upon you? Be-
cause it is certainly in your power now to put an end to it,
and in nobody's power but yours."
I was so dull still, that I did not take him right; but I
imagined that by putting an end to it he meant that I should
part them, and not suffer them to live together any longer:
and I said to him I could not do that, by any means, for that
it would put the whole island into confusion. He seemed
surprised that I should so far mistake him. No, Sir,"
says he, "I do not mean that you should now separate them,
but legally and effectually marry them now; and as, Sir, my
way of marrying them may not be easy to reconcile them to,
though it will be effectual, even by your own laws, so your
way may be as well before God, and as valid among men; I
mean, by a written contract signed by both man and woman,
and by all the witnesses present, which all the laws of Europe
would decree to be valid."
I was amazed to see so much true piety, and so much sin-
cerity of zeal, besides the unusual impartiality in his discourse
as to his own party or church, and such true warmth for pre-
serving the people that he had no knowledge of or relation to;
I say, for preserving them from transgressing the laws of God,
the like of which I had indeed not met with any where: but
recollecting what he had said of marrying them by a written
contract, which I knew he would stand too, I returned it back
upon him, and told him, I granted all that he had said to be
just, and on his part very kind that I would discourse with
the men upon the point now, when I came to them, and I
knew no reason why they should scruple to let him marry
them all, which I knew well enough would be granted to be
as authentic and valid in England as if they were married by
one of our own clergymen ; what was afterwards done in this
matter, I shall speak of by itself.
I then pressed him to tell me what was the second complaint
which he had to make, acknowledging that I was very much
his debtor for the first, and thanked him heartily for it. He
told me he would use the same freedom and plainness in
the second, and hoped I would take it as well; and this was,
that notwithstanding these English subjects of mine, as he
called them, had lived with those women for almost seven
92
ADVENTURES OF
years, had taught them to speak English, and even to read it,
and that they were, as he perceived, women of tolerable under-
standing, and capable of instruction, yet they had not, to this
hour, taught them any thing of the Christian religion, no, not
so much as to know that there was a God, or a worship, or
in what manner God was to be served, or that their own idol-
atry, and worshipping they knew not whom, was false and ab-
surd. This, he said, was an unaccountable neglect, and what
God would certainly call them to account for, and perhaps, at
last, take the work out of their hands-he spoke this very
affectionately and warmly. "I am persuaded," says he,
❝ had
those men lived in the savage country whence their wives
came, the savages would have taken more pains to have
brought them to be idolaters, and to worship the devil, than
any of these men, so far as I can see, have taken with them
to teach them the knowledge of the true God. Now,
Sir," said he," though I do not acknowledge your religion,
or you mine, yet we would be glad to see the devil's servants,
and the subjects of his kingdom, taught to know the general
principles of the Christian religion; that they might, at least,
hear of God and of a Redeemer, and of the resurrection, and
of a future state,-things which we all believe; they had, at
least, been so much nearer coming into the bosom of the true
church than they are now, in the public profession of idolatry
and devil-worship."
I could hold no longer; I took him in my arms, and em-
braced him with an excess of passion. "How far," said 1
to him, “ have I been from understanding the most essential
part of a Christian! viz. to love the interest of the Christian
church, and the good of other men's souls: I scarce have
known what belongs to the being a Christian.". "O, Sir, do
not say so," replied he; "this thing is not your fault."
"No," says I; " but why did I never lay it to heart as
well as you?"-" It is not too late yet," said he; "be
not too forward to condemn yourself.”—“ But what can be
done now?" said I; " you see I am going away.".
" Will
you give me leave to talk with these poor men about it?”—
"Yes, with all my heart," said I;
said I; " and will oblige them to
give heed to what you say too.". "As to that," said he, " we
must leave them to the mercy of Christ; but it is your
business to assist them, encourage them, and instruct them :
and if you give me leave, and God his blessing, I do not doubt
but the poor ignorant souls shall be brought home to the great
circle of Christianity, if not into the particular faith we all
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
93
embrace, and that even while you stay here." Upon this I
said, "I shall not only give you leave, but give you a thousand
thanks for it." What followed on this account, I shall men-
tion also again in its place.
<<
:
I now pressed him for the third article in which we were
to blame. Why, really," says he, "it is of the same na-
ture; and I will proceed, asking your leave, with the same
plainness as before it is about your poor savages, who are,
as I may say, your conquered subjects. It is a maxim, Sir,
that is, or ought to be, received among all Christians, of what
church or pretended church soever, viz. The Christian know-
ledge ought to be propagated by all possible means, and on all
possible occasions. It is on this principle that our church sends
missionaries into Persia, India, China; and that our clergy,
even of the superior sort, willingly engage in the most hazard-
ous voyages, and the most dangerous residence among mur-
derers and barbarians, to teach them the knowledge of the
true God, and to bring them over to embrace the Christian
faith. Now, Sir, you have such an opportunity here to have
six or seven and thirty poor savages brought over from idolatry
to the knowledge of God, their Maker and Redeemer, that I
wonder how you can pass such an occasion of doing good,
which is really worth the expense of a man's whole life.
I was now struck dumb, indeed, and had not one word to
say. I had here a spirit of true Christian zeal for God and
religion before me, let his particular principles be of what kind
soever as for me, I had not so much as entertained a thought
of this in my heart before, and I believe I should not have
thought of it; for I looked upon these savages as slaves, and
people who, had we had any work for them to do, we would
have used as such, or would have been glad to have transported
them to any other part of the world; for our business was to
get rid of them, and we would all have been satisfied if they
had been sent to any country, so they had never seen their
But to the case ;-I say, I was confounded at his dis-
course, and knew not what answer to make him.
own.
He looked earnestly at me, seeing me in some disorder,—
"Sir," says he, "I shall be very sorry if what I have said
gives you any offence.". -“No, no,” says I, “ I am offended
with nobody but myself; but I am perfectly confounded, not
only to think that I should never take any notice of this be-
fore, but with reflecting what notice I am able to take of it
now. You know, Sir," said I," what circumstances I am
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ADVENTURES OF
in; I am bound to the East Indies in a ship freighted by mer-
chants, and to whom it would be an insufferable piece of in-
justice to detain their ship here, the men lying all this while
at victuals and wages on the owners' account. It is true, I
agreed to be allowed twelve days here, and if I stay more, I
must pay three pounds sterling per diem demurrage; nor can
I stay upon demurrage above eight days more, and I have
been here thirteen already; so that I am perfectly unable to
engage in this work, unless I would suffer myself to be left
behind here again; in which case, if this single ship should
miscarry in any part of her voyage, I should be just in the
same condition that I was left in here at first, and from which I
have been so wonderfully delivered." He owned the case was
very hard upon me, as to my voyage; but laid it home upon
my conscience, whether the blessing of saving thirty-seven
souls was not worth venturing all I had in the world for. I
was not so sensible of that as he was. I returned upon him
thus: " Why, Sir, it is a valuable thing, indeed, to be an in-
strument in God's hand to convert thirty-seven heathens to
the knowledge of Christ; but as you are an ecclesiastic, and
are given over to the work, so that it seems so naturally to
fall into the way of your profession, how is it then that you
do not rather offer yourself to undertake it, than press me to
do it ?"
Upon this he faced about just before me, as we walked along,
and putting me to a full stop, made me a very low bow. "I
most heartily thank God and you, Sir," said he,
" for giving
me so evident a call to so blessed a work; and if you think
yourself discharged from it, and desire me to undertake it, I
will most readily do it, and think it a happy reward for all the
hazards and difficulties of such a broken, disappointed voyage
as I have met with, that I am dropped at last into so glorious
a work."
I discovered a kind of rapture in his face while he spoke
this to me; his eyes sparkled like fire, his face glowed, and
his colour came and went, as if he had been falling into fits;
in a word, he was fired with the joy of being embarked in
such a work. I paused a considerable while before I could
tell what to say to him; for I was really surprised to find a
man of such sincerity and zeal, and carried out in his zeal be-
yond the ordinary rate of men, not of his profession only, but
even of any profession whatsoever. But after I had considered
it awhile, I asked him seriously if he was in earnest, and that
he would venture, on the single consideration of an attempt
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
95
on those poor people, to be locked up in an unplanted island for
perhaps his life, and at last might not know whether he shoula
be able to do them good or not?
He turned short upon me, and asked me what I called a
venture?" Pray, Sir," said he, "what do you think I con-
sented to go in your ship to the East Indies for?"--" Nay,"
Nay,”
said I, “ that I know not, unless it was to preach to the In-
dians." "Doubtless it was," said he ; " and do you think if I
can convert these thirty-seven men to the faith of Jesus Christ
it is not worth my time, though I should never be fetched off
the island again; nay, is it not infinitely of more worth to
save so many souls than my life is, or the life of twenty more
of the same profession? Yes, Sir," says he,
"I would give
Christ and the blessed Virgin thanks all my days, if I could
be made the least happy instrument of saving the souls of
those poor men, though I was never to set my foot off this
island, or see my native country any more.
But since you
will honour me with putting me into this work, for which I
will pray for you all the days of my life, I have one humble
petition to you besides."- "What is that?" said I. “ Why,"
says he, "it is, that you will leave your man Friday with me,
to be my interpreter to them, and to assist me; for without
some help I cannot speak to them, or they to me.”
I was sensibly touched at his requesting Friday, because I
could not think of parting with him, and that for many rea-
sons: he had been the companion of my travels; he was not
only faithful to me, but sincerely affectionate to the last de-
gree, and I had resolved to do something considerable for him
if he out-lived me, as it was probable he would; then I knew
that as I had bred Friday up to be a Protestant, it would quite
confound him to bring him to embrace another profession;
and he would never, while his eyes were open, believe that
his old master was a heretic, and would be damned; and this
might, in the end, ruin the poor fellow's principles, and so turn
him back again to his first idolatry. However, a sudden thought
relieved me in this strait, and it was this: I told him I
could not say that I was willing to part with Friday on any
account whatever, though a work that to him was of more
value than his life, ought to be to me of much more value
than the keeping or parting with a servant. But, on the other
hand, I was persuaded that Friday would by no means agree
to part with me, and I could not force him to it without his
consent, without manifest injustice; because I had promised
I would never put him away, and he had promised and
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ADVENTURES OF
engaged to me that he would never leave me, unless I put
him away.
He seemed very much concerned at it, for he had no rational
access to these poor people, seeing he did not understand one
word of their language, nor they one word of his. To remove
this difficulty, I told him Friday's father had learned Spanish,
which I found he also understood, and he should serve him.
as an interpreter. So he was much better satisfied; and
nothing could persuade him but he would stay and endeavour
to convert them; but Providence gave another very happy
turn to all this.
I come back now to the first part of his objections. When
we came to the Englishmen, I sent for them all together, and
after some account given them of what I had done for them,
viz. what necessary things I had provided for them, and how
they were distributed, which they were very sensible of, and
very thankful for, I began to talk to them of the scandalous
life they led, and gave them a full account of the notice the
clergyman had taken of it; and arguing how unchristian and
irreligious a life it was, I first asked them if they were married
men or bachelors? They soon explained their conditions to
me, and showed that two of them were widowers, and the
other three were single men, or bachelors. I asked them
with what conscience they could take those women, and
lie with them as they had done, call them their wives, and
have so many children by them, and not be lawfully married
to them?
They all gave me the answer I expected, viz. that there
was nobody to marry them; that they agreed before the go-
vernor to keep them as their wives, and to maintain them and
own them as their wives; and they thought, as things stood
with them, they were as legally married as if they had been
married by a parson, and with all the formalities in the
world.
I told them that no doubt they were married in the sight
of God, and were bound in conscience to keep them as their
wives; but that the laws of men being otherwise, they might
desert the poor women and children hereafter; and that their
wives being poor desolate women, friendless and moneyless,
would have no way to help themselves: I therefore told them
that unless I was assured of their honest intent, I could do
nothing for them, but would take care that what I did should
be for the women and children, without them; and that un-
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
97
less they would give me some assurances that they would
marry the women, I could not think it was convenient they
should continue together as man and wife, for that it was
both scandalous to men and offensive to God, who they could
not think would bless them if they went on thus.
All this went on as I expected; and they told me, especially
Will Atkins, who now seemed to speak for the rest, that they
loved their wives as well as if they had been born in their own
native country, and would not leave them upon any account
whatever; and they did verily believe their wives were as virtu-
ous and as modest, and did, to the utmost of their skill, as much
for them and for their children, as any women could possibly
do; and they would not part with them on any account: and
Will Atkins, for his own particular, added, that if any man
would take him away, and offer to carry him home to England,
and make him captain of the best man of war in the navy,
he would not go with him, if he might not carry his wife and
children with him; and if there was a clergyman in the ship,
he would be married to her now with all his heart.
This was just as I would have it; the priest was not with
me at that moment, but was not far off; so, to try him far-
ther, I told him I had a clergyman with me, and if he was
sincere, I would have him married next morning, and bade
him consider of it, and talk with the rest. He said as for
himself, he need not consider of it at all, for he was very ready
to do it, and was glad I had a mi.ister with me, and he be-
lieved they would be all willing also. I then told him that
my friend, the minister, was a Frenchman, and could not
speak English, but I would act the clerk between them. He
never so much as asked me whether he was a papist or Pro-
testant, which was indeed what I was afraid of; so we parted.
I went back to my clergyman, and Will Atkins went in to
talk with his companions. I desired the French gentleman
not to say any thing to them till the business was thorough
ripe; and I told him what answer the men had given me.
Before I went from their quarter, they all came to me, and
told me they had been considering what I had said; that they
were glad to hear I had a clergyman in my company, and
they were very willing to give me the satisfaction I desired,
and to be formally married as soon as I pleased; for they
were far from desiring to part with their wives, and that they
meant nothing but what was very honest when they chose
them. So I appointed them to meet me the next morning;
and, in the mean time, they should let their wives know the
VOL. II.
98
ADVENTURES OF
meaning of the marriage law; and that it was not only to
prevent any scandal, but also to oblige them that they should
not forsake them, whatever might happen.
The women were easily made sensible of the meaning of
the thing, and were very well satisfied with it, as indeed they
had reason to de: so they failed not to attend all together at
my apartment next morning, where I brought out my clergy-
man; and though he had not on a minister's gown, after the
manner of England, or the habit of a priest, after the manner
of France, yet having a black vest, something like a cassock,
with a sash round it, he did not look very unlike a minister;
and as for his language, I was his interpreter. But the seri-
ousness of his behaviour to them, and the scruples he made of
marrying the women, because they were not baptized and
professed Christians, gave them an exceeding reverence for his
person, and there was no need, after that, to inquire whether
he was a clergyman or not. Indeed, I was afraid his scruples
would have been carried so far, as that he would not have
married them at all; nay, notwithstanding all I was able to
say to him, he resisted me, though modestly, yet very steadily;
and at last refused absolutely to marry them, unless he had
first talked with the men and the women too; and though at
first I was a little backward to it, yet at last I agreed to it
with a good will, perceiving the sincerity of his design.
When he came to them, he let them know that I had ac-
quainted him with their circumstances, and with the present
design; that he was very willing to perform that part of his
function, and marry them, as I had desired; but that before
he could do it, he must take the liberty to talk with them.
He told them, that in the sight of all indifferent men, and in
the sense of the laws of society, they had lived all this while
in open fornication; and that it was true, that nothing but
the consenting to marry, or effectually separating them from
one another, could now put an end to it; but there was a
difficulty in it too, with respect to the laws of Christian matri-
mony, which he was not fully satisfied about, viz. that of
marrying one that is a professed Christian to a savage, an idol-
ator and a heathen, one that is not baptized; and yet that he
did not see that there was time left for to endeavour to persuade
the women to be baptized, or to profess the name of Christ,
whom they had, he doubted, heard nothing of, and without
which they could not be baptized. He told them he doubted
they were but indifferent Christians themselves; that they had
but little knowledge of God or of his ways, and therefore he
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99
could not expect that they had said much to their wives on
that head yet; but that unless they would promise him to use
their endeavours with their wives to persuade them to become
Christians, and would, as well as they could, instruct them
in the knowledge and belief of God that made them, and to
Worship Jesus Christ that redeemed them, he could not
marry them; for he would have no hand in joining Christ-
ians with savages; nor was it consistent with the principles
of the Christian religion, and was indeed expressly forbidden
in God's law.
They heard all this very attentively, and I delivered it very
faithfully to them from his mouth, as near his own words as
I could; only sometimes adding something of my own, to
convince them how just it was, and how I was of his mind :
and I always very faithfully distinguished between what I said
from myself, and what were the clergyman's words. They
told me it was very true what the gentleman said, that they
were very indifferent Christians themselves, and that they had
never talked to their wives about religion. "Lord, Sir,"
says Will Atkins, "how should we teach them religion?
why we know nothing ourselves; and besides, Sir," said he,
"should we talk to them of God and Jesus Christ, and hea-
ven and hell, it would make them laugh at us, and a k us
what we believe ourselves? And if we should tell the chat
we believe all the things we speak of to them, such as of good
people going to heaven, and wicked people to the devil, they
would ask us where we intend to go ourselves, that believe all
this, and are such wicked fellows as we indeed are? Why
Sir, 'tis enough to give them a surfeit of religion at first hear-
ing; folks must have some religion themselves before they
pretend to teach other people." "Will Atkins," said I to
him, “ though I am afraid that what you say has too much
truth in it, yet can you not tell your wife she is in the wrong?
That there is a God, and a religion better than her own ; that
her gods are idols; that they can neither hear nor speak; that
there is a great Being that made all things, and that can de-
stroy all that he has made; that he rewards the good and
punishes the bad; and that we are to be judged by him at last
for all we do here: you are not so ignorant, but even nature
itself will teach you that all this is true; and I am satisfied
you know it all to be true, and believe it yourself."—" That
is true, Sir," said Atkins; " but with what face can I say
any thing to my wife of all this, when she will tell me imme-
diately it cannot be true?"-" Not true!" said I
"what do
100
ADVENTURES OF
CC
you mean by that?". —“ Why, Sir," said he, "she will tell
me it cannot be true that this God I shall tell her of can be
just, or can punish or reward, since I am not punished and
sent to the devil, that have been such a wicked creature as
she knows I have been, even to her, and to every body else,
and that I should be suffered to live, that have been always
acting so contrary to what I must tell her is good, and to what
I ought to have done."-" Why, truly, Atkins," said I, I
am afraid thou speakest too much truth ;" and with that I in-
formed the clergyman of what Atkins had said, for he was
impatient to know. "O," said the priest, "tell him there
is one thing will make him the best minister in the world to
his wife, and that is, repentance; for none teach repentance
like true penitents. He wants nothing but to repent, and
then he will be so much the better qualified to instruct his
wife; he will then be able to tell her that there is not only
a God, and that he is the just rewarder of good and evil, but
that he is a merciful being, and with infinite goodness and
long-suffering forbears to punish those that offend, waiting to
be gracious, and willing not the death of a sinner, but rather
that he should return and live: that oftentimes he suffers
wicked men to go a long time, and even reserves damnation
to the general day of retribution; that it is a clear evidence
of God and of a future state, that righteous men receive not
their reward, or wicked men their punishment, till they come
into another world; and this will lead him to teach his wife
the doctrine of the resurrection and of the last judgement.
Let him but repent for himself, he will be an excellent preach-
er of repentance to his wife.”
I repeated all this to Atkins, who looked very serious all
the while, and who, we could easily perceive, was more than
ordinarily affected with it: when being eager, and hardly
suffering me to make an end-" I know all this, master,'
says he," and a great deal more; but I have not the impu-
dence to talk thus to my wife, when God and my conscience
knows, and my wife will be an undeniable evidence against
me, that I have lived as if I had never heard of a God or
future state, or any thing about it; and to talk of my repent-
ing, alas! (and with that he fetched a deep sigh, and I could
see that the tears stood in his eyes,) 'tis past all that with me.'
-" Past it, Atkins?" said I; "what dost thou mean by that?"
—“ I know well enough what I mean," says he ;
"I mean
'tis too late, and that is too true."
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
101
to me,
I told the clergyman, word for word, what he said: the
poor zealous priest,-I must call him so, for, be his opinion
what it will, he had certainly a most singular affection for the
good of other men's souls, and it would be hard to think he
had not the like for his own,-I say, this affectionate man
could not refrain from tears; but, recovering himself, said
"Ask him but one question; Is he easy that it is too
late, or is he troubled, and wishes it were not so?" I put
the question fairly to Atkins; and he answered, with a great
deal of passion, how could any man be easy in a condition that
must certainly end in eternal destruction? that he was far
from being easy; but that, on the contrary, he believed it
would, one time or other, ruin him. "What do you mean
by that?" said I. Why, he said, he believed he should
one time or other cut his throat, to put an end to the terror
of it.
The clergyman shook his head, with great concern in his
face, when I told him all this; but turning quick to me upon
it, says,
"If that be his case, we may assure him it is not too
late; Christ will give him repentance. But, pray," says he,
explain this to him; that as no man is saved but by Christ,
and the merit of his passion procuring divine mercy for him,
how can it be too late for any man to receive mercy? Does
he think he is able to sin beyond the power or reach of divine
mercy? Pray tell him, there may be a time when provoked
mercy will no longer strive, and when God may refuse to hear,
but that 'tis never too late for men to ask
mercy;
and we,
that are Christ's servants, are commanded to preach mercy at
all times, in the name of Jesus Christ, to all those that sincere-
ly repent; so that it is never too late to repent."
I told Atkins all this, and he heard me with great earnest-
ness; but it seemed as if he turned off the discourse to the
rest, for he said to me, he would go and have some talk with
his wife; so he went out a while, and we talked to the rest.
I perceived they were all stupidly ignorant as to matters of
religion, as much as I was when I went rambling away from
my father; and yet there were none of them backward to
hear what had been said; and all of them seriously promised
that they would talk with their wives about it, and do their
endeavours to persuade them to turn Christians.
The clergyman smiled upon me when I reported what
answer they gave, but said nothing a good while; but at
last shaking his head, "We that are Christ's servants," says
be, can go no farther than to exhort and instruct; and
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ADVENTURES OF
when men comply, submit to the reproof, and promise what
we ask, 'tis all we can do; we are bound to accept their
good words; but, believe me, Sir," said he,
"whatever you
may have known of the life of that man you call Will Atkins,
I believe he is the only sincere convert among them; I take
that man to be a true penitent: I will not despair of the rest;
but that man is apparently struck with the sense of his past
life, and I doubt not, when he comes to talk of religion to his
wife, he will talk himself effectually into it; for attempting
to teach others is sometimes the best way of teaching ourselves.
I know a man, who, having nothing but a summary notion
of religion himself, and being wicked and profligate to the
last degree in his life, made a thorough reformation in him-
self by labouring to convert a Jew. If that poor Atkins be-
gins but once to talk seriously of Jesus Christ to his wife,
my life for it, he talks himself into a thorough convert, makes
himself a penitent, and who knows what may follow?"
Upon this discourse, however, and their promising, as above,
to endeavour to persuade their wives to embrace Christianity,
he married the other two couple; but Will Atkins and his
wife were not yet come in. After this, my clergyman wait-
ing awhile, was curious to know where Atkins was gone;
and turning to me, said, "I entreat you, Sir, let us walk out
of your labyrinth here, and look; I dare say we shall find
this poor man somewhere or other talking seriously to his
wife, and teaching her already something of religion." I be-
gan to be of the same mind; so we went out together, and I
carried him a way which none knew but myself, and where
the trees were so very thick that it was not easy to see
through the thicket of leaves, and far harder to see in than
to see out; when coming to the edge of the wood, I saw
Atkins and his tawny savage wife sitting under the shade of a
bush, very eager in discourse: I stopped short till my clergy-
man came up to me, and then having showed him where they
were, we stood and looked very steadily at them a good while.
We observed him very earnest with her, pointing up to the
sun, and to every quarter of the heavens, and then down to
the earth, then out to the sea, then to himself, then to her, to
the woods, to the trees. "Now," says my clergyman, “you
see my words are made good, the man preaches to her; mark
him now, he is telling her that our God has made him and
her, and the heavens, the earth, the sea, the woods, the trees,
&c." "I believe he is," said I. Immediately we perceived
Will Atkins start upon his feet, fall down on his knees, and

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Vol.11 Page 102.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
103
lift up both his hands. We supposed he said something, but
we could not hear him; it was too far for that. He did not
continue kneeling half a minute, but comes and sits down
again by his wife, and talks to her again; we perceived then
the woman very attentive, but whether she said any thing to
him, we could not tell. While the poor fellow was upon his
knees, I could see the tears run plentifully down my clergy-
man's cheeks, and I could hardly forbear myself; but it was
a great affliction to us both that we were not near enough to
hear any thing that passed between them. Well, however,
we could come no nearer, for fear of disturbing them; so we
resolved to see an end of this piece of still conversation, and
it spoke loud enough to us without the help of voice. He
sat down again, as I have said, close by her, and talked again
earnestly to her, and two or three times we could see him
embrace her most passionately; another time we saw him
take out his handkerchief and wipe her eyes, and then kiss
her again, with a kind of transport very unusual; and after
several of these things, we saw him on a sudden jump up
again, and lend her his hand to help her up, when immediately
leading her by the hand a step or two, they both kneeled
down together, and continued so about two minutes.
My friend could bear it no longer, but cries out aloud,
"St. Paul! St. Paul! behold he prayeth." I was afraid
Atkins would hear him, therefore I entreated him to with-
hold himself awhile, that we might see an end of the scene,
which to me, I must confess, was the most affecting that
ever I saw in my life. Well, he strove with himself for a
while, but was in such raptures to think that the poor heathen
woman was become a Christian, that he was not able to con-
tain himself; he wept several times, then throwing up his
hands and crossing his breast, said over several things ejacula-
tory, and by way of giving God thanks for so miraculous a
testimony of the success of our endeavours; some he spoke
softly, and I could not well hear others; some in Latin, some
in French; then two or three times the tears would interrupt
him, that he could not speak at all; but I begged that he
would contain himself, and let us more narrowly and fully
observe what was before us, which he did for a time, the scene
not being near ended yet; for after the poor man and his
wife were risen again from their knees, we observed he stood
talking still eagerly to her, and we observed her motion, that
she was greatly affected with what he said, by her frequently
lifting up her hands, laying her hand to her breast, and such
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ADVENTURES OF
other postures as express the greatest seriousness and atten-
tion: this continued about half a quarter of an hour, and then
they walked away; so we could see no more of them in that
situation. I took this interval to talk with my clergyman ;
and first, I was glad to see the particulars we had both been
witnesses to, that, though I was hard enough of belief in
such cases, yet that I began to think it was all very sincere
here, both in the man and his wife, however ignorant they
might both be, and I hoped such a beginning would yet have
a more happy end: "And who knows," said I, "but these
two may in time, by instruction and example, work upon
some of the others?"" Some of them?" said he, turning
quick upon me ; aye, upon all of them: depend upon it, if
those two savages, for he has been but little better, as you
relate it, should embrace Jesus Christ, they will never leave
it till they work upon all the rest; for true religion is natur-
ally communicative, and he that is once made a Christian
will never leave a Pagan behind him, if he can help it." I
owned it was a most Christian principle to think so, and a
testimony of true zeal, as well as a generous heart, in him.
"But, my friend," said I, " will you give me leave to start
one difficulty here? I cannot tell how to object the least thing
against that affectionate concern which you show for the turn-
ing the poor people from their paganism to the Christian re-
ligion: But how does this comfort you, while these people
are, in your account, out of the pale of the Catholic church,
without which you believe there is no salvation? so that you
esteem these but heretics, for other reasons as effectually lost
as the pagans themselves."
""
To this he answered, with abundance of candour, thus :
Sir, I am a catholic of the Roman church, and a priest of
the order of St. Benedict, and I embrace all the principles of
the Roman faith; but yet, if you will believe me, and that I
do not speak in compliment to you, or in respect to my cir-
cumstances and your civilities; I say, nevertheless, I do not
look upon you, who call yourselves reformed, without some
charity I dare not say (though I know it is our opinion in
general) that you cannot be saved; I will by no means limit
the mercy of Christ so far as to think that he cannot receive
you into the bosom of his church, in a manner to us unper-
ceivable; and I hope you have the same charity for us: I
pray daily for your being all restored to Christ's church, by
whatsoever method he, who is all-wise, is pleased to direct.
In the mean time, sure you will allow it consists with me, as
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
105
:
a Roman, to distinguish far between a protestant and a pagan;
between one that calls on Jesus Christ, though in a way
which I do not think is according to the true faith, and a
savage or a barbarian, that knows no God, no Christ, no Re-
deemer; and if you are not within the pale of the catholic
church, we hope you are nearer being restored to it than
those that know nothing of God or of his church: and I re-
joice, therefore, when I see this poor man, whom you say has
been a profligate, and almost a murderer, kneel down and
pray to Jesus Christ, as we suppose he did, though not fully
enlightened; believing that God, from whom every such
work proceeds, will sensibly touch his heart, and bring him
to the farther knowledge of that truth in his own time and
if God shall influence this poor man to convert and instruct
the ignorant savage, his wife, I can never believe that he shall
be cast away himself. And have I not reason then to rejoice
the nearer any are brought to the knowledge of Christ, though
they may not be brought quite home into the bosom of the
catholic church just at the time when I may desire it, leaving
it to the goodness of Christ to perfect his work in his own
time, and in his own way? Certainly, I would rejoice if all
the savages in America were brought, like this poor woman,
to pray to God, though they were all to be protestants at first,
rather than they should continue pagans or heathens; firmly
believing, that he that had bestowed the first light to them
would farther illuminate them with a beam of his heavenly
grace, and bring them into the pale of his church, when he
should see good.'
"}
I was astonished at the sincerity and temper of this pious
papist, as much as I was oppressed by the power of his rea-
soning; and it presently occurred to my thoughts, that if such
a temper was universal, we might be all catholic Christians,
whatever church or particular profession we joined in ; that
a spirit of charity would soon work us all up into right prin-
ciples; and as he thought that the like charity would make
us all catholics, so I told him I believed had all the members
of his church the like moderation, they would soon all be
protestants. And there we left that part; for we never dis-
puted at all.
However, I talked to him another way, and taking him by
the hand, "My friend," says I, " I wish all the clergy of the
"I
Roman church were blest with such moderation, and had an
equal share of your charity. I am entirely of your opinion:
but I must tell you, that if you should preach such doctrine in
VOL. II.
P
06
ADVENTURES OF
Spain or Italy, they would put you into the Inquisition."—
"It may be so," said he; "I know not what they would
do in Spain or Italy; but I will not say they would be the
better Christians for that severity; for I am sure there is no
heresy in abounding with charity."
Well, as Will Atkins and his wife were gone, our business
there was over, so we went back our own way; and when
we came back, we found them waiting to be called in: ob-
serving this, I asked my clergyman if we should discover to
him that we had seen him under the bush or not; and it was
his opinion we should not, but that we should talk to him.
first, and hear what he would say to us: so we called him in
alone, nobody being in the place but ourselves; and I began
with him thus:
Will Atkins, said I, prithee what education had you? What
was your father?
W. A. A better man than ever I shall be: Sir, my father
was a clergyman.
R. C. What education did he give you?
W. A. He would have taught me well, Sir; but I despised
all education, instruction, or correction, like a beast, as I
was.
R. C. It is true, Solomon says, He that despises reproof is
brutish.
W. A. Aye, Sir, I was brutish, indeed, for I murdered
my father: for God's sake, Sir, talk no more about that ;
Sir, I murdered my poor father.
Pr. Ha! a murderer!
Here the priest started (for I interpreted every word as he
spoke) and looked pale: it seems he believed that Will had
really killed his father.
R. C. No, no, Sir; I do not understand him so: Will
Atkins, explain yourself; you did not kill your father, did you,
with your own hands?
W. A. No, Sir, I did not cut his throat; but I cut the
thread of all his comforts, and shortened his days: I broke
his heart by the most ungrateful, unnatural return, for the
most tender and affectionate treatment that father ever gave,
or child could receive.
R. C. Well, I did not ask you about your father, to extort
this confession: I pray God give you repentance for it, and
forgive you that and all your other sins; but I asked you be-
cause I see that though you have not much learning, yet you
are not so ignorant as some are in things that are good; that
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107
you have known more of religion, a great deal, than you have
practised.
W. A. Though you, Sir, did not extort the confession that
I make about my father, conscience does; and whenever we
come to look back upon our lives, the sins against our indul-
gent parents are certainly the first that touch us; the wounds
they make lie deepest, and the weight they leave will lie
heaviest upon the mind, of all the sins we can commit.
R. C. You talk too feelingly and sensibly for me, Atkins;
I cannot bear it.
W. A. You bear it, Master! I dare say you know nothing
of it.
R. C. Yes, Atkins; every shore, every hill, nay, I may
say every tree in this island, is witness to the anguish of my
soul for my ingratitude and bad usage of a good, tender father;
a father much like your's, by your description; and I mur-
dered my father as well as you, Will Atkins; but I think, for
all that, my repentance is short of your's too, by a great deal.
I would have said more, if I could have restrained my pas-
sions; but I thought this poor man's repentance was so much
sincerer than mine, that I was going to leave off the discourse
and retire; for I was surprised with what he had said, and
thought that instead of my going about to teach and instruct
him, the man was made a teacher and instructor to me in a
most surprising and unexpected manner.
I laid all this before the young clergyman, who was greatly
affected with it, and said to me, "Did I not say, Sir, that
when this man was converted he would preach to us all! I
tell you, Sir, if this one man be made a true penitent, here
will be no need of me; he will make Christians of all in the
island.”—But having a little composed myself, I renewed my
discourse with Will Atkins. But Will, said I, how comes the
sense of this matter to touch you just now?
W. A. Sir, you have set me about a work that has struck
a dart through my very soul; I have been talking about God
and religion to my wife, in order, as you directed me, to make
a Christian of her, and she has preached such a sermon to me
as I shall never forget while I live.
R. C. No, no, it is not your wife has preached to you; but
when you were moving religious arguments to her, conscience
has flung them back upon you.
W. A. Aye, Sir, with such force as is not to be resisted.
R. C. Pray, Will, let us know what passed between you
and your wife; for I know something of it already.
OS
ADVENTURES OF
W. A. Sir, it is impossible to give you a full account of it;
I am too full to hold it, and yet have no tongue to express it;
but let her have said what she will, and though I cannot give
you an account of it, this I can tell you, that I have resolved
to amend and reform my life.
R. C. But tell us some of it: how did you begin, Will ?
For this has been an extraordinary case, that is certain. She has
preached a sermon, indeed, if she has wrought this upon you.
W. A. Why, I first told her the nature of our laws about
marriage, and what the reasons were that men and women
were obliged to enter into such compacts, as it was neither in
the power of one or other to break; that otherwise, order and
justice could not be maintained, and men would run from their
wives, and abandon their children, mix confusedly with one
another, and neither families be kept entire, nor inheritances
be settled by legal descent.
R. C. You talk like a civilian, Will; could you make her
understand what you meant by inheritance and families?
They know no such things among the savages, but marry any
how, without regard to relation, consanguinity or family;
brother and sister; nay, as I have been told, even the father
and the daughter, and the son and the mother.
W. A. I believe, Sir, you are misinformed, and my wife
assures me of the contrary, and that they abhor it; perhaps,
for any farther relations, they may not be so exact as we are ;
but she tells me they never touch one another in the near re-
lationship you speak of.
R. C. Well, what did she say to what you told her?
W. A. She said she liked it very well, and it was much
better than in her country.
R. C. But did you tell her what marriage was?
W. A. Aye, aye; there began our dialogue. I asked her
if she would be married to me our way? She asked me what
way that was? I told her marriage was appointed by God
and here we had a strange talk together, indeed, as ever man
and wife had, I believe.
;
N. B. This dialogue between Will Atkins and his wife I took
down in writing, just after he had told it me, which
was as follows:
Wife. Appointed by your God! Why, have you a God in
your country?
W. A. Yes, my dear, God is in every country.
Wife. No your God in my country; my country have the
great old Benamuckee God.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
109
W. A. Child, I am very unfit to show you who God is ;
God is in heaven, and made the heaven and the earth, the sea,
and all that in them is.
Wife. No makee de earth; no you God makee all earth;
no makee my country.
Will Atkins laughed a little at her expression of God not
making her country.
Wife. No laugh; why laugh me? This nothing to laugh.
He was justly reproved by his wife, for she was more se-
rious than he at first.
W. A. That's true, indeed; I will not laugh any more,
my dear.
Wife. Why you say you God makee all ?
W. A. Yes, child, our God made the whole world, and you
and me, and all things; for he is the only true God, and
there is no God but him; he lives for ever in heaven.
Wife. Why you no tell me long ago?
W. A. That's true, indeed; but I have been a wicked
wretch, and have not only forgotten to acquaint thee with
any thing before, but have lived without God in the world
myself.
Wife. What, have you a great God in your country, you
no know him? No say O to him? No do good thing for
him? That no possible?
W. A. It is too true; though, for all that, we live as if
there was no God in heaven, or that he had no power on
earth.
Wife. But why God let you do so? Why he no makee you
good live?
W. A. It is all our own fault.
Wife. But you say me he is great, much great, have much
great power, can makee kill when he will, why he no makee
kill when you no serve him? No say O to him, no be good
mans.
W. A. That is true, he might strike me dead; and 1 ought
to expect it, for I have been a wicked wretch, that is true;
but God is merciful, and does not deal with us as we deserve.
Wife. But then do you not tell God thankee for that too?
W. A. No, indeed, I have not thanked God for his mercy,
any more than I have feared God for his power.
Wife. Then you God no God; me no think believe he be
such one, great much power, strong; no makee kill you,
though you make him much angry.
W. A. What, will my wicked life hinder you from believing
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ADVENTURES OF
in God? What a dreadful creature am I! and what a sad
truth is it, that the horrid lives of Christians hinders the con-
version of heathens!
Wife. How me think you have great much God up there
(she points up to heaven), and yet no do well, no do good
thing? Can he tell? Sure he no tell what you do?
W. A. Yes, yes, he knows and sees all things; he hears us
speak, sees what we do, knows what we think, though we do
not speak.
Wife. What he no hear you curse, swear, speak de great
damn ?
W. A. Yes, yes; he hears it all.
Wife. Where be then the much great power strong?
W. A. He is merciful, that is all we can say for it; and
tnis proves him to be the true God; he is God, and not man,
and therefore we are not consumed.
Here Will Atkins told us he was struck with horror, to
think how he could tell his wife so clearly that God sees, and
hears, and knows the secret thoughts of the heart, and all that
we do, and yet that he had dared to do all the vile things
he had done.
Wife. Merciful! What you call that?
W. A. He is our father and maker, and he pities and
spares us.
Wife. So then he never makee kill, never angry when you
do wicked; then he no good himself, or no great able.
W. A. Yes, yes, my dear, he is infinitely good and infinite-
ly great, and able to punish too; and sometimes, to show his
justice and vengeance, he lets fly his anger to destroy sinners
and make examples; many are cut off in their sins.
Wife. But no makee kill you yet; then he tell you, may
be, that he no makee you kill; so you makee de bargain with
him, you do bad thing, he no be angry at you when he be
angry at other mans.
W. A. No, indeed; my sins are all presumptions upon
his goodness; and he would be infinitely just if he destroyed
me, as he has done other men.
Wife. Well, and yet no kill, no makee you dead; what
you say to him for that? You no tell him thankee for all
that too?
W. A. I am an unthankful, ungrateful dog, that is true.
Wife. Why he no makee you much good better? You say
he makee you.
W. A. He made me, as he made all the world; it is I
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
111
have deformed myself and abused his goodness, and made my-
self an abominable wretch.
Wife. I wish you makee God know me; I no nakee him
angry, I no do bad wicked thing.
Here Will Atkins said his heart sunk within him, to hear
a poor untaught creature desire to be taught to know God,
and he such a wicked wretch that he could not say one word
to her about God, but what the reproach of his own carriage
would make most irrational to her to believe; nay, that al-
ready she had told him that she could not believe in God,
because he, that was so wicked, was not destroyed.
W. A. My dear, you mean, you wish I could teach you to
know God, not God to know you; for he knows you already,
and every thought in your heart.
Wife. Why then he know what I say to you now; he
know me wish to know him; how shall me know who
makee me?
W. A. Poor creature! he must teach thee, I cannot teach
thee ; I will pray to him to teach thee to know him, and for-
give me, that am unworthy to teach thee.
The poor fellow was in such an agony at her desiring him
to make her know God, and her wishing to know him, that
he said he fell down on his knees before her, and prayed to
God to enlighten her mind with the saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ, and to pardon his sins, and accept of his being
the unworthy instrument of instructing her in the principles
of religion after which he sat down by her again, and their
dialogue went on.-This was the time when we saw him
kneel down, and hold up his hands.
Wife. What you put down the knee for? What you hold
up the hand for? What you say? Who you speak to? What
is all that?
W. A. My dear, I bow my knees in token of my submis-
sion to him that made me; I said O to him, as you call it,
and as your old men do to their idol Benamuckee; that is, I
prayed to him.
Wife. What you say O to him for?
W. A. I prayed to him to open your eyes, and your un-
derstanding, that you may know him, and be accepted by him.
Wife. Can he do that too?
W. A. Yes, he can; he can do all things.
Wife. But now he hear what you say?
W. A. Yes; he has bid us pray to him, and promised to
hear us.
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ADVENTURES OF
Wife. Bid you pray? When he bid you? How he bid you?
What, you hear him speak
W. A. No, we do not hear him speak; but he has revealed
himself many ways to us.
Here he was at a great loss to make her understand that
God has revealed himself to us by his word, and what his
word was; but at last he told it her thus:
W. A. God has spoken to some good men in former days,
even from heaven, by plain words; and God has inspired good
men by his Spirit; and they have written all his laws down in
a book.
Wife. Me no understand that; where is book ?
W. A. Alas! my poor creature, I have not this book; but
I hope I shall one time or other get it for you, and help you
to read it.
Here he embraced her with great affection; but with inex-
pressible grief that he had not a bible.
Wife. But how you makee me know that God teachee them
to write that book?
W. A. By the same rule that we know him to be God.
Wife. What rule? What way you know him?
W. A. Because he teaches and commands nothing but what
is good, righteous, and holy, and tends to make us perfectly
good, as well as perfectly happy; and because he forbids, and
commands us to avoid, all that is wicked, that is evil in itself,
or evil in its consequence.
Wife. That me would understand, that me fain see if he
teachee all good thing, he makee all good thing, he give all
thing, he hear me when I say O to him, as you do just now;
he makee me good, if I wish to be good; he spare me, no
makee kill me, when I no be good: all this you say he do,
yet he be great God: me take, think, believe him to be great
God; me say O to him with you, my dear.
Here the poor man could forbear no longer, but raised her
up, made her kneel by him, and he prayed to God aloud to
instruct her in the knowledge of himself by his Spirit; and that
by some good providence, if possible, she might some time or
other come to have a bible, that she might read the word of
God, and be taught by it to know him.-This was the time.
that we saw him lift her up by the hand, and saw him kneel
down by her, as above.
They had several other discourses, it seems, after this, too
long to be set down here; and particularly she made him pro-
mise that since he confessed his own life had been a wicked
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
113
abominable course of provocations against God, that he would
reform it, and not make God angry any more; lest he should
make him dead, as she called it, and then she would be left
alone, and never be taught to know this God better; and lest
he should be miserable, as he had told her wicked men would
be, after death.
This was a strange account, and very affecting to us both,
but particularly to the young clergyman; he was indeed won-
derfully surprised with it, but under the greatest affliction ima-
ginable that he could not talk to her, that he could not speak
English to make her understand him; and as she spoke but
very broken English, he could not understand her; however,
he turned himself to me, and told me that he believed that
there must be more to do with this woman than to marry
her. I did not understand him at first, but at length he ex-
plained himself, viz. that she ought to be baptized. I agreed
with him in that part readily, and was for going about it
presently. "No, no; hold, Sir," said he ; though I would
have her be baptized by all means, yet I must observe that
Will Atkins, her husband, has indeed brought her, in a won-
derful manner, to be willing to embrace a religious life, and
has given her just ideas of the being of a God; of his power,
justice, and mercy: yet I desire to know of him if he has
said any thing to her of Jesus Christ, and of the salvation of
sinners; of the nature of faith in him, and redemption by
him; of the Holy Spirit, the resurrection, the last judgement,
and a future state."
I called Will Atkins again, and asked him; but the poor
fellow fell immediately into tears, and told us he had said
something to her of all those things, but that he was him-
self so wicked a creature, and his own conscience so reproach-
ed him with his horrid, ungodly life, that he trembled at the
apprehensions that her knowledge of him should lessen the
attention she should give to those things, and make her rather
contemn religion than receive it; but he was assured, he said,
that her mind was so disposed to receive due impressions of
all those things, and that if I would but discourse with her,
she would make it appear to my satisfaction that my labour
would not be lost upon her.
Accordingly, I called her in, and placing myself as inter-
preter between my religious priest and the woman, I entreated
him to begin with her; but sure such a sermon was never
preached by a popish priest, in these latter ages of the world;
and, as I told him, I thought he had all the zeal, all the
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knowledge, all the sincerity of a Christian, without the error
of a Roman catholic; and that I took him to be such a
clergyman as the Roman bishops were, before the church of
Rome assumed spiritual sovereignty over the consciences of
men. In a word, he brought the poor woman to embrace
the knowledge of Christ, and of redemption by him, not with
wonder and astonishment only, as she did the first notions of
a God, but with joy and faith; with an affection, and a sur-
prising degree of understanding, scarce to be imagined, much
less to be expressed; and, at her own request, she was
baptized.
When he was preparing to baptize her, I entreated him
that he would perform that office with some caution, that the
man might not perceive he was of the Roman church, if pos-
sible, because of other ill consequences which might attend a
difference among us in that very religion which we were in-
structing the other in. He told me that as he had no con-
secrated chapel, nor proper things for the office, I should see
he would do it in a manner that I should not know by it that
he was a Roman catholic myself, if I had not known it be-
fore; and so he did; for saying only some words over to him-
self in Latin, which I could not understand, he poured a whole
dishful of water upon the woman's head, pronouncing in
French very loud, “ Mary," (which was the name her hus-
band desired me to give her, for I was her godfather,) “ I
baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost;" so that none could know any thing by
it what religion he was of. He gave the benediction after-
wards in Latin, but either Will Atkins did not know but it was
French, or else did not take notice of it at that time.
As soon as this was over, we married them; and after the
marriage was over, he turned to Will Atkins, and in a very
affectionate manner exhorted him, not only to persevere in
that good disposition he was in, but to support the convictions
that were upon him by a resolution to reform his life; told
him it was in vain to say he repented if he did not forsake
his crimes represented to him how God had honoured him
with being the instrument of bringing his wife to the know-
ledge of the Christian religion, and that he should be careful
he did not dishonour the grace of God; and that if he did, he
would see the heathen a better Christian than himself; the
savage converted, and the instrument cast away. He said a
great many good things to them both; and then recommend-
ing them to God's goodness, gave them the benediction again,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
115
I repeating every thing to thern in English; and thus ended
the ceremony. I think it was the most pleasant and agreeable
day to me that ever I passed in my whole life.
But my clergyman had not done yet; his thoughts hung
continually upon the conversion of the thirty-seven savages,
and fain he would have stayed upon the island to have under-
taken it; but I convinced him, first, that his undertaking was
impracticable in itself; and, secondly, that perhaps I would
put it into a way of being done in his absence to his satisfac-
tion; of which by and by.
narrow
Having thus brought the affairs of the island to a
compass, I was preparing to go on board the ship, when the
young man I had taken out of the famished ship's company
came to me, and told me he understood I had a clergyman
with me, and that I had caused the Englishmen to be married
to the savages; that he had a match, too, which he desired
might be finished before I went, between two Christians,
which he hoped would not be disagreeable to me.
I knew this must be the young woman who was his mother's
servant, for there was no other Christian woman on the island:
so I began to persuade him not to do any thing of that kind
rashly, or because he found himself in this solitary circum-
stance. I represented to him that he had some considerable
substance in the world, and good friends, as I understood by
himself, and the maid also; that the maid was not only poor,
and a servant, but was unequal to him, she being six or seven
and twenty years old, and he not above seventeen or eighteen ;
that he might very probably, with my assistance, make a re-
move from this wilderness, and come into his own country
again; and that then it would be a thousand to one but
he would repent his choice, and the dislike of that circum-
stance might be disadvantageous to both. I was going to say
more, but he interrupted, smiling, and told me, with a great
deal of modesty, that I mistook in my guesses; that he had
nothing of that kind in his thoughts; and he was very glad
to hear that I had an intent of putting them in a way to see
their own country again; and nothing should have put him
upon staying there, but that the voyage I was going was so
exceeding long and hazardous, and would carry him quite out
of the reach of all his friends; that he had nothing to desire
of me, but that I would settle him in some little property in
the island where he was, give him a servant or two, and some
few necessaries, and he would settle himself here like a plant-
er, waiting the good time when, if ever I returned to England,
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I would redeem them; and hoped I would not be unmindful
of him when I came to England: that he would give me some
letters to his friends in London, to let them know how good I
had been to him, and in what part of the world, and what eir-
cumstance I had left him in; and he promised me that when-
ever I redeemed him, the plantation, and all the improvements
he had made upon it, let the value be what it would, should
be wholly mine.
His discourse was very prettily delivered, considering his
youth, and was the more agreeable to me, because he told me
positively the match was not for himself. I gave him all possi-
ble assurances that if I lived to come safe to England, I would
deliver his letters, and do his business effectually; and that he
might depend I should never forget the circumstances I had
left him in but still I was impatient to know who was the
person to be married; upon which he told me it was my Jack
of all trades and his maid Susan. I was most agreeably sur-
prised when he named the match, for indeed I thought it very
suitable. The character of that man I have given already;
and as for the maid, she was a very honest, modest, sober, and
religious young woman; had a very good share of sense, was
agreeable enough in her person, spoke very handsomely, and
to the purpose, always with decency and good manners, and
neither too backward to speak, when requisite, nor imperti-
nently forward, when it was not her business; very handy
and housewifely, and an excellent manager; fit, indeed, to have
been governess to the whole island, and she knew very well
how to behave in every respect.
The match being proposed in this manner, we married them
the same day; and as I was father at the altar, as I may say,
and gave her away, so I gave her a portion; for I appointed
her and her husband a handsome large space of ground for
their plantation; and, indeed, this match, and the proposal
the young gentleman made to give him-a small property in the
island, put me upon parcelling it out amongst them, that they
might not quarrel afterwards about their situation.
This sharing out the land to them I left to Will Atkins,
who was now grown a sober, grave, managing fellow, perfectly
reformed, exceedingly pious and religious, and, as far as I may
be allowed to speak positively in such a case, I verily believe
he was a true penitent. He divided things so justly, and so
much to every one's satisfaction, that they only desired one
general writing under my hand for the whole, which I caused
to be drawn up, and signed and sealed to them, setting out the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
117
bounds and situation of every man's plantation, and testifying
that I gave them thereby severally a right to the whole pos-
session and inheritance of the respective plantations or farms,
with their improvements, to them and their heirs, reserving all
the rest of the island as my own property, and a certain rent
for every particular plantation after eleven years, if I, or any
one from me, or in my name, came to demand it, producing
an attested copy of the same writing.
As to the government and laws among them, I told them I
was not capable of giving them better rules than they were able
to give themselves; only I made them promise me to live in
love and good neighbourhood with one another; and so I pre-
pared to leave them.
One thing I must not omit, and that is, that being now
settled in a kind of commonwealth among themselves, and
having much business in hand, it was but odd to have seven
and thirty Indians live in a nook of the island, independent,
and, indeed, unemployed; for, excepting the providing them-
selves food, which they had difficulty enough to do, sometimes
they had no manner of business or property to manage. I pro-
posed, therefore, to the governor Spaniard, that he should go
to them, with Friday's father, and propose to them to remove,
and either plant for themselves, or take them into their several
families as servants, to be maintained for their labour, but with-
out being absolute slaves; for I would not admit them to make
them slaves by force, by any means; because they had their
liberty given them by capitulation, as it were articles of sur-
render, which they ought not to break.
They most willingly embraced the proposal, and came all
very cheerful along with him so we allotted them land, and
plantations, which three or four accepted of, but all the rest
chose to be employed as servants in the several families we
had settled; and thus my colony was in a manner settled, as
follows:-The Spaniards possessed my original habitation,
which was the capital city, and extended their plantations all
along the side of the brook, which made the creek that I have
so often described, as far as my bower; and as they increased
their culture, it went always eastward. The English lived in
the north-east part, where Will Atkins and his comrades be-
gan, and came on southward and south-west, towards the back
part of the Spaniards; and every plantation had a great addition
of land to take in, if they found occasion, so that they need
not jostle one another for want of room. All the east end or
the island was left uninhabited, that if any of the savages
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ADVENTURES OF
should come on shore there only for their usual customary bar-
barities, they might come and go; if they disturbed nobody,
nobody would disturb them: and no doubt but they were often
ashore, and went away again, for I never heard that the plant-
ers were ever attacked or disturbed any more.
It now came into my thoughts that I had hinted to my friend
the clergyman that the work of converting the savages might
perhaps be set on foot in his absence to his satisfaction, and
told him that now I thought it was put in a fair way; for
the savages being thus divided among the Christians, if they
would but every one of them do their part with those which
came under their hands, I hoped it might have a very good
effect.
" but
He agreed presently in that, if they did their part :
how," says he, "shall we obtain that of them?" I told him
we would call them all together, and leave it in charge with
them, or go to them, one by one, which he thought best: so
we divided it, he to speak to the Spaniards, who were all pa-
pists, and I to the English, who were all protestants; and we
recommended it earnestly to them, and made them promise that
they would never make any distinction of papist or protestant
in their exhorting the savages to turn Christians, but teach them
the general knowledge of the true God, and of their Saviour
Jesus Christ; and they likewise promised us that they would
never have any differences or disputes one with another about
religion.
When I came to Will Atkins's house, (I may call it so, for
such a house, or such a piece of basket-work, I believe, was
not standing in the world again,) there I found the young wo-
man I have mentioned above, and Will Atkins's wife, were
become intimates; and this prudent, religious young woman,
had perfected the work Will Atkins had begun; and though
it was not above four days after what I have related, yet the
new baptized savage woman was made such a Christian as I
have seldom heard of in all my observation or conversation in
the world.
It came next into my mind, in the morning before I went
to them, that amongst all the needful things I had to leave with
them, I had not left them a bible, in which I showed myself
less considering for them than my good friend the widow was
for me, when she sent me the cargo of an hundred pounds from
Lisbon, where she packed up three bibles and a prayer-book.
However, the good woman's charity had a greater extent than
ever she imagined, for they were reserved for the comfort and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
119
instruction of those that made much better use of them than I
had done.
I took one of the bibles in my pocket, and when I came to
Will Atkins's tent, or house, and found the young woman and
Atkins's baptized wife had been discoursing of religion together,
for Will Atkins told it me with a great deal of joy, I asked if
they were together now, and he said yes; so I went into the
house, and he with me, and we found them together very
earnest in discourse. 'O, Sir," says Will Atkins, “when
God has sinners to reconcile to himself, and aliens to bring
home, he never wants a messenger; my wife has got a new
instructor; I knew I was as unworthy as I was incapable of
that work; that young woman has been sent hither from hea-
ven; she is enough to convert a whole island of savages." The
young woman blushed, and rose up to go away, but I desired
her to sit still; I told her she had a good work upon her hands,
and I hoped God would bless her in it.
We talked a little, and I did not perceive they had any book
among them, though I did not ask; but I put my hand into
my pocket, and pulled out my bible; " Here," says I to At-
kins, " I have brought you an assistant that perhaps you had
not before." The man was so confounded that he was not
able to speak for some time; but recovering himself, he takes
it with both his hands, and turning to his wife,
(6 Here, my
dear," says he, "did not I tell you our God, though he lives
above, could hear what we said? Here's the book I prayed for
when you and I kneeled down under the bush; now God has
heard us, and sent it." When he had said so, the man fell
into such transports of passionate joy, that between the joy of
having it, and giving God thanks for it, the tears ran down his
face like a child that was crying.
The woman was surprised, and was like to have run into a
mistake that none of us were aware of, for she firmly believed
God had sent the book upon her husband's petition. It is true,
that providentially it was so, and might be taken so in a con-
sequent sense; but I believe it would have been no difficult
matter, at that time, to have persuaded the poor woman to
have believed that an express messenger came from heaven on
purpose to bring that individual book; but it was too serious
a matter to suffer any delusion to take place; so I turned to
the young woman, and told her we did not desire to impose
upon the new convert, in her first and more ignorant under-
standing of things, and begged her to explain to her that God
may be very properly said to answer our petitions, when, in
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ADVENTURES OF
the course of his providence, such things are in a particular
manner brought to pass as we petitioned for; but we did not
expect returns from Heaven in a miraculous and particular
manner, and it is our mercy that it is not so.
This the young woman did afterwards effectually, so that
there was, I assure you, no priestcraft used here; and I should
have thought it one of the most unjustifiable frauds in the world
to have had it so. But the surprise of joy upon Will Atkins
is really not to be expressed; and there, we may be sure, was
no delusion. Sure no man was ever more thankful in the
world for any thing of its kind than he was for the bible; nor,
I believe, never any man was glad of a bible from a better prin-
ciple; and though he had been a most profligate creature,
headstrong, furious, and desperately wicked, yet this man is a
standing rule to us all for the well instructing children, viz.
that parents should never give over to teach and instruct, or ever
despair of the success of their endeavours, let the children be
ever so refractory, or, to appearance, insensible of instruction;
for, if ever God, in his providence, touches the conscience of
such, the force of their education returns upon them, and the
early instruction of parents is not lost, though it may have been
many years laid asleep, but, some time or other, they may find
the benefit of it. Thus it was with this poor man; however
ignorant he was of religion and Christian knowledge, he found
he had some to do with now more ignorant than himself, and
that the least part of the instruction of his good father that
now came to his mind was of use to him.
Among the rest it occurred to him, he said, how his father
used to insist so much on the inexpressible value of the bible,
the privilege and blessing of it to nations, families, and per-
sons; but he never entertained the least notion of the worth
of it till now, when being to talk to heathens, savages, and
barbarians, he wanted the help of the written oracle for his
assistance.
The young woman was glad of it also for the present oc-
casion, though she had one, and so had the youth, on board
our ship, among their goods, which were not yet brought on
shore. And now having said so many things of this young
woman, I cannot omit telling one story more of her and my-
self, which has something in it very informing and remark-
able.
I have related to what extremity the poor young woman
was reduced, how her mistress was starved to death, and died
on board that unhappy ship we met at sea, and how the whole
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121
ship's company was reduced to the last extremity. The gen-
tlewoman and her son, and this maid, were first hardly used,
as to provisions, and at last totally neglected and starved; that
is to say, brought to the last extremity of hunger.—One day
being discoursing with her on the extremities they suffered, I
asked her if she could describe, by what she had felt, what it
was to starve, and how it appeared? She told me she believed
she could, and she told her tale very distinctly, thus :
"First, Sir," said she, "we had for some days fared exceed-
ing hard, and suffered very great hunger: but at last we were
wholly without food of any kind, except sugar, and a little
wine and water. The first day, after I had received no food
at all, I found myself, towards evening, first empty and sick
at the stomach, and nearer night much inclined to yawn-
ing and sleep. I laid down on a couch in the great cabin to
sleep, and slept about three hours, and awaked a little refresh-
ed, having taken a glass of wine when I lay down after
being about three hours awake, it being about five o'clock in
the morning, I found myself empty, and my stomach sickish,
and lay down again, but could not sleep at all, being very
faint and ill; and thus I continued all the second day, with a
strange variety, first hungry, then sick again, with reachings
to vomit. The second night, being obliged to go to bed again
without any food, more than a draught of fresh water, and
being asleep, I dreamed I was at Barbadoes, and that the
market was mightily stocked with provisions; that I bought
some for my mistress, and went and dined very heartily. I
thought my stomach was as full after this as it would have been
after a good dinner; but when I awaked, I was exceedingly
sunk in my spirits to find myself in the extremity of famine.
The last glass of wine we had I drank, and put sugar in it,
because of its having some spirit to supply nourishment; but
there being no substance in the stomach for the digesting
office to work upon, I found the only effect of the wine was,
to raise disagreeable fumes from the stomach into the head
and I lay, as they told me, stupid and senseless, as one drunk,
for some time. The third day, in the morning, after a night
of strange, confused, and inconsistent dreams, and rather
dozing than sleeping, I awaked ravenous and furious with
hunger; and I question, had not my understanding returned
and conquered it, whether, if I had been a mother, and had
had a little child with me, its life would have been safe or
not. This lasted about three hours; during which time I
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ADVENTURES OF
was twice raging mad as any creature in Bedlam, as my young
master told me, and as he can now inform you.
"In one of these fits of lunacy or distraction I fell down,
and struck my face against the corner of a pallet bed, in
which my mistress lay, and, with the blow, the blood gushed
out of my nose; and the cabin-boy bringing me a little bason,
I sat down and bled into it a great deal; and as the blood came
from me, I came to myself, and the violence of the flame or
fever I was in abated, and so did the ravenous part of the
hunger. Then I grew sick, and reached to vomit, but could
not, for I had nothing in my stomach to bring up. After I
had bled some time, I swooned, and they all believed I was
dead; but I came to myself soon after, and then had a most
dreadful pain in my stomach, not to be described, not like the
cholic, but a gnawing, eager pain for food; and towards the
night it went off, with a kind of earnest wishing or longing
for food, something like, as I suppose, the longing of a woman
with child. I took another draught of water, with sugar in
it; but my stomach loathed the sugar, and brought it all up
again then I took a draught of water without sugar, and that
stayed with me; and I laid me down upon the bed, praying
most heartily that it would please God to take me away; and
composing my mind in hopes of it, I slumbered awhile, and
then waking, thought myself dying, being light with vapours
from an empty stomach; I recommended my soul then to God,
and earnestly wished that somebody would throw me into the
sea.
"All this while my mistress lay by me, just, as I thought,
expiring, but bore it with much more patience than I; gave
the last bit of bread she had left to her child, my young mas-
ter, who would not have taken it, but she obliged him to eat
and I believe it saved his life.
it;
"Towards the morning I slept again; and when I awoke,
I fell into a violent passion of crying, and after that had a se-
cond fit of violent hunger: I got up ravenous, and in a most
dreadful condition: had my mistress been dead, as much as I
loved her, I am certain I should have eaten a piece of her flesh
with as much relish, and as unconcerned, as ever I did eat the
flesh of any creature appointed for food; and once or twice I
was going to bite my own arm at last I saw the bason in
which was the blood I had bled at my nose the day before; I
ran to it, and swallowed it with such haste, and such a greedy
appetite, as if I wondered nobody had taken it before, and
afraid it should be taken from me now. After it was down,
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123
though the thoughts of it filled me with horror, yet it checked
the fit of hunger, and I took another draught of water, and
was composed and refreshed for some hours after. This
was the fourth day; and thus I held it till towards night;
when, within the compass of three hours, I had all the several
circumstances over again, one after another, viz. sick, sleepy,
eagerly hungry, pain in the stomach, then ravenous again;
then sick, then lunatic, then crying, then ravenous again, and
so every quarter of an hour; and my strength wasted exceed-
ingly at night I laid me down, having no comfort but in the
hope that I should die before morning.
:
"All this night I had no sleep; but the hunger was now
turned into a disease; and I had a terrible cholic and griping,
by wind, instead of food, having found its way into the
bowels; and in this condition I lay till morning, when I was
surprised with the cries and lamentations of my young master,
who called out to me that his mother was dead: I lifted my-
self up a little, for I had not strength to rise, but found she was
not dead, though she was able to give very little signs of life.
"I had then such convulsions in my stomach, for want of
some sustenance, that I cannot describe; with such frequent
throes and pangs of appetite, that nothing but the tortures of
death can imitate; and in this condition I was when I heard
the seamen above cry out, "A sail! a sail!" and hollow and
jump about as if they were distracted.
"I was not able to get off from the bed, and my mistress
much less; and my young master was so sick, that I thought
he had been expiring; so we could not open the cabin door,
or get any account what it was that occasioned such con-
fusion; nor had we any conversation with the ship's com-
pany for two days, they having told us that they had not a
mouthful of any thing to eat in the ship; and this they told us
afterwards they thought we had been dead.-It was this dread-
ful condition we were in when you were sent to save our
lives; and how you found us, Sir, you know as well as I,
and better too."
This was her own relation, and is such a distinct account
of starving to death, as, I confess, I never met with, and was
exceeding entertaining to me. I am the rather apt to believe
it to be a true account, because the youth gave me an account
of a good part of it; though, I must own, not so distinct and
so feeling as the maid; and the rather, because it seems his
mother fed him at the price of her own life; but the poor
naid, though her constitution being stronger than that of her
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ADVENTURES OF
mistress, who was in years, and a weakly woman too, she
might struggle harder with it; I say, the poor maid might be
supposed to feel the extremity something sooner than her mis-
tress, who might be allowed to keep the last bit something
longer than she parted with any to relieve the maid. No
question, as the case is here related, if our ship, or some
other, had not so providentially met them, a few days more
would have ended all their lives, unless they had prevented it by
eating one another; and that even, as their case stood, would
have served them but a little while, they being five hundred
leagues from any land, or any possibility of relief, other than
in the miraculous manner it happened: but this is by the way;
I return to my disposition of things among the people.
And, first, it is to be observed here, that for many reasons
I did not think fit to let them know any thing of the sloop I
had framed, and which I thought of setting up among them;
for I found, at least at my first coming, such seeds of divisions
among them, that I saw plainly, had I set up the sloop, and
left it among them, they would, upon every light disgust, have
separated, and gone away from one another, or perhaps have
turned pirates, and so made the island a den of thieves, instead
of a plantation of sober and religious people, as I intended it :
nor did I leave the two pieces of brass cannon that I had on
board, or the two quarter-deck guns that my nephew took
extraordinary, for the same reason: I thought it was enough to
qualify them for a defensive war against any that should in-
vade them, but not to set them up for an offensive war, or to
go abroad to attack others; which, in the end, would only
bring ruin and destruction upon them: I reserved the sloop,
therefore, and the guns, for their service another way, as I shall
observe in its place.
Having now done with the island, I left them all in good
circumstances and in a flourishing condition, and went on
board my ship again the 6th of May, having been about
twenty-five days among them; and as they were all resolved
to stay upon the island till I came to remove them, I promised
to send them farther relief from the Brasils, if I could possi-
bly find an opportunity: and, particularly, I promised to send
them some cattle, such as sheep, hogs, and cows; as to the
two cows and calves which I brought from England, we had
been obliged, by the length of our voyage, to kill them at sea,
for want of hay to feed them.
The next day, giving them a salute, of five guns at parting,
we set sail, and arrived at the bay of All Saints, in the Brasils,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
125
in about twenty-two days, meeting nothing remarkable in our
passage but this: that about three days after we had sailed,
being becalmed, and the current setting strong to the E. N. E
running, as it were, into a bay or gulph on the land side, we
were driven something out of our course, and once or twice
our men cried out, " Land to the eastward;" but whether it
was the continent or islands we could not tell by any means.
But the third day, towards evening, the sea smooth, and the
weather calm, we saw the sea, as it were, covered towards the
land with something very black; not being able to discover
what it was, till after some time, our chief mate going up the
main-shrouds a little way, and looking at them with a perspec-
tive, cried out it was an army. I could not imagine what he
meant by an army, and thwarted him a little hastily.
Sir," says he, "don't be angry, for 'tis an army, and a fleet
too; for I believe there are a thousand canoes, and you may
see them paddle along, for they are coming towards us a-
pace."
Nay,
I was a little surprised then, indeed, and so was my nephew
the captain; for he had heard such terrible stories of them in the
island, and having never been in those seas before, that he
could not tell what to think of it, but said, two or three times,
we should all be devoured. I must confess, considering we
were becalmed, and the current set strong towards the shore,
I liked it the worse: however, I bade them not to be afraid,
but bring the ship to an anchor as soon as we came so near to
know that we must engage them.
The weather continued calm, and they came on apace to-
wards us; so I gave order to come to an anchor, and furl all
our sails as for the savages, I told them they had nothing to
fear but fire, and therefore they should get their boats out, and
fasten them, one close by the head, and the other by the stern,
and man them both well, and wait the issue in that posture :
this I did, that the men in the boats might be ready with skeets
and buckets to put out any fire these savages would endeavour
to fix to the outside of the ship.
In this posture we lay by for them, and in a little while they
came up with us: but never was such a horrid sight seen by
Christians though my mate was much mistaken in his calcu-
lation of their number, yet when they came up we reckoned
about a hundred and twenty-six; some of them had sixteen
or seventeen men in them, and some more, and the least six
or seven.
When they came nearer to us, they seemed to be struck
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ADVENTURES OF
with wonder and astonishment, as at a sight which doubtless
they had never seen before; nor could they, at first, as we
afterwards understood, know what to make of us; they came
boldly up, however, very near to us, and seemed to go about to
row round us; but we called to our men in the boats not to
let them come too near them. This very order brought us to an
engagement with them, without our designing it; for five or
six of the large canoes came so near our long-boat that our men
beckoned with their hands to keep them back, which they un-
derstood very well, and went back; but at their retreat about
fifty arrows came on board us from those boats, and one of our
men in the long-boat was very much wounded. However, I
called to them not to fire by any means; but we handed down
some deal-boards into the boat, and the carpenter presently
set up a kind of fence, like waste boards, to cover them from
the arrows of the savages, if they should shoot again.
About half an hour afterwards they all came up in a body
astern of us, and so near, as that we could easily discern what
they were, though we could not tell their design; and I easily
found they were some of my old friends, the same sort of sa-
vages that I had been used to engage with; and in a short time
more they rowed a little farther out to sea, till they came di-
rectly broadside with us, and then rowed down straight upon
us, till they came so near that they could hear us speak: upon
this I ordered all my men to keep close, lest they should shoot
any more arrows, and made all our guns ready; but being so
near as to be within hearing, I made Friday go out upon the
deck, and call out aloud to them in his language, to know what
they meant; which accordingly he did. Whether they un-
derstood him or not, that I knew not; but as soon as he had
called to them, six of them, who were in the foremost or nigh-
est boat to us, turned their canoes from us, and stooping down,
showed us their naked backsides, just as if, in English, saving
your presence, they had bid us kiss --: whether this was a
defiance or challenge we knew not, or whether it was done in
mere contempt, or as a signal to the rest; but immediately
Friday cried out they were going to shoot; and, unhappily
for him, poor fellow, they let fly about three hundred of their
arrows, and, to my inexpressible grief, killed poor Friday, no
other man being in their sight. The poor fellow was shot with
no less than three arrows, and about three more fell very near
him; such unlucky marksmen they were!
I was so enraged at the loss of my old trusty servant and
companion, that I immediately ordered five guns to be loaded
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
127
with small-shot, and four with great, and gave them such a
broadside as they had never heard in their lives before, to be
sure. They were not above half a cable length off when we
fired; and our gunners took their aim so well, that three or
four of their canoes were overset, as we had reason to believe,
by one shot only.
The ill manners of turning up their bare backsides to us
gave us no great offence; neither did I know for certain
whether that which would pass for the greatest contempt
among us might be understood so by them or not; therefore,
in return, I had only resolved to have fired four or five guns
at them with powder only, which I knew would fright them
sufficiently; but when they shot at us directly, with all the
fury they were capable of, and especially as they had killed my
poor Friday, whom I so entirely loved and valued, and who,
indeed, so well deserved it, I thought myself not only justi-
fiable before God and man, but would have been very glad if
I could have overset every canoe there, and drowned every
one of them.
I can neither tell how many we killed, or how many we
wounded at this broadside, but sure such a fright and hurry
never was seen among such a multitude; there were thirteen
or fourteen of their canoes split and overset in all, and the men
all set a swimming: the rest, frightened out of their wits,
scoured away as fast as they could, taking but little care to save
those whose boats were split or spoiled with our shot; so I
suppose that many of them were lost; and our men took up
one poor fellow swimming for his life, above an hour after they
were all gone.
The small-shot from our cannon must needs kill and wound
a great many; but, in short, we never knew any thing how
it went with them, for they fled so fast, that in three hours, or
thereabouts, we could not see above three or four straggling
canoes, nor did we ever see the rest any more; for a breeze
of wind springing up the same evening, we weighed, and set
sail for the Brasils.
We had a prisoner, indeed, but the creature was so sullen
that he would neither eat or speak, and we all fancied he would
starve himself to death: but I took a way to cure him; for I
made them take him and turn him into the long-boat, and
make him believe they would toss him into the sea again, and
so leave him where they found him, if he would not speak :
nor would that do, but they really did throw him into the sea,
and came away from him; and then he followed them, for
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ADVENTURES OF
he swam like a cork, and called to them, in his tongue, though
they knew not one word of what he said: however, at last
they took him in again, and then he began to be more tractable;
nor did I ever design thev should drown him.
We were now under sail again; but I was the most discon-
solate creature alive for want of my man Friday, and would
have been very glad to have gone back to the island to have
taken one of the rest from thence for my occasion; but it
could not be; so we went on. We had one prisoner, as I
have said, and it was a long time before we could make him
understand any thing; but, in time, our men taught him some
English, and he began to be a little tractable. Afterwards, we
inquired what country he came from, but could make nothing
of what he said; for his speech was so odd, all gutturals, and
he spoke in the throat in such a hollow, odd manner, that we
could never form a word after him; and we were all of opi-
nion that they might speak that language as well if they were
gagged as otherwise; nor could we perceive that they had any
occasion either for teeth, tongue, lips, or palate, but formed
their words just as a hunting-horn forms a tune, with an open
throat. He told us, however, some time after, when we had
taught him to speak a little English, that they were going with
their kings to fight a great battle. When he said kings, we
asked him how many kings? He said they were five nation,
(we could not make him understand the plural s), and that they
all joined to go against two nation. We asked him what made
them come up to us? He said, "To makee te great wonder
look." Here it is to be observed, that all those natives, as also
those of Africa, when they learn English, always add two e's
at the end of the words where we use one; and they place the
accent upon them, as makéé, takéé, and the like; and we
could not break them of it; nay, I could hardly make Friday
leave it off, though at last he did.
And now I name the poor fellow once more, I must take
my last leave of him: Poor honest Friday! We buried him
with all the decency and solemnity possible, by putting him
into a coffin, and throwing him into the sea; and I caused
them to fire eleven guns for him and so ended the life of the
most grateful, faithful, honest, and most affectionate servant,
that ever man had.
:
We went now away with a fair wind for Brasil; and in
about twelve days time we made land, in the latitude of five
degrees south of the line, being the north eastermost land of
all that part of America. We kept on S. by E. in sight of
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
129
the shore four days, when we made Cape St. Augustine, and
in three days came to an anchor off the bay of All Saints, the
old place of my deliverance, from whence came both my good
and evil fate.
Never ship came to this port that had less business than
had, and yet it was with great difficulty that we were admit-
ted to bold the least correspondence on shore: not my part-
ner himself, who was alive, and made a great figure among
them, not my two merchant-trustees, not the fame of my
wonderful preservation in the island, could obtain me that
favour; but my partner remembering that I had given five
hundred moidores to the prior of the monastery of the Augus-
tines, and two hundred and seventy-two to the poor, went to
the monastery, and obliged the prior that then was to go to
the governor, and get leave for me personally, with the captain
and one more, besides eight seamen, to come on shore, and
no more; and this upon condition absolutely capitulated for,
that we should not offer to land any goods out of the ship,
or to carry any person away without licence. They were so
strict with us as to landing any goods, that it was with extreme
difficulty that I got on shore three bales of English goods, such
as fine broad-cloths, stuffs, and some linen, which I had
brought for a present to my partner.
:
He was a very generous, open-hearted man; though, like
me, he came from little at first: and though he knew not
that I had the least design of giving him any thing, he sent
me on board a present of fresh provisions, wine and sweat-
meats, worth above thirty moidores, including some tobacco,
and three or four fine medals of gold but I was even with
him in my present, which, as I have said, consisted of fine
broad-cloth, English stuffs, lace, and fine hollands; also I
delivered him about the value of 1001. sterling, in the same
goods, for other uses; and I obliged him to set up the sloop,
which I had brought with me from England, as I have said,
for the use of my colony, in order to send the refreshments I
intended to my plantation.
Accordingly, he got hands, and finished the sloop in a very
few days, for she was already framed; and I gave the master
of her such instructions as he could not miss the place; nor
did he miss them, as I had an account from my partner after-
wards. I got him soon loaded with the small cargo I sent
them; and one of our seamen, that had been on shore with
me there, offered to go with the sloop and settle there, upon
my letter to the governor Spaniard to allot him a sufficient
VOL. II.
130
ADVENTURES OF
quantity of land for a plantation, and giving him some clothes
and tools for his planting work, which he said he understood,
having been an old planter at Maryland, and a buccaneer in-
to the bargain. I encouraged the fellow, by granting all he
desired; and, as in condition, I gave him the savage whom
we had taken prisoner of war to be his slave, and ordered
the governor Spaniard to give him his share of every thing he
wanted with the rest.
When we came to fit this man out, my old partner told
me there was a certain very honest fellow, a Brasil planter of
his acquaintance, who had fallen into the displeasure of the
church. "I know not what the matter is with him," says
he, "but on my conscience I think he is a heretic in his
heart, and he has been obliged to conceal himself for fear of
the Inquisition; that he would be very glad of such an oppor-
tunity to make his escape, with his wife and two daughters;
and if I would let them go to my island, and allot them a
plantation, he would give them a small stock to begin with;
for the officers of the Inquisition had seized all his effects and
estate, and he had nothing left but a little household stuff, and
two slaves: and," adds he," though I hate his principles, yet
I would not have him fall into their hands, for he will be as-
suredly burned alive if he does
I granted this presently, and joined my Englishman wit
them; and we concealed the man, and his wife and daughters,
on board our ship, till the sloop put out to go to sea; and
then having put all their goods on board some time before,
we put them on board the sloop after she was got out of the
bay.
Our seaman was mightily pleased with this new partner;
and their stocks, indeed, were much alike rich in tools, in
preparations, and a farm; but nothing to begin with, except
as above however, they carried over with them, which was
worth all the rest, some materials for planting sugar-canes,
with some plants of canes, which he, I mean the Portugal
man, understood very well.
Among the rest of the supplies sent my tenants in the island,
I sent them by the sloop three milch cows and five calves, about
twenty-two hogs among them, three sows big with pig, two
mares, and a stone-horse. For my Spaniards, according to
my promise, I engaged three Portugal women to go, and re-
commended it to them to marry them, and use them kindly.
I could have procured more women, but I remembered that
the poor prosecuted man had two daughters, and that there
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
131
were but five of the Spaniards that wanted; the rest had wives
of their own, though in another country.
All this cargo arrived safe, and, as you may easily suppose,
were very welcome to my old inhabitants, who were now, with
this addition, between sixty and seventy people, besides little
children, of which there were a great many I found letters
at London from them all, by way of Lisbon, when I came
back to England, of which I shall also take some notice im-
mediately.
I have now done with the island, and all manner of dis-
course about it; and whoever reads the rest of my memoran-
dums would do well to turn his thoughts entirely from it, and
expect to read of the follies of an old man, not warned by
his own harms, much less by those of other men, to beware
of the like; not cooled by almost forty years miseries and dis-
appointments; not satisfied with prosperity beyond expecta-
tion, nor made cautious by afflictions and distress beyond
imitation.
I had no more business to go to the East Indies than a man
at full liberty has to go to the turnkey at Newgate, and de-
sire him to lock him up among the prisoners there, and starve
him. Had I taken a small vessel from England, and went
directly to the island; had I loaded her, as I did the other
vessel, with all the necessaries for the plantation, and for my
people; took a patent from the government here to have se-
cured my property, in subjection only to that of England;
had I carried over cannon and ammunition, servants, and
people to plant, and taken possession of the place, fortified and
strengthened it in the name of England, and increased it with
people, as I might easily have done; had I then settled my-
self there, and sent the ship back loaden with good rice, as I
might also have done in six months time, and ordered my
friends to have fitted her out again for our supply; had I
done this, and stayed there myself, I had at least acted like a
man of common sense: but I was possessed with a wandering
spirit, and scorned all advantages; I pleased myself with being
the patron of the people I placed there, and doing for them in
a kind of haughty, majestic way, like an old patriarchal
monarch, providing for them as if I had been father of the
whole family, as well as of the plantation: but I never so
much as pretended to plant in the name of any government or
nation, or to acknowledge any prince, or to call my people
subjects to any one nation more than another; nay, I never
so much as gave the place a name, but left it, as I found it,
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ADVENTURES OF
belonging to nobody, and the people under no discipline or
government but my own; who, though I had influence over
them as a father and benefactor, had no authority or power to
act or command one way or other, farther than voluntary con-
sent moved them to comply: yet even this, had I stayed there,
would have done well enough; but as I rambled from them,
and came there no more, the last letters I had from any of
them was by my partner's means, who afterwards sent another
sloop to the place, and who sent me word, though I had not
the letter till I got to London, several years after it was writ-
ten, that they went on but poorly, were malecontent with
their long stay there; that Will Atkins was dead; that five
of the Spaniards were come away; and though they had not
been much molested by the savages, yet they had some skir-
mishes with them; and that they begged of him to write to
me to think of the promise I had made to fetch them away,
that they might see their country again before they died.
But I was gone a wildgoose chase, indeed! and they that
will have any more of me must be content to follow me into
a new variety of follies, hardships, and wild adventures,
wherein the justice of Providence may be duly observed; and
we may see how easily Heaven can gorge us with our own
desires, make the strongest of our wishes be our affliction,
and punish us most severely with those very things which we
think it would be our utmost happiness to be allowed in.
Whether I had business or no business, away I went: it is
no time now to enlarge upon the reason or absurdity of my
own conduct, but to come to the history; I was embarked for
the voyage, and the voyage I went.
I shall only add a word or two concerning my honest
popish clergyman; for let their opinion of us, and all other
heretics in general, as they call us, be as uncharitable as it
may, I verily believe this man was very sincere, and wished
the good of all men: yet I believe he was upon the reserve
in many of his expressions, to prevent giving me offence; for
I scarce heard him once call on the blessed Virgin, or mention
St. Jago or his guardian angel, though so common with the
rest of them however, I say, I had not the least doubt of
his sincerity and pious intentions on his own part; and I am
firmly of opinion, if the rest of the popish missionaries were
like him, they would strive to visit even the poor Tartars and
Laplanders, where they have nothing to give them, as well as
covet to flock to India, Persia, China, &c. the most wealthy
of the heathen countries; for if they expected to bring no
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
133
gains to their church by it, it may well be admired how they
came to admit the Chinese Confucius into the calendar of
the Christian saints. But this by the bye.
A ship being ready to sail for Lisbon, my pious priest asked
me leave to go thither; being still, as he observed, bound
never to finish any voyage he began. How happy had it been
for me if I had gone with him! But it was too late now: all
things Heaven appoints for the best: had I gone with him, I
had never had so many things to be thankful for, and the
reader had never heard of the second part of the travels and
adventures of Robinson Crusoe; so I must here leave exclaim-
ing at myself, and go on with my voyage. From the Brasils
we made directly over the Atlantic Sea to the Cape of Good
Hope, and had a tolerable good voyage, our course generally
south-east, now and then a storm, and some contrary winds,
but my disasters at sea were at an end; my future rubs and
cross events were to befall me on shore, that it might appear
the land was as well prepared to be our scourge as the sea.
Our ship was on a trading voyage, and had a supercargo
on board, who was to direct all her motions after she arrived
at the Cape, only being limited to a certain number of days
for stay, by charterparty, at the several ports she was to go to.
This was none of my business, neither did I meddle with it;
my nephew, the captain, and the supercargo, adjusting all
those things between them as they thought fit.
We stayed at the Cape no longer than was needful to take
in fresh water, but made the best of our way for the coast of
Coromandel. We were indeed informed that a French man
of war of fifty guns, and two large merchant ships, were gone
for the Indies; and as I knew we were at war with France,
I had some apprehensions of them; but they went their own
way, and we heard no more of them.
I shall not pester the reader with a tedious description of
places, journals of our voyages, variations of the compass, lati-
tudes, trade-winds, &c.; it is enough to name the ports and
places which we touched at, and what occurred to us upon
our passing from one to another. We touched first at the
island of Madagascar, where, though the people are fierce
and treacherous, and very well armed with lances and bows,
which they use with inconceivable dexterity, yet we fared very
well with them awhile; they treated us very civilly; and, for
some trifles which we gave them, such as knives, scissars, &c.
they brought us eleven good fat bullocks of a middling size
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ADVENTURES OF
which we took in, partly for fresh provisions for our present
spending, and the rest to salt for the ship's use.
We were obliged to stay here some time after we had fur-
nished ourselves with provisions; and I, who was always too
curious to look into every nook of the world wherever I came,
was for going on shore as often as I could. It was on the east
side of the island that we went on shore one evening; and
the people, who, by the way, are very numerous, came
thronging about us, and stood gazing at us at a distance;
but as we had traded freely with them, and had been kindly
used, we thought ourselves in no danger; but when we saw
the people, we cut three boughs out of a tree, and stuck them
up at a distance from us; which, it seems, is a mark in that
country, not only of a truce and friendship, but when it is ac-
cepted, the other side sets up three poles or boughs, which is
a signal that they accept the truce too; but then this is a
known condition of the truce, that you are not to pass be-
yond their three poles, towards them, nor they to come past
your three poles, or boughs, towards you; so that you are
perfectly secure within the three poles, and all the space be-
ween your poles and theirs is allowed like a market for free
Tonverse, traffic, and commerce. When you go there, you
must not carry your weapons with you; and if they come in-
o that space, they stick up their javelins and lances all at the
first poles, and come on unarmed; but if any violence is of-
fered them, and the truce thereby broken, away they run to
the poles, and lay hold of their weapons, and the truce is at
an end.
It happened one evening when we went on shore, that
■ greater number of their people came down than usual, but
all very friendly and civil; and they brought several kinds of
provisions, for which we satisfied them with such toys as we
nad; their women also brought us milk and roots, and several
things very acceptable to us, and all was quiet; and we made
us a little tent or hut of some boughs of trees, and lay on shore
all night.
I know not what was the occasion, but I was not so well
satisfied to lay on shore as the rest; and the boat riding at an
anchor about a stone cast from the land, with two men in her
to take care of her, I made one of them come on shore; and
getting some boughs of trees to cover us also in the boat,
I spread the sail on the bottom of the boat, and lay under the
cover of the branches of the trees all night in the boat.
About two o'clock in the morning we heard one of our
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
135
men make a terrible noise on the shore, calling out, for God's
sake, to bring the boat in, and come and help them, for they
were all like to be murdered; at the same time I heard the
tire of five muskets, which was the number of the guns they
had, and that three times over; for, it seems, the natives here
were not so easily frightened with guns as the savages were in
All this while I knew
America, where I had to do with them.
not what was the matter, but rousing immediately from sleep
with the noise, I caused the boat to be thrust in, and resolved,
with three fuzees we had on board, to land and assist our
men.
We got the boat soon to the shore, but our men were in too
much haste; for being come to the shore, they plunged into
the water, to get to the boat with all the expedition they could,
Our
being pursued by between three and four hundred men.
men were but nine in all, and only five of them had fuzees
with them; the rest had pistols and swords, indeed, but they
were of small use to them.
We took up seven of our men, and with difficulty enough
too, three of them being very ill wounded; and that which
was still worse was, that while we stood in the boat to take
our men in, we were in as much danger as they were in or
hore; for they poured their arrows in upon us so thick, that
we were glad to barricade the side of the boat up with the
benches, and two or three loose boards, which, to our great
satisfaction, we had by mere accident in the boat.
And yet,
had it been day-light, they are, it seems, such exact marks-
men, that if they could have seen but the least part of any of
us, they would have been sure of us. We had, by the light of
the moon, a little sight of them, as they stood pelting us from
the shore with darts and arrows; and having got ready our
fire-arms, we gave them a volley, that we could hear, by the
cries of some of them, had wounded several; however, they
stood thus in battle array on the shore till break of day, which
we suppose was that they might see the better to take their
aim at us.
In this condition we lay, and could not tell how to weigh
our anchor or set up our sail, because we must needs stand up
in the boat, and they were as sure to hit us as we were to hit
a bird in a tree with small shot. We made signals of distress
to the ship, which, though she rode a league off, yet my nephew
the captain, hearing our firing, and by glasses perceiving the
posture we lay in, and that we fired towards the shore, pretty
well understood us; and weighing anchor with all speed, he
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stood as near the shore as he durst with the ship, and then sent
another boat, with ten hands in her, to assist us: but we called
to them not to come too near, telling them what condition we
were in; however, they stood in near to us, and one of the
men taking the end of a tow-line in his hand, and keeping one
boat between him and the enemy, so that they could not per-
fectly see him, swam on board us, and made fast the line to the
boat; upon which we slipped out a little cable, and leaving
our anchor behind, they towed us out of reach of the arrows;
we all the while lying close behind the barricado we had
made.
As soon as we were got from between the ship and the
shore, that we could lay her side to the shore, she run along
just by them, and poured in a broadside among them loaded
with pieces of iron and lead, small bullets, and such stuff,
besides the great shot, which made a terrible havoc among
them.
When we were got on board and out of danger, we had time
to examine into the occasion of this fray; and, indeed, our
supercargo, who had been often in those parts, put me upon
it; for he said he was sure the inhabitants would not have
touched us after we had made a truce, if we had not done
something to provoke them to it. At length it came out that
an old woman, who had come to sell us some milk, had brought
it within our poles, and a young woman with her, who also
brought some roots or herbs; and while the old woman
(whether she was mother to the young woman or no they
could not tell) was selling us the milk, one of our men offered
some rudeness to the wench that was with her, at which the
old woman made a great noise: however, the seaman would
not quit his prize, but carried her out of the old woman's sight
among the trees, it being almost dark: the old woman went
away without her, and, as we may suppose, made an outcry
among the people she came from; who, upon notice, raised
this great army upon us in three or four hours; and it was
great odds but we had all been destroyed.
:
One of our men was killed with a lance thrown at him just
at the beginning of the attack, as he sallied out of the tent they
had made the rest came off free, all but the fellow who was
the occasion of all the mischief, who paid dear enough for his
black mistress, for we could not hear what became of him a
great while. We lay upon the shore two days after, though
the wind presented, and made signals for him, and made our
boat sail up shore and down shore several leagues, but in vain;
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
137
so we were obliged to give him over; and if he alone had suf-
fered for it, the loss had been less.
I could not satisfy myself, however, without venturing on
shore once more, to try if I could learn any thing of him or
them; it was the third night after the action that I had a great
mind to learn, if I could by any means, what mischief we had
I was
done, and how the game stood on the Indians' side.
careful to do it in the dark, lest we should be attacked again;
but I ought, indeed, to have been sure that the men I went
with had been under my command, before I engaged in a
thing so hazardous and mischievous as I was brought into by
it, without design.
:
We took twenty as stout fellows with us as any in the ship,
besides the supercargo and myself, and we landed two hours
before midnight, at the same place where the Indians stood
drawn up in the evening before I landed here, because my
design, as I have said, was chiefly to see if they had quitted
the field, and if they had left any marks behind them of the
mischief we had done them; and I thought if we could sur-
prise one or two of them, perhaps we might get our man again,
by way of exchange.
We landed without any noise, and divided our men into two
bodies, whereof the boatswain commanded one, and I the other.
We neither saw or heard anybody stir when we landed: and
we marched up, one body at a distance from the other, to the
place; but at first could see nothing, it being very dark; till
by and by our boatswain, who led the first party, stumbled and
fell over a dead body. This made them halt awhile; for
knowing by the circumstances that they were at the place
where the Indians had stood, they waited for my coming up
there. We concluded to halt till the moon began to rise, which
we knew would be in less than an hour, when we could easily
discern the havoc we had made among them. We told thirty-
two bodies upon the ground, whereof two were not quite dead;
some had an arm, and some a leg shot off, and one his head;
those that were wounded, we suppose, they had carried away.
When we had made, as I thought, a full discovery of all
we could come to the knowledge of, I was resolved for going
on board; but the boatswain and his party sent me word that
they were resolved to make a visit to the Indian town, where
these dogs, as they called them, dwelt, and asked me to go
along with them; and if they could find them, as they still
fancied they should, they did not doubt of getting a good
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booty; and it might be they might find Tom Jeffry there,
that was the man's name we had lost.
Had they sent to ask my leave to go, I knew well enough
what answer to have given them; for I should have command-
ed them instantly on board, knowing it was not a hazard fit
for us to run, who had a ship, and ship-loading in our charge,
and a voyage to make which depended very much upon the
lives of the men; but as they sent me word they were resolv-
ed to go, and only asked me and my company to go along with
them, I positively refused it, and rose up, for I was sitting on
the ground, in order to go to the boat. One or two of the
men began to importune me to go; and when I refused, began
to grumble, and say that they were not under my command,
and they would go. "Come Jack," says one of the men,
"will you go with me?-I'll go for one." Jack said he
would,—and then another,—and, in a word, they all left me
but one, whom I persuaded to stay, and a boy left in the boat.
So the supercargo and I, with the third man, went back to the
boat, where we told them we would stay for them, and take
care to take in as many of them as should be left; for I told
them it was a mad thing they were going about, and supposed
most of them would run the fate of Tom Jeffry.
They told me, like seamen, they would warrant it they would
come off again, and they would take care, &c.; so away they
went. I entreated them to consider the ship and the voyage,
that their lives were not their own, and that they were entrusted
with the voyage, in some measure; that if they miscarried,
the ship might be lost for want of their help, and that they
could not answer for it to God or man. But I might as well
have talked to the mainmast of the ship; they were mad upon
their journey, only they gave me good words, and begged I
would not be angry; that they did not doubt but they would
be back again in about an hour at farthest; for the Indian
town, they said, was not above half a mile off, though they
found it above two miles before they got to it.
Well, they all went away; and though the attempt was des-
perate, and such as none but madmen would have gone about,
yet, to give them their due, they went about it as warily as
boldly they were gallantly armed, for they had every man a
fuzee or musket, a bayonet and a pistol; some of them had
broad cutlasses, some of them had hangers, and the boatswain
and two more had pole-axes; besides all which, they had among
them thirteen hand-grenadoes: bolder fellows, and better pro-
vided, never went about any wicked work in the world.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
139
When they went out, their chief design was plunder, and
they were in mighty hopes of finding gold there; but a cir-
cumstance, which none of them were aware of, set them on
fire with revenge, and made devils of them all. When they
came to the few Indian houses which they thought had been
the town, which was not above half a mile off, they were under
a great disappointment, for there were not above twelve or
thirteen houses; and where the town was, or how big, they
knew not. They consulted, therefore, what to do, and were
some time before they could resolve; for if they fell upon
these, they must cut all their throats, and it was ten to one
but some of them might escape, it being in the night, though
the moon was up; and if one escaped, he would run away and
raise all the town, so they should have a whole army upon
them: again, on the other hand, if they went away and left
those untouched, for the people were all asleep, they could not
tell which way to look for the town: however, the last was
the best advice; so they resolved to leave them, and look for
the town as well as they could. They went on a little way,
and found a cow tied to a tree; this, they presently concluded,
would be a good guide to them; for, they said, the cow cer-
tainly belonged to the town before them, or the town behind
them; and if they untied her, they should see which way she
went; if she went back, they had nothing to say to her; but,
if she went forward, they would follow her: so they cut the
cord, which was made of twisted flags, and the cow went on
before them, directly to the town; which, as they reported,
consisted of above two hundred houses or huts, and in some
of these they found several families living together.
Here they found all in silence, as profoundly secure as sleep
could make them: and, first, they called another council, to
consider what they had to do; and, in a word, they resolved
to divide themselves into three bodies, and so set three houses
on fire in three parts of the town; and as the men came out,
to seize them and bind them, (if any resisted, they need not be
asked what to do then), and so to search the rest of the houses
for plunder: but they resolved to march silently first through
the town, and see what dimensions it was of, and if they might
venture upon it or no.
They did so, and desperately resolved that they would
venture upon them: but while they were animating one
another to the work, three of them, who were a little before
the rest, called out aloud to them, and told them that they had
found Tom Jeffry they all ran up to the place, where they
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ADVENTURES OF
found the poor fellow hanging up naked by one arm, and his
throat cut. There was an Indian house just by the tree, where
they found sixteen or seventeen of the principal Indians, who
had been concerned in the fray with us before, and two or
three of them wounded with our shot; and our men found
they were awake, and talking one to another in that house,
but knew not their number.
The sight of their poor mangled comrade so enraged them,
as before, that they swore to one another they would be re-
venged, and that not an Indian that came into their hands
should have any quarter; and to work they went immediately,
and yet not so madly as might be expected from the rage and
fury they were in. Their first care was to get something that
would soon take fire, but, after a little search, they found that
would be to no purpose; for most of the houses were low,
and thatched with flags and rushes, of which the country is full;
so they presently made some wild-fire, as we call it, by wetting
a little powder in the palm of their hands; and in a quarter of
an hour they set the town on fire in four or five places, and par-
ticularly that house where the Indians were not gone to bed.
As soon as the fire began to blaze, the poor frightened crea-
tures began to rush out to save their lives, but met with their
fate in the attempt; and especially at the door, where they
drove them back, the boatswain himself killing one or two
with his pole-axe; the house being large, and many in it, he
did not care to go in, but called for a hand-grenado, and threw
it among them. which at first frightened them, but, when it
burst, made such havoc among them that they cried out in a
hideous manner. In short, most of the Indians who were in
the open part of the house were killed, or hurt with the gren-
ado, except two or three more who pressed to the door, which
the boatswain and two more kept, with their bayonets on the
muzzles of their pieces, and dispatched all that came in their
way but there was another apartment in the house, where
the prince or king, or whatever he was, and several others
were; and these were kept in till the house, which was by
this time all in a light flame, fell in upon them, and they were
smothered together.
All this while they fired not a gun, because they would not
waken the people faster than they could master them; but the
fire began to waken them fast enough, and our fellows were
glad to keep a little together in bodies, for the fire grew so
raging, all the houses being made of light combustible stuff,
that they could hardly bear the street between them; and their
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
141
business was to follow the fire, for the surer execution: as
fast as the fire either forced the people out of those houses
which were burning, or frightened them out of others, our
people were ready at their doors to knock them in the head,
still calling and hollowing one to another to remember Tom
Jeffry.
While this was doing, I must confess I was very uneasy,
and especially when I saw the flames of the town, which, it
being night, seemed to be just by me. My nephew, the cap-
tain, who was roused by his men, seeing such a fire, was very
uneasy, not knowing what the matter was, or what danger I
was in, especially hearing the guns too, for by this time they
began to use their fire-arms; a thousand thoughts oppressed
his mind concerning me and the supercargo, what would be-
come of us; and, at last, though he could ill spare any more
men, yet not knowing what exigence we might be in, he takes
another boat, and with thirteen men and himself comes on
shore to me.
He was surprised to see me and the supercargo in the boat,
with no more than two men ; and though he was glad that we
were well, yet he was in the same impatience with us to know
what was doing; for the noise continued, and the flame in-
creased; in short, it was next to an impossibility for any man in
the world to restrain their curiosity to know what had happened,
or their concern for the safety of the men: in a word, the cap-
tain told me he would go and help his men, let what would
come. I argued with him, as I did before with the men, the
safety of the ship, the danger of the voyage, the interest of the
owners and merchants, &c. and told him I and the two men
would go, and only see if we could at a distance learn what
was like to be the event, and come back and tell him. It was
all one to talk to my nephew, as it was to talk to the rest be-
fore; he would go, he said; and he only wished he had but left
ten men in the ship; for he could not think of having his men
lost for want of help; he had rather lose the ship, the voyage,
and his life and all; and away he went.
I was no more able to stay behind now than I was to per-
suade them not to go; so, in short, the captain ordered two
men to row back the pinnace, and fetch twelve.men more
leaving the long-boat at an anchor; and that when they came
back, six men should keep the two boats, and six more come
after us: so that he left only sixteen men in the ship; for the
whole ship's company consisted of sixty-five men, whereof
142
ADVENTURES or
two were lost in the late quarrel which brought this mischief
on.
Being now on the march, you may be sure we felt little of
the ground we trod on; and being guided by the fire, we kept
no path, but went directly to the place of the flame. If the
noise of the guns was surprising to us before, the cries of the
poor people were now quite of another nature, and filled us
with horror. I must confess I was never at the sacking a city,
or at the taking a town by storm; I had heard of Oliver Crom-
well taking Drogheda, in Ireland, and killing man, woman, and
child! and I had read of Count Tilly sacking the city of Mag-
debourg, and cutting the throats of twenty-two thousand of all
sexes; but I never had an idea of the thing itself before, nor
is it possible to describe it, or the horror that was upon our
minds at hearing it. However, we went on, and at length
came to the town, though there was no entering the streets of
it for the fire. The first object we met with was the ruins of
a hut or house, or rather the ashes of it, for the house was con-
sumed; and just before it, plain now to be seen by the light
of the fire, lay four men and three women killed, and, as we
thought, one or two more lay in the heap among the fire; in
short, there were such instances of a rage altogether barbarous,
and of a fury something beyond what was human, that we
thought it impossible our men could be guilty of it; or if they
were the authors of it, we thought they ought to be every one
of them put to the worst of deaths. But this was not all:
we saw the fire increased forward, and the cry went on just as
the fire went on; so that we were in the utmost confusion.
We advanced a little way farther; and, behold, to our aston-
ishment, three naked women, and crying in a most dreadful
manner, came flying as if they had wings, and after them six-
teen or seventeen men, natives, in the same terror and conster-
nation, with three of our English butchers in the rear; who,
when they could not overtake them, fired in among them, and
one that was killed by their shot fell down in our sight. When
the rest saw us, believing us to be their enemies, and that we
would murder them as well as those that pursued them, they
set up a most dreadful shriek, especially the women, and two
of them fell down, as if already dead, with the fright.
My very soul shrunk within me, and my blood ran chill in
my veins, when I saw this: and I believe, had the three Eng-
lish sailors that pursued them come on, I had made our men
kill them all however, we took some ways to let the poor
flying creatures know that we would not hurt them; and im-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
143
mediately they came up to us, and kneeling down, with their
hands lifted up, made piteous lamentation to us to save them,
which we let them know we would; whereupon they crept
altogether in a huddle close behind us, as for protection. I left
my men drawn up together, and charging them to hurt no-
body, but, if possible, to get at some of our people, and see
what devil it was possessed them, and what they intended to
do, and to command them off; assuring them that if they
stayed till daylight, they would have an hundred thousand
men about their ears: I say, I left them, and went among
those flying people, taking only two of our men with me; and
there was indeed a piteous spectacle among them; some of
them had their feet terribly burned, with trampling and run-
ning through the fire, others their hands burned; one of the
women had fallen down in the fire, and was very much burn-
ed before she could get out again; and two or three of the
men had cuts in their backs and thighs, from our men pur-
suing; and another was shot through the body, and died
while I was there.
I would fain have learned what the occasion of all this was,
but I could not understand one word they said; though, by
signs, I perceived some of them knew not what was the oc-
casion themselves. I was so terrified in my thoughts at this
outrageous attempt that I could not stay there, but went back
to my own men, and resolved to go into the middle of the
town, through the fire, or whatever might be in the way, and
put an end to it, cost what it would accordingly, as I came
back to my men, I told them my resolution, and commanded
them to follow me; when at the very moment came four of
our men, with the boatswain at their head, roving over heaps
of bodies they had killed, all covered with blood and dust, as
if they wanted more people to massacre, when our men hol-
lowed to them as loud as they could hollow; and with much
ado one of them made them hear, so that they knew who we
were, and came up to us.
As soon as the boatswain saw us, he set up a hollow like a
shout of triumph, for having, as he thought, more help come;
and without waiting to hear me, Captain," says he, "noble
captain! I am glad you are come; we are not half done yet:
villanous hell-hound dogs! I'll kill as many of them as poor
Tom has hairs upon his head: we have sworn to spare none of
them; w'ell root out the very nation of them from the earth :"
and thus he ran on, out of breath too with action, and would
not give us leave to speak a word.
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ADVENTURES OF
At last, raising my voice, that I might silence him a little,
"Barbarous dog!" said I, "what are you doing? I wont
have one creature touched more, upon pain of death: I charge
you, upon your life, to stop your hands, and stand still here,
or you are a dead man this minute.". "Why, Sir," says he,
"do you know what you do, or what they have done? If
you want a reason for what they have done, come hither;"
and with that he showed me the poor fellow hanging, with his
throat cut.
I confess I was urged then myself, and at another time
would have been forward enough; but I thought they had
carried their rage too far, and remembered Jacob's words to
his sons Simeon and Levi-" Cursed be their anger, for it was
fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel." But I had now a
new task upon my hands; for when the men I carried with
me saw the sight, as I had done, I had as much to do to re-
strain them as I should have had with the others; nay, my
nephew himself fell in with them, and told me, in their hear-
ing, that he was only concerned for fear of the men being
overpowered; and as to the people, he thought not one of
them ought to live; for they had all glutted themselves with
the murder of the poor man, and that they ought to be used
like murderers: upon these words, away ran eight of my men,
with the boatswain and his crew, to complete their bloody
work; and I, seeing it quite out of my power to restrain them,
came away pensive and sad; for I could not bear the sight,
much less the horrible noise and cries of the poor wretches
that fell into their hands.
I got nobody to come back with me but the supercargo
and two men, and with these walked back to the boat. It
was a very great piece of folly in me, I confess, to venture
back as it were alone; for as it began now to be almost day,
and the alarm had ran over the country, there stood about
forty men, armed with lances and bows, at the little place
where the twelve or thirteen houses stood, mentioned before ;
but by accident I missed the place, and came directly to the
sea-side, and by the time I got to the sea-side it was broad-
day immediately I took the pinnace and went on board, and
sent her back to assist the men in what might happen.
I observed, about the time that I came to the boat side,
that the fire was pretty well out, and the noise abated; but in
about half an hour after I got on board I heard a volley of
our men's fire-arms, and saw a great smoke: this, as I under-
stood afterwards, was our men falling upon the men who, as
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
145
I said, stood at the few houses on the way, of whom they
killed sixteen or seventeen, and set all the houses on fire, but
did not meddle with the women or children.
By the time the men got to the shore again with the pinnace,
our men began to appear; they came dropping in, not in two
bodies as they went, but straggling here and there in such a
manner, that a small force of resolute men might have cut
them all off. But the dread of them was upon the whole
country; and the men were surprised, and so frightened, that
I believe an hundred of them would have fled at the sight of
out five of our men: nor in all this terrible action was there
a man that made any considerable defence; they were so sur-
prised between the terror of the fire and the sudden attack of
our men in the dark, that they knew not which way to turn
themselves; for if they fled one way, they were met by one
party; if back again, by another; so that they were every
where knocked down: nor did any of our men receive the
least hurt, except one that sprained his foot, and another that
had one of his hands burned.
I was very angry with my nephew, the captain, and, in-
deed, with all the men, in my mind, but with him in parti-
cular, as well for his acting so out of his duty, as commander
of the ship, and having the charge of the voyage upon him, as
in his prompting, rather than cooling, the rage of his blind
men, in so bloody and cruel an enterprize. My nephew
answered me very respectfully, but told me that when he saw
the body of the poor seaman whom they had murdered in so
cruel and barbarous a manner, he was not master of himself
neither could he govern his passion; he owned he should not
have done so, as he was commander of the ship; but as he
was a man, and nature moved him, he could not bear it. A
for the rest of the men, they were not subject to me at all, and
they knew it well enough; so they took no notice of my dis-
like.
The next day we set sail, so we never heard any more of
it. Our men differed in the account of the number they had
killed; but according to the best of their accounts, put all
together, they killed or destroyed about one hundred and fifty
people, men, women, and children, and left not a house stand-
ing in the town. As for the poor fellow Tom Jeffry, as he
was quite dead, (for his throat was so cut that his head was
half off,) it would do him no service to bring him away; so
they only took him down from the tree, where he was hang-
ing by one hand.
VOL. II.
U
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ADVENTURES OF
However just our men thought this action, I was against
them in it, and I always, after that time, told them God
would blast the voyage; for I looked upon all the blood they
shed that night to be murder in them for though it is true
that they had killed Tom Jeffry, yet Jeffry was the aggressor,
had broken the truce, and had violated or debauched a young
woman of theirs, who came down to them innocently, and on
the faith of the public capitulation.
The boatswain defended this quarrel when we were after-
wards on board. He said it was true that we seemed to
break the truce, but really had not; and that the war was
begun the night before by the natives themselves, who had
shot at us, and killed one of our men without any just provo-
cation ; so that as we were in a capacity to fight them now,
we might also be in a capacity to do ourselves justice upon
them in an extraordinary manner; that though the poor man
had taken a little liberty with the wench, he ought not to have
been murdered, and that in such a villanous manner; and
that they did nothing but what was just, and what the laws of
God allowed to be done to murderers.
One would think this should have been enough to have
warned us against going on shore amongst heathens and bar-
barians but it is impossible to make mankind wise but at
their own expense; and their experience seems to be always
of most use to them when it is dearest bought.
:
We were now bound to the gulph of Persia, and from thence
to the coast of Coromandel, only to touch at Surat: but the
chief of the supercargo's design lay at the bay of Bengal ;
where, if he missed his business outward-bound, he was to go
up to China, and return to the coast as he came home.
The first disaster that befel us was in the gulph of Persia,
where five of our men venturing on shore on the Arabian side
of the gulph, were surrounded by the Arabians, and either all
killed or carried away into slavery; the rest of the boat's crew
were not able to rescue them, and had but just time to get off
their boat. I began to upbraid them with the just retribution
of Heaven in this case: but the boatswain very warmly told
me, he thought I went farther in my censures than I could
show any warrant for in scripture; and referred to Luke xiii. 4.
where our Saviour intimates that those men on whom the
tower of Siloam fell were not sinners above all the Galileans:
but that which put me to silence in the case was, that not one
of these five men who were now lost were of those who went
on shore to the massacre of Madagascar, so I always called it,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
147
though our men could not bear to hear the word massacre with
any patience.
But my frequent preaching to them on this subject had worse
consequences than I expected; and the boatswain, who had
been the head of the attempt, came up boldly to me one time,
and told me he found that I brought that affair continually
upon the stage; that I made unjust reflections upon it, and
had used the men very ill on that account, and himself in par-
ticular; that as I was but a passenger, and had no command
in the ship, or concern in the voyage, they were not obliged
to bear it; that they did not know but I might have some ill
design in my head, and perhaps to call them to an account for
it when they came to England; and that, therefore, unless I
would resolve to have done with it, and also not to concern
myself any farther with him, or any of his affairs, he would
leave the ship; for he did not think it was safe to sail with
me among them.
I heard him patiently enough till he had done, and then
told him, that I confessed I had all along opposed the mas-
sacre of Madagascar, and that I had, on all occasions, spoken
my mind freely about it, though not more upon him than any
of the rest; that as to my having no command of the ship,
that was true; nor did I exercise any authority, only took the
liberty of speaking my mind in things which publicly concerned
us all; and what concern I had in the voyage was none of his
business; that I was a considerable owner in the ship; in that
claim, I conceived I had a right to speak even farther than I
had done, and would not be accountable to him or any one
else; and began to be a little warm with him. He made but
little reply to me at that time, and I thought the affair had
been over. We were at this time in the road at Bengal; and
being willing to see the place, I went on shore with the super-
cargo, in the ship's boat, to divert myself; and towards even-
ing was preparing to go on board, when one of the men came
to me, and told me he would not have me trouble myself to
come down to the boat, for they had orders not to carry me on
board any more. Any one may guess what a surprise I was
in at so insolent a message; and I asked the man who bade
him deliver that message to me ? He told me the cockswain
I said no more to the fellow, but bade him let them know he
had delivered his message, and that I had given him no answer
to it.
I immediately went and found out the supercargo, and told
him the story; adding, what I presently foresaw, that there
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ADVENTURES OF
would be a mutiny in the ship; and entreated him to go im-
mediately on board the ship in an Indian boat, and acquaint the
captain of it. But I might have spared this intelligence, for
before I had spoken to him on shore the matter was effected
on board. The boatswain, the gunner, the carpenter, and all
the inferior officers, as soon as I was gone off in the boat, came
up, and desired to speak with the captain; and there the boat-
swain, making a long harangue, and repeating all he had said
to me, told the captain, in a few words, that as I was now
gone peaceably on shore, they were loath to use any violence
with me, which, if I had not gone on shore, they would other-
ways have done, to oblige me to have gone; they therefore
thought fit to tell him, that as they shipped themselves to serve
in the ship under his command, they would perform it well
and faithfully; but if I would not quit the ship, or the captain
oblige me to quit it, they would all leave the ship, and sail no
farther with him; and at that word all, he turned his face to-
ward the mainmast, which was, it seems, the signal agreed on
between them, at which all the seamen, being got together,
there cried out, one and all! one and all!
My nephew, the captain, was a man of spirit, and of great
presence of mind; and though he was surprised, you may be
sure, at the thing, yet he told them calmly that he would con-
sider of the matter; but that he could do nothing in it till he
had spoken to me about it. He used some arguments with
them to show them the unreasonableness and injustice of the
thing but it was all in vain; they swore, and shook hands
round before his face, that they would all go on shore, unless
he would engage to them not to suffer me to come any mor
on board the ship.
:
This was a hard article upon him, who knew his obligation
to me, and did not know how I might take it: so he began
to talk smartly to them; told them that I was a very consi-
derable owner of the ship, and that, in justice, he could not
put me out of my own house; that this was next door to ser-
ving me as the famous pirate Kidd had done, who made a
mutiny in the ship, set the captain on shore on an uninhabited
island, and ran away with the ship; that let them go into
what ship they would, if ever they came to England again it
would cost them very dear; that the ship was mine, and that
he could not put me out of it; and that he would rather lose
the ship and the voyage too than disoblige me so much ; SO
they might do as they pleased: however, he would go on shore
and talk with me, and invited the boatswain to go with him,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
149
and perhaps they might accommodate the matter with me. But
they all rejected the proposal, and said they would have no-
thing to do with me any more; and if I came on board, they
would all go on shore. "Well," said the captain, "if you are
all of this mind, let me go on shore and talk with him." So
away he came to me with this account, a little after the mes-
sage had been brought to me from the cockswain.
I was very glad to see my nephew, I must confess; for I
was not without apprehensions that they would confine him by
violence, set sail, and run away with the ship; and then I had
been stripped naked in a remote country, having nothing to
help myself; in short, I had been in a worse case than when I
was alone in the island. But they had not come that length, it
seems, to my satisfaction; and when my nephew told me what
they had said to him, and how they had sworn and shook hands
that they would, one and all, leave the ship if I was suffered
to come on board, I told him he should not be concerned at it
at all, for I would stay on shore: I only desired he would take
care and send me all my necessary things on shore, and leave
me a sufficient sum of money, and I would find my way to
England as well as I could.
This was a heavy piece of news to my nephew, but there
was no way to help it but to comply: so, in short, he went on
board the ship again, and satisfied the men that his uncle had
yielded to their importunity, and had sent for his goods from
on board the ship; so that the matter was over in a few hours,
the men returned to their duty, and I began to consider what
course I should steer.
I was now alone in the most remote part of the world, as
I think I may call it, for I was near three thousand leagues by
sea farther off from England than I was at my island; only, it
is true, I might travel here by land over the great Mogul's
country to Surat, might go from thence to Bassora by sea,
up the gulph of Persia, and take the way of the caravans, over
the Desert of Arabia, to Aleppo and Scanderoon; from thence
by sea again to Italy, and so over-land into France; and this
put together might at least be a full diameter of the globe, o-
more.
I had another way before me, which was to wait for some
English ships, which were coming to Bengal from Achin, on
the island of Sumatra, and get passage on board them for Eng
Jand. But as I came hither without any concern with the
English East India Company, so it would be difficult to go
from hence without their licence, unless with great favour of
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ADVENTURES OF
the captains of the ships, or the Company's factors, and to both
i was an utter stranger.
Here I had the mortification to see the ship set sail without
me; a treatment I think a man in my circumstances scarce ever
met with, except when pirates running away with the ship, and
setting those that would not agree with their villany on shore.
Indeed, this was next door to it, both ways; however, my
nephew left me two servants, or rather one companion and one
servant; the first was clerk to the purser, whom he engaged
to go with me, and the other was his own servant. I took
me also a good lodging in the house of an Englishwoman,
where several merchants lodged, some French, two Italians,
or rather Jews, and one Englishman; here I was handsomely
enough entertained and that I might not be said to run
rashly upon any thing, I stayed here above nine months con-
sidering what course to take, and how to manage myself. I
had some English goods with me of value, and a considerable
sum of money, my nephew furnishing me with a thousand
pieces of eight, and a letter of credit for more, if I had occasion,
that I might not be straitened, whatever might happen.
I quickly disposed of my goods to advantage, and, as I origin-
ally intended, I bought here some very good diamonds, which,
of all other things, were the most proper for me, in my present
circumstances; because I could always carry my whole estate
about me.
After a long stay here, and many proposals made for my
return to England, but none falling out to my mind, the Eng-
lish merchant who lodged with me, and whom I had contracted
an intimate acquaintance with, came to me one morning,
Countryman," says he, "I have a project to communicate
to you, which, as it suits with my thoughts, may, for ought I
know, suit with yours also, when you shall have thoroughly
considered it. Here we are posted, you by accident, and I by
my own choice, in a part of the world very remote from our
own country; but it is in a country where, by us who under-
stand trade and business, a great deal of money is to be got.
If you will put 1000l. to my 10001. we will hire a ship here,
the first we can get to our minds; you shall be captain, I'll be
merchant, and we'll go a trading voyage to China: for what
should we stand still for? The whole world is in motion,
rolling round and round; all the creatures of God, heavenly
bodies and earthly, are busy and diligent; why should we be
idle? There are no drones in the world but men; why should
we be of that number ?"
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
151
I liked this proposal very well, and the more because it seem-
ed to be expressed with so much good will, and in so friendly
a manner. I will not say but that I might, by my loose un-
hinged circumstances, be the fitter to embrace a proposal for
trade, or indeed any thing else; whereas, otherwise, trade was
none of my element. However, I might perhaps say with
some truth, that if trade was not my element, rambling was,
and no proposal for seeing any part of the world which I had
never seen before could possibly come amiss to me.
It was, however, some time before we could get a ship to
our minds, and when we had got a vessel, it was not easy to
get English sailors; that is to say, so many as were necessary
to govern the voyage and manage the sailors which we should
pick up there. After some time we got a mate, a boatswain,
and a gunner, English; a Dutch carpenter, and three foremast
With these we found we could do well enough, having
Indian seamen, such as they were, to make up.
men.
There are so many travellers who have wrote the history of
their voyages and travels this way, that it would be very little
diversion to any body to give a long account of the places we
went to, and the people who inhabit there; these things I leave
to others, and refer the reader to those journals and travels of
Englishmen, of which many, I find, are published, and more
promised every day; it is enough for me to tell you that we
made this voyage to Achin, in the island of Sumatra, and from
thence to Siam, where we exchanged some of our wares for
opium and some arrack; the first a commodity which bears a
great price among the Chinese, and which, at that time, was
much wanted there. In a word, we went up to Suskan, made
a very great voyage, were eight months out, and returned to
Bengal; and I was very well satisfied with my adventure. I
observe that our people in England often admire how officers
which the Company send into India, and the merchants which
generally stay there, get such very great estates'as they do, and
sometimes come home worth sixty or seventy thousand pounds
at a time; but it is no wonder, or at least we shall see so much
farther into it, when we consider the innumerable ports and
places where they have a free commerce, that it will be none;
and much less it will be so when we consider that at those
places and ports where the English ships come, there is such
great and constant demands for the growth of all other countries,
that there is a certain vent for the returns, as well as a market
abroad for the goods carried out.
In short, we made a very good voyage, and I got so mucA
money by my first adventure, and such an insight into the
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ADVENTURES OF
method of getting more, that had I been twenty years younger,
I should have been tempted to have stayed here, and sought
no further for making any fortune; but what was all this to a
man upwards of threescore, that was rich enough, and came
abroad more in obedience to a restless desire of seeing the world
than a covetous desire of gaining by it? And, indeed, I think
it is with great justice I now call it restless desire, for it was so.
When I was at home, I was restless to go abroad; and when I
was abroad, I was restless to be at home. I say, what was this
gain to me? I was rich enough already, nor had I any uneasy
desires about getting more money; and therefore the profit of
the voyage to me was of no great force for the prompting me
forward to farther undertakings; hence I thought that by this
voyage I had made no progress at all, because I was come back,
as I might call it, to the place from whence I came, as to a
home whereas my eye, which, like that which Solomon speaks
of, was never satisfied with seeing, was still more desirous of
wandering and seeing. I was come into a part of the world
which I was never in before, and that part, in particular, which
I had heard much of, and was resolved to see as much of it as I
could; and then I thought I might say I had seen all the world
that was worth seeing.
it.
But my fellow-traveller and I had different notions: I do
not name this to insist on my own, for I acknowledge his were
the most just, and the most suited to the end of a merchant's
life; who, when he is abroad upon adventures, it is his wis-
dom to stick to that, as the best thing for him, which he is like
to get the most money by. My new friend kept himself to the
nature of the thing, and would have been content to have gone
like a carrier's horse, always to the same inn, backward and
forward, provided he could, as he called it, find his account in
On the other hand, mine was the notion of a mad ram-
bling boy, that never cares to see a thing twice over. But this
was not all I had a kind of impatience upon me to be nearer
home, and yet the most unsettled resolution imaginable which
way to go. In the interval of these consultations, my friend,
who was always upon the search for business, proposed another
voyage to me among the Spice Islands, and to bring home a
loading of cloves from the Manillas, or thereabouts; places,
indeed, where the Dutch trade, but islands belonging partiy
to the Spaniards; though we went not so far, but to some
other, where they have not the whole power, as they have at
Batavia, Ceylon, &c.
:
We were not long in preparing for this voyage; the chief
difficulty was in bringing me to come into it: however, at last,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
153
nothing else offering, and finding that really stirring about and
trading, the profit being so great, and, as I may say, certain,
had more pleasure in it, and had more satisfaction to my mind
than sitting still, which, to me especially, was the unhappiest
part of life, I resolved on this voyage too, which we made
very successfully, touching at Borneo, and several islands
whose names I do not remember, and came home in about
five months. We sold our spice, which was chiefly cloves
and some nutmegs, to the Persian merchants, who carried
them away to the Gulph; ard making near five of one, we
really got a great deal of money.
My friend, when we made up this account, smiled at me :
"Well now," said he, with a sort of agreeable insult upon my
indolent temper, " is not this better than walking about here,
like a man of nothing to do, and spending our time in staring
at the nonsense and ignorance of the Pagans?". Why truly,
says I, my friend, I think it is, and I begin to be a convert
to the principles of merchandizing; but I must tell you," said
I," by the way, you do not know what I am doing; for if I
once conquer my backwardness, and embark heartily, as old as
I am I shall harass you up and down the world till I tire
you; for I shall pursue it so eagerly, I shall never let you
.ie still."
But, to be short with my speculations, a little while after
his there came in a Dutch ship from Batavia; she was a
coaster, not an European trader, of about two hundred tons
burthen; the men, as they pretended, having been so sickly,
that the captain had not hands enough to go to sea with, he lay
by at Bengal; and having, it seems, got money enough, or
being willing, for other reasons, to go for Europe, he gave
public notice he would sell his ship. This came to my ears
before my new partner heard of it, and I had a great mind
to buy it; so I went to him, and told him of it.
He con-
sidered awhile, for he was no rash man neither; but musing
some time, he replied, "She is a little too big; but, however,
we will have her." Accordingly, we bought the ship, and
agreeing with the master, we paid for her, and took possession.
When we had done so, we resolved to entertain the men, if
we could, to join them with those we had, for the pursuing
our business; but on a sudden, they having received, not their
wages, but their share of the money, as we afterwards learnt,
not one of them was to be found; we inquired much about
them, and at length were told that they were all gone together by
land to Agra, the great city of the Mogul's residence, and from
thence to travel to Surat, and go by sea to the Gulph of Persia
VOL. II.
X
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ADVENTURES OF
Nothing had so much troubled me a good while as that I
should miss the opportunity of going with them; for such a
ramble, I thought, and in such company as would both have
guarded and diverted me, would have suited mightily with my
great design; and I should have both seen the world and
gone homewards too: but I was much better satisfied a few
days after, when I came to know what sort of fellows they
were; for, in short, their history was, that this man they called
captain was the gunner only, not the commander; that they
had been a trading voyage, in which they were attacked on
shore by some of the Malays, who had killed the captain and
three of his men; and that after the captain was killed, these
men, eleven in number, had resolved to run away with the
ship, which they did, and brought her to Bengal, leaving the
mate and five men more on shore; of whom hereafter.
Well, let them get the ship how they would, we came
nonestly by her, as we thought, though we did not, I confess,
examine into things so exactly as we ought; for we never in-
quired any thing of the seamen, who would certainly have
faultered in their account, contradicted one another, and per-
haps contradicted themselves; or one how or other we should
have had reason to have suspected them; but the man showed
us a bill of sale for the ship, to one Emanuel Clostershoven, or
some such name, for I suppose it was all a forgery, and called
himself by that me, and we could not contradict him; and
withal having no suspicion of the thing, we went through with
our bargain.
We picked up some more English sailors here after this, and
some Dutch; and now we resolved for a second voyage to the
south-east for cloves, &c. that is to say, among the Philippine
and Molucca isles; and, in short, not to fill up this part of my
story with trifles, when what is to come is so remarkable, I
spent, from first to last, six years in this country, trading from
port to port, backward and forward, and with very good
success, and was now the last year with my new partner,
going in the ship above mentioned, on a voyage to China, but
designing first to Siam, to buy rice.
In this voyage, being by contrary winds obliged to beat up
and down a great while in the straits of Malacca, and among
the islands, we were no sooner got clear of those difficult
seas but we found our ship had sprung a leak, and we were
not able, by all our industry, to find out where it was.
forced us to make some port, and my partner, who knew the
country better than I did, directed the captain to put into the
river of Cambodia; for I had made the English mate, one Mr.
This
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
155
Thompson, captain, not being willing to take the charge of
the ship upon myself. This river lies on the north side of
the great bay or gulph which goes up to Siam. While we
were here, and going often on shore for refreshment, there
comes to me one day an Englishman, and he was, it seems, a
gunner's-mate on board an English East India ship which rode
in the same river, up at or near the city of Cambodia; what
brought him hither we knew not; but he comes to me, and
speaking English, "Sir," says he, you are a stranger to
me, and I to you, but I have something to tell you that very
nearly concerns you."
me?"
I looked steadfastly at him a good while, and thought at first
I had known him, but I did not : "If it very nearly concerns
me," said I, “and not yourself, what moves you to tell it to
"I am moved," says he, by the imminent danger
you are in, and, for ought I see, you have no knowledge of it.'
"I know no danger I am in," says I,
"but that my ship
is leaky, and I cannot find it out; but I intend to lay her
aground to-morrow, to see if I can find it."-" But, Sir,"
says he,
leaky or not leaky, find it or not find it, you will be
wiser than to lay your ship on shore to-morrow, when you
hear what I have to say to you: do you know, Sir," said he,
"the town of Cambodia lies about fifteen leagues up this river?
And there are two large English ships about five leagues on
this side, and three Dutch.' "Well," said I, " and what is
that to me?"—" Why, Sir," said he, " is it for a man that is
upon such adventures as you are to come into a port and not
examine first what ships there are there, and whether he is
able to deal with them? I suppose you do not think you are
a match for them?" I was amused very much at his discourse,
but not amazed at it, for I could not conceive what he meant;
and I turned short upon him, and said,
Sir, I wish you
would explain yourself; I cannot imagine what reason I have
to be afraid of any of the Company's ships, or Dutch ships:
I am no interloper, what can they have to say to me?" He
looked like a man half angry and half pleased, and pausing
awhile, but smiling, "Well, Sir," says he, "if you think
yourself secure, you must take your chance; I am sorry your
fate should blind you against good advice; but assure yourself,
if you do not put to sea immediately, you will the very next
tide be attacked by five long-boats full of men, and perhaps,
if you are taken, you will be hanged for a pirate, and the par-
ticulars be examined afterwards. I thought, Sir," added he,
I should have met with a better reception than this, for
66
156
ADVENTURES OF
doing you a piece of service of such importance."-" I can
never be ungrateful," said I," for any service, or to any man
that offers me any kindness; but it is past my comprehension
what they should have such a design upon me for: however,
since you say there is no time to be lost, and that there is some
villanous design on hand against me, I will go on board this
minute, and put to sea immediately, if my men can stop the
leak, or if we can swim without stopping it: but, Sir," said
I," shall I go away ignorant of the cause of all this? Can
you give me no further light into it ?”—“ I can tell you but
art of the story, Sir," says he; " but I have a Dutch seaman
aere with me, and I believe I could persuade him to tell you
the rest; but there is scarce time for it but the short of the
story is this, the first part of which, I suppose, you know well
enough, viz. that you was with this ship at Sumatra ; that there
your captain was murdered by the Malays, with three of his
men; and that you, or some of those that were on board with
you, ran away with the ship, and are since turned pirates.
This is the sum of the story, and you will all be seized as
pirates, I can assure you, and executed with very little cere-
mony; for you know merchant ships show but little law to
pirates, if they get them into their power."-" Now you
speak plain English," said I, " and I thank you; and though
I know nothing that we have done like what you talk of, for
I am sure we came honestly and fairly by the ship; yet seeing
such a work is doing, as you say, and that you seem to mean
honestly, I will be upon my guard."—" Nay, Sir,
Nay, Sir," says he,
"do not talk of being upon your guard; the best defence is to
be out of the danger; if you have any regard for your life,
and the lives of all your men, put to sea, without fail, at high
water; and as you have a whole tide before you, you will be
gone too far out before they can come down; for they will
come away at high water, and as they have twenty miles to
come, you will get near two hours of them by the difference
of the tide, not reckoning the length of the way; besides, as
they are only boats, and not ships, they will not venture to fol-
low you far out to sea, especially if it blows." Well," said
you have been very kind in this; what shall I do for you
to make you amends ?"" Sir," says he, " you may not be
willing to make me any amends, because you may not be con-
rinced of the truth of it: I will make an offer to you; I have
nineteen months pay due to me on board the ship
which I came out of England in; and the Dutchman that is
with me has seven months pay due to him; if you will make
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
157
good our pay to us, we will go along with you: if you find
nothing more in it, we will desire no more; but if we do con-
vince you that we have saved your lives, and the ship, and the
lives of all the men in her, we will leave the rest to you."
:
I consented to this readily, and went immediately on board,
and the two men with me. As soon as I came to the ship's side,
my partner, who was on board, came out on the quarter-deck,
and called to me, with a great deal of joy, "O ho! O ho! we
have stopped the leak! we have stopped the leak!". Say
you so!" said I, "thank God; but weigh anchor then imme-
diately.”—“
Weigh!" says he, "What do you mean by
that? What is the matter?"—" Ask no questions," said I;
"but all hands to work, and weigh without losing a minute!"
He was surprised, but, however, he called the captain, and he
immediately ordered the anchor to be got up; and though the
tide was not quite down, yet a little land breeze blowing, we
stood out to sea. Then I called him into the cabin, and told
nim the story; and we called in the men, and they told us the
rest of it but as it took up a great deal of time, before we had
done a seaman comes to the cabin-door, and called out to us
that the captain bade him tell us we were chased. "Chased!"
says I; by what?"—" By five sloops, or boats," says the
fellow, "full of men. Very well," said I; "then it is
apparent there is something in it." In the next place, I ordered
all our men to be called up, and told them there was a design
to seize the ship, and to take us for pirates, and asked them it
they would stand by us, and by one another; the men answered
cheerfully, one and all, that they would live and die with us
Then I asked the captain what way he thought best for us to
manage a fight with them; for resist them I was resolved we
would, and that to the last drop. He said readily that the way
was to keep them off with our great shot as long as we could,
and then to fire at them with our small arms, to keep them froin
boarding us; but when neither of these would do any longer,
we should retire to our close quarters; perhaps they had not
materials to break open our bulk-heads, or get in upon us.
CC
The gunner had, in the mean time, orders to bring two guns
to bear fore and aft, out of the steerage, to clear the deck, and
load them with musket-bullets and small pieces of old iron,
and what came next to hand; and thus we made ready for
fight: but all this while we kept out to sea, with wind enough,
and could see the boats at a distance, being five large long-boats,
following us with all the sail they could make.
Two of those boats (which by our glasses we could see were
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ADVENTURES OF
English) out-sailed the rest, were near two leagues a-head of
them, and gained upon us considerably, so that we found they
would come up with us; upon which we fired a gun without
ball, to intimate that they should bring to and we put out a
flag of truce, as a signal for parley; but they came crowding
after us, till they came within shot, when we took in our white
flag, they having made no answer to it, and hung out our red
flag, and fired at them with a shot. Notwithstanding this,
they came on till they were near enough to call to them with a
speaking trumpet which we had on board; so we called to them,
and bade them keep off, at their peril.
us ;
It was all one; they crowded after us, and endeavoured to
come under our stern, so as to board us on our quarter; upon
which, seeing they were resolute for mischief, and depended
upon the strength that followed them, I ordered to bring the
ship to, so that they lay upon our broadside, when immediately
we fired five guns at them, one of which had been levelled so
true as to carry away the stern of the hindermost boat, and
bring them to the necessity of taking down their sail, and run-
ning all to the head of the boat to keep her from sinking; so
she lay by, and had enough of it; but seeing the foremost boat
crowd on after us, we made ready to fire at her in particular.
While this was doing, one of the three boats that was behind,
being forwarder than the other two, made up to the boat which
we had disabled, to relieve her, and we could see her take out
the men we called again to the foremost boat, and offered a
truce, to parley again, and to know what her business was with
but had no answer, only she crowded close under our stern.
Upon this our gunner, who was a very dexterous fellow, rur
out his two chase-guns, and fired again at her, but the shot
missing, the men in the boat shouted, waved their caps, and
came on; but the gunner getting quickly ready again, fired
among them a second time, one shot of which, though it missed
the boat itself, yet fell in among the men, and we could easily
see had done a great deal of mischief among them; but we
took no notice of that, weared the ship again, and brought
our quarter to bear upon them, and firing three guns more, we
found the boat was almost split to pieces; in particular, her
"udder and a piece of her stern was shot quite away; so they
nanded her sail immediately, and were in great disorder.
But
to complete their misfortune, our gunner let fly two guns at
them again; where he hit them we could not tell, but we found
the boat was sinking, and some of the men already in the water:
upon this I immediately manned out our pinnace, which we had
kept close by our side, with orders to pick up some of the men,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
159
if they could, and save them from drowning, and immediately
come on board the ship with them, because we saw the rest of
the boats began to come up.
Our men in the pinnace followed
their orders, and took up three men, one of whom was just
drowning, and it was a good while before we could recover
him. As soon as they were on board, we crowded all the sail
we could make, and stood farther out to sea; and we found
that when the other three boats came up to the first, they gave
over their chase.
Being thus delivered from a danger, which, though I knew
not the reason of it, yet seemed to be much greater than I ap-
prehended, I resolved that we should change our course, and
not let any one know whither we were going so we stood
out to sea eastward, quite out of the course of all European
ships, whether they were bound to China or any where else,
within the commerce of the European nations.
;
When we were at sea, we began to consult with the two
seamen, and inquire what the meaning of all this should be
and the Dutchman let us into the secret at once, telling us that
the fellow that sold us the ship, as we said, was no more than
a thief, that had run away with her. Then he told us how the
captain, whose name too he told us, though I do not remember
it now, was treacherously murdered by the natives on the coast
of Malacca, with three of his men; and that he, this Dutchman,
and four more, got into the woods, where they wandered about
a great while, till at length he, in particular, in a miraculous
manner, made his escape, and swam off to a Dutch ship, which
sailing near the shore in its way from China, had sent their
boat on shore for fresh water; that he durst not come to that
part of the shore where the boat was, but made shift in the
night to take the water farther off, and swimming a great
while, at last the ship's boat took him up.
He then told us that he went to Batavia, where two of the
seamen belonging to the ship arrived, having deserted the rest
in their travels, and gave an account that the fellow who had
run away with the ship sold her at Bengal to a set of pirates,
which were gone a cruizing in her; and that they had already
taken an English ship and two Dutch ships very richly laden.
This latter part was found to concern us directly, though we
knew it to be false; yet, as my partner said very justly, if we
had fallen into their hands, and they had had such a pre-
possession against us before-hand, it had been in vain for us to
have defended ourselves, or to hope for any good quarter at
their hands; and especially considering that our accusers had
160
ADVENTURES OF
been our judges, and that we could have expected nothing from
them but what rage would have dictated, and an ungoverned
passion have executed; and therefore it was his opinion we
should go directly back to Bengal, from whence we came,
without putting in at any port whatever; because there we
could give a good account of ourselves, could prove where we
were when the ship put in, of whom we bought her, and the
like; and, which was more than all the rest, if we were put
upon the necessity of bringing it before the proper judges, we
should be sure to have some justice, and not to be hanged first
and judged afterwards.
I was some time of my partner's opinion; but after a little
more serious thinking, I told him I thought it was a very great
hazard for us to attempt returning to Bengal, for that we were
on the wrong side of the Straits of Malacca, and that if the
alarm was given, we should be sure to be way-laid on every
side, as well by the Dutch of Batavia as the English else-
where; that if we should be taken, as it were, running away,
we should even condemn ourselves, and there would want no
more evidence to destroy us. I also asked the English sailor's
opinion, who said he was of my mind, and that we should cer-
tainly be taken. This danger a little startled my partner, and
all the ship's company, and we immediately resolved to go
away to the coast of Tonquin, and so on to the coast of China ;
and, pursuing the first design as to trade, find some way or
other to dispose of the ship, and come back in some of the
vessels of the country, such as we could get. This was ap-
proved of as the best method for our security; and accordingly
we steered away N. N. E. keeping above fifty leagues off from
the usual course to the eastward. This, however, put us to
some inconvenience; for, first, the winds, when we came to
that distance from the shore, seemed to be more steadily
against us, blowing almost trade, as we call it, from the E.
and E. N. E. so that we were a long while upon our voyage,
and we were but ill provided with victuals for so long a run;
and, which was still worse, there was some danger that those
English and Dutch ships, whose boats pursued us, whereof
some were bound that way, might be got in before us, and if
not, some other ship bound to China might have information
of us from them, and pursue us with the same vigour.
I must confess, I was now very uneasy, and thought my-
self, including the late escape from the long-boats, to have
been in the most dangerous condition that ever I was through
my past life; for whatever ill circumstances I had been in, I
was never pursued for a thief before; nor had I ever done any
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
161
thing that merited the name of dishonest or fraudulent, much
less thievish; I had chiefly been my own enemy, or, as I may
rightly say, I had been nobody's enemy but my own: but now
I was embarrassed in the worst condition imaginable; for
though I was perfectly innocent, I was in no condition to make
that innocence appear; and if I had been taken, it had been
under a supposed guilt of the worst kind. This made me very
anxious to make an escape, though which way to do it I knew
not, or what port or place we could go to. My partner see-
ing me thus dejected, though he was the most concerned at
first, began to encourage me, and describing to me the several
ports of that coast, told me he would put in on the coast of
Cochin China, or the Bay of Tonquin, intending to go after-
wards to Macao, a town once in possession of the Portuguese,
and where still a great many European families resided, and
particularly the missionary priests usually went thither, in order
to their going forward to China.
Hither then we resolved to go; and accordingly, though
after a tedious and irregular course, and very much straitened
for provisions, we came within sight of the coast very early in
the morning; and upon reflection of the past circumstances we
were in, and the danger, if we had not escaped, we resolved
to put into a small river, which, however, had depth enough
of water for us, and to see if we could, either overland or by
the ship's pinnace, come to know what ships were in any port
thereabouts. This happy step was, indeed, our deliverance;
for though we did not immediately see any European ships in
the bay of Tonquin, yet the next morning there came into the
bay two Dutch ships, and a third, without any colours spread
out, but which we believed to be a Dutchman, passed by at
about two leagues distance, steering for the coast of China;
and in the afternoon went by two English ships steering the
same course; and thus we thought we saw ourselves beset
with enemies both one way and the other. The place we
were in was wild and barbarous, the people thieves, even by
occupation or profession; and though, it is true, we had not
much to seek of them, and, except getting a few provisions,
cared not how little we had to do with them, yet it was with
much difficulty that we kept ourselves from being insulted by
them, several ways. We were in a small river of this coun-
try, within a few leagues of its utmost limits northward; and
by our boat we coasted north-east, to the point of land which
opens the great bay of Tonquin; and it was in this beating up
along the shore that we discovered we were surrounded with
VOL. II.
Y
162
ADVENTURES OF
enemies. The people we were among were the most barbar-
ous of all the inhabitants of the coast, having no correspond-
ence with any other nation, and dealing only in fish and oil, and
such gross commodities; and it may be particularly seen that
they are the most barbarous of any of the inhabitants. Among
other customs, they have this one, viz. that if any vessel has
the misfortune to be shipwrecked upon their coast, they present-
ly make the men all prisoners or slaves; and it was not long
before we found a piece of their kindness this way, on the
occasion following.
I have observed above, that our ship sprung a leak at sea,
and that we could not find it out; and it happened that, as I
have said, it was stopped unexpectedly, in the happy minute
of our being to be seized by the Dutch and English ships in the
bay of Siam; yet as we did not find the ship so perfectly tight
and sound as we desired, we resolved, while we were at this
place, to lay her on shore, and take out what heavy things we
had on board, and clean her bottom; and, if possible, to find
out where the leaks were. Accordingly, having lightened the
ship, and brought all our guns and other moveables to one
side, we tried to bring her down, that we might come at her
bottom; but, on second thoughts, we did not care to lay her
on dry ground, neither could we find out a proper place
for it.
The inhabitants, who had never been acquainted with such
a sight, came wondering down the shore to look at us; and
seeing the ship lie down on one side in such a manner, and
heeling in towards the shore, and not seeing our men, who
were at work on her bottom with stages, and with their boats
on the off side, they presently concluded that the ship was
cast away, and lay so fast on the ground. On this supposition,
they all came about us in two or three hours time, with ten
or twelve large boats, having some of them eight, some ten
men in a boat, intending, no doubt, to have come on board
and plundered the ship; and if they had found us there, to
have carried us away for slaves to their king, or whatever they
call him, for we knew nothing of their governor.
When they came up to the ship and began to row round
her, they discovered us all hard at work on the outside of the
ship's bottom and side, washing and graving, and stopping, as
every seafaring man knows how. They stood for a while
gazing at us, and we, who were a little surprised, could not
imagine what their design was; but being willing to be sure,
we took this opportunity to get some of us into the ship, and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
163
others to hand down arms and ammunition to those that were
at work to defend themselves with, if there should be occa-
sion; and it was no more than need; for in less than a quarter
of an hour's consultation, they agreed, it seems, that the ship
was really a wreck; and that we were all at work endeavour-
ing to save her, or to save our lives by the help of our boats
and when we handed our arms into the boats, they concluded,
by that motion, that we were endeavouring to save some of
our goods; upon this they took it for granted we all belonged
to them, and away they came directly upon our men, as if it
had been in a line of battle.
;
Our men seeing so many of them, began to be frightened,
for we lay but in an ill posture to fight, and cried out to us to
know what they should do: I immediately called to the men
that worked upon the stages to slip them down, and get up
the side into the ship; and bade those in the boat to row
round, and come on board; and those few of us who were on
board worked with all the strength and hands we had to
bring the ship to rights; but, however, neither the men upon
the stages nor those in the boats could do as they were ordered
before the Cochin Chinese were upon them; and two of their
boats boarded our long-boat, and began to lay hold of the men
as their prisoners.
The first man they laid hold of was an English seaman, a
stout, strong fellow, who having a musket in his hand, never
offered to fire it, but laid it down in the boat, like a fool, as I
thought; but he understood his business better than I could
teach him, for he grappled the Pagan, and dragged him by
main force out of their boat into ours, where taking him by
the ears, he beat his head so against the boat's gunnel, that the
fellow died in his hands; and, in the mean time, a Dutchman,
who stood next, took up the musket, and with the butt-end
of it so laid about him, that he knocked down five of them
who attempted to enter the boat. But this was doing little
towards resisting thirty or forty men, who fearless, because
ignorant of their danger, began to throw themselves into the
long-boat, where we had but five men in all to defend it: but
the following accident, which deserved our laughter, gave our
men a complete victory.
Our carpenter being prepared to grave the outside of the
ship, as well as to pay the seams where he had caulked her to
stop the leaks, had got two kettles just let down into the boat,
one filled with boiling pitch, and the other with rosin, tallow
and oil, and such stuff as the shipwrights use for that work;
164
ADVENTURES OF
>
and the man that attended the carpenter had a great iron
ladle in his hand, with which he supplied the men that were
at work with the hot stuff; two of the enemy's men entered
the boat just where this fellow stood, being in the fore-sheets;
he immediately saluted them with a ladle full of the stuff,
boiling hot, which so burned and scalded them, being half
naked, that they roared out like bulls, and, enraged with the
fire, leaped both into the sea. The carpenter saw it, and
cried out, "Well done, Jack! give them some more of it:
and stepping forward himself, takes one of the mops, and
dipping it in the pitch-pot, he and his man threw it among
them so plentifully, that, in short, of all the men in the three
boats there was not one that escaped being scalded and burned
with it, in a most frightful, pitiful manner, and made such a
howling and crying, that I never heard a worse noise: for
it is worth observing, that though pain naturally makes all
people cry out, yet every nation has a particular way of ex-
clamation, and makes noises as different from one another as
their speech. I cannot give the noise these creatures made a
better name than howling, nor a name more proper to the
tone of it; for I never heard any thing more like the noise of
the wolves, which, as I have said, I heard howl in the forest
on the frontiers of Languedoc.
I was never better pleased with a victory in my life; not
only as it was a perfect surprise to me, and that our danger
was imminent before, but, as we got this victory without any
bloodshed, except of that man the fellow killed with his naked
hands, and which I was very much concerned at, for I was
sick of killing such poor savage wretches, even though it was
in my own defence, knowing they came on errands which
they thought just, and knew no better; and that though it
may be a just thing, because necessary, (for there is no neces-
sary wickedness in nature,) yet I thought it was a sad life,
when we must be always obliged to be killing our fellow-
creatures to preserve ourselves; and, indeed, I think so still,
and I would even now suffer a great deal, rather than I
would take away the life even of the worst person injuring
me; and I believe all considering people who know the value
of life would be of my opinion, if they entered seriously into
the consideration of it.
-
But to return to my story :-All the while this was doing,
my partner and I, who managed the rest of the men on board,
had with great dexterity brought the ship almost to rights, and
having got the guns into their places again, the gunner called
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
165
to me to bid our boat get out of the way, for he would le
fly among them. I called back again to him, and bid him not
offer to fire, for the carpenter would do the work withou
him, but bid him heat another pitch-kettle, which our cook,
who was on board, took care of: but the enemy was so terri-
fied with what they had met with in their first attack, that
they would not come on again; and some of them who were
farthest off, seeing the ship swim, as it were upright, began, as
we suppose, to see their mistake, and give over the enterprize,
finding it was not as they expected. Thus we got clear of this
merry fight, and having got some rice, and some roots and
bread, with about sixteen hogs on board, two days before, we
resolved to stay here no longer, but go forward, whatever
came of it; for we made no doubt but we should be surround-
ed the next day with rogues enough, perhaps more than our
pitch-kettle would dispose of for us. We therefore got all
our things on board the same evening, and the next morning
were ready to sail in the mean time, lying at anchor at some
distance from the shore, we were not so much concerned,
being now in a fighting posture, as well as in a sailing posture,
if any enemy had presented. The next day, having finished
our work within board, and finding our ship was perfectly
healed of all her leaks, we set sail. We would have gone in-
to the bay of Tonquin, for we wanted to inform ourselves of
what was to be known concerning the Dutch ships that haq
been there, but we durst not stand in there, because we had
seen several ships go in, as we supposed, but a little before;
so we kept on N. E. towards the island of Formosa, as much
afraid of being seen by a Dutch or English merchant ship, as
a Dutch or English merchant ship in the Mediterranean is of
an Algerine man of war.
When we were thus got to sea, we kept on N. E. as if we
would go to the Manillas or the Philippine islands, and this
we did that we might not fall into the way of any of the
European ships; and then we steered north, till we came to
the latitude of 22 deg. 30 min. by which means we made the
island Formosa directly, where we came to an anchor, in or-
der to get water and fresh provisions, which the people there,
who are very courteous and civil in their manners, supplied us
with willingly, and dealt very fairly and punctually with us
in all their agreements and bargains, which is what we did not
find among other people, and may be owing to the remains of
Christianity which was once planted here by a Dutch mission-
ary of protestants, and is a testimony of what I have often ob-
166
ADVENTURES OF
served, viz. that the Christian religion always civilizes the
people and reforms their manners, where it is received, whe-
ther it works saving effects upon them or no.
From thence we sailed still north, keeping the coast of
China at an equal distance, till we knew we were beyond all
the ports of China where our European ships usually come;
being resolved, if possible, not to fall into any of their hands,
especially in this country; where, as our circumstances were,
we could not fail of being entirely ruined.
Being now come to the latitude of 30 degrees, we resolved
to put into the first trading port we should come at; and
standing in for the shore, a boat came off two leagues to us,
with an old Portuguese pilot on board, who knowing us to be
an European ship, came to offer his service, which, indeed,
we were glad of, and took him on board; upon which, with-
out asking us whither we would go, he dismissed the boat he
came in, and sent it back.
I thought it was now so much in our choice to make the
old man carry us whither we would, that I began to talk to
him about carrying us to the gulph of Nanquin, which is the
most northern part of the coast of China. The old man said
he knew the gulph of Nanquin very well, but smiling, asked
us what we would do there? I told him we would sell our
cargo and purchase China wares, calicoes, raw silks, tea,
wrought silks, &c. and so would return by the same course
we came. He told us our best port had been to have put in
at Macao, where we could not have failed of a market for
our opium to our satisfaction, and might for our money have
purchased all sorts of China goods as cheap as we could at
Nanquin.
Not being able to put the old man out of his talk, of which
he was very opinionated or conceited, I told him we were gen-
tlemen as well as merchants, and that we had a mind to go
and see the great city of Peking, and the famous court of the
monarch of China. Why then," says the old man, "you
should go to Ningpo, where, by the river which runs into the
sea there, you may go up within five leagues of the great
canal." This canal is a navigable stream, which goes through
the heart of that vast empire of China, crosses all the rivers,
passes some considerable hills by the help of sluices and gates,
and goes up to the city of Peking, being in length near 270
leagues.
"Well," said I, "Seignior Portuguese, but that is not our
business now; the great question is, if you can carry us up to
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
167
the city of Nanquin, from whence we can travel to Peking
afterwards?" He said we could do so very well, and that
there was a great Dutch ship gone up that way just before.
This gave me a little shock, for a Dutch ship was now our
terror, and we had much rather have met the devil, at least if
he had not come in too frightful a figure; and we depended
upon it that a Dutch ship would be our destruction, for we
were in no condition to fight them; all the ships they trade
with into those parts being of great burthen, and of much
greater force than we were.
"Sir,
The old man found me a little confused, and under some
concern when he named a Dutch ship, and said to me,
you need be under no apprehensions of the Dutch; I sup-
pose they are not now at war with your nation ?"—" No,”
says I," that's true; but I know not what liberties men may
take when they are out of the reach of the laws of their own
country."—" Why," says he, "you are no pirates, what need
you fear? They will not meddle with peaceable merchants
sure?"
If I had any blood in my body that did not fly up into my
face at that word, it was hindered by some stop in the vessels
appointed by nature to circulate it, for it put me into the
greatest disorder and confusion imaginable: nor was it pos-
sible for me to conceal it so, but the old man easily per-
ceived it.
Sir," says he, "I find you are in some disorder in your
thoughts at my talk; pray be pleased to go which way you
think fit, and, depend upon it, I'll do you all the service I can.'
-"Why, Seignior," said I," it is true, I am little unsettled
in my resolution at this time, whither to go in particular; and
I am something more so for what you said about pirates; I
hope there are no pirates in these seas; we are but in an ill
condition to meet with them, for you see we have but a small
force, and but very weakly manned.”—“ O Sir," says he,
"don't be concerned, I do not know that there has been any
pirates in these seas these fifteen years, except one, which was
seen, as I hear, in the bay of Siam, about a month since; but
you may be assured she is gone to the southward; nor was
she a ship of any great force, or fit for the work; she was
not built for a privateer, but was run away with by a re-
probate crew that was on board, after the captain and some
of his men had been murdered by the Malayans, at or near
the island of Sumatra." "What!" said I, seeming to know
nothing of the matter, "did they murder the captain ?"-
168
ADVENTURES OF
CC
No," said he, "I don't understand that they murdered
him;
but as they afterwards ran away with the ship, it is ge-
nerally believed that they betrayed him into the hands of the
Malayans, who did murder him; and perhaps they procured
"Why then," said I, they deserve death
they had done it themselves."
Nay," says
them to do it.'
""
<<
you say the
as much as if
the old man,
they do deserve it, and they will certainly have
it, if they light upon any English or Dutch ship; for they
have all agreed together, that if they meet that rogue they'll
give him no quarter.”- "But," said I to him, "
pirate is gone out of these seas; how can they meet with him
then?". "Why that's true," says he, they do say so; but
he was, as I tell you, in the bay of Siam, in the river Cam-
bodia, and was discovered there by some Dutchmen who be-
longed to the ship, and who were left on shore when they ran
away with her; and some English and Dutch traders being in
the river, they were within a little of taking him: nay," said
he, “if the foremost boats had been well seconded by the
rest, they had certainly taken him; but he finding only two
boats within reach of him, tacked about, and fired at those
two and disabled them before the others came up, and then
standing off to sea, the others were not able to follow, and so
he got away; but they have all so exact a description of the
ship, that they will be sure to know her, and wherever they
and her they have vowed to give no quarter either to the cap-
tain or seamen, but to hang them all up at the yard-arm.'
"What!" says I, " will they execute them right or wrong;
hang them first, and judge them afterwards?"—" O Sir," says
the old pilot, "there is no need to make a formal business of
it with such rogues as those; let them tie them back to back,
and set them a diving, 'tis no more than they deserve."
I knew I had my old man fast on board, and that he could
do me no harm, so that I turned short upon him :
" Well
now, Seignior,” said I, “ this is the very reason why I would
have you carry us up to Nanquin, and not put back to Macao,
or to any other part of the country where the English of
Dutch ships come; for be it known to you, Seignior, those
captains of the English and Dutch ships are a parcel of rash,
proud, insolent fellows, that neither know what belongs to jus-
tice, or how to behave themselves as the laws of God and
nature direct; but being proud of their offices, and not un-
derstanding their power, they would act the murderers to
punish robbers; would take upon them to insult men falsely
accused, and determine them guilty without due inquiry and
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
169
perhaps I may live to bring some of them to account for it,
when they may be taught how justice is to be executed; and
that no man ought to be treated as a criminal till some evidence
may be had of the crime, and that he is the man.
With this I told him that this was the very ship they at-
tacked, and gave him a full account of the skirmish we had
with their boats, and how foolishly and cowardly they be-
haved. I told him all the story of our buying the ship, and
how the Dutchman served us. I told him the reasons I had
to believe the story of killing the master by the Malayans was
true, as also the running away with the ship; but it was all a
fiction of their own to suggest that the men had turned pirates,
and they ought to have been sure it was so before they had
ventured to attack us by surprise, and oblige us to resist them;
adding, that they would have the blood of those men, whom
we killed there in just defence, to answer for.
CC
The old man was amazed at this relation, and told us we
were very much in the right to go away to the north; and
that if he might advise us, it should be to sell the ship in
China, which we might very well do, and buy or build another
in the country; and, said he, though you will not get so good
a ship, yet you may get one able enough to carry you and all
your goods back again to Bengal, or any where else. I told
him I would take his advice when I came to any port where
I could find a ship for my turn, or get any customer to buy
this. He replied, I should meet with customers enough for
the ship at Nanquin, and that a Chinese junk would serve me
very well to go back again; and that he would procure me
people both to buy one and sell the other. Well, but
Seignior," says I, as you say they know the ship so well, I
may, perhaps, if I follow your measures, be instrumental to
bring some honest innocent men into a terrible broil, and per-
haps to be murdered in cold blood; for wherever they find the
ship, they will prove the guilt upon the men, by proving this
was the ship, and so innocent men may probably be over-
powered and murdered."—" Why," says the old man, " I'll
find out a way to prevent that also; for as I know all those
commanders you speak of very well, and shall see them all
as they pass by, I will be sure to set them to rights in the
thing, and let them know that they had been so much in the
wrong; that though the people who were on board at first
might run away with the ship, yet it was not true that they
had turned pirates; and that, in particular, these were not the
men that first went off with the ship, but innocently bought
VOL. II.
Z
170
ADVENTURES OF
her for their trade; and I am persuaded they will so far be-
lieve me, as at least to act more cautiously for the time to
come."
While these things were passing between us, by way of dis-
course, we went forward directly for Nanquin, and in about
thirteen days sail came to an anchor at the south-west point
of the great gulph of Nanquin; where, by the way, I came by
accident to understand that two Dutch ships were gone the
length before me, and that I should certainly fall into their
hands. I consulted my partner again in this exigency, and he
was as much at a loss as I was, and would very gladly have
been safe on shore almost any where however, I was not in
such perplexity neither, but I asked the old pilot if there was
no creek or harbour which I might put into and pursue my
business with the Chinese privately, and be in no danger of
the enemy? He told me if I would sail to the southward
about forty-two leagues, there was a little port called Quin-
chang, where the fathers of the mission usually landed from
Macao, on their progress to teach the Christian religion to the
Chinese, and where no European ships ever put in; and if I
thought to put in there, I might consider what farther course
to take when I was on shore. He confessed, he said, it was
not a place for merchants, except that at some certain times
they had a kind of a fair there, when the merchants from
Japan came over thither to buy the Chinese merchandizes.
We all agreed to go back to this place; the name of the
port, as he called it, I may perhaps spell wrong, for I do not
particularly remember it, having lost this, together with the
names of many other places set down in a little pocket-book,
which was spoiled by the water by an accident; but this I
remember, that the Chinese or Japanese merchants we corre-
sponded with called it by a different name from that which our
Portuguese pilot gave it, and pronounced it as above, Quin-
chang.
As we were unanimous in our resolution to go to this place,
we weighed the next day, having only gone twice on shore
where we were to get fresh water, on both which occasions
the people of the country were very civil to us, and brought
us abundance of things to sell to us, I mean of provisions,
plants, roots, tea, rice, and some fowls, but nothing without
money.
We came to the other port (the wind being contrary) not
till five days, but it was very much to our satisfaction; and I
was joyful and I may say thankful, when I set my foot on
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
171
shore, resolving, and my partner too, that if it was possible to
dispose of ourselves and effects any other way, though not
every way to our satisfaction, we would never set one foot on
board that unhappy vessel more; and, indeed, I must acknow-
ledge, that of all the circumstances of life that ever I had any
experience of, nothing makes mankind so completely miserable
as that of being in constant fear. Well does the scripture
say, the fear of man brings a snare; it is a life of death, and
the mind is so entirely suppressed by it, that it is capable of no
relief.
Nor did it fail of its usual operations upon the fancy, by
heightening every danger, representing the English and Dutch
captains to be men incapable of hearing reason, or of distin-
guishing between honest men and rogues, or between a story
calculated for our own turn, made out of nothing, on purpose
to deceive, and a true genuine account of our whole voyage,
progress and design; for we might many ways have convinced
any reasonable creature that we were not pirates; the goods
we had on board, the course we steered, our frankly showing
ourselves, and entering into such and such ports; and even
our very manner, the force we had, the number of men, the
few arms, little ammunition, short provisions; all these would
have served to convince any men that we were no pirates. The
opium and other goods we had on board would make it appear
the ship had been at Bengal. The Dutchmen, who, it was
said, had the names of all the men that were in the ship,
might easily see that we were a mixture of English, Portu-
guese, and Indians, and but two Dutchmen on board. These,
and many other particular circumstances, might have made it
evident to the understanding of any commander, whose hands
we might fall into, that we were no pirates. But fear, that
blind, useless passion, worked another way, and threw us into
the vapours; it bewildered our understandings, and set the
imagination at work to form a thousand terrible things that
perhaps might never happen. We first supposed, as indeed
every body had related to us, that the seamen on board the
English and Dutch ships, but especially the Dutch, were so
enraged at the name of a pirate, and especially at our beating
off their boats and escaping, that they would not give them-
selves leave to inquire whether we were pirates or no, but would
execute us off hand, as we call it, without giving us any room
for a defence. We reflected that there really was so much
apparent evidence before them, that they would scarce inquire
after any more; as, first, that the ship was certainly the same,
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ADVENTURES OF
and that some of the seamen among them knew her, and had
been on board her; and, secondly, that when we had intelli-
gence at the river of Cambodia that they were coming down
to examine us, we fought their boats and fled; so that we
made no doubt but they were as fully satisfied of our being
pirates, as we were satisfied of the contrary; and, as I often
said, I know not but I should have been apt to have taken
those circumstances for evidence, if the tables were turned,
and my case was theirs, and have made no scruple of cutting
all the crew to pieces, without believing, or perhaps consider-
ing, what they might have to offer in their defence.
But let that be how it will, these were our apprehensions;
and both my partner and I scarce slept a night without dream-
ing of halters and yard-arms, that is to say, gibbets; of fight-
ing, and being taken; of killing, and being killed and one.
night I was in such a fury in my dream, fancying the Dutch-
men had boarded us, and I was knocking one of their seamen
down, that I struck my double fist against the side of the
cabin I lay in with such a force, as wounded my hand griev-
ously, broke my knuckles, and cut and bruised the flesh, so
that it awaked me out of my sleep.
Another apprehension I had was, the cruel usage we might
meet with from them if we fell into their hands: then the
story of Amboyna came into my head, and how the Dutch
might perhaps torture us, as they did our countrymen there,
and make some of our men, by extremity of torture, confess
those crimes they never were guilty of, or own themselves and
all of us to be pirates, and so they would put us to death with
a formal appearance of justice; and that they might be
tempted to do this for the gain of our ship and cargo, which
was worth four or five thousand pounds, put all together.
These things tormented me and my partner too, night and
day; nor did we consider that the captains of ships have no
authority to act thus; and if we had surrendered prisoners to
them, they could not answer the destroying us, or torturing
us, but would be accountable for it when they came to their
own country; this, I say, gave me no satisfaction; for if they
were to act thus with us, what advantage would it be to us
that they should be called to an account for it? or if we were
first to be murdered, what satisfaction would it be to us to have
them punished when they came home?
I cannot refrain taking notice here what reflections I now
had upon the vast variety of my particular circumstances;
how hard I thought it was, that I, who had spent forty years
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
173
in a life of continued difficulties, and was at last come, as it
were, to the port or haven which all men drive at, viz. to
have rest and plenty, should be a volunteer in new sorrows by
my own unhappy choice; and that I, who had escaped so
many dangers in my youth, should now come to be hanged in
my old age, and in so remote a place, for a crime which I was
not in the least inclined to, much less guilty of.
After these thoughts, something of religion would come in ;
and I should be considering that this seemed to me to be a
disposition of immediate Providence, and I ought to look up-
on it and submit to it as such; that although I was innocent
as to men, I was far from being innocent as to my Maker;
and I ought to look in and examine what other crimes in my
life were most obvious to me, and for which Providence might
justly inflict this punishment as a retribution; and that I
ought to submit to this, just as I would to a shipwreck, if it
had pleased God to have brought such a disaster upon me.
In its turn, natural courage would sometimes take its place,
and then I would be talking myself up to vigorous resolutions;
that I would not be taken to be barbarously used by a parcel
of merciless wretches in cold blood; that it were much bet-
ter to have fallen into the hands of the savages, though I was
sure they would feast upon me when they had taken me,
than those who would perhaps glut their rage upon me by in-
human tortures and barbarities; that in the case of the savages
I always resolved to die fighting to the last gasp, and why
should I not do so now, seeing it was much more dreadful,
to me, at least, to think of falling into these men's hands,
than ever I was to think of being eaten by men; for the
savages, give them their due, would not eat a man till he was
killed and dead, but that these men had many arts beyond the
cruelty of death. Whenever these thoughts prevailed, I was
sure to put myself into a kind of fever with the agitation of a
supposed fight; my blood would boil, and my eyes sparkle, as
if I was engaged, and I always resolved to take no quarter
at their hands; but, even at last, if I could resist no longer, I
would blow up the ship and all that was in her, and leave
them but little booty to boast of.
The greater weight the anxieties and perplexities of these
things were to our thoughts while we were at sea, the greater
was our satisfaction when we saw ourselves on shore; and my
partner told me he dreamed that he had a very heavy load upon
his back, which he was to carry up a hill, and found that he
was not able to stand long under it, but that the Portuguese pilot
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ADVENTURES OF
came and took it off his back, and the hill disappeared, the
ground before him appearing all smooth and plain; and truly
it was so; they were all like men who had a load taken off
their backs. For my part, I had a weight taken off from my
heart that it was not able any longer to bear; and, as I said
above, we resolved to go no more to sea in that ship. When
we came on shore, the old pilot, who was now our friend, got
us a lodging and a warehouse for our goods, which, by the
way, was much the same: it was a little house, or hut, with
a larger house adjoining to it, all built with canes, and pali-
sadoed round with large canes, to keep out pilfering thieves, of
which, it seems, there were not a few in that country; how-
ever, the magistrates allowed us a little guard, and we had a
soldier with a kind of halberd, or half-pike, who stood centi-
nel at our door; to whom we allowed a pint of rice, and a
little piece of money, about the value of threepence per day,
so that our goods were kept very safe.
The fair, or mart, usually kept in this place had been over
some time; however, we found that there were three or four
junks in the river, and two Japaners, I mean ships from
Japan, with goods which they had bought in China, and were
not gone away, having some Japanese merchants on shore.
The first thing our old Portuguese pilot did for us was to
get us acquainted with three missionary Romish priests who
were in town, and who had been there some time converting
the people to Christianity; but we thought they made but
poor work of it, and made them but sorry Christians when
they had done; however, that was none of our business. One
of these was a Frenchman, whom they called Father Simon;
another was a Portuguese, and the third a Genoese; but
Father Simon was courteous, easy in his manner, and very
agreeable company; the other two were more reserved, seem-
ed rigid and austere, and applied seriously to the work they
came about, viz. to talk with, and insinuate themselves among
the inhabitants wherever they had opportunity. We often eat
and drank with those men; and though, I must confess, the
conversion, as they call it, of the Chinese to Christianity is so
far from the true conversion required to bring heathen people
to the faith of Christ, that it seems to amount to little more
than letting them know the name of Christ, and say some
prayers to the Virgin Mary and her Son, in a tongue which
they understand not, and to cross themselves, and the like;
yet it must be confessed that the religionists, whom we call
missionaries, have a firm belief that these people will be saved,
ROBINSON CRUSOE
175
and that they are the instruments of it; and, on this account,
they undergo not only the fatigue of the voyage, and the
hazards of living in such places, but oftentimes death itself,
with the most violent tortures, for the sake of this work.
But to return to my story: This French priest, Father Si-
mon, was appointed, it seems, by order of the chief of the
mission, to go up to Peking, the royal seat of the Chinese
emperor, and waited only for another priest, who was order-
ed to come to him from Macao, to go long with him; and
we scarce ever met together but he was inviting me to go that
journey; telling me how he would show me all the glorious
things of that mighty empire, and, among the rest, the greatest
city in the world; a city, said he, that your London and our
Paris put together, cannot be equal to. This was the city of
Peking, which, I confess, is very great, and infinitely full of
people; but as I looked on those things with different eyes
from other men, so I shall give my opinion of them in a few
words, when I come in the course of my travels to speak more
particularly of them.
""
"" I
But, first, I come to my friar or missionary: dining with
him one day, and being very merry together, I showed some
little inclination to go with him, and he pressed me and
my partner very hard, and with a great many persuasions, to
consent. Why, Father Simon," says my partner," should
you desire our company so much? you know we are heretics,
and you do not love us, nor cannot keep us company with
any pleasure."-" O," says he, " you may perhaps be good
catholics in time; my business here is to convert heathens,
and who knows but I may convert you too?"—" Very well,
Father," said I, so you will preach to us all the way.
will not be troublesome to you," says he ; our religion does
not divest us of good manners: besides, we are here like
countrymen, and so we are, compared to the place we are in ;
and if you are Hugonots, and I a catholic, we may all be
Christians at last; at least, we are all gentlemen, and we may
converse so, without being uneasy to one another." I liked
this part of his discourse very well, and it began to put me in
mind of my priest that I had left in the Brasils; but this
Father Simon did not come up to his character by a great
deal; for though Father Simon had no appearance of a crimi-
nal levity in him neither, yet he had not that fund of Christian
zeal, strict piety, and sincere affection to religion, that my
other good ecclesiastic had.
But to leave him a little, though he never left us, mor
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ADVENTURES OF
soliciting us to go with him; we had something else before us
at first, for we had all this while our ship and our merchandize
to dispose of, and we began to be very doubtful what we should
do, for we were now in a place of very little business; and
once I was about to venture to sail for the river of Kilam, and
the city of Nanquin; but Providence seemed now more visi-
bly, as I thought, than ever to concern itself in our affairs;
and I was encouraged, from this very time, to think I should one
way or other get out of this entangled circumstance, and be
brought home to my own country again, though I had not the
least view of the manner; Providence, I say, began here to
clear up our way a little: and the first thing that offered was,
that our old Portuguese pilot brought a Japan merchant to us,
who inquired what goods we had; and, in the first place, he
bought all our opium, and gave us a very good price for it, pay-
ing us in gold by weight, some in small pieces of their own coin,
and some in small wedges, of about ten or eleven ounces each.
While we were dealing with him for our opium, it came into
my head that he might perhaps deal for the ship too, and I or-
dered the interpreter to propose it to him; he shrunk up his
shoulders at it, when it was first proposed to him; but in a
few days after he came to me, with one of the missionary
priests for his interpreter, and told me he had a proposal to
make to me, which was this:-he had bought a great quantity
of goods of us, when he had no thoughts of proposals made
to him of buying the ship; and that, therefore, he had not
money enough to pay for the ship: but if I would let the
same men who were in the ship navigate her, he would hire
the ship to go to Japan; and would send them from thence
to the Philippine islands with another loading, which he would
pay the freight of before they went from Japan; and that at
their return he would buy the ship. I began to listen to his
proposal, and so eager did my head still run upon rambling,
that I could not but begin to entertain a notion of going my-
self with him, and so to sail from the Philippine islands away
to the South Seas; accordingly, I asked the Japanese mer-
chant if he would not hire us to the Philippine islands, and
discharge us there. He said no, he could not do that, for then
he could not have the return of his cargo; but he would dis-
charge us in Japan, at the ship's return. Well, still I was for
taking him at that proposal, and going myself; but my part-
ner, wiser than myself, persuaded me from it, representing
the dangers, as well of the seas as of the Japanese, who are
a false, cruel, and treacherous people; likewise those of the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
177
Spaniards at the Philippines, more false, cruel and treacherous
than they.
But to bring this long turn of our affairs to a conclusion:
the first thing we had to do was to consult with the captain of
the ship, and with his men, and know if they were willing to
go to Japan and while I was doing this, the young man
whom my nephew had left with me as my companion for my
travels came to me, and told me that he thought that voyage
promised very fair, and that there was a great prospect of ad-
vantage, and he would be very glad if I undertook it; but
that if I would not, and would give him leave, he would go
as a merchant, or how I pleased to order him; that if ever he
came to England, and I was there, and alive, he would render
me a faithful account of his success, which should be as much
mine as I pleased. I was really loath to part with him; but
considering the prospect of advantage, which really was con-
siderable, and that he was a young fellow as likely to do well
in it as any I knew, I inclined to let him go; but I told him
I would consult my partner, and give him an answer the next
day. My partner and I discoursed about it, and my partner
made a most generous offer: "You know it has been an un-
lucky ship," said he, " and we both resolve not to go to sea in
it again; if your steward (so he called my man) will venture
the voyage, I will leave my share of the vessel to him, and let
him make the best of it; and if we live to meet in England,
and he meets with success abroad, he shall account for one
half of the profits of the ship's freight to us; the other shall
be his own.'
""
If my partner, who was no way concerned with my young
man, made him such an offer, I could do no less than offer
him the same: and all the ship's company being willing to go
with him, we made over half the ship to him in property, and
took a writing from him, obliging him to account for the other;
and away he went to Japan. The Japan merchant proved a
very punctual honest man to him; protected him at Japan, and
got him a licence to come on shore, which the Europeans in.
general have not lately obtained; paid him his freight very
punctually, sent him to the Philippines, loaded with Japan and
China wares, and a supercargo of their own, who trafficing
with the Spaniards, brought back European goods again, and
a great quantity of cloves and other spices; and there he was
not only paid his freight very well, and at a very good price,
but not being willing to sell the ship then, the merchant fur-
nished him goods on his own account; and with some money,
VOL. II
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ADVENTURES OF
and some spices of his own which he brought with him, he
went back to the Manillas to the Spaniards, where he sold his
cargo very well. Here, having got a good acquaintance at
Manilla, he got his ship made a free ship; and the governor
of Manilla hired him to go to Acapulco in America, on the
coast of Mexico, and gave him a licence to land there, and to
travel to Mexico, and to pass in any Spanish ship to Europe
with all his men. He made the voyage to Acapulco very hap-
pily, and there he sold his ship; and having there also obtained
allowance to travel by land to Porto Bello, he found means,
somehow or other, to get to Jamaica, with all his treasure ;
and about eight years after came to England exceeding rich,
of which I shall take notice in its place; in the mean time, I
return to our particular affairs.
Being now to part with the ship and ship's company, it
came before us, of course, to consider what recompence we
should give to the two men that gave us such timely notice of
the design against us in the river Cambodia. The truth was,
they had done us a very considerable service, and deserved
well at our hands, though, by the way, they were a couple of
rogues too; for as they believed the story of our being pirates,
and that we had really run away with the ship, they came down
to us not only to betray the design that was formed against us,
but to go to sea with us as pirates; and one of them confessed
afterwards that nothing else but the hopes of going a roguing
brought him to do it: however, the service they did us was
not the less; and, therefore, as I had promised to be grateful
to them, I first ordered the money to be paid them which they
said was due to them on board their respective ships; over and
above that, I gave each of them a small sum of money in gold,
which contented them very well; then I made the Englishman
gunner in the ship, the gunner being now made second mate
and purser; the Dutchman I made boatswain; so they were
both very well pleased, and proved very serviceable, being both
able seamen, and very stout fellows.
We were now on shore in China: if I thought myself ba-
nished and remote from my own country at Bengal, where I had
many ways to get home for my money, what could I think of
myself now, when I was got about a thousand leagues farther
off from home, and perfectly destitute of all manner of pro-
spect of return? All we had for it was this, that in about four
months time there was to be another fair at the place where
we were, and then we might be able to purchase all sorts of
the manufactures of the country, and withal might possibly
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
179
find some Chinese junks or vessels from Tonquin, that would
be to be sold, and would carry us and our goods whither we
pleased. This I liked very well, and resolved to wait; besides,
as our particular persons were not obnoxious, so if any English
or Dutch ships came thither, perhaps we might have an oppor-
tunity to load our goods, and get passage to some other place
in India, nearer home. Upon these hopes we resolved to
continue here; but, to divert ourselves, we took two or three
journies into the country. First, we went ten days journey,
to the city of Nanquin, a city well worth seeing, indeed; they
say it has a million of people in it: it is regularly built, the
streets all exactly straight, and cross one another in direct lines,
which gives the figure of it great advantage. But when I
come to compare the miserable people of these countries with
ours, their fabrics, their manner of living, their government,
their religion, their wealth, and their glory, as some call it, I
must confess that I scarcely think it worth my while to men-
tion them here. It is very observable, that we wonder at the
grandeur, the riches, the pomp, the ceremonies, the govern-
ment, the manufactures, the commerce and conduct of these
people; not that it is to be wondered at, or, indeed, in the
least to be regarded, but because having a true notion of the
barbarity of those countries, the rudeness and the ignorance
that prevails there, we do not expect to find any such thing so
far off. Otherwise, what are their buildings to the palaces
and royal buildings of Europe? What their trade to the uni-
versal commerce of England, Holland, France, and Spain ?
What are their cities to ours, for wealth, strength, gaiety of
apparel, rich furniture, and infinite variety? What are their
ports, supplied with a few junks and barks, to our navigation,
our merchant fleets, our large and powerful navies? Our city
of London has more trade than half their mighty empire: one
English, Dutch, or French man of war of 80 guns, would be
able to fight almost all the shipping belonging to China: but
the greatness of their wealth, their trade, the power of their
government, and the strength of their armies, may be a little
surprising to us, because, as I have said, considering them as
a barbarous nation of pagans, little better than savages, we did
not expect such things among them: and this, indeed, is the
advantage with which all their greatness and power is repre-
sented to us; otherwise, it is in itself nothing at all; for what
I have said of their ships may be said of their armies and troops;
all the forces of their empire, though they were to bring two
millions of men into the field together, would be able to do
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nothing but ruin the country, and starve themselves, if they
were to besiege a strong town in Flanders, or to fight a disci-
plined army; one good line of German curiassiers, or of French
cavalry, might withstand all the horse of China; a million of
their foot could not stand before one embattled body of our in-
fantry, posted so as not to be surrounded, though they were
not to be one to twenty in number; nay, I do not boast if I
say that 30,000 German or English foot, and 10,000 horse,
well managed, could defeat all the forces of China; and so of
our fortified towns, and of the art of our engineers in assault-
ing and defending towns; there is not a fortified town in China
could hold out one month against the batteries and attacks
of an European army; and, at the same time, all the armies
of China could never take such a town as Dunkirk, provided
it was not starved; no, not in a ten years siege. They have
fire-arms, it is true, but they are aukward and uncertain in
their going off; and their powder has but little strength.
Their armies are badly disciplined, and want skill to attack,
or temper to retreat; and, therefore, I must confess, it seemed
strange to me, when I came home, and heard our people say
such fine things of the power, riches, glory, magnificence, and
trade of the Chinese; because, as far as I saw, they appeared
to be a contemptible herd or crowd of ignorant sordid slaves,
subjected to a government qualified only to rule such a people:
and were not its distance inconceivably great from Muscovy,
and the Muscovite empire in a manner as rude, impotent, and
ill-governed as they, the Czar of Muscovy might with ease drive
them all out of their country, and conquer them in one cam-
paign : and had the Czar (who is now a growing prince) fallen
this way, instead of attacking the warlike Swedes, and equally
improved himself in the art of war, as they say he has done;
and if none of the powers of Europe had envied or inter-
rupted him, he might by this time have been emperor of Chi-
na, instead of being beaten by the king of Sweden at Narva,
when the latter was not one to six in number. As their strength
and their grandeur, so their navigation, commerce and hus-
bandry is very imperfect, compared to the same things in Eu-
rope also in their knowledge, their learning, and in their
skill in the sciences, they are either very aukward or defective,
though they have globes and spheres, and a smattering of the
knowledge of the mathematics, and think they know more than
all the world besides; but they know little of the motions of
the heavenly bodies and so grossly and absurdly ignorant are
their common people, that when the sun is eclipsed, they think
:
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
181
a great dragon has assaulted it, and is going to run away with
it; and they fall a clattering with all the drums and kettles in
the country, to fright the monster away, just as we do to hive
a swarm of bees.
As this is the only excursion of the kind which I have made
in all the accounts I have given of my travels, so I shall make
no more such; it is none of my business, or any part of my
design; but to give an account of my own adventures through
a life of inimitable wanderings, and a long variety of changes,
which, perhaps, few that come after me will have heard the
like of: I shall therefore say very little of all the mighty places,
desert countries, and numerous people I have yet to pass
through, more than relates to my own story, and which my
concern among them will make necessary.
I was now, as near as I can compute, in the heart of China,
about thirty degrees north of the line, for we were returned
from Nanquin: I had, indeed, a mind to see the city of Peking,
which I had heard so much of, and Father Simon importuned
me daily to do it. At length his time of going away being
set, and the other missionary who was to go with him being
arrived from Macao, it was necessary that we should resolve
either to go or not; so I referred it wholly to my partner, and
left it wholly to his choice, who at length resolved it in the af-
firmative, and we prepared for our journey. We set out with
very good advantage, as to finding the way, for we got leave to
travel in the retinue of one of their Mandarins, a kind of viceroy
or principal magistrate in the province where they reside, and
who take great state upon them, travelling with great attend-
ance, and with great homage from the people, who are some-
times greatly impoverished by them, being obliged to furnish
provisions for them and all their attendants in their journies.
That which I particularly observed, as to our travelling with his
baggage, was this, that though we received sufficient provisions
both for ourselves and our horses from the country, as belong-
ing to the Mandarin, yet we were obliged to pay for every thing
we had, after the market price of the country, and the Man-
darin's steward collected it duly from us; so that our travelling
in the retinue of the Mandarin, though it was a very great
kindness to us, was not such a mighty favour in him, but was a
great advantage to him, considering there were above thirty
other people travelled in the same manner besides us, under
the protection of his retinue; for the country furnished all the
provisions for nothing to him, and yet he took our money for
them.
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ADVENTURES OF
We were twenty-five days travelling to Peking, through a
country infinitely populous, but I think badly cultivated; the
husbandry, the economy, and the way of living miserable,
though they boast so much of the industry of the people; I
say miserable, if compared with our own, but not so to these
poor wretches, who know no other. The pride of the people
is infinitely great, and exceeded by nothing but their poverty,
in some parts, which adds to that which I call their misery;
and I must needs think the naked savages of America live much
more happy than the poorer sort of these, because as they have
nothing, so they desire nothing; whereas these are proud and
insolent, and in the main are in many parts mere beggars and
drudges; their ostentation is inexpressible; and, if they can,
they love to keep multitudes of servants or slaves, which is to
the last degree ridiculous, as well as the contempt of all the
world but themselves.
I must confess, I travelled more pleasantly afterwards in the
deserts and vast wildernesses of Grand Tartary than here; and
yet the roads here are well paved and well kept, and very con-
venient for travellers: but nothing was more aukward to me
than to see such a haughty, imperious, insolent people, in the
midst of the grossest simplicity and ignorance; and my friend
Father Simon and I used to be very merry upon these occa-
sions, to see the beggarly pride of these people: for example,
coming by the house of a country gentleman, as Father Simon
called him, about ten leagues off the city of Nanquin, we had
first of all the honour to ride with the master of the house
about two miles; the state he rode in was a perfect Don Quix-
otism, being a mixture of pomp and poverty. His habit was
very proper for a scaramouch, or merry-andrew, being a dirty
calico, with hanging-sleeves, tassels, and cuts and slashes almost
on every side; it covered a taffety vest, as greasy as a butcher's,
and which testified that his honour must be a most exquisite
sloven. His horse was but a poor, starved, hobbling creature,
and he had two slaves followed him on foot to drive the poor
creature along; he had a whip in his hand, and he laboured
the beast as fast about the head as his slaves did about his tail;
and thus he rode by us, with about ten or twelve servants,
going from the city to his country seat, about half a league
before us.
We travelled on gently, but this figure of a gen-
tleman rode away before us, and as we stopped at a village
about an hour to refresh us, when we came by the country
seat of this great man, we saw him in a little place before his
door, eating his repast. It was a kind of a garden, but he
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
183
was easy to be seen; and we were given to understand that
the more we looked on him the better he would be pleased.
He sat under a tree, something like the palmetto, which ef-
fectually shaded him over the head, and on the south side; but
under the tree was also placed a large umbrella, which made
that part look well enough; he sat lolling back in a great el-
bow-chair, being a heavy corpulent man, and had his meat
brought him by two women slaves; he had two more, one of
which fed the squire with a spoon, and the other held the dish
with one hand, and scraped off what he let fall upon his wor-
ship's beard and taffety vest.
Thus leaving the poor wretch to please himself with our
looking at him, as if we admired his pomp, though we really
pitied and contemned him, we pursued our journey; only
Father Simon had the curiosity to stay to inform himself what
dainties the country justice had to feed on in all his state, which
he had the honour to taste of, and which was, I think, a mess
of boiled rice, with a great piece of garlic in it, and a little bag
filled with green pepper, and another plant which they have
there, something like our ginger, but smelling like musk, and
tasting like mustard; all this was put together, and a small
piece of lean mutton boiled in it, and this was his worship's
repast; four or five servants more attended at a distance, who,
we supposed, were to eat of the same after their master.
As for our Mandarin with whom we travelled, he was re-
spected as a king, surrounded always with his gentlemen, and
attended in all his appearances with such pomp, that I saw
little of him but at a distance; but this I observed, that there
was not a horse in his retinue but that our carriers pack-horses
in England seemed to me to look much better; though it was
hard to judge rightly, for they were so covered with equipage,
mantles, trappings, &c. that we could scarce see any thing but
their feet and their heads as they went along.
I was now light-hearted, and all my trouble and perplexity
that I have given an account of being over, I had no anxious
thought about me, which made this journey the pleasanter to
me; nor had I any ill accident attended me, only in the pass-
ing or fording a small river my horse fell, and made me free
of the country, as they call it, that is to say, threw me in; the
place was not deep, but it wetted me all over. I mention it,
because it spoiled my pocket-book, wherein I had set down
the names of several people and places which I had occasion to
remember, and which, not taking due care of, the leaves rotted,
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ADVENTURES OF
and the words were never after to be read, to my great loss
as to the names of some places I touched at in this journey.
(C
At length we arrived at Peking; I had nobody with me.
but the youth whom my nephew the captain had given me
to attend me as a servant, and who proved very trusty and
diligent; and my partner had nobody with him but one ser-
vant, who was a kinsman. As for the Portuguese pilot, he
being desirous to see the court, we bore his charges for his
company, and to use him as an interpreter, for he understood
the language of the country, and spoke good French, and a
little English; and, indeed, this old man was a most useful
implement to us every where; for we had not been above a
week at Peking, when he came laughing, Ah, Seignior In-
glese," says he, "I have something to tell you will make your
heart glad.". "My heart glad!" says I; "what can that
De? I don't know any thing in this country can either give
me joy or grief, to any great degree."—" Yes, yes," said the
old man, in broken English, "make you glad, me sorry."
Why," said I, "will it make you sorry?"-" Because,'
said he, ""
you have brought me here twenty-five days jour-
ney, and will leave me to go back alone, and which way shall
I get to my port afterwards without a ship, without a horse,
without pecune:" so he called money, being his broken Latin,
of which he had abundance to make us merry with. In short,
he told us there was a great caravan of Muscovite and Polish
merchants in the city, preparing to set out on their journey
by land to Muscovy, within four or five weeks, and he was
sure we would take the opportunity to go with them, and
leave him behind, to go back alone.
I confess I was greatly surprised with this good news, and
had scarce power to speak to him for some time; but at last I
turned to him, "How do you know this?" said I: "Are
you sure it is true?"—" Yes," says he; "I met this morning
in the street an old acquaintance of mine, an Armenian, who
is among thein; he came last from Astracan, and was design-
ing to go to Tonquin, where I formerly knew him, but has
altered his mind, and is now resolved to go with the caravan
to Moscow, and so down the river Wolga to Astracan.
"Well, Seignior," says I," do not be uneasy about being
left to go back alone; if this be a method for my return to
England, it shall be your fault if you go back to Macao at all."
We then went to consult together what was to be done; and
I asked my partner what he thought of the pilot's news, and
whether it would suit with his affairs? He told me he would
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
185
do just as I would; for he had settled all his affairs so well at
Bengal, and left his effects in such good hands, that as we had
made a good voyage here, if he could vest it in China silks,
wrought and raw, such as might be worth the carriage, he
would be content to go to England, and then make his voyage
back to Bengal by the Company's ships.
Having resolved upon this, we agreed that if our Portuguese
pilot would go with us we would bear his charges to Mos-
cow, or to England, if he pleased; nor, indeed, were we to be
esteemed over generous in that neither, if we had not reward-
ed him farther, the service he had done us being really worth
more than that: for he had not only been a pilot to us at sea,
but he had been like a broker for us on shore; and his pro-
curing for us the Japan merchant was some hundreds of pounds
in our pockets. So we consulted together about it, and being
willing to gratify him, which was but doing him justice, and
very willing also to have him with us besides, for he was a
most necessary man on all occasions, we agreed to give him a
quantity of coined gold, which, as I compute it, came to about
1751. sterling, between us, and to bear all his charges, both
for himself and horse, except only a horse to carry his goods.
Having settled this between ourselves, we called him, to let
him know what we had resolved. I told him he had com-
plained of our being to let him go back alone, and I was now
to tell him we were resolved he should not go back at all;
that as we had resolved to go to Europe with the caravan, we
resolved also he should go with us; and that we called him to
know his mind. He shook his head, and said, it was a long
journey, and he had no pecune to carry him thither, or to sub-
sist himself when he came there. We told him we believed
it was so, and therefore we had resolved to do something for
him that should let him see how sensible we were of the ser-
vice he had done us, and also how agreeable he was to us ;
and then I told him what we had resolved to give him here,
which he might lay out as we would do our own; and that
as for his charges, if he would go with us we would set him
safe on shore (life and casualties excepted) either in Muscovy
or England, which he would, at our own charge, except only
the carriage of his goods. He received the proposal like a
man transported, and told us he would go with us over the
whole world; and so we all prepared for our journey. How-
ever, as it was with us, so it was with the other merchants;
they had many things to do; and instead of being ready in
VOL. II.
2 B
186
ADVENTURES OF
five weeks, it was four months and some days before all things
were got together.
It was the beginning of February, our stile, when we set out
from Peking. My partner and the old pilot had gone express
back to the port where we had first put in, to dispose of some
goods which we had left there; and I, with a Chinese mer-
chant whom I had some knowledge of at Nanquin, and who
came to Peking on his own affairs, went to Nanquin, where I
bought ninety pieces of fine damasks, with about two hundred
pieces of other very fine silks of several sorts, some mixed
with gold, and had all these brought to Peking against my
partner's return; besides this, we bought a very large quantity
of raw silk, and some other goods, our cargo amounting, in
these goods only, to about 35001. sterling; which, together
with tea, and some fine calicoes, and three camels' loads of
nutmegs and cloves, loaded in all eighteen camels for our
share, besides those we rode upon; which, with two or three
spare horses, and two horses loaded with provisions, made us,
in short, twenty-six camels and horses in our retinue.
The whole company was very great, and, as near as I can
remember, made between three and four hundred horse, and
upwards of one hundred and twenty men, very well arm-
ed, and provided for all events for as the eastern caravans
are subject to be attacked by the Arabs, so are these by the
Tartars; but they are not altogether so dangerous as the Arabs,
nor so barbarous, when they prevail.
The company consisted of people of several nations; but
there were above sixty of them merchants, or inhabitants of
Moscow, though of them some were Livonians; and, to our
particular satisfaction, five of them were Scots, who appeared
also to be men of great experience in business, and of very
good substance.
When we had travelled one day's journey, the guides, who
were five in number, called all the gentlemen and merchants,
that is to say, all the passengers except the servants, to a great
council, as they called it. At this council every one deposited
a certain quantity of money to a common stock, for the neces-
sary expence of buying forage on the way, where it was not
otherwise to be had, and for satisfying the guides, getting
horses, and the like: and here they constituted the journey,
as they call it, viz. they named captains and officers to draw
us all up, and give the word of command, in case of an at-
tack, and give every one their turn of command; nor was
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
187
this forming us into order any more than what we found
needful upon the way, as shall be observed.
The road all on this side of the country is very populous,
and is full of potters and earth makers, that is to say, people
that temper the earth for the China-ware; and as I was
coming along, our Portugal pilot, who had always something
or other to say to make us merry, came sneering to me, and
told me he would show me the greatest rarity in all the coun-
try, and that I should have this to say of China, after all the
ill-humoured things I had said of it, that I had seen one thing
which was not to be seen in all the world beside. I was very
importunate to know what it was at last he told me it was
a gentleman's house built with China-ware.
Well," says I,
CC
are not the materials of their buildings the product of their
own country, and so it is all China-ware, is it not?".
"No, no," says he, I mean it is a house all made of China-
ware, such as you call it in England, or as it is called in our
country, porcelain." "Well," says I, "such a thing may
be; how big is it? Can we carry it in a box upon a camel?
If we can, we will buy it."—" Upon a camel!" says the old
pilot, holding up both his hands ; why there is a family of
thirty people lives in it."
<<
I was then curious, indeed, to see it; and when I came to
it, it was nothing but this: it was a timber house, or a house
built, as we call it in England, with lath and plaster; but all
this plastering was really China-ware, that is to say, it was
plastered with the earth that makes China-ware.
The out-
side, which the sun shone hot upon, was glazed, and looked
very well, perfectly white, and painted with blue figures, as the
large China-ware in England is painted, and hard as if it had
been burned. As to the inside, all the walls, instead of wain-
scot, were lined with hardened and painted tiles, like the little
square tiles we call galley-tiles in England, all made of the
finest China, and the figures exceeding fine, indeed, with ex-
traordinary variety of colours, mixed with gold; many tiles
making but one figure, but joined so artificially, the mortar
being made of the same earth, that it was very hard to see
where the tiles met. The floors of the rooms were of the
same composition, and as hard as the earthen floors we have in
use in several parts of England; as hard as stone, and smooth,
but not burned and painted, except some smaller rooms, like
closets, which were all as it were paved with the same tile :
the ceiling, and all the plastering work in the whole house,
were of the same earth; and, after all, the roof was covered
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ADVENTURES OF
with tiles of the same, but of a deep shining black. This was
a China-warehouse, indeed, truly and literally to be called so;
and had I not been upon the journey, I could have staid some
days to see and examine the particulars of it. They told me
there were fountains and fish-ponds in the garden, all paved
on the bottom and sides with the same; and fine statues set
up in rows on the walks, entirely formed of the porcelain
earth, and burned whole.
As this is one of the singularities of China, so they may be
allowed to excel in it; but I am very sure they excel in their
accounts of it; for they told me such incredible things of their
performance in crockery-ware, for such it is, that I care not
to relate, as knowing it could not be true. They told me, in
particular, of one workman that made a ship with all its tackle,
and masts and sails, in earthen-ware, big enough to carry
fifty men. If they had told me he launched it, and made a
voyage to Japan in it, I might have said something to it, in-
deed; but as it was, I knew the whole of the story, which
was, in short, asking pardon for the word, that the fellow lied;
so I smiled, and said nothing to it.
This odd sight kept me two hours behind the caravan, for
which the leader of it for the day fined me about the value of
three shillings; and told me, if it had been three days jour-
ney without the wall, as it was three days within, he must
have fined me four times as much, and made me ask pardon
the next council day: I promised to be more orderly; and,
indeed, I found afterwards the orders made for keeping all
together were absolutely necessary for our common safety.
In two days more we passed the great China wall, made for
a fortification against the Tartars; and a very great work it is,
going over hills and mountains in a needless track, where the
rocks are impassable, and the precipices such as no enemy
could possibly enter, or indeed climb up, or where, if they did,
no wall could hinder them. They tell us its length is near a
thousand English miles, but that the country is five hundred
in a straight measured line, which the wall bounds, without
measuring the windings and turnings it takes; it is about four
fathoms high, and as many thick in some places.
I stood still an hour, or thereabout, without trespassing
our orders (for so long the caravan was in passing the gate)
to look at it on every side, near and far off, I mean that was
within my view; and the guide of our caravan, who had
been extolling it for the wonder of the world, was mighty
eager to hear my opinion of it. I told him it was a most ex-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
189
(C
cellent thing to keep out the Tartars; which he happened not
to understand as I meant it, and so took it for a compliment;
but the old pilot laughed: "O, Seignior Inglese," says he,
you speak in colours.". "In colours!" said I; "what do
you mean by that?”. "Why you speak what looks white this
way, and black that way; gay one way, and dull another. You
tell him it is a good wall to keep out Tartars; you tell me by
that it is good for nothing but to keep out Tartars. I understand
you, Seignior Inglese; I understand you; but Seignior Chinese
understood you his own way."-" Well," says I, Seignior,
do you think it would stand out an army of our country people,
with a good train of artillery, or our engineers, with two com-
panies of miners? Would not they batter it down in ten days,
that an army might enter in battalia; or blow it up in the air,
foundation and all, that there should be no sign of it left?".
""
Aye, aye," says he, "I know that." The Chinese wanted
mightily to know what I said, and I gave him leave to tell him
a few days after, for we were then almost out of their country,
and he was to leave us in a little time after this; but when
he knew what I said, he was dumb all the rest of the way,
and we heard no more of his fine story of the Chinese power
and greatness while he stayed.
After we passed this mighty wall, something like the Picts,
and so famous in Northumberland, built by the Romans, we
began to find the country thinly inhabited, and the people rather
confined to live in fortified towns and cities, as being subject
to the inroads and depredations of the Tartars, who rob in great
armies, and therefore are not to be resisted by the naked in-
habitants of an open country. And here I began to find the
necessity of keeping together in a caravan as we travelled, for
we saw several troops of Tartars roving about; but when I
came to see them distinctly, I wondered more that the Chinese
empire could be conquered by such contemptible fellows; for
they are a mere horde of wild fellows, keeping no order, and
understanding no discipline or manner of fight. Their horses
are poor lean creatures, taught nothing, and fit for nothing;
and this we found the first day we saw them, which was after
we entered the wilder part of the country. Our leader for the
day gave leave for about sixteen of us to go a hunting, as they
call it, and what was this but hunting of sheep; however, it
may be called hunting too, for the creatures are the wildest
and swiftest of foot that ever I saw of their kind; only they
will not run a great way, and you are sure of sport when you
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ADVENTURES OF
begin the chase, for they appear generally thirty or forty in a
flock, and, like true sheep, always keep together when they
fly.
In pursuit of this odd sort of game, it was our hap to meet
with about forty Tartars; whether they were hunting mutton
an we were, or whether they looked for another kind of prey,
we knew not; but as soon as they saw us, one of them blew a
kind of horn very loud, but with a barbarous sound that I had
never heard before, and, by the way, never care to hear again;
we all supposed this was to call their friends about them, and
so it was; for in less than ten minutes a troop of forty or fifty
more appeared at about a mile distance; but our work was
over first, as it happened.
One of the Scots merchants of Moscow happened to be
amongst us, and as soon as he heard the horn he told us that
we had nothing to do but to charge them immediately, without
loss of time; and drawing us up in a line, he asked if we were
resolved. We told him we were ready to follow him; so he
rode directly towards them. They stood gazing at us like a
mere crowd, drawn up in no order, nor showing the face of
any order at all; but as soon as they saw us advance, they let
fly their arrows, which, however, missed us very happily: it
seems they mistook not their aim, but their distance; for their
arrows all fell a little short of us, but with so true an aim, that
had we been about twenty yards nearer, we must have had
several men wounded, if not killed.
Immediately we halted, and though it was at a great distance,
we fired, and sent them leaden bullets for wooden arrows, fol-
lowing our shot full gallop, to fall in among them sword in
hand, for so our bold Scot that led us directed. He was, indeed,
but a merchant, but he behaved with that vigour and bravery
on this occasion, and yet with such cool courage too, that I
never saw any man in action fitter for command. As soon as
we came up to them, we fired our pistols in their faces, and
then drew; but they fled in the greatest confusion imaginable.
The only stand any of them made was on our right, where
three of them stood, and, by signs, called the rest to come back
to them, having a kind of scimitar in their hands, and their
bows hanging to their backs. Our brave commander, without
asking any body to follow him, gallops up close to them, and
with his fusee knocks one of them off his horse, killed the se-
rond with his pistol, and the third ran away; and thus ended
our fight but we had this misfortune attending it, that all
◆ur mutton we had in chase got away. We had not a mau
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
191
killed or hurt; but as for the Tartars, there were about five of
them killed; how many were wounded we knew not; but
this we knew, that the other party were so frightened with
the noise of our guns, that they made off, and never made
any attempt upon us.
We were all this while in the Chinese dominions, and
therefore the Tartars were not so bold as afterwards; but in
about five days we entered a vast, great wild desert, which
held us three days and nights march; and we were obliged to
carry our water with us in great leathern bottles, and to en-
camp all night, just as I have heard they do in the Desert of
Arabia.
I asked our guides whose dominion this was in; and they
told me this was a kind of border, that might be called no
man's land, being a part of Great Karakathay, or Grand Tar-
tary; but, however, it was all reckoned as belonging to China,
but that there was no care taken here to preserve it from the
inroads of thieves, and therefore it was reckoned the worst
desert in the whole march, though we were to go over some
much larger.
In passing this wilderness, which was at first very frightful
to me, we saw, two or three times, little parties of the Tartars,
but they seemed to be upon their own affairs, and to have no
design upon us and so, like the man who met the devil, if
they had nothing to say to us, we had nothing to say to them;
we let them go. Once, however, a party of them came so near
as to stand and gaze at us; whether it was to consider if they
should attack us or not, we knew not; but when we were
passed at some distance by them, we made a rear guard of forty
men, and stood ready for them, letting the caravan pass half a
mile or thereabouts before us: but after a while they marched
off; only we found they saluted us with five arrows at their
parting, one of which wounded a horse, so that it disabled him,
and we left him the next day, poor creature, in great need of
a good farrier: they might shoot more arrows, which might
fall short of us, but we saw no more of them that time.
We travelled near a month after this, the ways not being
so good as at first, though still in the dominions of the
emperor of China, but lay for the most part in villages, some
of which were fortified, because of the incursions of the Tar-
tars. When we were come to one of these towns, (it was
about two days and a half journey before we were to come to
the city of Naum,) I wanted to buy a camel, of which there
are plenty to be sold all the way upon that road, and horses
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ADVENTURES OF
also, such as they are, because so many caravans coming that
way they are often wanted. The person that I spoke to, to get
me a camel, would have gone and fetched one for me; but
I, like a fool, must be officious, and go myself along with him:
the place was about two miles out of the village, where it
seems they kept the camels and horses feeding under a guard.
I walked it on foot, with my old pilot and a Chinese, being
very desirous of a little variety. When we came to the place,
it was a low marshy ground, walled round with a stone wall,
piled up dry, without mortar or earth among it, like a park,
with a little guard of Chinese soldiers at the door. Having
bought a camel, and agreed for the price, I came away, and
the Chineseman that went with me led the camel, when on
a sudden came up five Tartars on horseback; two of them
seized the fellow and took the camel from him, while the
other three stepped up to me and my old pilot, seeing us, as
it were, unarmed, for I had no weapon about me but my
sword, which could but ill defend me against three horsemen.
The first that came up stopped short upon my drawing my
sword, for they are arrant cowards; but a second coming up-
on my left, gave me a blow on the head, which I never felt
till afterwards, and wondered, when I came to myself, what
was the matter, and where I was, for he laid me flat on the
ground; but my never failing old pilot, the Portuguese, (so
Providence, unlooked for, directs deliverances from dangers
which to us are unforeseen,) had a pistol in his pocket, which
I knew nothing of, nor the Tartars neither; if they had, I
suppose they would not have attacked us; but cowards are al-
ways boldest when there is no danger. The old man seeing
me down, with a bold heart stepped up to the fellow that
had struck me, and laying hold of his arm with one hand, and
pulling him down by main force a little towards him with the
other, shot him in the head, and laid him dead upon the spot.
He then immediately stepped up to him who had stopped us,
as I said, and before he could come forward again, made a
blow at him with a scimitar which he always wore, but miss-
ing the man, cut his horse in the side of his head, cut one of
the ears off by the root, and a great slice down by the side of
his face. The poor beast, enraged with the wound, was no
more to be governed by his rider, though the fellow sat well
enough too, but away he flew, and carried him quite out of
the pilot's reach; and at some distance rising upon his hind
legs, threw down the Tartar, and fell upon him.
In this interval, the poor Chinese came in who had lost the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
193
camel, but he had no weapon: however, seeing the Tartar
down, and his horse fallen upon him, away he runs to him, and
seizing upon an ugly ill favoured weapon he had by his side,
something like a pole-axe, he wrenched it from him, and made
shift to knock his Tartarian brains out with it. But my old
man had the third Tartar to deal with still; and seeing he did
not fly, as he expected, nor come on to fight him, as he appre-
hended, but stand stock-still, the old man stood still too, and
fell to work with his tackle, to charge his pistol again; but as
soon as the Tartar saw the pistol, away he scoured, and left
my pilot, my champion I called him afterwards, a complete
victory.
By this time I was a little recovered; for I thought, when
I first began to wake, that I had been in a sweet sleep; but,
as I said above, I wondered were I was, how I came upon the
ground, and what was the matter; but a few moments after,
as sense returned, I felt pain, though I did not know where;
so I clapped my hand to my head, and took it away bloody ;
then I felt my head ache; and then, in a moment, memory
returned, and every thing was present to me again. I jumped
upon my feet instantly, and got hold of my sword, but no ene-
mies in view: I found a Tartar lie dead, and his horse stand-
ing very quietly by him; and, looking farther, I saw my cham-
pion and deliverer, who had been to see what the Chinese had
done, coming back with his hanger in his hand: the old man,
seeing me on my feet, came running to me, and embraced me
with a great deal of joy, being afraid before that I had been
killed; and seeing me bloody, would see how I was hurt
but it was not much, only what we call a broken head; neither
did I afterwards find any great inconvenience from the blow,
for it was well again in two or three days.
We made no great gain, however, by this victory, for we
lost a camel and gained a horse; but that which was remark-
able, when we came back to the village, the man demanded
to be paid for the camel; I disputed it, and it was brought to
a hearing before the Chinese judge of the place. To give him
his due, he acted with a great deal of prudence and impar-
tiality; and, having heard both sides, he gravely asked the
Chinese man that went with me to buy the camel whose servant
he was?
"I am no servant," says he, " but went with the
stranger." "At whose request ?" says the justice.
"At the
stranger's request," says he. "Why then," says the justice,
you were the stranger's servant for the time; and the camel
66
VOL. II.
2 c
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ADVENTURES OF
being delivered to his servant, it was delivered to him, and he
must pay for it."
I confess the thing was so clear, that I had not a word to
say: but, admiring to see such just reasoning upon the conse-
quence, and an accurate stating of the case, I paid willingly for
the camel, and sent for another; but, you may observe, I did
not go to fetch it myself any more, for I had had enough of
that.
The city of Naum is a frontier of the Chinese empire; they
call it fortified, and so it is, as fortifications go there; for this
I will venture to affirm, that all the Tartars in Karakathay,
which, I believe, are some millions, could not batter down the
walls with their bows and arrows; but to call it strong, if it
were attacked with cannon, would be to make those who un-
derstand it laugh at you.
We wanted, as I have said, above two days journey of this
city, when messengers were sent express to every part of the
road to tell all travellers and caravans to halt till they had a
guard sent for them; for that an unusual body of Tartars,
making ten thousand in all, had appeared in the way, about
thirty miles beyond the city.
This was very bad news to travellers; however, it was care-
fully done of the governor, and we were very glad to hear we
should have a guard. Accordingly, two days after, we had two
hundred soldiers sent us from a garrison of the Chinese, on our
left, and three hundred more from the city of Naum, and with
these we advanced boldly; the three hundred soldiers from
Naum marched in our front, the two hundred in our rear, and
our men on each side of our camels, with our baggage, and
the whole caravan in the center; in this order, and well pre-
pared for battle, we thought ourselves a match for the whole
ten thousand Mogul Tartars, if they had appeared; but the
next day, when they did appear, it was quite another thing.
It was early in the morning, when, marching from a well
situated little town, called Changu, we had a river to pass,
which we were obliged to ferry; and, had the Tartars had any
intelligence, then had been the time to have attacked us, when
the caravan being over, the rear guard was behind; but they
did not appear there. About three hours after, when we were
entered upon a desert of about fifteen or sixteen miles over,
behold, by a cloud of dust they raised, we saw an enemy was
at hand; and they were at hand, indeed, for they came on
upon the spur.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
195
The Chinese, our guard on the front, who had talked so big
the day before, began to stagger; and the soldiers frequently
looked behind them, which is a certain sign in a soldier that
he is just ready to run away. My old pilot was of my mind;
and, being near me, called out, “ Seignior Inglese," says he,
"those fellows must be encouraged, or they will ruin us all ;
for if the Tartars come on, they will never stand it."- ." I
am of your mind," said I; "but what must be done?".
“Done!” says he, "let fifty of our men advance, and flank
them on each wing, and encourage them; and they will fight
like brave fellows, in brave company; but, without this, they
will every man turn his back." Immediately I rode up to our
leader, and told him, who was exactly of our mind; and ac-
cordingly fifty of us marched to the right wing, and fifty to
the left, and the rest made a line of rescue; and so we marched,
leaving the last two hundred men to make a body by themselves.
and to guard the camels; only that, if need were, they should
send an hundred men to assist the last fifty.
In a word, the Tartars came on, and an innumerable com-
pany they were: how many we could not tell, but ten thou-
sand, we thought, was the least: a party of them came on first
and viewed our posture, traversing the ground in the front of
our line; and, as we found them within gun-shot, our leade.
ordered the two wings to advance swiftly, and give them a salvo
on each wing with their shot, which was done; but they went
off, and I suppose back, to give an account of the reception
they were like to meet with; and, indeed, that salute cloyed
their stomachs, for they immediately halted, stood a while to
consider of it, and wheeling off to the left, they gave over their
design, and said no more to us for that time; which was very
agreeable to our circumstances, which were but very indifferent
for a battle with such a number.
Two days after this we came to the city of Naun, or Naum;
we thanked the governor for his care of us, and collected to
the value of an hundred crowns, or thereabouts, which we gave
to the soldiers sent to guard us; and here we rested one day.
This is a garrison, indeed, and there were nine hundred soldiers
kept here; but the reason of it was, that formerly the Musco-
vite frontiers lay nearer to them than they now do, the Musco-
vites having abandoned that part of the country, which lies
from this city west for about two hundred miles, as desolate
and unfit for use; and more especially being so very remote,
and so difficult to send troops thither for its defence: for we had
yet above two thousand miles to Muscovy, properly so called.
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ADVENTURES OF
After this we passed several great rivers, and two dreadful
deserts; one of which we were sixteen days passing over; and
which, as I said, was to be called no man's land; and, on the
13th of April, we came to the frontiers of the Muscovite do-
minions. I think the first town, or fortress, whichever it may
be called, that belonged to the Czar of Muscovy, was called
Arguna, being on the west side of the river Arguna.
I could not but discover an infinite satisfaction that I was
so soon arrived in, as I called it, a Christian country, or, at
least, in a country governed by Christians; for though the
Muscovites do, in my opinion, but just deserve the name of
Christians, yet such they pretend to be, and are very devout
in their way. It would certainly occur to any man who tra-
vels the world as I have done, and who had any power of
reflection, what a blessing it is to be brought into the world
where the name of God and a Redeemer is known, adored,
and worshipped; and not where the people, given up by
Heaven to strong delusions, worship the devil, and prostrate
themselves to stocks and stones; worship monsters, elements,
horrid-shaped animals, and statues or images of monsters. Not
a town or city we passed through but had their pagods, their
idols, and their temples, and ignorant people worshipping even
the works of their own hands. Now we came where, at least,
a face of the Christian worship appeared; where the knee was
bowed to Jesus; and whether ignorantly or not, yet the Chris-
tian religion was owned, and the name of the true God was
called upon and adored, and it made my soul rejoice to see
it. I saluted the brave Scots merchant I mentioned above
with my first acknowledgment of this; and taking him by
the hand, I said to him, Blessed be God, we are once again
amongst Christians." He smiled, and answered, "Do not
rejoice too soon, countryman; these Muscovites are but an
odd sort of Christians; and but for the name of it, you may
see very little of the substance for some months farther of our
journey. Well," says I," but still it is better than paganism
and worshipping of devils.”. Why, I will tell you," says he,
except the Russian soldiers in the garrisons, and a few of the
inhabitants of the cities upon the road, all the rest of this coun-
try, for above a thousand miles farther, is inhabited by the worst
and most ignorant of pagans :" and so, indeed, we found it.
<<
We were now launched into the greatest piece of solid earth,
if I understand any thing of the surface of the globe, that is to be
found in any part of the world; we had, at least, twelve thou-
sand miles to the sea, eastward; two thousand to the bottom
ROBINSON CRUSOE
197
of the Baltic sea, westward; and above three thousand, if we
left that sea and went on west, to the British and French
channels ; we had full five thousand miles to the Indian or
Persian sea, south; and about eight hundred to the Frozen sea,
north. Nay, if some people may be believed, there might be
no sea, north-east, till we came round the pole, and con-
sequently into the north-west, and so had a continent of land
into America, the Lord knows where; though I could give
some reasons why I believe that to be a mistake.
As we entered into the Muscovite dominions a good while
before we came to any considerable towns, we had nothing to
observe there but this; first, that all the rivers run to the
east: as I understood by the charts, which some in our cara-
van had with them, it was plain all those rivers ran into the
great river Yamour, or Gamour; which river, by the natural
course of it, must run into the East sea, or Chinese Ocean.
The story they tell us, that the mouth of this river is choaked
up with bulrushes of a monstrous growth, viz. three feet about,
and twenty or thirty feet high, I must be allowed to say, I be-
lieve nothing of; but, as its navigation is of no use, because
there is no trade that way, the Tartars, to whom it alone be-
longs, dealing in nothing but cattle, so nobody, that ever I
heard of, has been curious enough either to go down to the
mouth of it in boats, or come up from the mouth of it in ships,
as far as I can find: but this is certain, that this river running
east, in the latitude of about fifty degrees, carries a vast con-
course of rivers along with it, and finds an ocean to empty
itself in that latitude; so we are sure of sea there.
Some leagues to the north of this river there are several
considerable rivers, whose streams run as due north as the
Yamour runs east, and these are all found to join their waters
with the great river Tartarus, named so from the northernmost
nations of the Mogul Tartars; who, as the Chinese say, were
the first Tartars in the world; and who, as our geographers
allege, are the Gog and Magog mentioned in sacred story.
These rivers running all northward, as well as all the other
rivers I am yet to speak of, make it evident that the northern
ocean bounds the land also on that side; so that it does not
seem rational in the least to think that the land can extend it-
self to join with America on that side, or that there is not a
communication between the northern and eastern ocean: but
of this I shall say no more; it was my observation at that
time, and therefore I take notice of it in this place.
We now advanced from the river Arguna by easy and
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ADVENTURES OF
moderate journies, and were very visibly obliged to the care
the Czar of Muscovy has taken to have cities and towns built
in as many places as it is possible to place them, where his
soldiers keep garrison, something like the stationary soldier
placed by the Romans in the remotest countries of their em-
pire; some of which that I had read of were placed in
Britain, for the security of commerce, and for the lodging
travellers: and thus it was here; for wherever we came,
though at these towns and stations the garrisons and governors
were Russians and professed Christians, yet the inhabitants
were mere pagans; sacrificing to idols, and worshipping the
sun, moon, and stars, or all the host of heaven; and not only
sø, but were, of all the heathens and pagans that ever I met
with, the most barbarous, except only that they did not eat
men's flesh, as our savages of America did.
Some instances of this we met with in the country between
Arguna, where we enter the Muscovite dominions, and a city
of Tartars and Russians together, called Nortziousky, in which
is a continued desert or forest, which cost us twenty days to
travel over.
In a village, near the last of these places, I had
the curiosity to go and see their way of living, which is most
brutish and unsufferable: they had, I suppose, a great sacri-
fice that day; for there stood out, upon an old stump of a
tree, an idol made of wood, frightful as the devil; at least, as
any thing we can think of to represent the devil can be made.
it had a head not so much as resembling any creature that the
world ever saw; ears as big as goats' horns, and as high;
eyes as big as a crown-piece; a nose like a crooked ram's
horn, and a mouth extended four-cornered, like that of a
lion, with horrible teeth, hooked like a parrot's under-bill: it
was dressed up in the filthiest manner that you could suppose;
its upper garment was of sheep-skins, with the wool outward;
a great Tartar bonnet on the head, with two horns growing
through it: it was about eight feet high, yet had no feet or
legs, or any other proportion of parts.
This scarecrow was set up at the outer side of the village;
and, when I came near to it, there were sixteen or seventeen
creatures, whether men or women I could not tell, for they
make no distinction by their habits, all laying flat upon the
ground round this formidable block of shapeless wood: I
saw no motion among them any more than if they had been
all logs of wood, like the idol, and at first I really thought
they had been so; but, when I came a little nearer, they
arted up upon their feet, and raised a howling cry, as if it
had been so many deep-mouthed hounds, and walked away,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
199
as if they were displeased at our disturbing them. A little
way off from the idol, and at the door of a tent or hut, made
all of sheep-skins and cows-skins dried, stood three butchers,
-I thought they were such; when I came nearer to them, I
found they had long knives in their hands; and in the mid-
dle of the tent appeared three sheep killed, and one young
bullock or steer. These, it seems, were sacrifices to that
senseless log of an idol; the three men were priests belong-
ing to it, and the seventeen prostrated wretches were the
people who brought the offering, and were making their pray-
ers to that stock.
I confess, I was more moved at their stupidity and brutish
worship of a hobgoblin than ever I was at any thing in my
life; to see God's most glorious and best creature, to whom
he had granted so many advantages, even by creation above
the rest of the works of his hands, vested with a reasonable
soul, and that soul adorned with faculties and capacities
adapted both to honour his Maker and be honoured by him,
sunk and degenerated to a degree so very stupid as to prostrate
itself to a frightful nothing, a mere imaginary object, dressed
up by themselves, and made terrible to themselves by theit
own contrivance, adorned only with clouts and rags; and that
this should be the effect of mere ignorance, wrought up into
hellish devotion by the devil himself; who, envying to his
Maker the homage and adoration of his creatures, had deluded
them into such sordid and brutish things as one would think
should shock nature itself!
But what signified all the astonishment and reflection of
thoughts; thus it was, and I saw it before my eyes, and there
was no room to wonder at it, or think it impossible: all my
admiration turned to rage, and I rode up to the image or mon-
ster, call it what you will, and with my sword made a stroke at
the bonnet that was on its head, and cut it in two; and one
of our men that was with me took hold of the sheep-skin that
covered it, and pulled at it; when, behold, a most hideous
outcry and howling ran through the village, and two or three
hundred people came about my ears, so that I was glad to
scour for it, for we saw some had bows and arrows; but I
resolved from that moment to visit them again.
Our caravan rested three nights at the town, which was
about four miles off, in order to provide some horses which
they wanted, several of the horses having been lamed and
jaded with the badness of the way, and long march over the
last desert; so we had some leisure here to put my design in
execution. I communicated my design to the Scots merchant
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ADVENTURES OF
of Moscow, of whose courage I had sufficient testimony: I
told him what I had seen, and with what indignation I had
since thought that human nature could be so degenerate; I
told him, if I could get but four or five men well armed to go
with me, I was resolved to go and destroy that vile, abomina-
ble idol, and let them see that it had no power to help itself;
and consequently could not be an object of worship, or to be
prayed to, much less help them that offered sacrifices to it.
He laughed at me :-says he, "Your zeal may be good,
but what do you propose to yourself by it?"—" Propose !”
said I, “ to vindicate the honour of God, which is insulted by
this devil-worship.”—“ But how will it vindicate the honour
of God," said he, " while the people will not be able to know
what you mean by it, unless you could speak to them, and tell
them so ? and then they will fight you, and beat you too, I'll
assure you; for they are desperate fellows, and that especially
in defence of their idolatry. "Can we not,” said I, " do it
in the night, and then leave them the reasons and the causes
in writing in their own language?"-" Writing!" said he;
why there is not a man in five nations of them that knows
any thing of a letter, or how to read a word any way.'
"Wretched ignorance!" said I to him: "however, I have a
great mind to do it; perhaps nature may draw inferences from
it to them, to let them see how brutish they are to worship
such horrid things.". -“Look you, Sir," said he, " if your zeal
prompts you to it so warmly, you must do it; but, in the next
place, I would have you consider, these wild nations of people
are subjected by force to the Czar of Muscovy's dominion, and
if you do this, it is ten to one but they will come by thousands
to the governor of Nertsinskay, and demand satisfaction; and
if he cannot give them satisfaction, it is ten to one but they
revolt; and it will occasion a new war with all the Tartars in
the country."
:
This, I confess, put new thoughts into my head for a while,
but I still found that my inclination increased for executing
the project I had been forming to destroy the monster, if
it were possible to do it with any safety and upon meeting
the Scots merchant by accident the next evening, and consult-
ing him again, I found he was grown as earnest for it as my-
self; so we sat down to contrive how we should effectually
execute our purpose: and when we had laid the scheme to
our minds, with the assistance of a trusty companion, and a
servant or two, we went out privately, and came up to their
priests in the night; and then, by a stratagem, having confined.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
201
thein and their attendants in their house or tent, we stuffed
wild-fire in the filthy idol's mouth and ears; and, with the
addition of other combustible stuff, we burned the frightful
image to ashes, without being apprehended.
After the feat was performed, we appeared in the morning
among our fellow-travellers, exceedingly busy in getting ready
for our journey; nor could any man suggest that we had been
any where but in our beds, as travellers might be supposed to
be, to fit themselves for the fatigues of the day's journey.
But the affair did not end so; the next day came a great
number of the country people to the town-gates, and in a most
outrageous manner demanded satisfaction of the Russian go-
vernor for the insulting their priests, and burning their great
Cham Chi-Thaungu. The people of Nertsinskay were at first
in a great consternation, for they said the Tartars were already
no less than thirty thousand strong. The Russian governor
sent out messengers to appease them, and gave them all the
good words imaginable; assuring them that he knew nothing.
of it, and that there had not a soul in his garrison been abroad,
so that it could not be from any body there; but if they could
let him know who did it, they should be exemplarily punished.
They returned haughtily that all the country reverenced the
great Cham Chi-Thaungu, who dwelt in the sun, and no mor-
tal would have dared to offer violence to his image but some
Christian miscreant; and they therefore resolved to denounce
war against him and all the Russians, who, they said, were
miscreants and Christians.
The governor, still patient, and unwilling to make a breach,
or to have any cause of war alleged to be given by him, the
Czar having strictly charged him to treat the conquered
country with gentleness and civility, gave them still all the
good words he could. At last he told them there was a cara-
van gone towards Russia that morning, and perhaps it was
some of them who had done them this injury; and that if they
would be satisfied with that, he would send after them to in-
quire into it. This seemed to appease them a little; and ac-
cordingly the governor sent after us, and gave us a particular
account how the thing was; intimating withal, that if any in
our caravan had done it, they should make their escape; but
that whether we had done it or no, we should make all the
haste forward that was possible; and that, in the mean time,
he would keep them in play as long as he could.
This was very friendly in the governor; however, when it
came to the caravan, there was nobody knew any thing of the
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ADVENTURES OF
matter; and as for us that were guilty, we were the least of ali
suspected. However, the captain of the caravan for the time
took the hint that the governor gave us, and we travelled two
days and two nights without any considerable stop, and then
we lay at a village called Plothus: nor did we make any long
stop here, but hastened on towards Jarawena, another of the
Czar of Muscovy's colonies, and where we expected we should
be safe. But upon the second day's march from Plothus, by
the clouds of dust behind us at a great distance, some of our
people began to be sensible we were pursued. We had en-
tered a great desert, and had passed by a great lake called
Schaks Oser, when we perceived a very great body of horse
appear on the other side of the lake, to the north, we travel-
ling west. We observed they went away west, as we did, but
had supposed we would have taken that side of the lake, where-
as we very happily took the south side; and in two days more
they disappeared again: for they believing we were still before
them, pushed on till they came to the river Udda, a very great
river when it passes farther north, but where we came to it we
ound it narrow and fordable.
The third day, they had either found their mistake, or had
mtelligence of us, and came pouring in upon us towards the
dusk of the evening. We had, to our great satisfaction, just
pitched upon a place for our camp which was very convenient
for the night; for as we were upon a desert, though but at the
beginning of it, that was above five hundred miles over, we
had no towns to lodge at, and, indeed, expected none but the
city Jarawena, which we had yet two days march to; the
desert, however, had some few woods in it on this side, and
little rivers, which ran all into the great river Udda; it was
in a narrow strait, between little, but very thick woods, that
we pitched our little camp for that night, expecting to be
attacked before morning.
Nobody knew but ourselves what we were pursued for: but
as it was usual for the Mogul Tartars to go about in troops in
that desert, so the caravans always fortify themselves every
night against them, as against armies of robbers; and it was
therefore no new thing to be pursued.
But we had this night, of all the nights of our travels, a
most advantageous camp; for we lay between two woods,
with a little rivulet running just before our front, so that we
could not be surrounded, or attacked any way but in our front
or rear. We took care also to make our front as strong as
we could, by placing our packs, with our camels and horses,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
203
all in a line, on the inside of the river, and felling some trees
in our rear.
In this posture we encamped for the night; but the enemy
was upon us before we had finished our situation. They did
not come on us like thieves, as we expected, but sent three
messengers to us, to demand the men to be delivered to them
that had abused their priests, and burned their god Cham Chi-
Thaungu with fire, that they might burn them with fire; and
upon this, they said, they would go away, and do us no far-
ther harm, otherwise they would destroy us all.
Our men
looked very blank at this message, and began to stare at one
another, to see who looked with the most guilt in their faces :
but, nobody was the word; nobody did it. The leader of the
caravan sent word he was well assured that it was not done
by any of our camp; that we were peaceable merchants, tra-
velling on our business; that we had done no harm to them
or to any one else; and that, therefore, they must look farther
for their enemies who had injured them, for we were not the
people; so desired them not to desturb us, for, if they did, we
should defend ourselves.
They were far from being satisfied with this for an answer;
and a great crowd of them came running down in the morn-
ing, by break of day, to our camp; but seeing us in such an
unaccountable situation, they durst come no farther than the
brook in our front, where they stood, and showed us such a
number that indeed terrified us very much; for those that
spoke least of them spoke of ten thousand. Here they stood
and looked at us a while, and then setting up a great howl,
they let fly a cloud of arrows among us; but we were well
enough fortified for that, for we sheltered under our baggage,
and I do not remember that one of us was hurt.
Some time after this, we saw them move a little to our right,
and expected them on the rear; when a cunning fellow, a
Cossack of Jarawena, in the pay of the Muscovites, calling to
the leader of the caravan, said to him, "I'll go send all these
people away to Siheilka;" this was a city four or five days
journey, at least, to the right, and rather behind us. So he
takes his bow and arrows, and getting on horseback, he rides
away from our rear directly, as it were back to Nertsinskay;
after this, he takes a great circuit about, and comes directly on
the army of the Tartars, as if he had been sent express to tell
them a long story, that the people who had burnt the Cham
Chi-Thaungu were gone to Siheilka, with a caravan of mis-
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ADVENTURES OF
creants, as he called them, that is to say, Christians; and that
they had resolved to burn the god Schal-Isar, belonging to
the Tongueses.
As this fellow was himself a mere Tartar, and perfectly
spoke their language, he counterfeited so well, that they all
took it from him, and away they drove in a most violent hur-
ry to Siheilka, which, it seems, was five days journey to the
north; and in less than three hours they were entirely out of
our sight, and we never heard any more of them, nor whether
they went to Siheilka or no. So we passed away safely on to
Jarawena, where there was a garrison of Muscovites, and there
we rested five days; the caravan being exceedingly fatigued
with the last day's hard march, and with want of rest in the
night.
From this city we had a frightful desert, which held us
twenty-three days march. We furnished ourselves with some
tents here, for the better accommodating ourselves in the
night; and the leader of the caravan procured sixteen carriages,
or waggons of the country, for carrying our water or provi-
sions; and these carriages were our defence, every night,
round our little camp; so that had the Tartars appeared, un-
less they had been very numerous indeed, they would not have
been able to hurt us.
We may well be supposed to want rest again after this
long journey; for in this desert we neither saw house or tree,
and scarce a bush; though we saw abundance of the sable
hunters, who are all Tartars of the Mogul Tartary, of which
this country is a part; and they frequently attack small cara-
vans, but we saw no numbers of them together.
After we had passed this.desert, we came into a country
pretty well inhabited; that is to say, we found towns and
castles, settled by the Czar of Muscovy, with garrisons of
stationary soldiers, to protect the caravans, and defend the
country against the Tartars, who would otherwise make it
very dangerous travelling; and his Czarish majesty has given
such strict orders for the well guarding the caravans and mer-
chants, that, if there are any Tartars heard of in the country,
detachments of the garrisons are always sent to see the tra-
vellers safe from station to station. And thus the governor of
Adinskoy, whom I had an opportunity to make a visit to, by
means of the Scots merchant, who was acquainted with him,
offered us a guard of fifty men, if we thought there was any
danger, to the next station.
I thought, long before this, that as we came nearer to
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
205
Europe we should find the country better inhabited, and the
people more civilized; but I found myself mistaken in both;
for we had yet the nation of the Tongueses to pass through,
where we saw the same tokens of paganism and barbarity as
before; only, as they were conquered by the Muscovites, they
were not so dangerous; but for rudeness of manners, and idol-
atry, no people in the world ever went beyond them; they
are clothed all in skins of beasts, and their houses are built of
the same; you know not a man from a woman, neither by
the ruggedness of their countenances or their clothes; and in
the winter, when the ground is covered with snow, they live
under-ground in vaults, which have cavities going from one to
another.
If the Tartars had their Cham Chi-Thaungu for a whole
village or country, these had idols in every hut and every
cave: besides, they worship the stars, the sun, the water, the
snow, and, in a word, every thing they do not understand, and
they understand but very little; so that every element, every
uncommon thing, sets them a sacrificing. I met with nothing
peculiar to myself in all this country, which I reckon was,
from the desert I spoke of last, at least four hundred miles,
half of it being another desert, which took us up twelve days
severe travelling, without house or tree; and were obliged
again to carry our own provisions, as well water as bread.
After we were out of this desert, and had travelled two days,
we came to Janezay, a Muscovite city or station on the great
river Janezay, which, they told us there, parted Europe from
Asia.
Here I observed ignorance and paganism still prevailed, ex-
cept in the Muscovite garrisons; all the country between the
river Oby and the river Janezay is as entirely pagan, and
the people as barbarous, as the remotest of the Tartars; nay,
as any nation, for ought I know, in Asia or America. I also
found, which I observed to the Muscovite governors whom I
had an opportunity to converse with, that the poor pagans are not
much wiser, or nearer Christianity, for being under the Mus-
covite government, which they acknowledged was true enough;
but that, as they said, was none of their business; that if the
Czar expected to convert his Siberian, Tonguese, or Tartar
subjects, it should be done by sending clergymen among them,
not soldiers; and, they added, with more sincerity than I ex-
pected, that they found it was not so much the concern of
their monarch to make the people Christians as it was to
make them subjects.
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ADVENTURES OF
From this river to the great river Oby, we crossed a wild
uncultivated country, barren of people and good management,
otherwise it is in itself a most pleasant, fruitful, and agreeable
country. What inhabitants we found in it are all pagans, ex-
cept such as are sent among them from Russia: for this is the
country, I mean on both sides the river Oby, whither the
Muscovite criminals that are not put to death are banished,
and from whence it is next to impossible they should ever
come away.
I have nothing material to say of my particular affairs till
I came to Tobolski, the capital city of Siberia, where I con-
tinued some time on the following occasion.
We had now been almost seven months on our journey,
and winter began to come on apace; whereupon my partner
and I called a council about our particular affairs, in which we
found it proper, as we were bound for England, and not for
Moscow, to consider how to dispose of ourselves. They told
us of sledges and rein deer to carry us over the snow in the
winter time; and, indeed, they have such things that it would
be incredible to relate the particulars of, by which means the
Russians travel more in the winter than they can in summer,
as in these sledges they are able to run night and day; the
snow being frozen, is one universal covering to nature, by
which the hills, vales, rivers and lakes are all smooth and hard
as a stone, and they run upon the surface, without any regard
to what is underneath.
But I had no occasion to push at a winter journey of this
kind; I was bound to England, not to Moscow, and my route
lay two ways; either I must go on as the caravan went, till I
came to Jaroslaw, and then go off west for Narva, and the
gulph of Finland, and so to Dantzic, where I might possibly
sell my China cargo to good advantage; or I must leave the
caravan at a little town on the Dwina, from whence I had but
six days by water to Archangel, and from thence might be
sure of shipping either to England, Holland, or Hamburgh.
Now, to go any of these journies in the winter would have
been preposterous; for as to Dantzic, the Baltic would have
been frozen up, and I could not get passage; and to go by
land in those countries was far less safe than among the Mogul
Tartars; likewise, to go to Archangel in October, all the ships
would be gone from thence, and even the merchants who dwe!!
there in summer retire south to Moscow in the winter, when
the ships are gone; so that I could have nothing but extremity
of cold to encounter, with a scarcity of provisions, and must
ROBINSON CRUSO B
207
lie in an empty town all the winter: so that, upon the whole,
I thought it much my better way to let the caravan go, and
make provision to winter where I was, at Tobolski, in Siberia,
in the latitude of about sixty degrees, where I was sure of
three things to wear out a cold winter with, viz. plenty of
provisions, such as the country afforded, a warm house, with
fuel enough, and excellent company.
I was now in a quite different climate from my beloved
island, where I never felt cold, except when I had my ague;
on the contrary, I had much to do to bear any clothes on my
back, and never made any fire but without doors, which was
necessary for dressing my food, &c. Now I made me three
good vests, with large robes or gowns over them, to hang down
to the feet, and button close to the wrists; and all these lined
with furs, to make them sufficiently warm.
As to a warm house, I must confess I greatly disliked our
way in England of making fires in every room in the house in
open chimnies, which, when the fire was out, always kept the
air in the room cold as the climate; but taking an apartment
in a good house in the town, I ordered a chimney to be built
like a furnace, in the center of six several rooms, like a stove;
the funnel to carry the smoke went up one way, the door to
come at the fire went in another, and all the rooms were kept
equally warm, but no fire seen, just as they heat the bagnios
in England. By this means, we had always the same climate
in all the rooms, and an equal heat was preserved; and how
cold soever it was without, it was always warm within; and
yet we saw no fire, nor were ever incommoded with smoke.
The most wonderful thing of all was, that it should be pos-
sible to meet with good company here, in a country so barbar-
ous as that of the most northerly parts of Europe, near the
Frozen ocean, within but a very few degrees of Nova Zembla.
But this being the country where the state criminals of Mus-
covy, as I observed before, are all banished, this city was full
of noblemen, gentlemen, soldiers, and courtiers of Muscovy.
Here was the famous prince Gallitzen, the old general
Robostiski, and several other persons of note, and some ladies.
By means of my Scots merchant, whom, nevertheless, I part-
ed with here, I made an acquaintance with several of these
gentlemen; and from these, in the long winter nights in
which I staid here, I received several very agreeable visits.
It was talking one night with prince
, one of the ba-
nished-ministers of state belonging to the Czar of Muscovy, that
the discourse of my particular case began. He had been tell-
208
ADVENTURES OF
?
ing me abundance of fine things of the greatness, the mag-
nificence, the dominions, and the absolute power of the em-
peror of the Russians: I interrupted him, and told him I was
a greater and more powerful prince than even the Czar of Mus-
covy was, though my dominions were not so large, or my people
so many. The Russian grandee looked a little surprised, and
fixing his eyes steadily upon me, began to wonder what I meant.
I told him his wonder would cease when I had explained
myself. First, I told him I had absolute disposal of the lives
and fortunes of all my subjects; that notwithstanding my ab-
solute power, I had not one person disaffected to my govern-
ment, or to my person, in all my dominions. He shook his
head at that, and said, there, indeed, I outdid the Czar of Mus-
covy. I told him that all the lands in my kingdom were my
own, and all my subjects were not only my terants, but
tenants at will; that they would all fight for me to the last
drop; and that never tyrant, for such I acknowledged myself
to be, was ever so universally beloved, and yet so horribly
feared by his subjects.
After amusing him with these riddles in government for a
while, I opened the case, and told him the story at large of
my living in the island; and how I managed both myself and
the people that were under me, just as I have since minuted
it down. They were exceedingly taken with the story, and
especially the prince, who told me, with a sigh, that the true
greatness of life was to be masters of ourselves; that he would
not have exchanged such a state of life as mine to be Czar of
Muscovy; and that he found more felicity in the retirement
he seemed to be banished to there, than ever he found in the
highest authority he enjoyed in the court of his master the
Czar; that the height of human wisdom was to bring our tem-
pers down to our circumstances, and to make a calm within,
under the weight of the greatest storms without. When he
came first hither, he said he used to tear the hair from his head,
and the clothes from his back, as others had done before him;
but a little time and consideration had made him look into
himself, as well as round him, to things without: that he found
the mind of man, if it was but once brought to reflect upon
the state of universal life, and how little this world was con-
cerned in its true felicity, was perfectly capable of making a
felicity for itself, fully satisfying to itself, and suitable to its
own best ends and desires, with but very little assistance from
the world; the air to breath in, food to sustain life, clothes
for warmth, and liberty for exercise, in order to health, com-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
209
pleted, in his opinion, all that the world could do for us; and
though the greatness, the authority, the riches and the plea-
sures which some enjoyed in the world, had much in them that
was agreeable to us, yet all those things chiefly gratified the
coarsest of our affections, such as our ambition, our particular
pride, avarice, vanity, and sensuality; all which being the mere
product of the worst part of man, were in themselves crimes,
and had in them the seeds of all manner of crimes; but neither
were related to, or concerned with, any of those virtues that
constituted us wise men, or of those graces that distinguished
us as Christians; that being now deprived of all the fancied
felicity which he enjoyed in the full exercise of all those vices,
he said he was at leisure to look upon the dark side of them,
where he found all manner of deformity, and was now con-
vinced that virtue only makes a man truly wise, rich, and great,
and preserves him in the way to a superior happiness in a fu-
ture state; and in this, he said, they were more happy in their
banishment than all their enemies were, who had the full pos-
session of all the wealth and power they had left behind them.
"Nor, Sir," says he, " do I bring my mind to this politically,
by the necessity of my circumstances, which some call miser-
able; but, if I know any thing of myself, I would not now go
back, though the Czar my master should call me, and reinstate
me in all my former grandeur: I say, I would no more go
back to it than I believe my soul, when it shall be delivered
from this prison of the body, and has had a taste of the glori-
ous state beyond life, would come back to the gaol of flesh and
blood it is now inclosed in, and leave heaven, to deal in the
dirt and crime of human affairs."
He spoke this with so much warmth in his temper, so much
earnestness and motion of his spirits, that it was evident it was
the true sense of his soul; there was no room to doubt his sin-
cerity. I told him I once thought myself a kind of monarch in
my old station, of which I had given him an account; but that
I thought he was not only a monarch, but a great conqueror;
for that he that has got a victory over his own exorbitant desires,
and the absolute dominion over himself, whose reason entirely
governs his will, is certainly greater than he that conquers a
city. "But, my lord," said I, "shall I take the liberty to ask
you a question?"-" With all my heart," says he.
"If the
door of your liberty was opened," said I," would you not
take hold of it to deliver you from this exile?"—" Hold,” said
he; " your question is subtle, and requires some serious, just
distinctions, to give it a sincere answer; and then I will give
VOL. II.
2 H
210
ADVENTURES OF
it you from the bottom of my heart. Nothing that I know of
in this world would move me to deliver myself from this state
of banishment, except these two; first, the enjoyment of my
relations; and, secondly, a little warmer climate: but I pro-
test to you, that to go back to the pomp of the court, the glory,
the power, the hurry of a minister of state; the wealth, the
gaiety, and the pleasures of a courtier; if my master should
send me word this moment that he restores me to all he ba-
nished me from, I protest, if I know myself at all, I would not
leave this wilderness, these deserts, and these frozen lakes, for
the palace at Moscow."-" But, my lord," said I," perhaps
you not only are banished from the pleasures of the court, and
from the power, authority, and wealth you enjoyed before, but
you may be absent too from some of the conveniences of life;
your estate, perhaps, confiscated, and your effects plundered;
and the supplies left you here may not be suitable to the or-
dinary demands of life."-" Aye," says he,
"that is as you
suppose me to be a lord, or a prince, &c.; so, indeed, I am;
but you are now to consider me only as a man, a human crea-
ture, not at all distinguished from another; and so I can suffer
no want, unless I should be visited with sickness and distem-
pers. However, to put the question out of dispute, you see
our manner; we are, in this place, five persons of rank; we
live perfectly retired, as suited to a state of banishment; we
have something rescued from the shipwreck of our fortunes,
which keeps us from the mere necessity of hunting for food;
but the poor soldiers, who are here without that help, live in
as much plenty as we, who go into the woods and catch sables
and foxes; the labour of a month will maintain them a year ;
and, as the way of living is not expensive, so it is not hard
to get sufficient to ourselves. So that objection is out of
doors."
I have not room to give a full account of the most agreeable
conversation I had with this truly great man; in all which he
showed that his mind was so inspired with a superior know-
ledge of things, so supported by religion, as well as by a vast
share of wisdom, that his contempt of the world was really as
much as he had expressed, and that he was always the same
to the last, as will appear in the story I am going to tell.
I had been here eight months, and a dark, dreadful winter,
I thought it; the cold so intense that I could not so much as
look abroad without being wrapped in furs, and a mask of fur
before my face, or rather a hood, with only a hole for breath,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
211
and two for sight: the little day-light we had was, as we reck-
oned, for three months, not above five hours a-day, and six at
most; only that the snow lying on the ground continually, and
the weather clear, it was never quite dark. Our horses were
kept, or rather starved, under-ground; and as for our servants,
whom we hired here to look after ourselves and horses, we
had, every now and then, their fingers and toes to thaw and
take care of, lest they should mortify and fall off.
It is true, within doors we were warm, the houses being
close, the walls thick, the lights small, and the glass all double.
Our food was chiefly the flesh of deer, dried and cured in the
season; bread good enough, but baked as biscuits; dried fish
of several sorts, and some flesh of mutton and of the buffaloes,
which is pretty good meat. All the stores of provisions for
the winter are laid up in the summer, and well cured: our
drink was water, mixed with aqua-vitæ instead of brandy; and
for a treat, mead instead of wine, which, however, they have
excellent good. The hunters, who venture abroad all weathers,
frequently brought us in fine venison, and sometimes bear's
flesh, but we did not much care for the last. We had a good
stock of tea, with which we treated our friends, as above, and
we lived very cheerfully and well, all things considered.
It was now March, the days grown considerably longer,
and the weather at least tolerable; so the other travellers
began to prepare sledges to carry them over the snow, and to
get things ready to be going; but my measures being fixed,
as I have said, for Archangel, and not for Muscovy or the Bal-
tic, I made no motion; knowing very well that the ships from
the south do not set out for that part of the world till May or
June, and that if I was there by the beginning of August, it
would be as soon as any ships would be ready to go away; and
therefore I made no haste to be gone, as others did; in a
word, I saw a great many people, nay, all the travellers, go
away before me. It seems, every year they go from thence
to Muscovy for trade, viz. to carry furs, and buy necessaries,
which they bring back with them to furnish their shops: also
others went on the same errand to Archangel; but then they
all being to come back again, above eight hundred miles, went
all out before me.
In the month of May I began to make all ready to pack up,
and, as I was doing this, it occurred to me that, seeing all
these people were banished by the Czar of Muscovy to Siberia,
and yet, when they came there, were left at liberty to go
whither they would, why they did not then go away to any
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ADVENTURES OF
part of the world, wherever they thought fit; and I began to
examine what should hinder them from making such an attempt.
But my wonder was over when I entered upon that subject
with the person I have mentioned, who answered me thus:
"Consider, first, Sir," said he, "the place where we are;
and, secondly, the condition we are in; especially the gener-
ality of the people who are banished hither. We are surrounded
with stronger things than bars or bolts; on the north side an
unnavigable ocean, where ship never sailed, and boat never
swam; every other way, we have above a thousand miles to
pass through the Czar's own dominions, and by ways utterly
impassable, except by the roads made by the government, and
through the towns garrisoned by his troops; so that we could
neither pass undiscovered by the road, or subsist any other way;
so that it is in vain to attempt it."
I was silenced, indeed, at once, and found that they were
in a prison every jot as secure as if they had been locked up
in the castle at Moscow: however, it came into my thoughts
that I might certainly be made an instrument to procure the
escape of this excellent person; and that, whatever hazard I
run, I would certainly try if I could carry him off. Upon this
took an occasion, one evening, to tell him my thoughts. I
represented to him that it was very easy for me to carry him
away, there being no guard over him in the country; and as
I was not going to Moscow, but to Archangel, and that I went
in the retinue of a caravan, by which I was not obliged to lie
in the stationary towns in the desert, but could encamp every
night where I would, we might easily pass uninterrupted to
Archangel, where I would immediately secure him on board
an English ship, and carry him safe along with me; and as to
his subsistence, and other particulars, it should be my care,
till he could better supply himself.
He heard me very attentively, and looked earnestly on me
all the while I spoke; nay, I could see in his very face that
what I said put his spirits into an exceeding ferment; his colour
frequently changed, his eyes looked red, and his heart Auttered,
that it might be even perceived in his countenance; nor could
he immediately answer me when I had done, and as it were
hesitated what he would say to it: but after he had paused a
little, he embraced me, and said, “How unhappy are we,
unguarded creatures as we are, that even our greatest acts of
friendship are made snares unto us, and we are made tempters
of one another! My dear friend,” said he, " your offer is so
sincere, has such kindness in it, is so disinterested in itself,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
213
and is so calculated for my advantage, that I must have very
little knowledge of the world if I did not both wonder at it,
and acknowledge the obligation I have upon me to you for it.
But did you believe I was sincere in what I have often said to
you of my contempt of the world? Did you believe I spoke
my very soul to you, and that I had really obtained that de-
gree of felicity here that had placed me above all that the
world could give me? Did you believe I was sincere when I
told you I would not go back, if I was recalled even to be all
that I once was in the court, with the favour of the Czar my
master? Did you believe me, my friend, to be an honest man;
or did you believe me to be a boasting hypocrite?" Here he
stopped, as if he would hear what I would say; but, indeed,
I soon after perceived that he stopped because his spirits were
in motion, his great heart was full of struggles, and he could
not go on. I was, I confess, astonished at the thing as well
as at the man, and I used some arguments with him to urge
him to set himself free; that he ought to look upon this as a
door opened by Heaven for his deliverance, and a summons by
Providence, who has the care and disposition of all events, to
do himself good, and to render himself useful in the world.
He had by this time recovered himself: "How do you:
know, Sir," says he, warmly, "but that instead of a summons
from Heaven, it may be a feint of another instrument; re-
presenting in alluring colours to me the show of felicity as a
deliverance, which may in itself be my snare, and tend directly
to my ruin? Here I am free from the temptation of returning
to my former miserable greatness; there I am not sure but
that all the seeds of pride, ambition, avarice and luxury, which
I know remain in nature, may revive and take root, and, in
a word, again overwhelm me; and then the happy prisoner,
whom you see now master of his soul's liberty, shall be the
miserable slave of his own senses, in the full of all personal
liberty. Dear Sir, let me remain in this blessed confinement,
banished from the crimes of life, rather than purchase a show
of freedom at the expence of the liberty of my reason, and at
the future happiness which I now have in my view, but shall
then, I fear, quickly lose sight of; for I am but flesh; a man,
a mere man; have passions and affections as likely to possess
and overthrow me as any man: O be not my friend and
tempter both together."
If I was surprised before, I was quite dumb now, and stood
silent, looking at him, and, indeed, admiring what I saw. The
struggle in his soul was so great, that though the weather was
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ADVENTURES OF
extremely cold, it put him into a most violent sweat, and I
found he wanted to give vent to his mind; so I said a word
or two, that I would leave him to consider of it, and wait on
him again, and then I withdrew to my own apartment.
About two hours after, I heard somebody at, or near the
door of my room, and I was going to open the door, but he
had opened it, and came in. My dear friend," says he,
Do not
you had almost overset me, but I am recovered.
take it ill that I do not close with your offer; I assure you it is
not for want of sense of the kindness of it in you; and I came
to make the most sincere acknowledgment of it to you; but I
hope I have got the victory over myself.". My lord," said I,
I hope you are fully satisfied that you do not resist the call
of Heaven."- "Sir," said he, "if it had been from Heaven,
the same power would have influenced me to have accepted it:
but I hope, and am fully satisfied, that it is from Heaven that
I declined it; and I have infinite satisfaction in the parting,
that you shall leave me an honest man still, though not a free
man.
I had nothing to do but to acquiesce, and make professions.
to him of my having no end in it but a sincere desire to serve
him. He embraced me very passionately, and assured me he
was sensible of that, and should always acknowledge it; and
with that he offered me a very fine present of sables, too much,
indeed, for me to accept from a man in his circumstances, and
I would have avoided them, but he would not be refused.
The next morning I sent my servant to his lordship with a
small present of tea, and two pieces of China damask, and four
little wedges of Japan gold, which did not all weigh above six
ounces, or thereabout, but were far short of the value of his
sables, which, when I came to England, I found worth near
2001. He accepted the tea, and one piece of the damask, and
one of the pieces of gold, which had a fine stamp upon it, of
the Japan coinage, which I found he took for the rarity of it,
but would not take any more; and he sent word by my servant
that he desired to speak with me.
When I came to him, he told me I knew what had passed
between us, and hoped I would not move him any more in
that affair; but that, since I had made such a generous offer
to him, he asked me if I had kindness enough to offer the same
to another person that he would name to me, in whom he had
a great share of concern. I told him that I could not say I in-
clined to do so much for any but himself, for whom I had a
particular value, and should have been glad to have been the
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215
instrument of his deliverance; however, if he would please to
name the person to me, I would give him my answer. He told
me it was his only son; who, though I had not seen him, yet
he was in the same condition with himself, and above two
hundred miles from him, on the other side the Oby; but that,
if I consented, he would send for him.
I made no hesitation, but told him I would do it. I made
some ceremony in letting him understand that it was wholly
on his account; and that seeing I could not prevail on him, I
would show my respect to him by my concern for his son;
but these things are too tedious to repeat here. He sent away
the next day for his son; and in about twenty days he came
back with the messenger, bringing six or seven horses loaded
with very rich furs, and which, in the whole, amounted to a
very great value. His servants brought the horses into the
town, but left the young lord at a distance till night, when he
came incognito into our apartment, and his father presented
him to me; and, in short, we concerted the manner of our
travelling, and every thing proper for the journey.
I had bought a considerable quantity of sables, black fox
skins, fine ermines, and such other furs as are very rich. in
that city, in exchange for some of the goods I had brought
from China; in particular for the cloves and nutmegs, of
which I sold the greatest part here, and the rest afterwards at
Archangel, for a much better price than I could have got at
London; and my partner, who was sensible of the profit, and
whose business more particularly than mine was merchandise,
was mightily pleased with our stay, on account of the traffic we
made here.
It was the beginning of June when I left this remote place,
city, I believe, little heard of in the world; and, indeed, it
so far out of the road of commerce, that I know not how it
should be much talked of. We were now reduced to a very
small caravan, having only thirty-two horses and camels in all,
and all of them passed for mine, though my new guest was
proprietor of eleven of them: it was most natural also that I
should take more servants with me than I had before; and
the young lord passed for my steward; what great man I passed
for myself, I know not, neither did it concern me to inquire.
We had here the worst and the largest desert to pass over
that we met with in our whole journey; I call it the worst,
because the way was very deep in some places, and very
uneven in others; the best we had to say for it was, that
we thought we had no troops of Tartars or robbers to fear,
216
ADVENTURES OF
and that they never came on this side the river Oby, or at
least but very seldom; but we found it otherwise.
My young lord had a faithful Siberian servant, who was
perfectly acquainted with the country, and led us by private
roads, so that we avoided coming into the principal towns and
cities upon the great road, such as Tumen, Soloy Kamskoi,
and several others; because the Muscovite garrisons which are
kept there are very curious and strict in their observation up-
on travellers, and searching lest any of the banished persons of
note should make their escape that way into Muscovy; but
by this means, as we were kept out of the cities, so our whole
journey was a desert, and we were obliged to encamp and lie
in our tents, when we might have had very good accommoda-
tion in the cities on the way: this the young lord was so sen-
sible of, that he would not allow us to lie abroad when we
came to several cities on the way, but lay abroad himself,
with his servant, in the woods, and met us always at the ap-
pointed places.
We were just entered Europe, having passed the river
Kama, which in these parts is the boundary between Europe
and Asia, and the first city on the European side was called
Soloy Kamskoi, which is as much as to say, the great city on
the river Kama; and here we thought to see some evident al-
teration in the people; but we were mistaken; for as we had
a vast desert to pass, which is near seven hundred miles long
in some places, but not above two hundred miles over where
we passed it, so till we came past that horrible place, we
found very little difference between that country and the
Mogul Tartary: the people are mostly pagans, and little better
than the savages of America; their houses and towns full of
idols, and their way of living wholly barbarous, except in the
cities, as above, and the villages near them, where they are
Christians, as they call themselves, of the Greek church; but
have their religion mingled with so many relics of superstition,
that it is scarce to be known in some places from mere sorcery
and witchcraft.
In passing this forest, I thought, indeed, we must (after all
our dangers were to our imagination escaped, as before,) have
been plundered and robbed, and perhaps murdered, by a troop
of thieves; of what country they were I am yet at a loss to
know, but they were all on horseback, carried bows and ar-
rows, and were at first about forty-five in number; they came
so near to us as to be within two musket-shots, and asking no
questions, surrounded us with their horses, and looked very

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ROBINSON CRUSOE.
217
earnestly upon us twice: at length they placed themselves just
in our way; upon which we drew up in a little line, before
our camels, being not above sixteen men in all; and being
drawn up thus, we halted, and sent out the Siberian servant,
who attended his lord, to see who they were: his master was
the more willing to let him go, because he was not a little ap-
prehensive that they were a Siberian troop sent out after him.
The man came up near them with a flag of truce, and called
to them ; but though he spoke several of their languages, oi
dialects of languages rather, he could not understand a word
they said; however, after some signs to him not to come nearer
to them, at his peril, the fellow came back no wiser than he
went; only that by their dress, he said, he believed them to
be some Tartars of Kalmuck, or of the Circassian hordes, and
that there must be more of them upon the great desert, though
he never heard that any of them were seen so far north before.
About an hour after they again made a motion to attack us,
and rode round our little wood to see where they might break
in; but finding us always ready to face them, they went off
again; and we resolved not to stir for that night.
This was small comfort to us; however, we had no re-
medy there was, on our left hand, at about a quarter of a
mile distance, a little grove, and very near the road; I im-
mediately resolved we should advance to those trees, and for-
tify ourselves as well as we could there; for, first, I considered
that the trees would in a great measure cover us from their
arrows; and, in the next place, they could not come to charge
as in a body; it was, indeed, my old Portuguese pilot who
proposed it, and who had this excellency attending him, that
he was always readiest and most apt to direct and encourage
us in cases of the most danger. We advanced immediately,
with what speed we could, and gained that little wood; the
Tartars, or thieves, for we knew not what to call them, keep-
ing their stand, and not attempting to hinder us.
When we
came thither, we found, to our great satisfaction, that it was
a swampy piece of ground, and on the one side a very great
spring of water, which running out in a little brook, was, a
little farther, joined by another of the like size; and was,
in short, the source of a considerable river, called afterwards
the Wirtska: the trees which grew about this spring were
not above two hundred, but very large, and stood pretty thick,
so that as soon as we got in we saw ourselves perfectly safe
from the enemy, unless they attacked us on foot.
While we staved here waiting the motion of the enemy some
VOL. II.
2 F
218
ADVENTURES OF
hours, without perceiving they made any movement, our Por-
tuguese, with some help, cut several arms of trees half off, and
laid them hanging across from one tree to another, and in a
manner fenced us in. About two hours before night they came
down directly upon us and though we had not perceived it,
we found they had been joined by some more of the same, so
that they were near fourscore horse; whereof, however, we
fancied some were women. They came on till they were
within half shot of our little wood, when we fired one musket
without ball, and called to them in the Russian tongue to
know what they wanted, and bade them keep off: but they
came on with a double fury up to the wood side, not imagin-
ing we were so barricaded that they could not easily break in.
Our old pilot was our captain, as well as our engineer, and
desired us not to fire upon them till they came within pistol-
shot, that we might be sure to kill; and that when we did fire
we should be sure to take good aim; we bade him give the
word of command, which he delayed so long, that they were
some of them within two pikes length of us when we let fly.
We aimed so true that we killed fourteen of them, and wound-
ed several others, as also several of their horses; for we had
all of us loaded our pieces with two or three bullets at least.
They were terribly surprised with our fire, and retreated
immediately about one hundred rods from us, in which time
we loaded our pieces again, and seeing them keep that distance,
we sallied out, and catched four or five of their horses, whose
riders we supposed were killed: and coming up to the dead,
we judged they were Tartars, but knew not how they came
to make an excursion such an unusual length.
We slept little, you may be sure, but spent the most part of
the night in strengthening our situation, and barricading the
entrances into the wood, and keeping a strict watch. We
vaited for day-light, and when it came, it gave us a very un-
velcome discovery, indeed; for the enemy, who we thought
were discouraged with the reception they met with, were now
greatly increased, and had set up eleven or twelve huts or tents,
as if they were resolved to besiege us; and this little camp
they had pitched upon the open plain, about three quarters of
a mile from us. We were, indeed, surprised at this discovery;
and now, I confess, I gave myself over for lost, and all that I
had; the loss of my effects did not lie so near me, though very
considerable, as the thoughts of falling into the hands of such
barbarians, at the latter end of my journey, after so many diffi-
culties and hazards as I had gone through, and even in sight
of our port, where we expected safety and deliverance. As
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}
to my partner, he was raging, and declared that to lose his
goods would be his ruin, and that he would rather die than be
starved; and he was for fighting to the last drop.
The young lord, a gallant youth, was for fighting to the
last also; and my old pilot was of the opinion we were able
to resist them all in the situation we were then in; and thus
we spent the day in debates of what we should do: but to-
wards evening we found that the number of our enemies still
increased, and we did not know but by the morning they might
still be a greater number; so I began to inquire of those peo-
ple we had brought from Tobolski if there were no private
ways, by which we might avoid them in the night, and perhaps
retreat to some town, or get help to guard us over the desert.
The Siberian, who was servant to the young lord, told us,
if we designed to avoid them, and not fight, he would engage
to carry us off in the night, to a way that went north, towards
the river Petrou, by which he made no question but we might
get away, and the Tartars never the wiser: but, he said, his
lord had told him he would not retreat, but would rather choose
to fight. I told him he mistook his lord; for that he was too
wise a man to love fighting for the sake of it; that I knew his
lord was brave enough, by what he had showed already; but
that his lord knew better than to desire seventeen or eighteen
men to fight five hundred, unless an unavoidable necessity
forced them to it; and that, if he thought it possible for us to
escape in the night, we had nothing else to do but to attempt it.
He answered, if his lordship gave him such orders he would
lose his life if he did not perform it: we soon brought his lord
to give that order, though privately, and we immediately pre-
pared for the putting it in practice.
And, first, as soon as it began to be dark, we kindled a fire
in our little camp, which we kept burning, and prepared so as
to make it burn all night, that the Tartars might conclude we
were still there; but as soon as it was dark, and we could see
the stars (for our guide would not stir before,) having all our
horses and camels ready loaded, we followed our new guide,
who I soon found steered himself by the north star.
After we had travelled two hours very hard, it began to be
lighter still; not that it was quite dark all night, but the moon
began to rise, so that, in short, it was rather lighter than we
wished it to be; but by six o'clock the next morning we
were got above thirty miles, having almost spoiled our horses.
Here we found a Russian village, named Kermazinskoy, where
we rested, and heard nothing of the Kalmuck Tartars that
day. About two hours before night we set out again, and
220
ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE.
travelled till eight the next morning, though not quite so hard
as before; and about seven o'clock we passed a little river,
called Kirtza, and came to a good large town inhabited by
Russians, called Ozomoys; there we heard that several troops
of Kalmucks had been abroad upon the desert, but that we
were now completely out of danger of them, which was to
our great satisfaction. Here we were obliged to get some
fresh horses; and having need enough of rest, we stayed five
days; and my partner and I agreed to give the honest Sibe-
rian who brought us thither the value of ten pistoles.
In five days more we came to Veuslima, upon the river
Wirtzogda, and running into the Dwina: we were there,
very happily, near the end of our travels by land, that river
being navigable, in seven days passage, to Archangel. From
hence we came to Lawrenskoy the 3d of July; and provid-
ing ourselves with two luggage-boats, and a barge for our
own convenience, we embarked the 7th, and arrived all safe
at Archangel the 18th; having been a year five months and
three days on the journey, including our stay of eight months
at Tobolski. We stayed at this place six weeks, for the arrival
of the ships; and must have tarried longer, had not a Ham-
burgher come in above a month sooner than usual.
We then set sail from Archangel the 20th of August, th
same year; and after no extraordinary bad voyage, arrived
in the Elbe the 18th of September. Here my partner and.
found a very good sale for our goods, as well those of China
as the sables, &c. of Siberia; and dividing the produce, my
share amounted to 3475l. 17s. 3d. including about six hundred
pounds worth of diamonds which I had purchased at Bengal.
Here the young lord took his leave of us, and went up the
Elbe, in order to go to the court of Vienna, where he resolved
to seek protection, and could correspond with those of his
father's friends who were left alive. He did not part without
testimonies of gratitude for the service I had done him, and
the sense of my kindness to the prince his father.
To conclude, having stayed near four months in Hamburgh,
I came from thence by land to the Hague, where I embarked
in the packet, and arrived in London the 10th of January 1705;
having been absent from England ten years and nine months.
And here I resolved to prepare for a longer journey than all
these, having lived a life of infinite variety seventy-two years
THE END.
Metcalfe, Printer, 3, Grocers' Hall Court, Poultry.

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