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 ■r^i' 
 
 
THE 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ROBINSON CRUSOE, 
 
 DANIEL DE FOE 
 
 A MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR, AND AN ESSAY 
 ON HIS WRITINGS. 
 
 I/' 
 ILLUSTRATED WITH TWO HITNDRED ENGRAVINGS, 
 
 BY GRANDVILLE 
 THE ONLY COMPLETE AMERICAN EDITION 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 D. APPLETON & COMPANY, 200 BROADWAY. 
 
 1853. 
 
DANIEL FOE, or, as he subsequently styled himself, (though at what time and on 
 what occasion is not known,) De Foe, was born in the parish of St. Giles's, Crip- 
 plegate, London, in the year 1661. The earliest of his ancestors, of whom there is 
 any account, was Daniel Foe, a yeoman, who farmed his own estate at Elton, in 
 Northamptonshire. He maintained a pack of hounds ; from whence it may be reason- 
 ably inferred that his means Were above competency. A custom of the times in be- 
 stowing party names on brutes is thus mentioned by our author : "I remember,' ' he 
 says, " my grandfather had a huntsman that used the same familiarity with his dogs ; 
 and he had his Roundhead, and his Cavalier, and his Goring, and his Waller, and 
 all the generals of both armies were hounds in his pack ; till, the times turning, the 
 old gentleman was fain to scatter the pack, and make them up of more dog-like sur- 
 names." It is from his grandfather that De Foe is supposed to have inherited landed 
 property; for in his "Review," a work we shall often have occasion to consult, he 
 says, " I have both a native and an acquired right of election." Our author's father, 
 James Foe, followed the trade of butcher in St. Giles's, Cripplegate ; and these few 
 barren facts are all that is to be gathered of the ancestors of Daniel De Foe. " He 
 had," says Mr. Wilson, in his excellent work, " The Life and Times of Dau'el De 
 Foe," a work abounding with the most curious and minute information on the period 
 of which it treats — " He had some collateral relatives, to whom he alludes occasion- 
 ally in his writings, but with too much brevity to ascertain the degree of kindred." 
 
 At an early age, De Foe is said to have shown that vivacity of humor, and that 
 indomitable spirit of independence, that remained with him through after-life, " mak- 
 ing a sunshine in the shady place " of a prison, and arming bim as the champion of 
 truth and humanity in the most perilous times. An anecdote related by our author 
 is illustrative of the discipline that governed the home of his boyhood. During that 
 part of the reign of Charles II., when the nation feared the ascendency of Popery, 
 and it was expected that printed Bibles would become rare, many honest people 
 employed themselves in copying the Bible into short-hand. To this task young De 
 Foe applied himself; and he tells us that " he worked like a horse till he had written 
 out the whole of the Pentateuch, when he grew so tired that he was willing to risk 
 the rest." The parents of De Foe were Non-conformists, and his education was 
 consonant to the practice of that faith. Family religion formed an essential part of 
 its discipline ; and it was made matter of conscience to instruct the children of a 
 family and its dependants in their social, moral, and religious duties. 
 
 Although the enemies of De Foe vainly endeavored to sink his reputation by 
 representing him as having been bred a tradesman, there is ample evidence to prove 
 
»> MEMOIR OP DE FOE. 
 
 that he was originally intended for one of the learned professions* When he had, 
 therefore, sufficiently qualified under inferior tutors, he was, at about fourteen years 
 of age, placed in an academy at Newington Green, under the direction of " that 
 polite and profound scholar," the Reverend Charles Morton, who was subsequently 
 defended by his pupil, some aspersions having been cast upon the character of the 
 master by an ungrateful scholar who had deserted to the church. De Foe writes, 
 " I must do that learned gentleman's memory the justice to affirm, that neither in 
 his system of politics, government, and discipline, nor in any other of the exercises 
 of that school, was there any thing taught or encouraged that was antimonarchical 
 or destructive to the constitution of England." 
 
 Of De Foe's progress under Mr. Morton, it is impossible now to speak with any 
 certainty. He tells us, in one of his " Reviews," that he had been master of five 
 languages, and that he had studied the mathematics, natural philosophy, logic, geog- 
 raphy, and history : he was one of the few who, in those days, studied politics as a 
 science. He went through u complete course of theology, and his knowledge of 
 ecclesiastical history was also considerable. He was, however, attacked by party 
 malice as " an illiterate person, without education." To this he calmly makes 
 answer; — " Those gentlemen who reproach my learning to applaud their own, shall 
 have it proved that I have more learning than either of them — because I have more 
 manners." He adds, " I think I owe this justice to my excellent father, still living, 
 (1705,) and in whose behalf I fully testify, that if I am a blockhead, it is nobody's 
 fault but my own." He proceeds to challenge his slanderer " to translate with me 
 any Latin, French, and Italian author, and after that to re-translate them crossways, 
 fbr twenty pounds each book ; and by this he shall have an opportunity to show the 
 world how much De Foe, the hosier, is inferior in learning to Mr. Tutchin, the 
 gentleman." 
 
 At one-and-twenty, De Foe commenced the perilous trade — most perilous in his 
 day — of author; at the which he labored through good and through evil report, 
 with lasting honor to himself, and enduring benefit to mankind, for half a century. 
 It is now ascertained that De Foe's first publication was a lampooning answer to 
 " L'Estrange's Guide to the Inferior Clergy," and bore the following quaint title: 
 — " Speculum Crape-Gownorum ; or, a Looking- Glass for the Young Aoademicks 
 newFoyl'd : with Reflections on some of the late High Flown Sermons: to which is 
 added, an Essay towards a Sermon of the Newest Fashion. By a Guide to the 
 Inferiour Clergie. Ridentem disoere Verura Quis Vetat. London : printed for E. 
 Rydal. 1682." This title De Foe borrowed from the crape gowns then usually 
 worn by the inferior clergy ; and in the book, he fights the fight of the Dissenters 
 against what he terms the libels of the established clergy. " The fertility of the 
 subject," says Mr. Wilson, " soon produced a second part of the ' Speculum ; ' in 
 which the author deals more seriously with the government, and by a practical view 
 of the effect of persecution, exposed its absurdity." 
 
 We have entered more at length into the nature and purpose of De Foe's first 
 book, than will be permitted to us by our limits to do with each of the works that 
 now followed, in rapid profusion, from the pen of our author. All that we purpose 
 to ourselves is, to give the strongest outlines of his character, — the principal events 
 of his career; and, avoiding, on one hand, a jejune brevity, that confines itself to 
 mere dates, attempt not, on the other side, a minute description of events incompat- 
 ible with our present object. 
 
 » " It is not often," says De Foe, in his " Review," vi. 341, " that I trouble you with 
 any of my divinity ; the pulpit is none of my office. It was my disaster first to be set 
 apart for, and then to be set apart from, the honor of that sacred employ." 
 
MEMOIR OF DE FOE. Vll 
 
 When the duke of Monmouth landed at Lyme, De Foe was among those who 
 joined the standard of the hapless nobleman. " A romantic kind of invasion," says 
 Welwood, " and scarcely paralleled in history." At the age of four-and-twenty, 
 we see De Foe, the author of " Robinson Crusoe," a soldier; as ready with his 
 sword as prompt with his pen, in the cause of rational liberty. Of Monmouth, De 
 Foe seems to have had some previous knowledge, having otlen seen him at Ayles- 
 bury races, where the duke rode his own horses — a circumstance alluded to by our 
 author in his " Tour." De Foe had the good fortune to escape the vengeance visited 
 upon so many of the duke's supporters, and returned in safety to London ; where, 
 leaving the stormy region of politics, he now directed his attention to trade. The 
 nature of his business has been variously represented. In several publications of the 
 ti. le, he is styled a " hosier ;" but, if we may believe his own account, he was a 
 hose-factor, or the middle man between the manufacturer and the retail dealer. 
 This agency concern he carried on for some years, in Freeman's Court, Cornhili ■ 
 Mr. Chalmers says, from 1685 to 1695. On the 26th of January, 1687-8, having 
 claimed his freedom by birth, he was admitted a liveryman of London. In the 
 Chamberlain's book, his name was written " Daniel Foe." 
 
 When the Revolution took place, De Foe was a resident in Tooting, in Surrey, 
 where he was the first person who attempted to form the Dissenters in the neigh- 
 borhood into a regular congregation. De Foe was for many years a resident in tliis 
 part of Surrey ; it is likely tliat he had a country-house there during the time that lie 
 carried on his hose-agency in Cornhili. De Foe was one of the most ardent wor- 
 shippers of the Revolution: he annually commemorated the 4th of November as a 
 day of deliverance. " A day," says he, " famous on various accounts, and every 
 one of them dear to Britons, who love their country, value the Protestant interest, 
 or have an aversion to tyranny and oppression. On this day, he (King William) 
 was born ; on this day, he married the daughter of England ; and on this day, he 
 rescued the nation from a bondage worse than that of Egypt; a bondage of soul, as 
 well as bodily servitude ; a slavery to the ambition and raging lust of a generation 
 set on fire by pride, avarice, cruelty, and blood." In order to do honor to the 
 king, and add to the splendor of the procession, on the royal visit to Guildhall, 
 many of the citizens volunteered to attend William as a guard of honor on the 
 occasion. Among these was Daniel De Foe. 
 
 The commercial speculations of our autlior, though at the first prosperous, were 
 ultimately unsuccessful. That they were of a various character, is evident from the 
 fact of his having engaged with partners in the Spanish and Portuguese trade. It 
 is very clear, from a passage in his " Review," that he had been a merchant-adven- 
 turer. In the number for January 27, 1711, he alludes to an old Spanish proverb, 
 " which," says he, " I learnt when I was in that country." It further appears that, 
 while residing there, he made himself a master of the language. De Foe's losses by 
 sliipvvreck appear to have been very considerable. The occupations of trade, how- 
 ever, according to De Foe's own confession, assort ill with literary feelings. " A 
 wit turned tradesman ! " he exclaims ; " no apron-strings will hold him : 'tis in vain 
 to lock him ir behind the counter ; he's gone in a moment." He concludes : — "A 
 statute of bankrupt is his Exeunt Omnes, and he generally speaks the epilogue in the 
 Fleet Prison or Mint." 
 
 In allusion to the misfortunes of our author, Mr. Chalmers observes : — " With 
 the usual imprudence of genius, he was carried into companies who were gratified 
 by his wit. He spent those hours with a small society for the cultivation of polite 
 learning, which he ought to have employed in the calculations of the counting- 
 house ; and, being obliged to abscond from his creditors in 1692, he naturally attrib- 
 uted those misfortunes to the war, which were probably owing to his own misconduct 
 
VIU MEMOIR OF DE FOE. 
 
 An angry creditor took out a commission of bankruptcy, which was soon superseded 
 on the petition of those to whom he was most indebted, who accepted a composition 
 on his single bond. This he punctually paid, by the efforts of unwearied diligence ; 
 but some of these creditors, who had been thus satisfied, falling afterwards into 
 distress themselves, De Foe voluntarily paid them their whole claim, being then in 
 rising circumstances, in consequence of King William's favor." De Foe being 
 subsequently reproached by Lord Haversham for mercenary conduct, he tells him, 
 in 1705, that, " with a numerous family, and no help but his own industry, he had 
 forced his way, with undisoouraged diligence, through a set of misfortunes, and 
 reduced his debts, exclusive of composition, from seventeen thousand to less 
 than five thousand pounds." 
 
 It deserves to be remembered that, in the time of De Foe, our laws against bank- 
 rupts were as inhuman as they were foolish. " The cruelty of our laws against 
 debtors," says De Foe, " without distinction of honest or dishonest, is the shame of 
 our nation. I am persuaded, the honestest man in England, when by necessity he 
 is compelled to break, will early fly out of the kingdom rather than submit. To 
 stay here, this is the cCnsequence : as soon as he breaks, he is proscribed as a 
 criminal, and has thirty to sixty days to surrender both himself and all that he has 
 to his creditors. If he fails to do it, he has nothing before him but the gallows, 
 without benefit of clergy ; if he surrenders, he is not sure but he shall be thrown 
 into gaol for life by the commissioners, only on pretence that they doubt his oath ! 
 What must the man do ? " We have reformed something of this in our day, yet 
 much remains undone ; for the bankrupt is still left at the mercy of the malevolent 
 or ignorant creditor. 
 
 It is certain that De Foe, whilst under apprehension from his creditors, resided 
 some time at Bristol. " A friend of mine in that city," says Mr. Wilson, " informs 
 me that one of his ancestors remembered De Foe, and sometimes saw him walking 
 in' the streets of Bristol, accoutred in the fashion of the times, with a fine flowing 
 wig, lace rufiles, and a sword by his side ; also, that he there obtained the name of 
 ' the Sunday gentleman,' because, through fear of the bailiffs, he did not dare to 
 appear in public upon any other day." De Foe was wont to visit " The Red Lion," 
 kept by one Mark Watkins, who, in after times, used to entertain his company with 
 an account of a singular personage, who made his appearance in Bristol, clothed in 
 goat-skins, in which dress he was in the habit of walking the streets, and went by 
 the name of Alexander Selkirk, or Robinson Crusoe ! It was during this retreat 
 from London that De Foe wrote his celebrated " Essay upon Projects," though he 
 did not publish it until nearly five years afterwards. 
 
 It appears that at this time De Foe was invited, by some merchants of his acquaint- 
 ance residing in Cadiz, to settle in Spain, with the offer of a good commission : 
 "but," says our author, "Providence, which had other work for me to do, placed a 
 secret aversion in my mind to quitting England upon any account, and made me 
 refuse the best offer of that kind, to be concerned with some eminent persons at 
 home, in proposing ways and means to the government for raising money to supply 
 the OMjasion of the war, then newly begun." De Foe suggested a general assess- 
 ment of personal property, the amount to be settled by composition, under the 
 inspection of commissioners appointed by the king. It was, doubtless, owing to 
 Jhese services, that De Foe was appointed to the office of accountant to the commis- 
 sioners of the glass duty, in 1695 : the commission ceased in 1699. It was probably 
 about this time that De Foe became secretary to the tile-kiln and brick-kiln works at 
 Tilbury, in Essex. Pantiles had been hitherto a Dutch manufacture, and were 
 brought in large quantities to England. To supersede the necessity of their impor- 
 tation, these works were erected. The speculation proved unsuccessful, De Foe 
 
MEMOIR OF DE FOE. IX 
 
 himself losing by its failure no less than three thousand pounds. He continued the 
 works, it is believed, until the year 1703, when, being deprived of his liberty for a 
 libel, the undertaking came to an end. 
 
 Towards the close of the war, in 1696-7, De Foe gave to the world hia " Essay 
 upon Projects; " awork alike admirable for the novelty of the subject, and the clear- 
 ness and ingenuity with which it is treated. The projects of our author may be 
 classed under the heads of politics, commerce, and benevolence ; all having some 
 reference to the public improvement. The first relates to banks in general, and to 
 the royal or national bank in particular, which he wishes to be rendered subservient 
 to the relief of the merchant, and the interests of commerce, as well as to the pur- 
 poses of the state : his next project relates to highways ; a third, to the improvement 
 of the bankrupt laws ; a fourth, to the plan of friendly societies, farmed by mutual 
 assurance, for the relief of the members in seasons of distress ; a fifth, for the estab- 
 lishment of an asylum for " fools," or, more properly, " naturals," whom he de- 
 scribes as "a particular rent-charge on the great family of mankind : " he next sug- 
 gests the formation of academies, to supply some neglected branches of education ; 
 one of these was for the improvement of the English tongue, " to polish and refine 
 it ; " and this project combined a reformation of that " foolish vice," swearing: the 
 next project of our author was an academy for military studies ; and, under the head 
 of " Academies," he suggested an institution for the education of females : — " We 
 reproach the sex every day," says he, " with folly and impertinence, while, I am 
 confident, had they the advantages of education equal to us, they would be guilty of 
 less than ourselves." 
 
 In January, 1700-1, appeared De Foe's celebrated poem of " The True-Born 
 Englishman." It was composed in answer to " a vile, abhorred pamphlet, in very 
 ill verse, written by one Mr. Tuchin, and called 'The Foreigners,' in which the 
 author — who he then was, I knew not," says De Foe — " fell personally upon the 
 king and the Dutch nation." How many thousands familiar with the following 
 now proverbial lines, know not that with them opens " The True-Born Englishman " " 
 
 " Wherever God erects a house of prayer, 
 The devil always builds a-chapel there } 
 And 'twill be found, upon examination, 
 The latter has the larg^est congregation ! '' 
 
 De Foe traces the rise of our ancient families to the Norman invader, who can- 
 toned out the country to his followers, and " every soldier was a denizen." The 
 folly of indulging this pride of ancestry is finely painted in the following lines : — 
 
 " These are the heroes who despise the Dutch, 
 And rail at new-come foreigners so much ; 
 Forgetting that themselves are all derived 
 From the most'scoundrel race that ever lived. 
 A horrid crowd of rambling thieves and drones, 
 Who ransacked kingdoms and dispeopled towns ; 
 The Pict, and painted Briton, treacherous Scot, 
 By hunger, theft, and rapine hither brought j 
 Norwegian pirates, buccaneering Danes, 
 Wliose red-haired offspring evenfwhere remains ; 
 Who, joined with Norman-French, compound the breed 
 From whence your True-bom Englishmen proceed. 
 And lest by length of time it be pretended 
 The climate may the modem race have mended. 
 Wise Providence, to keep us where we are, 
 Mixes us daily with exceeding care.'' 
 
X MEMOIR OF OE FOE. 
 
 De Foe concludes with the following striking lines : — 
 
 " Could but our ancestors retrieve their fate, 
 And see their offspring thus degenerate ; 
 How we contend for birth and names unknown, 
 And build on their past actions, not our own ; 
 They'd cancel records, and their tombs deface, 
 And then disown the vile, degenerate race ; 
 For fame of families is all a cheat j 
 
 'TiS PERSONAL VIRTUE ONtV UAEES US GKEAT."' 
 
 " When I see the town full of lampoons aud invectives against Dutchmen," saya 
 De Foe, in his " Explanatory Prei-ifce," " only because they are foreigners, and the 
 king reproached and insulted by insolent pedants and ballad-making poets, for 
 employing foreigners, and being a foreigner himself, I confess myself moved by it 
 to rem.nd our nation of their own original, thereby to let them see what a banter 
 they put upon themselves ; since, speaking of Englishmen ai origine, we are really 
 all foreigners ourselves." 
 
 It is to this poem that De Foe was indebted for a personal introduction to King 
 William. He was sent for to the palace by his majesty, conversed with him, and 
 had repeated interviews with him afterwards. The manners and sentiments of De 
 Foe appear to have made such a favorable impression on the king, that he ever 
 after regarded him with kindness ; and conceiving that his talents might be turned 
 to a beneficial account, he employed him in many secret services, to which he 
 alludes occasionally in his writings. 
 
 The effect produced upon the country by the satire was most beneficial. De Foe 
 himself, nearly thirty years afterwards, writes, " National mistakes, vulgar errors, 
 and even a general practice, have been reformed by a just satire. None of our 
 countrymen have been known to boast of being True-born Englishmen^ or so much 
 as use the word as a title or appellation, ever since a late satire upon that national 
 folly was published, though almost thirty years before." 
 
 In 1700-1 , on the meeting of the fifth parliament of King William, we find De 
 Foe strenuously engaged advocating the necessity of settling the succession in the 
 Protestant line ; an important object with William, as the only means of perpetua- 
 ting the benefits which the nation had reaped from the Revolution. To this great 
 end, De Foe devoted all his energies, laboring with unwearied zeal in the cause. 
 His conduct on the imprisonment of the Kentish gentlemen, whose names are 
 historically associated with the presentation of the famous Kentish petition, was 
 marked with all the intrepidity of his character. The Commons had imprisoned 
 the petitioners, who prayed the house for the settlement of the Protestant succes- 
 sion, for having presented a petition " scandalous, insolent, and seditious." On 
 this De Foe drew up his celebrated " Legion Paper." In what manner it was 
 communicated to the house does not appear upon the journals. It was reported at 
 the time that De Foe, disguised as a woman, presented it to the Speaker as he 
 entered the House of Commons. The "Legion" petition rang like a tocsin 
 tliroughout the kingdom. As, however, the author remained concealed, the Com- 
 mons did not think fit to pass any particular censure upon it. The Kentish petition- 
 ers were discharged by the prorogation of parliament on the 24th of June : they 
 were subsequently feasted at Mercers' Hall, where De Foe attended. " Next the 
 Worthies," says a pamphlet of the time, " was placed their secretary of state, the 
 author of the ' Legion Paper ; ' and one might have read the downfall of parlia- 
 ments in lijs very countenance." 
 
MEMOIR OF DE FOE. XI 
 
 By the death of King WiUiam, " more mortally wounded," says De Foe, " with 
 the pointed rage of parties, and an ungrateful people, than by the fall from his 
 horse," our author lost a. kind friend and powerful protector. Toward the latter 
 part of this reign, De Foe took up his abode at Hackney, and resided there many 
 years. Here some of his children were born and buried. In the parish register is 
 the following entry : — " Sophia, daughter to Daniel De Foe, by Mary his wife, 
 was baptized, December 24, 1701." 
 
 The next important work of De Foe — a work that exercised the greatest influ- 
 ence on his fortunes — was the " Shortest Way with the Dissenters; or. Proposals 
 for the Establishment of the Church ; 1702." In this work, the author, assuming 
 the character of an Ultra High Churchman, advocates the adoption of the severest 
 measures against the Dissenters. "'Tis vain," writes De Foe, "to trifle in this 
 matter. The light, foolish handling of them by fines, is their glory and advantage. 
 If the gallows instead of the compter, and the galleys instead of the fines, were the 
 reward of going to a conventicle, there would not be so many sufferers." These 
 arguments found high favor with both the universities. The High Church party 
 never suspected the sincerity of their partisan, and, charmed and won by the fierce 
 , doctrines of their champion, were unsuspicious of the satire of their extravagance. 
 It was, however, De Foe's hard fate to be misunderstood by both parties. Whilst 
 the High Churchmen congratulated themselves on the nddition of another advocate, 
 the Dissenters treated him as a real enemy. The Church party, however, fell into 
 the trap laid for them by De Foe ; for, by expressing their delight at the fiery senti- 
 ments of the author, they avowed them as their own true feelings on the question. De 
 Foe subsequently taunts the party thus : — " We have innumerable testimonies," 
 he says, " with which that party embraced the proposal of sending all the Dissent- 
 ing ministers to the gallows and the galleys ; of having all their meeting-houses 
 demolished ; and being let loose upon the people to plunder and destroy them." In 
 another place, De Foe characteristically portrays the common fate of the subtlety 
 of wit, when judged by the multitude. He says, " All the fault I can find with 
 myself as to these people (the Dissenters) is, that when I had drawn the picture, 1 
 did not, like the Dutchman with his man and bear, write under them, ' This is the 
 man,' and ' This is the bear,' lest the people should mistake me ; and having, in a 
 compliment to their judgment, shunned so sharp a reflection upon their senses, I 
 have left them at liberty to treat me like one that put a value upon their penetration 
 at the expense of my own." The first detection of our author is said to have been 
 owing to the industry of the earl of Nottingham, one of the secretaries of state. 
 When the author's name was known, people were at no loss to decipher his object; 
 and those who had committed themselves by launching forth in his praises were 
 stung with madness at their own folly. It was at once resolved by the party in 
 power to crush De Foe by a state prosecution. In the height of the storm, our 
 author sought concealment ; when a proclamation was issued by the government, 
 ofFerinor j£50 for the discovery of his retreat, and advertised in " The London 
 Gazette," for January 10, 1702^3. It is as follows: — 
 
 " Whereas Daniel De Foe, alias De Fooe, is charged with writing a scandalous 
 and seditious pamphlet, entitled " The Shortest Way with the Dissenters." He is 
 a middle-sized, spare man, about 40 years old ; of a brown complexion, and dark- 
 brown colored hair, but wears a wig ; a hook nose, a sharp chin, gray eyes, and a 
 large mole near his mouth ; was born in London, and for many years was a hose- 
 factor in Freeman's Yard, Cornhill ; and now is owner of the brick and pantile 
 works, near Tilbury Fort, in Essex : whoever shall discover the said Daniel De Foe 
 to one of Her Majesty's principal secretaries of state, or any of Her Majesty's jus- 
 tices of peace, so he may be apprehended, shall have a reward of £50, which Her 
 Majesty has ordered immediately to be paid upon such discovery." 
 
XU MEMOIR OF DE FOE. 
 
 In the House of Commons, k was resolved that the book " be burnt by the hands 
 of the common hangman in Palace Yard." The printer of the work and the book- 
 seller being taken into custody, De Foe issued forth from his retirement, to brave 
 the storm, resolving, as he expresses it, " to throw himself upon the favor of gov- 
 ernment, rather than that others should be ruined by his mistake." De Foe was 
 indicted at the Old Bailey Sessions, the 24th of February, 1703, and proceeded to 
 trial in the following July. It may be gathered from his own account of the prose- 
 cution, that when his enemies had him in their power, they were at a loss to know 
 what to do with him. He was therefore advised to throw himself on the mercy of 
 the Queen, with a promise of protection; which induced him to quit his defence, 
 and acknowledge himself as the author of the oiFensive work. On this, De Foe 
 was sentenced to pay a fine of 200 marks to the Queen; to stand three times in the 
 pillory; to be imprisoned during the Queen's pleasure ; and to find sureties for his 
 good behavior for seven years. 
 
 The people, however, were with De Foe. Hence he was guarded to the pillory 
 by the populace ; and descended from it with the triumphant acclamations of the 
 surrounding multitude. De Foe has himself related, that " the people, who were 
 expected to treat him very ill, on the contrary, pitied him, and wished those who 
 set him there were placed in his room, and expressed their affections by loud shouts 
 and acclamations when he was taken down." Tradition reports, that the pillory was 
 adorned with garlands, it being in the middle of summer. The odium intended for 
 De Foe fell upon his persecutors, and the pillory became to him a place of honor. 
 
 A triumphant evidence of the high spirit of De Foe — a spirit elevated and 
 strengthened by its unconquerable love of truth — is manifested by the fact that, on 
 the very day of his exhibition to the people, he published " A Hymn to the Pil- 
 lory." This poem, which successively passed through several editions, being 
 eagerly bought up by the people, opens nobly as follows : — 
 
 " Hail, hieroglypliic stale machine, 
 Contrived to punish fancy in ; 
 Men that are men, in thee can feel no ■pain, 
 And all thy insignillcants disdain. 
 Contempt, that false new word for shame, 
 Is, without crime, an empty name, 
 A shadow to amuse mankind, \ 
 
 But never frights the wise or well-fixed mind ; 
 Virtue despises human scorn, 
 Arid scandals innocence adorn.'' 
 
 De Foe is now presented to us, stripped of his fortunes, and a prisoner. In eon- 
 sequence of his imprisonment, he could no longer attend to his pantile works, 
 which produced the chief source of his revenue, and they were consequently ^ven 
 up. By this affair he lost, as he himself informs us, £3,500 ; and he had now a 
 wife and six children dependent upon him, with no other resource for theilr support 
 than the product of his pen. Hence the leisure of De Foe, whilst in Newgate, was 
 not that of idleness or dissipation. Some of his subsequent writings leave no doubt 
 that he now stored his mind with those facts relative to the habits and pursuits of 
 the prisoners, which he has detailed with so much nature as well as interest. A 
 great part of his time was devoted to the composition of political works, which our 
 limits will not permit us to dwell upon. It was likewise whilst in Newgate that he 
 projected his " Review," a periodical work of four quarto pages, which was pub- 
 lished for nine stjjjessive years, without intermission ; during the greater part ot 
 the time, three times a week, and without having received any assistance whatever 
 
MEMOIR OF DE FOE. XIII 
 
 in its production. Throughout this work, he carried on an unsparing warfare 
 against folly and vice in all their disguises : it pointed the wa; to the " Tatlers," 
 " Spectators," and " Guardians," and may be referred to as containing a vast body 
 of matter on subjects of high interest, written with all the author's characteristic 
 spirit and vigor. 
 
 The Tories vainly endeavored to buy up De Foe ; but Newgate had no terrors for 
 him, and he continued at once their prisoner and their assailant. Upon the acces- 
 sion of Mr. Harley to office, his own politics not being dissimilar to those of De Foe, 
 the minister made a private communication to our author, with the view of obtaining 
 his support. No immediate arrangement, however, took place between them, as 
 De Foe remained a prisoner some months afterwards. Notwithstanding, it is most 
 likely that the queen became acquainted with De Foe's real merits through the me- 
 dium of the minister, and was made conscious of the injustice of our author's suf- 
 ferings, which she now appeared desirous to mitigate. For this purpose, she sent 
 money to his wife and family, at the same time transmitting to him a sufficient sum 
 for the payment of his fine, and the expenses attending his discharge from prison. 
 
 On his release from prison, De Foe retired to Bury St. Edmunds. Party clamoi, 
 and party malice, however, pursued him there. On the miserable libels issued at 
 this time against him, he says, " I tried retirement, and banished myself from the 
 town. I thought, as the boys used to say, 'twas but fair they should let me alone, 
 while I did not meddle with them. But neither a country recess, any more than a 
 stone doublet, can secure a man from the clamor of the pen." In his elegy on the 
 author of " The True-Born Englishman," he alludes to the report that the Tories 
 had exerted themselves in his favor. He says in answer : — 
 
 " 60 I, by Whigs abandoned, bear 
 The Satyr's unjust lash ; 
 Dye with the scandal of their help, 
 But never saw their cash." 
 
 It appears that, in 1705, De Foe was employed by Harley to execute some mis- 
 sion of a secret nature, which required nis presence upon the continent. The mis- 
 sion, whatever it was, appears to have been attended with some danger, and to 
 have required his absence for about two months. Harley seems to have been so 
 well satisfied, that, upon De Foe's return, he was rewarded with an appointment at 
 home. In 1706, De Foe wrote voluminously on the subject of the union with Scot- 
 land ; which measure he advocated with all the strength of his powers. This ad- 
 vocacy obtained for him a confidential mission to Scotland, where he was received 
 with great consideration. While in Edinburgh, he published his " Caledonia," &o., 
 a poem in honor of Scotland and the Scots nation. Of the union, he says in his 
 " Review," " I have told Scotland of improvement in trade, wealth, and shipping, 
 that shall accrue to them on the happy conclusion of this affair ; and I am pleased 
 doubly with this, that I am likely to be one of the first men, that shall give them 
 the pleasure of the experiment." In 1708, De Foe was rewarded with an appoint- 
 ment and a fixed salary. When the union was completed, he published " The 
 Union of Great Britain." In 1710, De Foe resided at Stoke-Newington, and ap- 
 pears to have been comfortable in his circumstances. In 1712 was closed the last 
 volume of the "Review." In a long preface to this volume, De Foe has a most 
 eloquent defence of this work, and of the mode in which he had conducted it 
 Nothing can be finer, more manly, or more conclusive. In allusions to his suffer- 
 ings during the progress of the work, he says, " I have gone through a life of 
 wonders, — and am the subject of a vast variety of providences ; I have been fed 
 more by miracle than Elijah when the ravens were his purveyors. I have, some 
 time ago, summed up my life in this distich : — 
 
WV MEMOIR OP DE FOE. 
 
 No man has tasted differing fortunes more, 
 And thirteen times I have been rich and poor. 
 
 In the school of affliction, I have learnt more than at the academy, and more 
 divinity than from the pulpit : in prison, I have learnt to know that liberty does not 
 consist in open doors, and the fre^ egress and regress of locomotion. I have seen 
 the rough side of the world as well as the smooth ; and have, in less than half a year, 
 tasted the difference between the closet of a king and the dungeon of Newgate^ ' 
 This preface may be considered as a review — a summing up of the events of De 
 Foe's political life, and, as such, is of the highest value for the noble spirit of con- 
 scious truth breathing in and animating every line of it. As a piece of English, it 
 is exquisite for its innate strength, — the beauty of its simplicity. De Foe, however, 
 was again doomed to taste the dungeon sweets of Newgate, being committed there 
 upon the foolish charge of writing libels in favor of the Pretender. 
 
 After the' death of Queen Anne,De Foe, who had been a political writer for thirty, 
 years, retired from the thorny field, to the more pleasant paths of instructive fiction. 
 Whilst vrriting " An Appeal to Honor and Justice," he was struck with apoplexy : 
 he, however, recovered, and in the early part of 1715, committed to the press one ol 
 his most valuable treatises, " The Family Instructor." In 1719 appeared the 
 immortal "Robinson Crusoe." Nearly the whole circle of booksellers had in vain 
 been canvassed for a publisher. William Taylor, the fortunate speculator, is said to 
 have cleared a thousand pounds by the work, which rose into immediate popularity, 
 despite of the rancorous assaults of the petty, vulgar minds abounding amongst De 
 Foe's political enemies. There can be no doubt, that the idea of the work was first 
 suggested to De Foe by the story of Alexander Selkirk, which had been given to the 
 public seven years before. The enemies of De Foe charged him with having obtained 
 this man's journal, and from its contents, producing " Robinson Crusoe." The truth 
 IS, De Foe was as much indebted to Selkirk, for the materials used in his immortal 
 work, as was Vandyke, for his portraits, to the colorman who furnished him with 
 pigments. In a number of " The Englishman," Sir Richard Steele gave the true 
 and particular history of Selkirk. The place in which " Robinson Crusoe " was 
 composed, has been variously contested. It seems most probable (says Mr. Wilson) 
 that De Foe wrote it in his retirement, in Stoke-Newington, where he resided during 
 the principal part of Queen Anne's reign, in a large white house, rebuilt by himself, 
 and still standing in Church Street. "The work has been printed in almost every 
 written language — has been the delight of men of all creeds and all distinctions — 
 from the London apprentice in his garret, to the Arab in his tent. 
 
 "Robinson Crusoe " was speedily followed by the " Account of Dickory Crooke,'' 
 tne " Life and Piracies of Captain Singleton," the " History of Duncan Campbell," 
 the " Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders," the " Life of Colonel Jacque," 
 the "Memoirs of a Cavalier," and that extraordinary work, the "Account of the 
 Plague." We might possibly have laid before the reader a correct list of the multi- 
 farious productions of our author, many of them, until of late, most difficult to be 
 obtained, had not the spirit of the times called for complete editions of De Foe's 
 Works; most welcome and valuable offerings to the reading part of the nation. 
 
 The latter years of De Foe's life must have been those of competence — a most 
 honorable competence, insured to him by his works, and the rapidity with which 
 editions followed editions. There is, however, a too miserable proof of his suffer- 
 ings, inflicted upon him by the cruelty and undutifulness of his son, who, to quote 
 a letter of De Foe, written in his anguish, " has both ruined my family and broken my 
 heart." De Foe adds, — "1 depended upon him, I trusted him, I gave up my two 
 dear, unprovided children into his hands ; but he has no compassion, and suffers 
 
MEMOIR OF DE FOE. XV 
 
 them and their poor dying mother to beg their bread at his door, and to crave, as if 
 it were an alms, what he is bound under hand and seal, besides the most sacred 
 promises, to supply them with , himself, at the same time, Uving in a profusion of 
 plenty. It is too much for me." 
 
 For some years before his death, De Foe was tormented with those dreadful mal- 
 adies, the gout and the stone, occasioned, in part, most probably, by his close appli- 
 cation to study, whilst making posterity the heirs of undying wisdom. De Foe 
 expired on the 24th of April, 1731, when he was about seventy years of age, having 
 been born in the year 1661. The parish of St. Giles's, Cripplegate, in which he 
 drew his first breath, was also destined to receive his last. He was buried from 
 thence, on the 26th of April, in Tindall's burial-ground, now most known by the 
 name of Bunhill-Fields. His wife died at the latter end of the following year. De 
 Foe left six children, two sons and four daughters, whose descendants are living at 
 the present time. 
 
 The character of De Foe was but the practical example of his noblest writings. 
 As a citizen of the world, his love of truth, and the patience, the cheerfulness with 
 which he endured the obloquy and persecution of his enemies, endear him to us as a 
 great working benefactor to his race. His memory is enshrined with the memories 
 of those who make steadfast our faith in the nobility and goodness of human nature. 
 As a writer, De Foe has bequeathed to us imperishable stores of the highest and the 
 most useful wisdom. If he paint vice, it is to show its hideousness ; whilst virtue 
 itself receives a new attraction at his hands. His poetry is chiefly distinguished for 
 its fine common sense ; it has no flights — it never wraps us by its imagination, but 
 convinces us by its terseness} by the irresistible eloquence of its truth. De Foe's 
 prose, though occasionally careless, is remarkable for its simplicity and strength. 
 What he has to say, he says in the shortest manner, and in the simplest style. He 
 does not — the vice of our day — hide his thoughts under a glittering mass of words, 
 but uses words as the pictures of things. It is owing to this happy faculty, this un 
 forced power, that De Foe occasionally rises, as in many instances in the golden 
 volume now offered to the reader, almost to the sublime. In his picture of the 
 despair of Crusoe, we have, in words intelligible even to infancy, a wondrous delin- 
 eation of the soul of man in a most trying and most terrible hour. De Foe is, in 
 the most emphatic sense of the word, an English writer. Cobbett has been com- 
 pared to him ; and in many of the minor parts of authorship there is, certainly, a 
 similitude ; but Cobbett was singularly deficient of imagination, the power which 
 gave a color and a beauty to all that De Foe touched, even though of the homeliest 
 and most unpromising materials. 
 
THE 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ROBINSON CRUSOE 
 
 iWAS 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 Bre- 
 men, who settled first at Hull : 
 he got a good estate by merchan- 
 dise, and, leaving oflT his trade, 
 hved afterwards at York; from 
 whence he had married my moth- 
 er, whose relations were named 
 Robinson, a very goof* iathily in 
 that country, and' from whom I 
 was called Robinson Kreutznaer ; 
 but, bv the usual corruption of 
 words in England, we are now- 
 
2 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 called — nay, we call ourselves, and write our name — Crusoe; and so niv 
 companions always called me. 
 
 1 had two elder brothers, one of which was Ueutenant-colonel to an Eng- 
 lish regiment of foot in Flanders, formerly commanded by the famous Colonel 
 Lockhart, and was killed at the battle near Dunku-k against the Spaniards. 
 What became of my second brother 1 never knew, any more than my father 
 or mother did know what was become of me. 
 
 Being the thu-d son of the family, and not bred to any trade, my head be- 
 gan to be filled very early with rambling thoughts : my father, who was vei7 
 ancient, had given me a competent share of learning, as far as house-educa- 
 lion and a country free-school generally go, and designed me for the law; 
 but I would be satisfied with nothing but gomg to sea ; and my inclination to 
 ihis led me so strongly against the will, nay, the commands of my father, and 
 against all the enti-eaties and persuasions of my mother and other friends, 
 that there seemed to be something 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 excellent counsel 
 against what he foresaw was my design. He called me one morning into his 
 v.hamber, where he was confined by the gout, and expostulated very warmly 
 ivith me upon this subject : he asked me what reasons, more than a mere 
 wandering inclination, I had for leaving my father's house and my native 
 tountry, where I might be well introduced, and had a prospect of raising my 
 fortime by application and industry, with a life of ease and pleasure. He told 
 me it was men of desperate fortunes on one hand, or of aspiring, superior 
 fortunes on the other, and who went abroad upon adventures, to rise by 
 enterprise, and make themselves famous in undertakings of a nature out of 
 the common road ; that these things were all either too far above me, or too 
 far below me; that mine was the middle state, or what might be called 
 the upper station of low life, which he had found, by long experience, was 
 the best state in the world, the most suited to human happiness, not exposed 
 to the miseries and hardships, the labor and sufferings of the mechanic part 
 of mankind, and not emban-assed with the pride, luxury, ambition, and envy 
 of the upper ptu-t of mankind. He told me I might judge of the happiness 
 of this state by this one thing, viz., that this was the state of life which all 
 other people envied ; that kings have frequently lamented the miserable con- 
 sequence of being bom to great things, and wished they had been placed in 
 the middle of the two extremes, between the mean and the great ; that the 
 vrise man gave his testimony to this, as the just standard of true felicity, when 
 he prayed to have neither poverty nor riches. 
 
 He bade me observe it, and I should always find, that the calamities of life 
 were shared among the upper and lower part of manlcind; but that the 
 middle station had the fewest disasters, and was not exposed to so many vicis- 
 situdes as the higher or lower part of mankind ; nay, they were not subjected 
 10 so many distempers, and uneasiness, either of body or mind, as those were 
 who, by vicious living, luxury, and extravagances on one hand, or by hard 
 laboi', want of necessaries, and mean or insufficient diet on the other hand, 
 bring .distcr^ners upon themselves by the natural consequences of their way 
 of living ; that »h° middle station of life was calculated for all kind of virtues 
 and all kind of enjoymeuts ; that peace and plenty were the handmaids of a 
 middle fortune ; that temperance, moderation, quietness, health, society, all 
 agreeable diversions, and all desirable pleasures, were the blessings attending 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 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 labors 
 of the hands or of the head, not sold to a life of slavery for daily bread, or ■ 
 harassed with pei-plexed circumstances, which rob the soul of peace, and 
 the body of rest; nor enraged with the passion of envy, or the secret bm-ning 
 lust of ambition for gi'eat thuigs ; but, in easy circumstances, sliding gently 
 tlu'ough the world, and sensibly tasting the sweets of living, without the 
 bitter ; feeling that they are happy, and learning by every day's experience to 
 know it more sensibly. 
 
 After this, he pressed me earnestly, and in the most affectionate manner, 
 not to play the young man, nor to precipitate myself into miseries which 
 nature, and tine 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 endeavor 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 
 be 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 
 1 had my elder brotlier for an example, to whom he had used the same 
 earnest persuasions to keep him from going into the Low Country wars, but 
 
4 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 could not preyail, 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 1 did take this foolish step, God 
 would not bless me, and I would have leisiu-e hereafter to reflect upon having 
 neglected his counsel, when there might be none to assist in my recoveiy. 
 
 1 observed, in this last part of his discourse, which was truly prophetic, — 
 though 1 suppose my father did not know it to be so himselt; — I say, I obsei-ved 
 the tears run down his face yeiy plentifully, especially when he spoke of my 
 brother who was killed ; and that when he spoke of my having leisure to 
 repent, and none to assist me, he was so moved that he broke off the dis- 
 coiu'se, and told me his heai-t was so full he could say no more to me. 
 
 I was sincerely aifected with this discourse, as mdeed who could be other- 
 wise ? and I resolved not to think of going abroad any more, but to settle at 
 home, according to my father's desu-e. 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 
 quite so hastily, neither, as the &-st heat of my resolution prompted ; but I took 
 my mother, at a time when I thought her a little pleasanter than ordinary, 
 and told her that my thoughts were so entirely bent upon seeing the world, 
 that I should never settle to 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 ti'ade, or clerk to an attorney ; that I was sm-e, if I did, I 
 should never sei"ve out my time, but I should ceitainly run away from my 
 master before my time was out, and go to sea ; and if she would speak to my 
 father to let me go one voyage abroad, if I came home again, and did not like 
 it, I would go no more ; and I would promise, by a double diligence, to recover 
 the time that I had lost. 
 
 This put my mother into a great passion : she told me she knew it would 
 be to no pui-pose to speak to my father upon any such subject ; that he knew 
 too well what was my interest 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 
 the discourse 1 had had with my father, and such kind and tender expressions 
 as she knew my father had used to me ; and that, in short, if I would ruin 
 myself, there was no help for me ; but I might depend I should never have 
 their consent to it ; that, for her part, she would not have so much hand in 
 my destruction; and I should never have it to say that my mother was 
 willing when my father was not. 
 
 Though my mother refused to move it to my father, yet I heard afterwards, 
 that she reported all the discourse to him, and that my father, after showing 
 a gi-eat concern at it, said to her, with a sigh, "That boy might be happy if he 
 would stay at home ; but if he goes abroad, he will be the most miserable 
 wretch that ever was born ; I can give no consent to it." 
 
 It was not till almost a year after this that I broke loose, though, in the 
 mean time, I continued obstinately deaf to all proposals of settling to busi- 
 ness, and frequently expostulating with my father and mother about tlieu- 
 being so positively determined against what they knew my inclinations 
 prompted me to. But being one day at Hull, whither I went casually, and 
 without any purpose of making an elopement that time — but, I say, being 
 there, and one of my companions being going by sea to London, in his 
 father's ship, and prompting me to go with them, with the common allure- 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 5 
 
 ment of a seafaring man, that it should cost me nothing lor my passage, I 
 consulted neither father nor mother any more, nor so much as sent' them 
 word of it ; but, leaving them to hear of it as they might, without asking 
 God's blessing or my father's, without any consideration of circumstances or 
 consequences, and in an ill hour, God knows, on the 1st of September, 1651, 
 1 went on board a ship bound for London. Never any yoiing adventurer's 
 miafortunes, I believe, began sooner or continued longer than mine. The 
 ship was no sooner got out of the Humber but the wind began to blow and 
 tbe sea to rise in a most fi-ightful manner ; and, as I had never been at sea 
 before, I was most inexpressibly sick in body and terrified in mind, 1 began 
 now seriously to reflect upon what I had done, and how justly I was over- 
 taken by the judgment of Heaven for my wicked leaving my father's house, 
 and abandoning my duty. All the good counsels of my parents, my father's 
 tears and my mother's entreaties, came now fresh into my mind ; and my 
 conscience, which was not yet come-to the pitch of hardness to which it has 
 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 went very high, though 
 nothing like what I have seen many times since ; no, nor what 1 saw a few 
 days after ; but it was enough to affect me then, who was but a young sailor, 
 and had never knowTi any thing of the matter. 1 expected every wave would 
 have swallowed us up, and that every time the ship fell down — as I thought 
 it did — in the trough or hollow of the sea, we should never rise more : in 
 this agony of mind, I made many vows and resolutions, that if it would please 
 God to spai-e my life iu this one voyage, if ever 1 got once my foot upon dry 
 land again, I would go dii'ectly 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 miseries as these any more. Now I saw plainly the goodness of 
 his obseiTations about the middle station of life ; how easy, how comfortably 
 he had lived all his days, and never had been exposed to tempests at sea, or 
 troubles on shore ; and, in short, I resolved tliat I would, like a true repent- 
 ing prodigal, go home to my father. 
 
 These vdse and sober thoughts continued all the while the storm lasted, 
 and, indeed, some time after ; but the next day, the wind was abated, and 
 the sea calmer, and I began to be a little inured to it : however, 1 was very 
 gi-ave for all that day, being also a little seasick still ; but towards night the 
 weather cleai-ed up, the wind was quite over, and a chai-ming fine evening 
 followed; the sun went down perfectly clear, and rose so the next morning; 
 and, having little or no wind, and a smooth sea, the sun shining upon it, the 
 sight was, as I thought, the most delightful that ever 1 saw. 
 
 I had slept well in the night, and was now no more seasick, but very 
 cheerful, looking ^vith wonder upon the sea, that was so rough and terrible 
 the day before, and could be so calm and so pleasant in so little a time after. 
 And now, lest my good resolutions should continue, my companion, who had 
 indeed enticed me away, comes to me. " AVell, Bob," says he, clapping me 
 upon the shoulder, "how do you do after it? I warrant you were frighted, 
 wer'n't j'ou, last night, when it blew but a capful of wind?" — "A capful 
 d'you call it?" said I; "'twas a terrible storm." — "A storm, you fool you," 
 replies he, " do you call that a storm ? why, it was nothi!ng at all ; give us but 
 a good ship and sea-room, and we think nothing of such a squall of vrind as 
 that ; but you're but a fi'esh-water sailor, Bob. Come, let us make a bowl of 
 
THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 imnch, ai;d we'll foiget all that; d'ye see what charming weather 'tis now?" 
 To make short this sad part of my story, we went the way of all sailors ; the 
 punch was made, and I was made half drunk with it ; and in that one night's 
 wickedness I drowned all my repentance, all my reflections upon my past 
 conduct, all my resolutions for the future. In a word, as the sea was returned 
 to its smoothness of surface and settled calmness by the abatement of that 
 storm, so, the hurry of my thoughts being over, my fears and apprehensions 
 of being swallowed up by the sea being forgotten, and the current of my for- 
 mer desires retm-ned,' 1 entirely forgot the vows and promises that I made in 
 my distress. 1 found, indeed, some intervals of reflection ; and the serious 
 thoughts did, as it were, endeavor to retiun again sometimes ; but I shook 
 them off; and roused myself from them, as it were, from a distemper, and 
 applying myself to drinking and company, soon mastered the return of those 
 fits, — for so 1 called them ; — and 1 had, in five or six days, got as complete a 
 victory oyer my conscience, as any young fellow that resolved not to be 
 troubled with it, could desire : but 1 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. 
 
 The sixth day of our being at sea, we came into Yarmouth Roads ; the 
 wind having bef i contrary, and the weather calm, we had made but little 
 way since the storm. Here we were obliged to come to an anchor, and here 
 we lay, the wind continuing contrary, viz., at south-west, for seven or eight 
 days, during which time a great many ships from Newcastle came into the 
 same roads, as the common harbor where the ships might wait for a wind 
 for the river. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 We had not, however, rid here so long, but we should have tided it up 
 the river, but that the wind blew too fresh, and, after we had lain four or 
 five days, blew very hard. However, the roads being reckoned as good as 
 a harbor, the anchorage good, and our ground-tackle very strong, our men 
 were unconcerned, and not in the least apprehensive of danger, but spent 
 the time in rest and mirth, after the manner of the sea ; but the eighth day, 
 in the morning, the wind increased, and we had all hands at work to strike 
 our 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 
 rid forecastle in, shipped several seas, and we thought once or itvice our 
 anchor had come home; upon which our master ordered out the sheet- 
 anchor, so that we rode with two anchors ahead, and the cables veered out 
 to the better end. 
 
 By this time, it blew a terrible storm indeed; and now 1 began to set 
 terror and amazement in the faces even of the seamen themselves. The 
 mastei*, though vigilant in the business of preserving the ship, yet, as he 
 went in and out of his cabin by me, I could hear him softly to himself say, 
 several times, "Lord, be merciful to us! we shall be all lost; we shall 'je 
 
 /• 
 =■-5^^ 
 
 
 
8 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 all undone ! " and the like. During these first huiTies, 1 was stupid, lying 
 stai in my cabin, which was in the steerage, and cannot describe my temper 
 I could ill resume the first penitence which 1 had so apparently trampled 
 upon, and hardened myself against. I thought the bitterness of death had 
 been past, and that this would be nothing, too, like the first; but when the 
 master hiiuself came by me, as I said just now, and said we should be all 
 lost, I was dreadfully frighted. I got up out of my cabin, and looked out ; 
 but such a dismal sight I never saw : the sea went mountams high, and 
 broke upon us every three or foui- minutes; when I could look about, 1 
 could see nothmg but distress round us; two ships that nd near us, we 
 found, had cut then- masts by the board, being deep laden ; and our men 
 cried out, that a ship which rid about a mile ahead of us was foundered. 
 Two more ships, being driven from their anchors, were run out of the roads 
 to sea, at all adventures, and that not with a mast standing. The light ships 
 fared the best, as not so much laboring in the sea ; but two or three of them 
 drove, and came close by us, running away with only their spritsail out 
 before the wind. 
 
 Towards evening, the mate and boatswain begged the master of our ship 
 to let them cut away the foremast, which he was very unwilling to do ; but 
 the boatswain protesting to him that, if he did not, the ship would founder, 
 he consented ; and when they had cut away the foremast, the mainmast stood 
 so loose, and shook the ship so much, they were obhged to cut her away, also, 
 and make a clear deck. 
 
 Any one must judge what a condition I must be in at all this, who was 
 but a young sailor, and who had been in such a fright before at but a little. 
 But if I can express at this distance the thoughts 1 had about me at that time, 
 I was in tenfold more horror of mind upon account of my former convictions, 
 and the having returned fi-om them to the resolutions I had wickedly taken 
 at fii-st, than I was at death itself; and these, added to the terror of the storm, 
 put me into such a condition, that 1 can by no words describe it. But the 
 wor^t was not come yet ; the storm continued witli such fury, that the seamen 
 themselves acknowledged they had never seen a worse. We had a good 
 ship; but she was deep laden, and wallowed in the sea, that the seamen 
 evei-y now and then cried out, she would founder It was my advantage, in 
 one respect, that 1 did not know what they meant by founder, till I inquired. 
 However, the storm was so violent, that I saw, what is not often seen, the 
 master, the boatswain, and some others, more sensible than the rest, at then- 
 prayers, and expecting every moment when the ship would go to the bottom. 
 Li the middle of the night, and under all the rest of our distresses, one of the 
 men that had been ikmn on pm-pose 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 1 sat, into the 
 cabin. However, the men roused me, and told me that I, that was able to 
 do nothing before, was as well able to pump as another; at which I stu-red 
 up, and went to the pump, and worked v^ry heartily. While this was doing, 
 tlie master, seeing some light colliers, who, not able to ride out the storm, 
 were obliged to slip, and run away to the sea, and would come near us, 
 ordered to fire a gun as a signal of distress. I, who knew nothing what they 
 meant, was so sui-prised, that I thought the ship had broke, or some dreadful 
 thing happened. In a word, 1 was so sm-prised, that I fell down in a swoon. 
 
OF ROBINSON CKUSOE. 
 
 As this was a time when every body had his own hfe to think of, nobody 
 minded me, or what was become of me ; but another man stepped 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 1 came to myself. 
 
 We worked on; but the water increasing in the hold, it was apparent 
 that the ship would founder ; and though the storm began to abate a little, 
 yet as it was not possible she could swim till we might run into any poi-t, 
 so the master continued &-ing guns for help ; and a light ship, who had rid 
 it out just ahead of us, ventured a boat out to help us. It was with the 
 utmost hazard the boat came near us ; but it was impossible for us to get 
 on boai'd, or for the boat to lie neai' the ship's side ; till, at last, the men 
 rowing very heartily, and venturing their lives to save ours, our men cast 
 tliem a i-ope, over the stem, with a buoy to it, and then veered it out a great 
 length, which they, after much labor and hazard, took hold o^ and we hauled 
 them close under our stern, and got all into their boat. It was to no pur- 
 pose for tliera or us, after we were in the boat, to think of reaching to their 
 own ship ; so all agreed to let her diive, 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 pai-tly driving, our boat went away to the northward, sloping 
 towards the shore almost as far as Winterton Ness. 
 
 We were not much more tnan a quarter of an hour out of our ship but 
 we saw her sink ; and tlien 1 understood for the &-st time what was meant 
 by a ship foundering in the sea. 1 must acknowledge I had hardly eyes to 
 
10 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 look up, when the seamen 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 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 laboring at the oar to 
 bi-ing the boat near the shore,— we could see (when, om- boat mounting 
 tue waves, we were able to see the shore) a great many people runnmg 
 along the strand to assist us when we should come near; but we made 
 but slow way towards the shore ; nor were we able to reach the shore, till, 
 being past the hghthouse at Winteiton, the shore falls off to the westward 
 towards Cromer, and so the land broke off a little the violence of the wmd. 
 Here we got in; and, though not without much difficulty, got all safe on 
 shore, and walked afterwards on foot to Yarmouth, where, as unfortunate 
 men, we were used with great humanity, as well by the magistrates of the 
 town, who assigned us good quarters, as by particular merchants and 
 owners of ships, and had money given us sufficient to cany us either to 
 F/ondon, or back to Hull, as we thought fit. 
 
 Had I now had the sense to have gone back to Hull, and have gone home, 
 1 had been happy, and my father, an emblem of our blessed Savior's parable, 
 had even killed the fatted calf for me ; for, heai-ing the ship I went away 
 in was cast away in Yarmouth Roads, it was a great while before he had 
 any assui-ances that 1 was not drowned. 
 
 But my ill fate pushed me on now with an obstinacy that nothing bould 
 resist ; and though I had several times loud calls from my reason, and my 
 more composed judgment, to go home, yet I had no power to do it I Icnow 
 not what to call this, nor will 1 urge that it is a secret, overruling decree, 
 that hurries us on to be the instruments of om- 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 L 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, — 1 say, the fii'st time he 
 saw me, it appeared his tone was altered, and looking very melancholy, and 
 shaking his head, asked me how 1 did, and telling his father who I was, and 
 how I had come this voyage only for a trial, in order to go farther abroad 
 His father turning to me, with a very grave and concerned tone, "Young 
 man," 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 seafai'ing man." 
 " Why, sir," said I, " will you go to sea no more ? " " That is another case," 
 said he ; " it is my calling, and therefore my duty ; but as you made this 
 voyage for a trial, you see what a taste Heaven has given you of what you 
 ai'e to expect if you persist. Perhaps this has all befallen us on your ac- 
 count, 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 into a strange kind of 
 passion. " Wliat had I done," says he, " that such an unhappy wretch should 
 come into my ship ? I would not set my foot in the same ship with thee 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 11 
 
 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, exhorting 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 disappoint- 
 ments, till your father's words are fulfilled upon you." 
 
 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 neighbors, and should be ashamed to see, not my father and 
 mother only, but even every body else ; fi-om whence I have since often 
 observed how incongruous and irrational the common temper of mankind 
 is, especially of youth, to that reason which ought to guide them m such 
 cases, viz., that they are not ashamed to siu, 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, 1 remained some time, uncertain what 
 measures to take, and what course of life to lead. An irresistible reluctance 
 contmued to going home ; and as I staid awhile, the remembrance of the 
 
12 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 distress I had been in wore off; and as that abated, the little motion I had 
 in my desires to return wore off with it, till at last I quite laid aside the 
 thoughts of it, and looked out for a voyage. 
 
 That evil influence which carried me first away from my father's house,— 
 which hurried me into tlie wild and indigested notion of raising my fortune 
 and that impressed those conceits so forcibly upon me, as to make me deaf 
 to all good advice, and to the entreaties, and even the commands, of my 
 father, — I say, the same influence, whatever it was, presented the most 
 unfortunate of all enterprises to my view; and I went on board a vessel 
 bound to the coast of Africa, or, as our sailors vulgai-ly 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, indeed, have worked a little 
 harder than ordinaiy, yet at the same time I had leai-nt the duty and ofiice 
 of a foremast-man, and, in time, might have qualified myself for a mate, or 
 lieutenant, if not for a master. But as it was always my fate to choose for 
 the worse, so I did here ; for having money in my pocket, and good clothes 
 upon my back, I would always go on board in the habit of a gentleman ; and 
 so I neither had any business in the ship, nor learnt 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 unguided young fellows 
 as I then was ; the devil generally not omitting to lay some snai-e 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 ; this captain, taking 
 a fancy to my conversation, which was not at all disagreeable at that time, 
 hearing me say I had a mind to see the world, told me, if I would go the 
 voyage with him, I should be at no expense ; I should be his messmate and 
 his companion ; and if I could cany 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 cap- 
 tain, who was an honest, plain-dealing man, 1 went the voyage with him, 
 and carried a small adventure with me, which, by the disinterested honesty 
 of my friend, the captain, I increased very considerably ; for 1 carried about 
 £40 in sucli toys and trifles as the captain directed me to buy. This £40 
 I had mustered together by the assistance of some of my relations whom I 
 con-esponded 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 navigation, learned how to keep an account of the ship's 
 com-se, take an observation, and, in short, to understand some things that 
 were needful to be tmderstood by a sailor; for, as he took delight "to inti-o- 
 duce me, I took delight to learn ; and, in a word, this voyage made me both 
 a sailor and a merchant; for I brought home five pounds nine ounces of, 
 gold dust for my adventure, which yielded me in London, at my return, 
 almost £300 ; and this filled me with those aspiring thoughts which have 
 since so completed my ruin. 
 
 Yet even in this voyage I had my misfortunes, too; paiticularly that I 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 13 
 
 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 mis- 
 fortune, 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 unhap- 
 piest voyage that ever man made ; for though I did not carry quite £100 of 
 my new-gained wealth, so that I had £200 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 -ourse 
 towards the Canai-y Islands, or rather between those islands and the African 
 sliore, was surprised, in the gray 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 canvass as our yards would spread, or our masts carry, to have 
 got cleai" ; but, finding the pirate gained upon us, and would cei-tainly come 
 up mth us in a few hours, we prepai-ed to fight ; our ship having twelve 
 guns, and the rogue eighteen. About three in the afternoon, he came up 
 with us, and bringing to, by mistake, just athwart our quai-ter, instead of 
 athwart our stem, 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 pom-ing in also his small shot from neai 
 two hundred men, which he had on board. However, we had not a man 
 touched, all our men keeping close. He prepared to attack us again, and 
 we to defend ourselves; but laying us on boai'd the next time upon our 
 other qum-ter, he entered sixty men upon our decks, who inunediately fell 
 to cutting and hacking tlie sails and rigging. We phed them with small 
 shot, half-pilres, powder chests, and such like, and cleared our deck of them 
 twice. However, to cut short this melancholy part of oin- story, our ship 
 being disabled, and three of our men killed, and eight wounded, we were 
 obliged to yield, and were carried all prisoners into Sallee, a port belonging 
 to the Moors. 
 
 The usage I had there was not so dreadful as at first I apprehended; nor 
 was I carried up the country to the emperor's court, as the rest of our men 
 
14 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 were ; but was kept by the captain of the rover as bis proper prize, and 
 made his slave, being young and nimble, and fit for his business. At this 
 surprising change of my cii-cumstances, from a merchant to a miserable 
 slave, I was perfectly overwhelmed; and now I looked back upon my fa 
 ther's prophetic discom-se to me, that I should be miserable, and have none 
 to relieve me, which I thought was now so effectually broiight to pass, that 
 1 could not be worse ; that now the hand of Heaven had oveitaken me, and 
 1 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 
 m hopes that he would take me with him when he went to sea again, be- 
 lieving that it would some time or other be his fate to be taken by a Spanish 
 or Portugal man-of-wai- ; and that then I should be set ^t 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 gai-den, 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 1 might take 
 to effect it; but found no way that had. the least probability in it; nothing 
 presented to make the supposition of it rational ; for I had nobody to com- 
 municate it to, that would embark with me; no fellow-slave, no English- 
 man, Irishman, or Scotsman there, but myself; so that for two years, though 
 I often pleased myself with the imagmation, yet I never had the least en- 
 couraging prospect of putting it in practice. 
 
 After about two years, an odd circumstance presented itself, which put 
 the old thought of making some attempt for my liberty again in my head. 
 My patron lying at home longer than usual without fitting out his ship, — 
 which, as I heard, was for want of money, — he used, constantly, once or twice 
 a week, sometimes oftener, if the weather was fair, to take the ship's pinnace, 
 and go out into the road a-fishing ; and, as he always took me and a young 
 Maresco with Mm to row the boat, we made him vei-y merry, and 1 proved 
 very dexterous in catching fish ; insomuch that sometimes he would send me 
 with a Moor, one of his kinsmen, and the youth — the Maresco, as they called 
 him — to catch a dish of fish for him. 
 
 It happened one time that, going a-fishing in a 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 labored 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 labor and some danger, for the wind began to blow pretty fresh 
 in the morning ; but particulai'ly we were all very hungry. 
 
 But our patron, wai'ned by this disaster, resolved to take more care of him- 
 self 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 his ship, who 
 also was an English slave, to build a little state-room, or cabin, in the middle 
 of the long-boat, like that of a barge, with a place to stand behind it to steer, 
 and haul home the main-sheet ; and room before for a hand or two to stand 
 and work the sails ; she sailed with what we call a shoulder-of-mutton sail 
 and the boom gibed over the top of the cabin ; which lay very snug and low 
 
op ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 15 
 
 and had in it room for him to lie, with a slave or two, and a table to eat on, 
 with some small locljera to put in some bottles of such liquor as he thought 
 fit to diink ; 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 without me. It happened that he had 
 appointed to go out in this boat, either for pleasure or for fish, with two or 
 three Moors of some distinction in that place, and for whom he had provided 
 extraordinai-ily, and had therefore sent on board the boat over-night a lai-ger 
 store of provisions than ordinai-y ; and had ordered me to get ready three 
 fuzees, with powder and shot, which were on board his ship, for that they 
 designed some sport of fowling as well as fishing. 
 
 ' I got all things ready as he had dhected, and waited the next morning with 
 the boat washed clean, her ancient and pendants out, and every thing to ac- 
 commodate 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 catcli 
 them some fish, for that his friends were to sup at his house ; and commanded 
 that as soon as I got some fish, I should bring it home to his house ; all which 
 I prepared to do. 
 
 This moment my former notions of deliverance darted into my thoughts, 
 for now I found I was like to have a little ship at my command ; and my 
 master being gone, I prepai-ed to furnish myself, not for fishing business, but 
 
16 THE LIFE AND ADVENTUUES 
 
 for a voyage ; though 1 knew not, neither did I so much as consider, whithei 
 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 fi-esh water, into 
 the boat. 1 knew where my patron's case of bottles stood, which it was evi- 
 dent, 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 : 1 conveyed also a great lump of beeswax 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 of which were of great use to us after- 
 wards, especially the wax to make candles. Another trick I tried upon him, 
 which he innocently came into also : his name was Ismael, whom they call 
 Muley, or Moely; so I called to him; "Moely," said f, "our patron's gims are 
 on board the boat ; can you not get a little powder and shot .' it may be we 
 may kill some alcamies (a fowl like our curlews) for ourselves, for I know he 
 keeps the gunner's stores in the ship." "Yes," says he, "TU bring some;" 
 and accordingly he brought a great leather pouch, which held a pound and a 
 half of powder, or rather more ; and another with shot, that had five or six 
 pounds, with some bullets, and put all into the boat ; at the same time, I had 
 found some powder of my master's in the great cabin, with which 1 filled 
 one of the lai-ge 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 dowTi to fish. The wind 
 blew from the N. N. E., which was contrary to my desu-e ; for, had it blown 
 southerly, I had been sure to have made the coast of Spain, and' at least 
 reached to the Bay of Cadiz ; but my resolutions were, blow which way it 
 would, I would be gone from that horrid place where I was, and leave the 
 rest to fate. 
 
 After we had fished some time and c&tched nothing, — for, when 1 had fish 
 on my hook, I would not pull them up, that he might not see them, — I said to 
 the Moor, " This will not do ; our master will not be thus served ; we must 
 stand farther off." He, thinking no harm, agreed, and, being in the head of 
 the boat, set the sails ; and, as I had the helm, I run the boat out near a league 
 farther, and then brought her to, as if I would fish ; when, giving the boy the 
 helm, I stepped forward to where the Moor was, and making as if I stooped 
 for something behind him, I took him by surprise with my arm under his 
 twist, and tossed him cleai- overboai-d into the sea. He rose immediately, — for 
 he swam hke a cork, — and called to me, begged to be taken in, told me he 
 would go all over the world 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 cabm, and fetching one of the fowling-pieces, I pre- 
 sented 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 swun well enough to reach 
 to the shore, and the sea is calm ; make the best of your way to shore, and I 
 will do you no harm; but if you come near the boat, Til 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 
 be was an excellent swimmer. 
 
' ]■ voii will not stro: 
 
 ^. ... -^iz.:::i^"^;rrri:-r.^ -^ «— 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 19 
 
 1 could have been content to have taken this Moor with me, and have 
 drowned the hoy ; but there was no venturing to trust him. When he was 
 gone, I turned to the boy, whom they called Xuiy, and said to him, " Xury, 
 if you will be faithful to me, I'll make you a great man ; but if you will not 
 stroke your face to be true to me," — that is, swear by Mahomet and his father's 
 beard, — "1 must throw you into the sea too.'' The boy smiled in my face, and 
 spoke so innocently, that 1 could not mistrust liim, and swore to be faithful to 
 me, and go all over tlie world with me. 
 
 While 1 was in view of the Moor that was swimming, I stood out dh'ectly 
 to sea with the boat, rather stretching ta windward, that they might tiiink 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 sailed on to the southward to the truly Barbarian coast, where whole 
 nations of Negroes were sure to surround us with their canoes, and destroy 
 us; where we could 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, 1 changed my course, and 
 steered directly south and by east, bending my course a little towards the 
 east, that I might keep in with the shore ; and having a fair, fresh gale of 
 wind, and a smooth, quiet sea, I made such sail that I believe by the next day 
 at three o'clock in the afternoon, when 1 first made the land, I could not be 
 less than one hundred and fifty miles south of Sallee ; quite beyond the em- 
 peror of Morocco's dominions, or indeed of any other king thereabouts, for 
 we saw no people. 
 
 Yet such was the fright 1 had taken at the Moors, and the dreadful appre- 
 hensions I had of falling uito 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 
 countiy, what nation, or what river : I neither saw, or desired to see, any 
 people ; the principal thing I wanted was fresh water. AVe 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 dread- 
 ful noises of the barking, roaring, and howling of wild creatures, of we knew 
 not what kinds, that the poor boy was ready to die with fear, and begged of 
 me not to go on shore till day. "Well, Xury," said I, "then I won't; hut it 
 may be we may see men by day,' who will be as bad to us as those lions." 
 "Then we give them the shoot gun,'' says Xury, laughing, "make them run 
 wey." Such English Xury spoke by conversing among us slaves. However, 
 I was glad to see the boy so cheerful, and I gave him a dram (out of our 
 patron's case of bottles) to cheer him up. After all, Xury's advice was good, 
 and I took it ; we dropped our little anchor, and lay still all night; I say still, 
 for wo slept none ; for in two or three hours we saw vast, great creatures (we 
 knew not what to call them) of many sorts, come down to the sea-shore, and 
 run into the water, wallowing and ^vashing themselves for the pleasiu-e of 
 cooling themselves ; and they made such hideous bowlings and yellings, that 
 I never indeed, heard the like. 
 
 Xury was dreadfully frighted, and, indeed, so was I too ; but we were both 
 more frighted when we heard one of these mighty creatures come swimming 
 
20 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 Xui-y 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 fai-." I had no 
 sooner said so, but I perceived the creature (whatever it was) within two oars' 
 length, which somethmg surprised me ; however, 1 immediately stepped to 
 the cabin-door, and, taking up my gun, fired at him ; upon which he imme- 
 diately turned about, and swam towards the shore again. 
 
 But it is impossible to describe the honid noises, and hideous cries and 
 howluigs, that were raised, as well upon the edge of the shore as higher 
 within the country, upon the noise or report of the gun, — a thing I have some 
 reason to believe those creatui-es had never heai-d before : this convinced me 
 that there was no going on shore for us in the night on that coast ; and how to 
 venture on shore in the day, was another question, too ; for to have fallen into 
 the hands of any of the savages, had been as bad as to have fallen into the 
 hands of lions and tigers ; at least, we were equally apprehensive of the 
 danger of it 
 
 Be that as it would, we were obliged to go on shore somewhere or other 
 for water; for we had not a pint left in the boat ; when or where to get it 
 was the point Xury said, if I would let him go on shore with one of the 
 jars, he would find if there was any water, and bring some to me. I asked 
 him why he would go ; why I should not go, and he stay in the boat The 
 boy answered with so much affection, that made me love him ever after 
 Says he, "If wild mans come, they eat me, you go wey." "Well, Xuiy," 
 said I, " 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 bottles, which I mentioned before ; and we 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 21 
 
 hauled the boat in as near the shore as we thought was proper, and so waded 
 on shore, carrying nothing but our arms, and two jars for water. 
 
 I did not care to go out of sight of the boat, feai-ing 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 towai-ds 
 nie. I thought he, was pursued by some savage, or frighted with some wild 
 beast, and I ran forwards towards him to help him ; but when I came neaier 
 to him, I saw something hanging over his shoulders, which was a creature 
 that he had shot, like a hare, but different in color, and longer legs : however, 
 we were veiy glad of it, and it was very good meat ; but the great joy that 
 poor Xury came with, was to tell me he had found good water, and seen no 
 wild mans. 
 
 But we found afterwards that we need not take such pains for water, for, a 
 little higher up the creek where we were, we found the water fresh when the 
 tide was out, which flowed but a little way up ; so we filled our jars, and 
 feasted on the hai-e 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 Canaiues, and the Cape de Verd Islands also, lay not far off 
 from the coast. But as I had no instruments to take an observation to know 
 what latitude we were in, and not exactly knowing, or at least remembering, 
 what latitude they were in, I knew not where to look for them, or when to 
 stand off to sea towai-ds them ; otherwise 1 might now easily have found some 
 of these islands. But my hope was, that if I stood along this coast till 1 came 
 to that part where the English traded, I should find some of their vessels 
 upon their usual design of trade, that would relieve and take us m. 
 
22 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 By the best of my calculation, that place where I now was, must ^i^ **' 
 country which, lymg between the emperor of Morocco's dommions and the 
 Negroes, lies waste and uninhabited, except by wild beasts; the Negroes 
 having abandoned it, and gone farther south, for fear of the Moors, and the 
 Moors not thinking it worth inhabiting, by reason of its barrenness ; and, 
 indeed, both forsaking it be'cause of the prodigious numbers of tigers, lions, 
 leopards, and other furious creatures which harbor there ; so that the Moors 
 use it for thek hunting only, where they go like an army, two or three thou- 
 sand men at a time ; and, indeed, for near a hundred miles together upon 
 this coast, we saw nothing but a waste, uninhabited country by day, and 
 heard nothing but bowlings and roaring of wild beasts by night 
 
 Once or twice in the daytime, I thought I saw the Pico of Teneriffe, being 
 the high top of the Mountain Teneriffe in the Canaries, and had a great 
 mind to venture out, in hopes of reaching thither; but, having tned twice, 
 I was forced in again by contraiy winds, the sea also going too high for 
 my litde vessel ; so I resolved to pursue my first design, and keep along 
 the shore. 
 
 Several times 1 was obliged to land for fresh water, after we had left this 
 place ; and, once in particular, being early in the morning, we came to an 
 anchor under a little point of land which was pretty high; and, the tide be- 
 ginning to flow, we lay still to go farther in. Xuiy, whose eyes were more 
 about him than, it seems, mme were, calls softly to me, and tells me that we 
 nad best go farther off" the shore ; « for," says he, « look, yonder lies a di-eadful 
 monster on the side of that hillock, fast asleep." I looked where he pointed, 
 and saw a dreadful monster, indeed ; for it was a tenible great lion, that lay 
 on the side of the shore, under the shade of a piece of the hill, that hung, as 
 it were, a little over him. " Xm-y," says I, " you shall go on shore and kill 
 him." Xury looked frighted, and said, "Me kill ! he eat me at one mouth;" 
 one mouthful,' he meant. However, 1 said no more to the boy, but bade him 
 lie still ; and I took our biggest gmi, which was almost musket-bore, and 
 loaded it with a good charge of powder, and with two slugs, and laid it down; 
 theij I loaded anothef gun with two bullets ; and the third (for we had three 
 •pieces) I loaded with five smaller bullets. I took the best aim I could 
 with the first piece to have shot him 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, gi-owling at first, but, finding his leg 
 bro'<e, fell dovm again ; and then got up upon three legs, and gave the most 
 liideo.is roar that ever I heard. I was a little surprised tliat I had not hit him 
 on the head ; however, I took up the second piece immediately, and, though 
 he began to move oft; fired again, and shot liim in the head, and had the 
 pleasm-e 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 ju Taped into the water, and, taking a little gun in one 
 hand, swam to shore with the other hand ; and, coming close to the creature, 
 put the muzzle of the piece to his ear, and shot him in the head again, which 
 despatched him quite. 
 
 This was game, indeed, to us, but this was no food ; and I was very sorry 
 to lose three charges of powder and shot upon a creature that was good for 
 nothing to us. However, Xuiy 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 25 
 
 his head, but he cut off a foot, and brought it with him, and it was a mon- 
 strous 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 after- 
 wards served me to lie upon. 
 
 After this stop, we made on to the southwai'd continually for ten or twelve 
 days, living very sparing 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 1 was in hopes to meet with some 
 European ship ; and if I did not, I knew not what course I had to take, but 
 to seek for the islands, or perish there among the Negroes. I knew that all 
 the ships from Europe, which sailed either to the coast of Guinea, or to 
 Brasil, or to the East Indies, made this cape, or those islands ; and, in „ 
 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 in- 
 clined to have gone on shore to them ; but Xui-y was my better counsellor 
 and said to me, " No go, no go." However, I hauled in nearer the shore, 
 that I might talk to them, and I found they ran along the shore by me a 
 good way. I observed they had no weapons in their hands, except one, who 
 had a long, slender stick, which Xury said was a lance, and that they would 
 throw them a great way with good aim ; so 1 kept at a distance, but talked 
 with them by signs as well as I could ; and, particularly, made signs for 
 something to eat ; they beckoned to me to stop my boat, and they would 
 fetch me some meat. Upon this, I lowered the top of my sail, and lay by, 
 and two of them ran up into the country, and in less than half au 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 boai'd, 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 pm'suing the other (as we took it) with great fury from the 
 mountains towards the sea ; whether it was the male pursuing the female, or 
 whether they were in sport or in rage, we could not tell, any more than we 
 could tell whether it was usual or strange ; but I believe it was the latter, 
 because, in the first place, those ravenous creatures seldom appear but in the 
 night; and, in the second place, we foimd the people terribly frighted, 
 especially the women. The man that had the lance, or dart, did not fly from. 
 4 
 
-ib THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 them, but the rest did ; however, as the two creatures ran directly into 
 the water, they did not seem to oifer 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 1 lay ready for him, for I had loaded my gun with all 
 possible expedition, and bade Xury load both the others. As soon as he 
 came fairly within my reach, I fired, and shot him directly in the head: 
 immediately he sank down into the water, but rose instantly, and plunged 
 up and dovra, as if he was struggling for life ; and so, indeed, he was : he 
 immediately made to the shore; but between the wound, which was his 
 mortal hurt, and the strangling of the water, he died just before he reached 
 the shore. 
 
 It is impossible to express the astonishment of these poor creatures at the 
 noise and fire of my gun ; some of them were even ready to die for fear, 
 and fell down as dead with the very terror ; but when they saw the crea- 
 ture dead, and sunk in the watei-, and that I made signs to them to come to 
 the shoi-e, they took heart, and came to the shore, and began to search for 
 the creature. I found him by his blood staining the water ; and by the help 
 of a rope, which I slung round him, and gave the Negi-oes to haul, they 
 dragged him on shore, and found that it was a most curious leopard, spotted, 
 and fine to an admirable degree ; and the Negroes held up their hands with 
 admiration, to think what it was I had killed him with. 
 
 The other creature, frighted with the flash of fire and the noise of the gun, 
 swam on shore, and ran up directly to the mountains from whence they came 
 nor could I, at that distance, know what it was. 1 found quickly the Negroes 
 were for eating the flesh of this creature ; so I was willing to have them take 
 it as a favor from me; which, when I made signs to tliem that they might 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 27 
 
 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. 1 then made signs to 
 them for some water, and held out one of my jars to them, turning it bottom 
 upward, to show that it was empty, and that I wanted to have it filled. They 
 called immediately to some of their friends, and there came two women, and 
 brought a great vessel made of earth, and burnt, as I supposed, in the sun ; 
 this they set down to me, as before, and I sent Xury on shore with my jars, 
 and filled them all three. The women were as stark naked as the men. 
 
 1 was now furnished with roots and corn, such as it was, and water ; and, 
 leaving my friendly Negroes, I made foi-ward 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 
 fresh of wind, I might neither reach one or other. 
 
 In this dilemma, as I was veiy pensive, I stepped into the cabin, and sat 
 me down, Xury having the helm; \vhen, on a sudden, the boy cried out, 
 " Master, master, a ship with a sail ! " and the foolish boy was frighted out 
 of his wits, thinking it must needs be some of his master's ships, sent to 
 pursue us, 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 convinced they were bound some other way, and did not 
 design to come any nearer to the shore ; upon which I stretched out to sea 
 as much as I could, resolving to speak with them, if possible. 
 
 Witli 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 wss 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 ^rith this, and 
 as I had my patron's ancient on board, I made a waft of it to them, for a 
 signal of distress, and fired a gun, both which they saw ; for they told me 
 they saw the smoke, though they did not hear the gim. 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 Scots sailor, who was on board, 
 called to me ; and I answered him, and told him I was an Englishman, that 
 I had made my escape out of slavery fi-om the Moors, at Sallee ; they then 
 bade me come on board, and very kindly took me in, and all my goods. 
 
28 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 1 was in ; and I immediately offered all I had to the captain 
 of the ship, as a return for my deliverance ; but he generously told me he 
 would take nothing from me, but that all I had should be delivered sale 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 1 carry you to the Brasils, so great a way from your own 
 country, if 1 should take from you what you have, you will be starved there, 
 and then I only take away that life I have given. No, no," says he, " Seignior 
 Inglese," (Mr. Englishman,) "I will carry you thither in charity, and those 
 things will help to buy your subsistence there, and your passage home again." 
 
 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 inventory of tJiem, 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 generous to me in every thing, that I could 
 not offer to make any price of the boat, but left it entirely to him ; upon 
 which he told me he would give me a note of hand to pay me eighty pieces 
 of eight for it, at 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 loath to take ; not that I was not willing to 
 let the captain have him, but I was veiy loath to sell the poor boy's liberty, 
 who had assisted me so faithfully in procuring my own. However, when I 
 let him know my reason, he owned it to be just, and offered me this medium, 
 that he would give the boy an 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 
 riow I was once more delivered from the most miserable of all cowiittons 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 remem- 
 ber : 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 beeswax, — for I had made 
 candles of the rest : in a word, 1 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 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; re- 
 solving, in the mean time, to find out some way to get my money, which I 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 29 
 
 had left in London, remitted to me. To this purpose, getting a kind of a 
 letter of naturalization, I purchased as much land that was uncured as my 
 money would reach, and formed a plan for my plantation and settlement ; 
 such a one as might be suitable to the stock which I proposed to myself to 
 receive from England. 
 
 I had a neighbor, a Portuguese, of Lisbon, but born of English parents, 
 whose name was Wells, and in much such circumstances as I was. I call 
 him my neighbor, because his plantation lay next to mine, aud 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 ti \th my 
 boy Xury. 
 
 But, alas ! for me to do wrong, that never did right, was no great wonder. 
 [ had no remedy but to go on : 1 had got into an employment quite remote 
 to my genius, and directly contrary to the Ufe I delighted in, and for which I 
 forsook my father's house, and broke through all his good advice; nay, 1 
 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, 1 might 
 as well have staid at home, and never have fatigued myself in the world, as 
 [ had done ; and 1 used often to say to myself, I could have done this as well 
 in England, among my fi-iends, 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 
 
iJO THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 1 had nobody to converse with, but now and then this neighbor ; no work to 
 be done, but by the labor of my hands; and I used to say, I lived just like a 
 man cast away upon some desolate island, that had nobody there but himself! 
 But how just has it been ! and how should all men reflect that, when they 
 compare their present conditions with others that are worse. Heaven may 
 oblige them to make the exchange, and be convinced of their former felicity 
 jy their experience ! I say, how just has it been that the truly solitai-y life 1 
 reflected on, in an island of mere desolation, should be my lot, who had so 
 often unjustly compared it with the life which I then led, in which, had I 
 continued, I had, in all probability, been exceeding prosperous and rich ! 
 
 I was in some degree settled in my measures for caiTying on the plan- 
 tation, 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 pre- 
 paring 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 ai-e proper for this coun- 
 ti-y, I will bring you the produce of them, God willing, at my return ; but, 
 since human affairs ai-e all subject to changes and disasters, I would have 
 you give orders but for one hundred pounds sterling, which, you say, is half 
 your stock, and let the hazard be run for the first, so that if it come safe, you 
 may order the i;est 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 lake ; so I accordingly 
 prepai-ed letters to the gentlewoman with whom I had left my money, and 
 a procuration to the Portuguese captain, as he desired. 
 
 I wrote the English captain's widow a full account of all my adventures— 
 my slavery, escape, and how I had met with the Portugal captain at sea, the 
 humanity of his behavior, and what condition I was now in, with all other 
 necessary directions for my supply ; and when this honest captain came to 
 Lisbon, he found means, by some of the English merchants there, to send 
 over, not the order only, but a full account of my story, to a merchant at 
 London, who represented it eflfectually to her; whereupon she not only 
 delivered the money, but, out of hgr own pocket, sent the Portugal captain 
 a very handsome present for his humanity and charity to me. 
 
 The merchant in London, vesting this hundred pounds in English goods, 
 such as the captain had writ for, sent them dh-ectly to him at Lisbon, and 
 he brought them all safe to me to the Brasils ; among which, without my 
 direction, (for I was too young in my busmess to thuik of them,) he had 
 taken cai-e 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 aiTived, I thought my fortunes made, for 1 was sui-prised 
 with the joy of it; and my good steward, the captain, had laid out the five 
 pounds, which my friend had sent him for a present for himself, to purchase 
 and brmg me over a sei-vant, 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 bemg all English manufactures, such 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOt- 
 
 31 
 
 as cloths, stuffs, baize, and things particularly valuable and desirable in the 
 countiy, I found means to sell them to a very great advantage ; so that 1 
 might say, I had more than four times the value of my firet cargo, and was 
 now infinitely beyond my poor neighbor, I mean in the advancement of my 
 plantation; for the first thing I did, I bought me a Negro slave, and a 
 European servant also; I mean another besides that which tlie captain 
 brought me from Lisbon. 
 
 But as' abused prosperity is oftentimes made the vei-y means of our great- 
 est 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 disposed of for necessaries among my neighbors ; and these 
 fifty rolls, being each of above a hundred weight, were well cured, and laid 
 by against the return of the fleet from Lisbon ; and now, increasing in busi- 
 ness 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, retii-ed life, and of which he had so sensibly described 
 the middle station of life to be full of; but other things attended me, and 1 
 was still to be the wilful agent of all my own, miseries ; and, partieulai-ly, to 
 increase my fault, and double the reflections upon myself, which in my future 
 sorrows I should have leisure to make, all these miscamages were procured 
 by my apparent obstinate adhering to my foolish inclination of wandering 
 abroad ; and pursuing that inclination, in contradiction to the clearest views 
 of doing myself good in a fair and plain pursuit of those prospects, and those 
 measures of life, which nature and Providence concurred to present me with, 
 and to make my duty. 
 
 As I had once done thus in my breaking away fi-om my parents, so I 
 could not be content now, but I must go and leave the happy view I had of 
 
32 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 gulf of human misery 
 that ever man fell into, or, perhaps, could be consistent with life, and a state 
 of health in the world. 
 
 To come, then, by the just degrees, to the particulars of this part ol my 
 stoiy: 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 acquaintance and 
 friendship 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 my two voyages to the coast of 
 Guinea; the manner of trading vdth the Negroes there, and how easy it was 
 to purchase, upon the coast, for trifles, — such as beads, toys, knives, scissors, 
 hatchets, bits of glass, and the like, — not only gold dust, Guinea grains, 
 elephants' teeth, &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 in the public stock; so that few Negroes were 
 brought, and those excessive dear. 
 
 Jt happened, being in company with some merchants and planters of my 
 acquaintance, and talking of those things veiy earnestly, three of -them came 
 to me the next morning, and told me they had been musing very much upon 
 what I had discoursed with them of the last night, and they came to make 
 a secret proposal to me ; and, after enjoining me secrecy, they told me that 
 they had a mind to fit out a ship to go to Guinea; that they had all plan- 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 33 
 
 tations as well as I, and were straitened for nothing so much as servants ; 
 that, as it was a trade that could not he carried on, because they could not 
 publicly sell the Negroes when they came home, so they desu-ed to make 
 but one voyage, to bring the Negroes on shore privately, and divide them 
 among their own plantations ; and, in a word, the question was, whether I 
 would go their supercargo in the ship, to manage the trading part, upon the 
 coast of Guinea ; and they offered me that 1 should have my equal shaj-e of 
 the Negroes, without providing any part of the stock. 
 
 This w£is a fair proposal, it must be confessed, had it been made to any 
 one that had not had a settlement and plantation of his own to look after, 
 which was in a fair way of coming to be very considerable, and With a good 
 stock upon it. But for me, that was thus entered and established, and had 
 nothing to do but go on as I had begun, for three or four years more, and 
 to have sent for the other hundred poimds from England ; and who, in that 
 time, and with that little addition, could scarce have failed of being worth 
 three or four thousand pounds sterling, and that increasing too ; for me to 
 think of such a voyage, was the most preposterous thing that ever man, in 
 such circumstances, could be guilty of 
 
 But I, that was bom to be my own destroyer, could no more resist the 
 offer, than 1 could restrain my first rambling designs, when my fathei^'s gooil 
 counsel was lost upon me. In a word, 1 told tliem I would go, with all 
 my heart, if they would undertake to look after my plantation in my absence, 
 and would dispose of it to such as 1 should direct, if I miscarried. This they 
 all engaged to do, and entered into writings or covenants to do so ; and 1 
 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 obligmg 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. 
 
 Li short,, I took all possible caution to preseiTe my effects, and to keep up 
 my plantation : had I used half as much prudence to have looked into my 
 own interest, and have made a judgment of what I ought to have done and 
 not to have done, I had certainly never gone away from so prosperous an 
 undertalting, leaving all the probable views of a thriving circumstance, and 
 gone upon a voyage to sea, attended wdth all its common hazai'ds, to say 
 notliing 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 boai'd in an evil hour, the 1st of September, 1659, bemg the same 
 day eight year that I went from my father and mother at Hull, in order to act 
 the rebel to their authority, and the fool to my own interest. 
 
 Our ship was about one hundred and twenty ton btu-den, carried six guns, 
 and fourteen men, besides the master, his boy, and myself; we had on board 
 no lai'ge cargo of goods, except of such toys as were fit for om- trade with 
 the Negroes, such as beads, bits of glass, shells, and other trifles, especially 
 little looking-glasses, knives, scissors, hatchets, and the like. 
 
 The same day I went on board, we set sail, standing away to the northward 
 
 upon oiu: own coast, with design to stretch over for the Afiican coast, when 
 
 they came about 10 or 12 degrees of northern latitude, which, it seems, was 
 
 the manner of their course in those days. We had very good weather, onlv 
 
 5 
 
34 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 excessive hot, all the way upon our own coast, till we came to the height of 
 Cape St Augustine ; 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 
 obsei-vation, in 7 degrees 22 minutes northern latitude, when a violent tor- 
 nado, 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'diive, and, scudding away before it, let it carry us 
 whither ever fate and the fury of the winds directed; and, during these 
 twelve days, 1 n^ed not say that I expected every day to be swallowed up : 
 nor, indeed, did any in the ship expect to save their lives. 
 
 In this distress, we had, besides the terror of the storm, one of om- men 
 die of the calenture, and one man and the boy washed overboard. About 
 the twelfth day, the weather abating a little, the master made an observation 
 as well as he could, and found that he was in about 11 degrees north latitude, 
 but that he was 22 degi-ees of longitude difference west from Cape St. Au- 
 gustino ; so that he found he was gotten 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 veiy much 
 disabled, and he was going directly back to the coast of Brasil. 
 
 I was positively against that ; and, lookmg over the charts of the sea-coast 
 of America with him, we concluded there was no inhabited country for us to 
 have recourse to, till we came within the circle of the Caribbee Islands, and, 
 therefore, resolved to stand away for Barbadoes ; which, by keeping off at 
 sea, to avoid the in-drafY 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 to oui-selves. 
 
 With this design, we changed our course, and steered away N. W. by W., 
 in order to reach some of our English islands, where I hoped for relief; but 
 our voyage was otherwise determined; for, being in the latitude of 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 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 retm-ning to our 
 own country. 
 
 In this distress, the wind still blowuig very hard, one of our men, early in 
 the morning, cried out, " Land ! " and we had no sooner mn 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 condition, 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 ' 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 35 
 
 not so much as hope to have the ship hold many minutes, without breaking 
 in pieces, unless the winds, by a kind of miracle, should turn immediately 
 about. In a word, we sat looking upon one another, and expecting death 
 every moment, and every man 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 hav- 
 ing 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 
 stem, 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 room to debate, for we fancied the ship would break in pieces 
 eveiy minute, and some told us she was actually broken already. 
 
 In this distress, the mate of our vessel lays hold of the boat, and, witli the 
 help of the rest of the men, they got her slung over the ship's side ; and, 
 getting all into her^ let go, and committed ourselves, being eleven in number 
 to God's mercy, and the wild sea ; for, though the storm was abated consid- 
 erably, 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 inevita- 
 
36 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 bly drowned. As to making sail, we had none ; nor, if we had, could we 
 have done anything with it: so we worked at the oar towai-ds the land, 
 though with heavy hearts, like men going to execution ; for we all knew that, 
 when the boat came nearer the shore, she would be dashed in a thousand 
 pieces by the breach of the sea- However, we committed our souls to God 
 in the most earnest manner; and, the wind driving us towards the shore, we 
 hastened our destruction vnih our own hands, pulling, as well as we could, 
 towards land. 
 
 What the shore was, whether rock or sand, whether steep or shoai, 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 gulf, or the mouth of 
 some river, where by great chance we might have iTin our boat in, or got 
 under the lee of the land, and perhaps made smooth -vwiter. But there was 
 nothing of this appeared ; but, as we made nearer and nearer the shore, the 
 land looked more frightful than the sea. 
 
 After we had rowed, or rather diiven, about a league and a half, as we 
 reckoned it, a raging wave, mountain-like, came rolling astern of us, and 
 plainly bade us expect the coup de graee. 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 breath, till that wave, having driven me, or 
 rather caiTied me, a vast way on towards the shore, and having spent itself, 
 went back, and left me upon the land almost dry, but half dead with the water 
 1 took in. I had so much presence of mind, as well as breath left^ that, see- 
 ing myself nearer the main land than I expected, I got upon my feet, and 
 endeavored to make on towards the land as fast as I could, before another 
 wave should return and take me up again. But 1 soon found it was impossi- 
 ble 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 witL 
 My business was to hold my breath, and raise myself upon the water, if I 
 could; and so, by swimming, to preserve my breathing, and pilot mysell 
 towards the shore, if possible, — my greatest concern now being that the sea, 
 as it would carry me a great way towards the shore when it came on, might 
 not carry me back again with it when it gave back towards the sea. 
 
 The wave that came upon me again, bmied 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 im- 
 mediate relief, I found my head and hands shoot out above the surface of the 
 water; and though it was not two seconds of time that I could keep myself 
 so, yet it relieved me greatly, gave me breath and new coitfage. I was cov- 
 ered 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, 1 struck forward 
 against the return of the waves, and felt ground again with my feet 1 stood 
 still a few moments, to recover breath, and till the waters went from me, and 
 then took to my heels, and ran, with what strength I had, farther towards the 
 *hore. But neither would this deliver mp from the fury of the sea, which 
 
1 cimmboted up tlie cliffs of tbe shora, und sat me down upon the grass. 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 39 
 
 came pouring in after me again; and twice more I was lifted ui, by the 
 waves, and carried forwai'ds 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 
 mdeed helpless, eis 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 1 
 recovered a little before the return of the 'vaves, and seeing I should be cov- 
 ered again with the water, I resolved to hold fast by a piece of the rock, and 
 so to hold my breath, if possible, till the wave went back Now, as the 
 waves were not so high as at first, being nearer land, I held my hold till the 
 wave abated, and then fetched another run, which brought me so neai- tlie 
 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 cliffs 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 was, 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 veiy grave ; and I do 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, — 1 say, 1 
 do not wonder that they bring a surgeon with it, to let hiin 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. 
 
 1 walked about on the shore, lifting up my hands ; and my whole being, as 
 1 may say, wrapt up in the contemplation of my deliverance ; making a thou 
 sand gestures and motions, which 1 cannot describe ; reflecting upon all my 
 conu-ades that were drowned, and that there should not ^e 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. 
 
 1 cast my eyes to the stranded vessel, — when, the breach and froth of the 
 sea being so big, I could hardly see it, it lay so far oftj — and considered, 
 Lord ! how was it possible I could get on shore ? 
 
 After T had solaced my mind with the comfortable part of my condition, 
 I began to look round me, to see what kind of place I was in, and what was 
 next to be done ; and 1 soon found my comforts abate, and that, in a word, I 
 had a dreadful deliverance ; for I was wet, had no clothes to shift me, nor 
 any thing either to eat or drink, to comfort me. Neither did I see any pros- 
 pect before me, but that of perishing with hunger, or being devoiu-ed by 
 wild beasts ; and that which was particularly afiiicting to me was, that I had 
 no weapon, either to hunt and kill any creatm-e 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 
 
40 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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, seehig 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 1 could find any fiesh water to drink, which I did, 
 to my great joy; and, having drank, and put a little tobacco in my mouth to 
 prevent hunger,! went to the tree, and, getting up into it, endeavored 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, 1 fell fast asleep, and slept as comforta- 
 bly 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 stoi-m abated, 
 so that the sea did not rage and swell as before; but that. which surprised 
 me most was, that the ship was lifted off in the night from the sand where 
 she lay, by the swelling of the tide, and was driven up almost as far as the 
 rock which I at first mentioned, where I had been so bruised by the wave 
 dashing me against it This being within about a mile from the shore where 
 I was, and the ship seeming to stand upright stUl, I wished myself on board, 
 that, at least, I might save some necessary things for my use. 
 
 When 1 came down fi-om my apartment in the tree, 1 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. 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 41 
 
 I walked as far aa 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 1 came back for the present, being more intent upon getting at the 
 ship, where 1 hoped to find something for ray present subsistence. 
 
 A little after noon, I fbimd the sea veiy calm, and the tide ebbed so far 
 out, that I could come within a quarter of a mile of the ship. And here 1 
 found a fresh renewing of my grief; for I saw evidently, that if we had kept 
 on boai-d, 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, 1 resolved, if possible, to get to tlie ship ; so 1 
 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 boai'd ; for, as she lay aground, and high out of the 
 water, there was nothing within my reach to lay hold of 1 swam round her 
 twice ; and the second time I spied a small piece of rope, which 1 wondered 
 1 did not see at first, hang down by the fore-chains so low, as that, with great 
 difficulty, 1 got hold of it ; and, by the help of that rope, 1 got up into the 
 forecastle of the ship. Here I found that the ship was bulged, and had a 
 great deal of water in her hold, but that she lay so on the side of a bank of 
 hard sand, or rather earth, that her stem 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 fi-ee : and, first, 1 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 pock- 
 ets with biscuit, and eat it as I went about other things ; for 1 had no time to 
 lose. I also found some rum in the great cabin, of which 1 took a large 
 dram, and which 1 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 1 foresaw would be vei-y necessary to me. 
 
 It was in vain to sit still and ^vish for what was not to be had ; and this 
 extremity roused my application. We had several spare yards, and two or 
 three lai'ge spars of wood, and a spare topmast or two in the ship. I resolved 
 to fall to work with these; and I flung as many of them overboard as 1 could 
 manage for their weight, tying eveiy one with a rope, that they might not 
 drive away. When this was done, 1 went down the ship's side ; and, pulling 
 them to me, 1 tied four of them together at both ends, as well as I could, in 
 the form of a raft, and, laying two or three short pieces of plank upon them, 
 crossways, I found I could walk upon it very well, but that it was not able 
 to bear any great weight, the pieces being too light : so I went to work, and 
 with the cai'penter's saw I cut a spaj-e topmast into three lengths, and added 
 tliem to my raft, with a great deal of labor and pains. But the hope of fiir- 
 iiishlng 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 
 
42 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 1 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 brought to 
 sea with us ; but the fowls were killed. There had been some bai-ley and 
 wheat together ; but, to my great disappointment, I found afterwards that the 
 rats had eaten or spoiled it all. As for liquors, I found several cases of hot 
 ties belonging to our skipper, in which were some cordial waters, and, in all, 
 about five or six gallons of rack. These I stowed by themselves, there being 
 no need to put them into the chest, nor no room for them. While I was 
 doing this, 1 found the tide began to flow, though very calm ; and 1 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 1 wanted for present use, for 1 had other things which my eye was more 
 upon ; as, first, tools to work with on shore: and it was after long searching 
 that I found out the carpenter's chest, which was indeed a very useful prize 
 to me, and much more valuable than a ship-lading of gold would have been 
 at that time. I got it dovni 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 1 secured first, 
 with some powder-horns and a small bag of shot, and two old rusty swords. 
 1 knew there were three baiTels of powder in tlie ship, but knew not where 
 our gurtaer had stowed them ; but with much search 1 found them, two of 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 45 
 
 them dry and good ; the third had taken water. Those two I got to my raft, 
 with the arms. And now 1 thought myself pretty well freighted, and began 
 to think how 1 should get to shore with them, having neither sail, oai-, or 
 rudder; and the least capful 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, 1 found two saws, an 
 axe, and a hammer ; and with this cargo I put to sea. For a mile, or there- 
 abouts, my raft went very well, only that I found it drive a little distant from 
 the place where I had landed before ; by which I perceived that there was 
 some indraft of the water, and consequently 1 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 1 found a strong current of the tide set into it ; so 1 guided my raft, 
 as well as 1 could, to keep in the middle of the stream. 
 
 But here I had like to have suffered a second shipwreck, which, if 1 had, 1 
 think verily would have broke my heart ; for, knowing nothing of the coast, 
 my raft ran aground, at one end of it, upon a shoal, and, not being agi-ound iit 
 tlie other end, it wanted but a little that all my cargo had slipped oflT towards 
 the end that was afloat, and so fallen into the water. I did my utmost, l>y 
 settmg my back against the chests, to keep them in their places, but could 
 not thrust off" the raft with all my strength ; neither durst 1 stir from the pos- 
 ture I was in ; but, holding up the chests with all my might, 1 stood in tliat 
 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 i-aft 
 floated again, and I thrust her oflf 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 botli 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 oai-, 1 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 1 could 
 do, was to wait till the tide was at the highest, keeping the raft vfith my oar 
 like an anchor, to hold the side of it fast to the shore, near a flat piece of 
 ground, which 1 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, — Itlu-usther 
 on upon that flat piece of ground, and there fastened or moored her, by stick- 
 ing 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 1 was, I yet "knew not; whether on the ccntinent, or an 
 island ; whether inhabited, or not inhabited ; whether in danger of vrild beasts. 
 
46 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 or not. There was a hill not above a mile from me, which rose up very stee|j 
 and high, and which seemed to overtop some other hills, which lay as in a 
 ridge from it, northwai-d. 1 took out one of the ibwling-pieces, and one of 
 the pistols, and a horn of powder; and, thus armed, 1 travelled for discovery 
 up to the top of that hill ; where, after 1 had, with great labor and difficulty, 
 got to the top, 1 saw my fate, to my gi-eat 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. 
 
 1 fohnd also that the island I was in was barren, and, as 1 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 1 tell what was fit for food, and what not. At my coming 
 back, I shot at a great bird, which I saw sitting upon a tree, on the side of a 
 great wood. I believe it was the first gun that had been fired there since the 
 creation of the world. 1 had no sooner fii-ed, 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 color and beak resembling it, but it had no 
 talons or claws more than common. Its flesh was canion, and fit for nothing. 
 Contented with this discovery, 1 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 1 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 1 afterwards found, there was really no need for those feai-s. 
 
 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 myselfj ex- 
 cept that I had seen two or three creatwes, like hares, run out of the wood . 
 where I shot the fowl. 
 
 1 now began to consider, that I might yet get a great many things out of 
 the ship, vifhich would be useful to me, and pai'ticularly some of the rigging 
 and sails, and such other things as might come to land ; and 1 resolved to 
 make another voyage on board the vessel, if possible. And as I knew that 
 the first storm that blew mugt necessarily break her all in pieces, I resolved 
 to set all other things apart, till I had got every thing out of the ship that 1 
 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 1 did so, only that 1 
 stripped before I went from my hut, having nothing on but a checkered 
 shirt, a pair of linen di-awers, and a pair of pumps on my feet. 
 
 I got on boai-d 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, 1 found two or three bags full of nails and spikes, a great 
 screw-jack, a dozen or two of hatchets; and, above all, that most useful thing 
 called a grindstone. All these I secured together, with several things belong 
 ing to the gunner; particularly two or three iron crows, and two barrels of 
 musket bullets, seven muskets, and another fowling-piece, with some small 
 quantity of powder more ; a large bag full of small shot, and a great roll of 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 47 
 
 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 foretopsail, a hammock, and some bedding; and with this 1 loaded 
 .ny second raft, and brought them all safe on shore, to my very great comfort. 
 
 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 wildcat, upon 
 one of the chests, which, when 1 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. 1 presented 
 my gun to her, but, as she did not understand it, she was perfectly uncon- 
 cerned at it, nor did she offer to stir away ; upon which I tossed her a bit of 
 biscuit, though, by the way, 1 was not veiy 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 tlje 
 barrels of powder, and bring them by parcels, for they were too heavy, being 
 large casks, — 1 went to work to make nie a little tent, with the sail, and 
 some poles which I cut for tliat purpose ; and into tliis tent I brought 
 every thing that I kne^v would spoil, eitliir with rain or sun ; and I piled 
 all the empty chests and casks up in a circle round tlie 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 ^vith some boards 
 within, and an empty chest set up on end without ; and spreading one of the 
 beds upon the gi-ound, laying my two pistols just at my head, and my gun at 
 length by me, 1 went to bed for the first time, and slept veiy quietly all night, 
 for I was very weary and heavy ; for the night before I had slept little, and 
 had labored 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, tliat ever was laid up, J 
 believe, for one man ; but I was not satisfied still ; for, wliile the ship sat 
 upright in that posture, 1 thought I ought to get eveiy thing out of her that 
 1 could ; so every day, at low water, 1 went on boai-d, 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 tlie small ropes and rope-twne 
 I could get, witli a piece of spai-e canvass, — which was to mend the sails 
 upon occasion, — and the baiTel of wet gunpowder. In a word, I brought 
 away all the sails, fii'st and last; only that I was fain to cut them in pieces, 
 and briiig as much at a time as I could ; for they were no more useful to be 
 sails, but as mere canvass only. 
 
 But that which comforted me more, still, was, that at last of all, after 1 had 
 made five or six such voyages as tliese, and thought I had nothing more to 
 expect from the ship that was woi-th my meddling with, — I say, after all this 
 I found a gi'eat hogshead of bread, and three large runlets of rum, or spirits 
 and a box of sugar, and a barrel of fine flour ; this was sm-prising to me, 
 because 1 had given over expecting any more provisions, except what was 
 spoiled by the water. 1 soon emptied the hogshead of that bread, and 
 wrapped it up, parcel by parcel, hi pieces of the sails, which I cut out ; and, 
 in a word, I got all this safe on shore also. 
 
48 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 The next day, 1. made another voyage ; and novp, 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, 1 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 mizzen-yai-d, and every thing 1 could, to 
 make a lai-ge 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 
 overset, and threw me and all my cargo into the water ; as for myself, it was 
 no great harm, for I was near the shore ; but as to my cargo, it was a great 
 part of it lost, especially the iron, which I expected would have been of gi-eat 
 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 labor ; for I was fain to dip 
 for it into the water — a work which fatigued me veiy much. After this, 
 went every day on boai-d, and brought away what I could get 
 
 I had been now thirteen days on shore, and had been eleven times oi 
 board the ship ; m which time I had brought away all that one pair of hand 
 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 49 
 
 piece ; but, preparing the twelfth thne to go on board, 1 found the wind be- 
 gan to rise ; however, at low water, I went on board ; and though 1 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 scissors, with some ten or a dozen 
 of good knives and forks ; in another, 1 found about thirty-six pounds value 
 in money, — some European coin, some Brasil, some pieces of eight, some 
 gold, and some silver. 
 
 1 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 taldng off" 
 of the ground ; one of those knives is worth all this heap ; I have no manner 
 of use for thee ; e'en remain where thou ait, and go to the bottoui, as a 
 creature whose life is not worth saving." However, upon second .'loughts, 
 1 took it away ; and, wrapping all this in a piece of canvass, 1 began to think 
 of making another raft; but whUe I was preparing this, I found the sky 
 overcast, and the wind began to rise, and in a quarter of an hour it blew a 
 fresh gale from the shore. It presently occurred to me, that it was in vain 
 to pretend to make a raft with the wind off" shore ; and that it was my busi- 
 ness to be gonei before the tide of flood began, otlierwise I might not be able 
 to reach the shore at all. Accordingly, I let myself down into the water, 
 and swam across the channel whicli 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 tlie water ; for the wind rose very 
 hastily, and before it was quite high water it blew a storm. 
 
 But 1 was gotten homo to my little tent, where I lay, with all my wealth 
 about me, vei-y secure. It blew very hard all that night, and, in the morn- 
 ing, when 1 looked out, behold! no more ship was to be seen! I was a little 
 surprised ; but recovered ni} self with this satisfactory reflection, viz., that J 
 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 1 was 
 able to bring away, if I had had more time. 
 
 I now gave over ;uiy more thoughts of the ship, or of any thing out of her, 
 ex(-ept what might drive on shore from her ^vi-eck ; as, indeed, divers pieces 
 of her aftei-wai'ds did ; but those things were of small use to me. 
 
 My thoughts were now wholly employed about securing myself against 
 either savages, if any should appear, or ^vild 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 botli; the manner and de- 
 scription of which, it may not be improper to give an account of 
 
 I soon found the place 1 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 pm-ticularly, because there was no fresh 
 water near it; so I resolved to find a more healthy and more convenient spot 
 of ground. 
 
 I consulted several things in my situation, which I fotmd would be proper 
 lor 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 
 ounish all ray expectation yet. 
 7 
 
50 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 In search of a place proper for this, I found a little plain on the side of a 
 rising hill, whose front towards this little plain was steep as a house-side, so 
 Jiat nothing could come down upon me from the top. On the side of this 
 fock there was a hollow place, worn a little way in, like the entrance or door 
 of a cave ; but there was not really any cave, or way into the rock, at all. 
 
 On the flat of the green, just before this hollow place, I resolved to pitch 
 my tent This plain was not above a hundred yards broad, and about twice 
 as long, and lay like a gi-een before my door ; and, at the end of it, descended 
 irregularly every way down into the low ground by the sea-side. It was on 
 the N. N. W. side of the hill ; so that it was sheltered from the heat every 
 day, till it came to a W. and by S. sun, or thereabouts, which, in those 
 countries, is near the setting. 
 
 Before 1 set up my tent, I drew a half-circle before the hollow place, 
 which took in about ten yards, in its semi-diameter, from the rock, and twenty 
 yards, in its diameter, from its beginning and ending. 
 
 In this half-cu-cle I pitched two rows of strong stakes, driving them mto 
 the ground till they stood very fii-m, like piles, the biggest end being out of 
 the ground about five feet and a half, and sharpened on the top. The two 
 rows did not stand above six inches from one another. 
 
 Then I took the pieces of cable which I had cut in the ship, and laid them 
 In rows, one upon another, within the circle, between these two rows of 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 51 
 
 Stakes, up to the top, placing other stakes m the inside, leaning against them, 
 about two feet and a half high, like a spur to a post ; and this fence was so 
 strong, that neither man nor beast could get into it or over it. This cost me 
 a great deal of time and labor, 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 1 was in, I lifted over after 
 me ; and so 1 was completely fenced in and fortified, as 1 thought, from all 
 the world, and consequently slept secure in the night, which otherwise I 
 could not have done ; though, as it appeared afterwards, there was no need 
 of all this caution from the enemies that I apprehended danger from. 
 
 Into this fence, or fortress, with infinite labor, I carried all my riches, all 
 my provisions, ammunition, and stoi-es, of which you have the account 
 above ; and 1 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 ray provisions, and every thing tliat would spoil 
 by the wet ; and, having thus enclosed all iny goods, 1 made up the entrance, 
 which, till now, I had left open, and so passed and repassed, as 1 said, by a 
 short ladder. 
 
 When 1 had done this, I began to work my way into tlie rock, and, bring- 
 ing all the earth and stones that 1 dug down, out, through my tent, I laid 
 them up within my fence, in the nature of a terrace, so that it raised the 
 ground within about a foot and a half; and thus 1 made me a cave, just 
 behind my tent, which served me like a cellar to my house. 
 
 it cost mo much labor and many days before all these things were brought 
 to perfection ; and therefore 1 must go back to some other tilings wliich took 
 up some of my thoughts. At the same time, it happened, after 1 had laid my 
 scheme for the setting up my tent, and mailing the cave, tliat, a storm of rain 
 falling from a thick, dark cloud, a sudden flash of lightning hapjiened, and, 
 after that, a great clap of thunder, as is naturally the effect of it. 1 was not 
 so much surprised with the lightning, as I was with a thought which darted 
 into my mind as swift as the lightning itself: O, my powder! My very heart 
 sank within me when I thought that, at one blast, all my powder might he 
 destroyed, on which, not my defence only, but the providing me food, as I 
 thought, entirely depended. 1 was nothing near so anxious about my own 
 danger, though, had the powder took fire, 1 had never known ^\ho had 
 hiu't me. 
 
 Such impression did this make upon me, that, after the storm was over 
 1 laid aside all my works, my buildmg and fortitying, and applied myself to 
 make bags and boxes, to sepaiate the ])owder, and to keep it a little and a 
 little in a parcel, in hope tliat, \\ hatever might come, it might not ail take fire 
 at once ; and to keep it so apai-t, that it should not be possible to make one 
 part fire another. I finished this \vork in about a fortnight; and I think my 
 powder, which, in all, was about two hundred and forty jiounds weight, was 
 divided in not less than a lumdred parcels. As to the barrel that had been 
 wet, I did not apprehend any danger from that; so I placed it in my new 
 
52 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 cave, which, in my fancy, I called my kitchen ; and the rest 1 hid up and 
 down in holes among the rocks, so that no wet might come to it, marking 
 very carefully where I laid it. 
 
 In the interval of time while this was doing, I went out, once at least every 
 day, with my gun, as well to divert myself, as to see if I could kill 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, 1 presently discovered that there were 
 goats in the island, which was a great satisfaction to Tie ; but then it was 
 attended with this misfortune to me, viz., that they were so shy, so subtle, 
 and so swift of foot, that it was the diflicultest thing in the world to come at 
 them ; but I was not discouraged at this, not doubting but 1 might now and 
 then shoot one, as it soon happened ; for, after I had found their haunts a 
 little, 1 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 ter- 
 rible fi-ight ; but if they were feeding in the valleys, and 1 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 tliia 
 method, — I always climbed the rocks first, to get above them, and then iiad 
 fi-equently a fair mark. 
 
 The first shot 1 made among these creatures, 1 killed a she-goat, which 
 had a little kid by her, which she gave suck to, which grieved me heaitily; 
 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 1 carried the old one witli 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 
 p^e, in hopes to have bred it up tame ; but it would not eat ; so 1 was forced 
 to kill it, and ate it myself These two supplied me with flesh a great while, 
 for 1 eat sparingly, and saved my provisions — my bread especially — as much 
 as possibly I could. 
 
 Having now fixed my habitation, I found it absolutely necessary to provide 
 a place to make a fire in, and fuel to burn ; and what I did for that, as also 
 how I enlarged my cave, and what conveniences I made, I shall give a full 
 account of in its place ; but I must now give some little account of myself, 
 and of my thoughts about living, which, it may well be supposed, were not 
 a few. 
 
 I had a dismal prospect of my condition ; for, as 1 was not cast away 
 upon that island without being driven, as is said, by a violent storm, quite 
 out of the course of our iutended voyage, and a gi-eat way, viz., some hun- 
 dreds of leagues, out of the ordinary course of the trade of mankind, 1 had 
 great reason to consider it as a determination of Heaven, that in this desolate 
 place, and in this desolate manner, 1 should end my life. The tears would 
 run plentifully down my face when I made these reflections ; and, some- 
 times, 1 would expostulate with myself why -Providence should thus com- 
 pletely ruin its creatures, and render them so absolutely miserable; so 
 v«^ithout help, abandoned, so entirely depressed, that it could hai-dly be ra- 
 tional to be thankful for such a life. 
 
 But something always returned swift upon me to check these thoughts, 
 and to reprove me ; and, particularly, one day, walking, with my gun in my 
 hand, by the sea-side, 1 was very pensive upon the subject of my present 
 condition, when reason, as it were, expostulated with me the other way 
 
' -'J3' ;^-' ,'7.1 ' 
 
 ■7 
 
 
 
 '^-K^-^mmiS^^-'-i^ 
 
 I preaently discovered tliat thero were goats in the island 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 55 
 
 thua : " Well, you are in a desolate condition, it is ti-ue ; but, pray remember, 
 where are the rest of you ? Did not you come, eleven of you, into the boat ? 
 Where are the ten? Why were not they saved, and you lost? Why were 
 you singled out? Is it better to be here, or there?" And then 1 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 sub- 
 sistence, 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 
 al. 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, without neces- 
 saries of life, or necessaries to supply and procure them; "Particularly," said 
 I, aloud, (though to myself,) "^hat should I have done without a gun, 
 without ammunition, without any tools to make any thing, or to work with, 
 without clothes, bedding, a tent, or any manner of covering ? " and that now 
 1 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 view of subsisting without any want, as 
 long as 1 lived ; for 1 considered, from the beginning, how I would provide 
 for the accidents that might happen, and for the time that was to come, even 
 not only after my ammunition should be spent, but even after my health and 
 strength should decay. 
 
 I confess, I had not entertained any notion of my ammunition being de- 
 stroyed at one blast, — I mean my jjowder being blown up by lightning; and 
 this made the thoughts of it so surprising to me, when it lightened and 
 thundei'ed, as I observed just now. 
 
 And now, being to enter into a melancholy relation of a scene of silent life, 
 such, perhaps, as was never heard of in the world before, I sliall 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, 1 first set foot upon this 
 horrid island ; when the sun, being to us in its autumnal equinox, was almost 
 just over my head; for I reckoned myself, by observation, to be in the 
 latitude of 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 1 first landed, viz., 
 "1 came on shore here on the 30th of September, 1659." 
 
 Upon the sides of this square post I cut, eveiy 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 calendar, or 
 weekly, monthly, and yearly reckoning of time. 
 
 In the next place, we are to observe that, among the many things which I 
 brought out of the ship, in the several voyages which, as above mentioned, 1 
 made to it, I got several things of less value, but not all less useful to me, 
 which I omitted setting down before ; as, in particular, pens, ink, and paper ; 
 sevei-al parcels in the captain's, mate's, gunner's, and carpenter's keeping, 
 three or foiu- compasses, some matliematical instruments, dials, perspectives, 
 charts, and books of navigation ; all which i huddled togetliar, whe1;.i3r ' 
 
56 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 might want them or no ; also, I found three very good Bibles, which came to 
 ine in my cargo from England, and which 1 had packed up among my things; 
 some Portuguese b(^ks also ; and, among them, two or three Popish prayer 
 books, and several other books, all which I carefully secured. And 1 must 
 not forget, that we had in the ship a dog, and two cats, of whose eminent his- 
 tory 1 may have occasion to say something, in its place ; for I can-ied both the 
 cats with me ; and as for the dog, he jumped out of the ship of himself, and 
 swam on shore to me the day after I went on shore with my first cargo, and 
 was a trusty servant to me many years ; I wanted nothing that he could fetch 
 me, nor any company that he could make up to me ; 1 only wanted to have 
 him talk to me, but that would not do. As I observed before, 1 found pens, 
 ink, and paper, and I husbanded them to the utmost ; and 1 shall show that, 
 while my ink lasted, 1 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 1 wanted many things, notwithstanding al\ 
 that 1 had amassed together ; and, of these, this of ink was one ; as, also, a 
 spade, i)ick-axe, and shovel, to dig or remove the earth ; needles, pins, and 
 diread ; as for linen, I soon learned to want that without much difficulty. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 57 
 
 This want of tools made every work I did go on heavily; and it was near 
 a whole year before 1 had entirely finished my Uttle pale, or surrounded my 
 habitation. The piles or stakes, which were as heavy as I could well lift, 
 were a long time in cutting and preparing in the woods, and more, by far, in 
 bringing home ; so that 1 spent sometimes two days in cutting and bringing 
 home one of those posts, and a third day in driving it into the ground ; fo2 
 which purpose, 1 got a heavy piece of wood at first, tut at last bethought 
 myself of one of the iron crows; which, however, though I found it, yet it 
 made driving those posts or piles very laborious and tedious work. But 
 what need I have been concerned at the tediousness of any thing I had to 
 do, seeing 1 had time enough to do it in ? nor had I any other employment, 
 if that had been over, at least that I could foresee, except the ranging the 
 island to seek for food, which I did, more or less, every day. 
 
 I now began to consider seriously my condition, and the circumstance 1 
 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 rrie — 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 despond- 
 ency, I began to comfort myself as well as I could, and to set the good against 
 the evil, that I might have something to distinguish my case from worse ; and 
 I stated it very impartially, like debtor and creditor, — the comforts 1 enjoyed 
 against the miseries I suffered, — tlius : — 
 
 Evil. Good. 
 
 I am cast upon a horrible desolate But I am alive; and not drowneo, a? 
 
 island, void of all hope of recovery. all my ship's company were. 
 
 I am singled out and separated, as it But I am singled out, too, from all the 
 
 were, from all the world, to be miserable, ship's crew, to be spared from death ; 
 
 and he that miraculously saved me from 
 death, can deliver me from this condition, 
 lam divided from mankind, — a soli- But I am not starved, and peri^liing 
 taire ; one banished from human society, on a barren place, affording no suste- 
 nance. 
 I have not clothes to cover me. But I am in a hot climate, where, if 1 
 
 had clothes, I could hardly wear them. 
 I am without any defence, or means But I am cast on an island where I 
 to resist any violence of man or beast. see no wild beasts to hurt me, as I saw 
 
 on the coast of Africa ; and what if I 
 had been shipwrecked there 1 
 I have no soul to speak to or relieve But God wonderfully sent the ship in 
 
 me. near enough td tbe shore, that 1 have 
 
 gotten out so many necessary things as 
 will either supply my wants, or enable me 
 to supply myself, even as long as 1 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 thankfiil for in it ; and let this stand as a direc- 
 tion, from the experience of the most miserable of all conditions in this world, 
 tliat we may always find in it something to comfort ourselves fi-om, and to 
 set, in the description of good and evil, on the credit side of the account 
 
 Having now brought my mind a little to relish my condition, and given 
 over looking out to sea, to see if 1 could spy a ship, — I say, giving over these 
 things, I began to apply myself to accoimnodate my way of living, and to 
 make things as easy to me as 1 could. 
 
 1 have already described my habitation, which was a tent under the side 
 8 
 
58 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 of a rock, surrounded with a strong pale of posts and cables ; but I might 
 now rather call it a wall, for I raised a kind of wall up against it of tiirfe, 
 about two feet thick on the outside ; and, after some time, (1 think it was a 
 year and a half,,) I raised rafters from it, leaning to the rock, and thatched or 
 covered it with boughs of trees, and such things as I could get, to keep out 
 the rain ; which I found, at some times of the year, very violent 
 
 I have already obseiTed how I brought all my goods into this pale, and 
 into the cave which 1 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 tura myself; so I set myself to 
 enlarge my cave, and work farther into the earth ; for it was a loose, sandy 
 rock, which yielded easily to the labor I bestowed on it ; and so, when I 
 found 1 was pretty safe as to beasts of prey, I worked sideways, to the right 
 liand into the rock ; and then, turning to the right again, worked quite out, 
 and made me a door to come out on the outside of my pale or fortification. 
 
 This gave me not only egress and regress, as it was a back way to my tent 
 and to my storehouse, but gave me room to store my goods. 
 
 And now I began to apply myself to make such necessary things as 1 
 found I most wanted, as, particularly, a chair and a table ; for without these 
 I was not able to enjoy the«few comforts 1 had in the worid ; 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 59 
 
 every thing by reason, and by making the most rational judgment of things, 
 every man may be, in time, master of every mechanic ait. I had never 
 handled a tool in my life ; and yet, in time, by labor, application, and con- 
 trivance, I found, at last, that 1 wanted nothing but 1 could have made it, 
 especially if I had had tools. However, I made abundance of things, even 
 without tools ; and some with no more tools than an adze and a hatchet, which, 
 perhaps, were never made that way before, and that with infinite labor. For 
 example, if I wanted a board, I had no other way but to cut down a tree, set 
 it.on an edge before me, and hew it flat on either side with my axe, till I had 
 brought it to be thin as a plank, and then dub it smooth with my adze. It is 
 true, by this method I could make but one board out of a whole tree ; but 
 this 1 had no remedy for but patience, any more than I had for the prodigious 
 deal of time and labor which it took me up to make a plank or board ; but 
 my time or labor was little worth, and so it was as well employed one way 
 as another. 
 
 However, I made me a table, and a chair, as I observed above, in the first 
 place; and this I did out of the short pieces of boards that I brought on my 
 raft from the ship. But, when I had wrought out some boards, as above, 1 
 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 come 
 easily at them. I knocked pieces into the wall of the rock to hang my guns 
 and all things that would hang up ; so that, had my cave been to be seen, it 
 looked like a general magazine of all necessary things; and I had every tiling 
 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 when I began to keep a journal of every day's employ- 
 ment ; for, indeed, at first, I was in too much hm-ry, and not only hurry as to 
 labor, but in too much discomposure of mind ; and my journal would have 
 been full of many dull things: for example, 1 must have said thus — "Sept. 
 30th. After 1 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, un- 
 done ! ' till, tired and faint, I was forced to lie down on the ground to repose, 
 but durst not sleep, for fear of being devoured." 
 
 Some days after this, and after 1 had been on board the ship, and got all 
 that 1 could out of her, yet 1 could not forbear getting up to the top of a 
 little mountain, and looking out to sea, in hopes of seeing a ship ; then fancy 
 at a vast distance I spied a sail, please myself with the hopes of it, and then, 
 after looking steadily till 1 was almost blind, lose it quite, emd 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 stufi" and habitation, made me a table and a chair, and all as 
 handsome about me as I could, I began to keep my journeJ ; 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, 1 was forced to leave 
 it off. 
 
60 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 THE JOURNAL. 
 
 September 30, 1659. I, poor, miserable Robinson Crusoe, being ship- 
 wrecked, during a dreadful stoi-m, in the offing, came on shore on this 
 dismal, unfortunate island, which I called "The Island of Despair;" all the 
 rest of the ship's company being di-owned, and myself almost dead. 
 
 All the rest of that day I spent in afflicting myself at the dismal circum- 
 stances I was brought to, viz., I had neither food, house, clothes, weapon, nor 
 place to fly to ; and, in despair of any relief, saw nothing but death before 
 me ; either that 1 should be devoured by wild beasts, murdered by savages, 
 or starved to death for want of food. At the approach of night, I slept in a 
 tree, for fear of wild creatures, but slept soundly, though it rained all night. 
 
 October 1. In the morning 1 saw, to my great sui-prise, the ship had floated 
 with the high tide, and was driven on shore again much nearer the island ; 
 which, as it was some comfort on one hand, — for, seeing her sit upright, and 
 not broken to pieces, I hoped, if the wind abated, I might get on board, and 
 get some food and necessaries out of her for my relief, — so, on the other 
 hand, it renewed my grief at the loss of my comrades, who, I imagined, if we 
 had all 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 saved, 
 we might perhaps have built us a boat, out of the ruins of the ship, to have 
 earned us to some other part of the world. I spent great part of this day in 
 perplexing myself on these things; but, at length, neeing the ship almost dry 
 1 went upon the sand as near as I could, and then swam on board. This 
 day also it continued raining, though with no wind at all. 
 
 From the 1st of October to the 24th. All these days entirely spent in 
 many several voyages to get all 1 could out of the ship, which I brought on 
 shore, every tide of flood, upon rafts. Much rain also in the days, though 
 with some intervals of fair weather ; hut, it seems, this was the rainy season. 
 
 Oct. 20. I overset my raft, and all the goods 1 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 1 
 had saved, that the rain might not spoil thexn. 
 
 Oct. 2Ct. I walked about the shore almost all day, to find out a place to fix 
 my habitation, greatly concerned to secure myself from any attack in the 
 night, either from wild beasts or men. Towai-ds night, I fixed upon a proper 
 place, under a rock, and marked out a semicircle for my encampment; 
 which I resolved to strengthen with ajv^ork, wall, or fortification, made of 
 double piles, lined within with cables, and without with tui-f. 
 
 From the 26th to the 30th, I worked vei-y hard in cai'rying all my goods to 
 my new habitation, though, some part of the time, it rained exceeding hard. 
 ' The 31st, in the morning, I went out into the island witli my gun, to seek 
 for some food, and discover the counti-y ; when I killed a she-goat, and her 
 kid followed me home, which I afterwai-ds killed also, because it would not 
 feed. 
 
 MvenAer 1. 1 set up my tent under a rock, and lay there for the first 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 61 
 
 night, making it as large as I could, with stakes driven in to swing my ham- 
 mock upon. 
 
 Nov. 2. I set up all my chests and hoards, and the pieces of timber which 
 made my rafts, and with them formed a fence round me, a little with n the 
 place I liad marked out for my fortification. 
 
 JVov. 3. I went out with my gun, and killed two fowls like ducks, which 
 were very good food. In the afternoon, went to work to make me a table. 
 
 JVov. 4. This morning 1 began to order my times of work, of going out 
 with my gun, time of sleep, and time of diversion; viz., every morning 1 
 walked out.with my gun for two or three hours, if it did not rain ; then em- 
 ployed myself to work till about eleven o'clock ; then eat what I had to live 
 on ; and from twelve to two 1 lay down to sleep, the weather being exces-sive 
 hu J and then, in the evening, to work again. The working part of this day 
 and of the next were wholly employed in making my table ; for I was yet but 
 a very sony workman, though time and necessity made me a complete natu- 
 ral mechanic soon after, as I believe tljey would do any one else. 
 
 JVov. 5. This day, went abroad with my gun and my dog, and killed a 
 wildcat; her skin pretty soft, but her flesh good for nothing: every creature 
 that 1 killed, I took ofi' the skins, and preserved them. Coming back by the 
 sea-shore, I saw many sorts of sea-fowls, which I did not understand; but 
 was surprised, and almost frighted, witli two or tlu-ee seals, which, while 1 
 was gazing at, not well knowing what they were, got into the sea, ami 
 escaped me for that time. 
 
 JVov. 6. After my morning walk, I went to work with my table again, and 
 finished it, though not to my .liking ; nor was it long before 1 learned tc 
 mend it. 
 
62 THE LIFE AND AD7ENTUEES 
 
 M)V. 7. Now it began to be settled, fair weather. Tlie 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 
 and part of the 12th, (for the 11th was Sunday,) I took wholly up to make 
 me a chau-, and with much ado brought it to a tolerable shape, but never to 
 please me ; and, even in the making, 1 pulled it in pieces several times. 
 
 Note. — 1 soon neglected my keeping Sundays; for, omitting my mark for 
 them on my post, 1 forgot which was which. 
 
 JVov. 13. This day it rained ; which refreshed me exceedingly, and cooled 
 the earth , but it was accompanied with terrible thunder and lightning, which 
 frighted rae dreadfully, for fear of my powder. As soon as it was over, 
 I resolved to separate my stock of powder into as many little parcels as 
 possible, that it might not be in danger. 
 
 M)v. 14, 15, 16. These three days I spent in making little square chests 
 or boxes, which might hold about a pound, or two pound at most, of powder; 
 and so, putting the powder in, I stowed it in places as secure and remote 
 from one another as possible. On one of these three days, I killed a large 
 bird that was good to eat, but I knew not what to call it 
 
 JVov. 17. This day I began to dig behind my tent, into the rock, to make 
 room for my farther conveniency. 
 
 Note. — Three things I wanted exceedingly for this work, viz., a pick-axe, 
 a shovel, and a wheelbarrow, or basket ; so I desisted from my work, and 
 began to consider how to supply that want, and make me some tools. As 
 for 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 abso- 
 lutely necessary, that, indeed, I could do nothing effectually without it ; but 
 what kind of one to make I knew not 
 
 JVov. 18. The next day, in searching the woods, 1 found a tree of that 
 wood, or like it, which, in the Brasils, they call the iron tree, for its exceeding 
 hardness; of this, with great labor, and almost spoiling my axe, 1 cut apiece, 
 and brought it home, too, with difficulty enough, for it was exceeding heavy. 
 The excessive hardness of the wood, and my having no other way, made me 
 a long while upon this machine ; for I worked it effectually, by little and 
 little, into the form of a shovel or spade ; the handle exactly shaped like ours 
 in England, only that the board part having no iron shod upon it at bottom, 
 It would not last me so long; however, it served well enough for the uses 
 which I had occasion to put it to ; but never was a shovel, I believe, made 
 after that fashion, or so long a-making. 
 
 1 was still deficient, for 1 wanted a basket, or a wheelban-ow. A basket I 
 could not make by any means, having no such things as twigs that would 
 bend to make wicker-ware, at least, none yet found out ; and as to a wheel- 
 barrow, 1 fencied I could make all but the wheel, but that I had no notion of; 
 neither did I know how to go about it ; besides, I had no possible way to 
 make the iron gudgeons for the spindle or axis of the wheel to run in ; so I 
 gave it over ; and so, for carrying away the earth which I dug out of the cave, 
 I made me a thing like a hod, which the laborers carry mortar in, when they 
 serve the bricklayers. This was not so difficult to me as the making the 
 shovel ; and yet this and the shovel, and the attempt which I made in vain to 
 make a wheelbaiTow, took me up no less than four days, — I mean always 
 excepting my morning walk with my gun, which I seldom failed, and vei^ 
 seldom failed also bringing home something fit to eat 
 
 JVov. 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, aa 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 63 
 
 *iy strength and time allowed, I spent eighteen days entii-ely 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, spa- 
 cious enough to accommodate me as a warehouse or magazine, a kitchen, a 
 dining-room, and a cellar. As for my lodging, I kept to the tent ; except that 
 sometimes, in the wet season of the year, it rained so hai-d that I could not 
 keep myself dry, which caused me afterwards to cover all my place withm 
 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 dowTi 
 from the top and one side ; so much, that, ji short, it frighted me, and not 
 without reason, too ; for if 1 had been under it, 1 had never wanted a grave- 
 digger. Upon this disaster, I had a great deal of work to do over again, for 1 
 had the loose earth to carry out ; and, which was of more importance, I had 
 the ceiling to prop up, so that 1 might be sure no more would come down. 
 
 Dec. 11. This day I went to work with it accordingly, and got two shores, 
 or posts, pitched upright to the top, with two pieces of boards across over 
 each post ; this I finished the next day ; and, setting more posts up with 
 boai'ds, in about a week more 1 had the roof secured ; and the posts, standing 
 ua rows, served me for partitions to part off" my house. 
 
64 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Dec. 17. From this day to the 20th, 1 placed shelves, aiid knocked ip 
 nails on the posts, to hang eveiy thing up that could be hung up ; and now I 
 began to be in some order within doors. 
 
 Dec. 20. Now 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 1 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 as that I catched it, 
 and led it home in a string ; when 1 had it home, 1 bound and splintered up 
 its leg, which was broke. 
 
 N. B. — 1 took such care of it that it lived; and the leg grew well, and as 
 strong as ever ; but, by my nursing it so long, it grew tame, and fed upon 
 the little green at my door, and would not go away. This was the first time 
 that I entertained a thought of breeding up some tame creatures, that 1 might 
 have food when my powder and shot was all spent 
 
 Dec. 28, 29, 30, 31. Great heats, and no breeze; so that there was no 
 stirring abroad, except in the evening, for food ; this time I spent in putting 
 all my things in order within doors. 
 
 January 1. Very hot still ; but I went abroad early and late with my gun, 
 and lay still in the middle of the day. This evening, going farther into the 
 valleys which lay towards the centre of the island, I found there were plenty 
 of goats, though exceeding shy, and hard to come at; however, I resolved to 
 try if I could not bring my dog to hunt them down. 
 
 Jan. 2. Accordingly, the next day, I went out with my dog, and set him 
 upon the goats ; but I was mistaken, for they all faced about upon the dog, 
 and he knew his danger too well, for he would not come near them. 
 
 Jan. 3. 1 began my fence or wall ; which, being still jealous of my being 
 attacked by somebody, I resolved to make very thick and strong. 
 
 N. B. — This wall being described before, I purposely omit what was said in 
 the journal ; it is sufBcient to obseiTe, 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 twenty-four yards in length, being a half 
 circle, from one place in the rock to another placej about eight yards from it, 
 the door of the cave being in the centre, behind it 
 
 All this time, I worked vei-y hard ; the rams 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 
 labor 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 il 
 was very well 1 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 fi-equent discoveries, in these walks, 
 of something or other to my advantage ; particularly I found a kind of wild 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 65 
 
 pigeons, who build, not as wood-pigeons, in a tree, but rather as house- 
 pigconB, in tlie holes of the rocks ; and, taking some young ones, I endeav- 
 ored 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 1 had 
 nothmg to give them ; however, I frequently found their nests, and got their 
 yoiuig ones, which were very good meat. And now, in the managing my 
 household affairs, I found myself wanting in many thuigs, which 1 thought 
 at first it was impossible for me to make ; as, indeed, as to some of tliem, it 
 was : for instance, I could never make a cask to be hooped. I had a small 
 runlet or two, as I observed before, but I could never arrive to the capacity 
 of making one by them, though I spent many weeks about it: 1 could neither 
 put in the heads, or join the staves so time to one another as to make tlieni 
 holfl water ; so I gave that also over. In the next place, I was at a great loss 
 for candles ; so that as soon as ever it was dark, which was generally by 
 seven o'clock, I was obliged to go to bed. 1 remembered the lump of bees'- 
 wax with which I made candles in my African adventure ; but I had none 
 of that now ; the only remedy I had was that, when 1 had killed a goat, 1 
 saved the tallow, and with a little dish made of clay, which 1 baked in the 
 sun, to which 1 added a wick of some oakum, I made me a lamp; and this 
 gave me light, though not a clear, steady light, like a caudle. Jn the middle 
 of all my labors, it happened, that, rummaging luy things, 1 found a little bag; 
 which, as I hinted before, had been filled with corn, for the feeding of poul- 
 try, not for this voyage, but before, as 1 supjiose, ^^hen the ship came from 
 Lisbon. What little remainder 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 pow<ler in, 
 when I divided it for fear of the lightning, or some such use,) I shook the 
 liusks of corn out of it, on one side of my fortification, under the rock. 
 
 it was a little before the great rains just now mentioned, that 1 threw this 
 stuff away, taking no notice of any thing, and not so much as remembering 
 that I had thrown any thing there ; \\ lien, about a month after, or there- 
 abouts, 1 saw some few stalks of something green, shootingout of the ground, 
 which I fancied might be some ])lant 1 had not seen ; but I was surprised, 
 and perfectly astonished, when, alter a little longer time, 1 saw about ten or 
 twelve ears come out, which «cre 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, otlierwise than as chance, or, as 
 we lightly say, what pleases God ; without so much as inquiring into the end 
 o'' Providence in these things, or his order in governing events in the world. 
 But after I saw barley gi-ow there, in a climate which I knew was not proper 
 for corn, and especially that 1 knew not how it came tliere, it startled me 
 strangely, and I began to suggest, that God had miraculously caused his 
 grain to grow without any help of seed sown, and that it was so directed 
 purely for my sustenance, on that wild, miserable place. 
 
 This touched my heart a little, and brought tears out of my eyes, and 1 
 
 began to bless myself that such a prodigy of nature should happen upon my 
 
 aiconnt ; and this was the more strange to me, because I saw, near it still, 
 
 ull along by the side of the rock, some other .straggling stalks, which proved 
 
 o 
 
THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 to be Stalks of rice, and which I knew, because I had seen it grow in Africa, 
 when 1 was ashore there. 
 
 1 not only thought these the pure productions of Providence for my sup- 
 port, but, not doubting but that there was more in the place, 1 went all over 
 that part of the island where I had been before, peering in every comer, and 
 under every rock, to see for more of it, but I could not find any. At last, it 
 occurred to my thoughts that I had shook a bag of chicken's meat out in that 
 place, and then the wonder began to cease ; and 1 must confess, my religious 
 thankfulness to God's providence began to abate, too, upon the discovering 
 that all this was nothing hut what was common; though I ought to have 
 I)een as thankful for so strange and unforeseen providence, as if it had 
 been miraculous ; for it was really the work of Providence as to me, that 
 should order or appoint that ten or twelve grains of corn should remain 
 unspoiled, when the rats had destroyed all the rest, as if it had been dropped 
 fi'om 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 immediately; 
 whereas, if I had thrown it any where else, at that time, it had been burnt 
 up and destroyed. 
 
 I carefully saved the ears of this corn, you may be sure, in their season, 
 which was about the end of June ; and, laying up every corn, I resolved to 
 sow them all again, hoping, in time, to have some quantity sufficient to sup- 
 ply me with bread. But it was not till the fourth year that I could allow 
 myself the least grain of this corn to eat, and even then but sparingly, as 1 
 shall say afterwards, in its order; for 1 lost all that I sowed the first season, 
 by not observing the proper time ; for I sowed it just before the dry season 
 so that it never came up at all, at least not as it would have done ; of which 
 in its place. 
 
OP RUBINSON CRUSOE. 67 
 
 Besides this barley, there were, as above, twenty or thirty stalks of rice, 
 which 1 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 1 found 
 ways to cook it up without baking, though I did that also after some tune. 
 
 But to return to my journal: — 
 
 1 worked excessive hard these three or four months, to get my wall done ; 
 and the 14th of April, I closed it up, contriving to go into it, not by a door, 
 but over the wall, by a ladder, that there might be no sign on the outside ol 
 my habitation. 
 
 ^pril 16. 1 finished the ladder ; so I went up with tho ladder to the top 
 and then pulled it up after me, and let it down in the inside : tliis was a com- 
 plete enclosure to me ; for within 1 had room enough, and nothing could 
 come at me from without, unless it could fii-st mount my wall. 
 
 The very next day after this wall was finished, 1 had almost had all my 
 labor overthrown at once, and myself killed ; the case was thus: — As 1 was 
 busy in the inside of it, behind my tent, just at the entrance into my cave, J 
 was terribly frighted with a most dreadful, surprising thing indeed ; for, all ou 
 a sudden, I found the earth come crumbling down from the roof of my ca\ c, 
 and from the edge of the hill over my head, and two of the posts 1 had set 
 up in the cave cracked in a frightful manner. 1 was heartily scared ; but 
 thought nothing of what was really the cause, only thinking that the top of 
 my cave was fallen in, as some of it had done before ; and, for fear 1 should 
 be biu-ied in it, I ran forward to my ladder, and not thin^ting myself safe 
 there neither, I got over my wall, for fear of the pieces of the hill which 1 
 expected might roll down upon me. I was no sooner stepped down ujion 
 the firm ground, but 1 plainly saw it was a teiTible earthquake ; for the 
 ground 1 stood on shook three times, at about eight minutes' distance, with 
 three such shocks as would have overturned the strongest building that could 
 be supposed to have stood on the earth ; and a gi-eat piece of the top of « 
 rock, which stood about half a mile from me, next the sea, tell down, with 
 such a terrible noise as I never heard in all my life. 'I perceived, also, the 
 very sea was put into violent motion by it ; and I believe the shocks were 
 stronger under the Water than on the island. 
 
 I was so much amazed with the thing itself, having never felt the like, nor 
 discoursed with any one that had, that 1 was like one dead or stupefied ; and 
 the motion of the earth made ray stomach sick, like one that ^^•as tossed at 
 sea ; but the noise of the falling of the rock awaked me, as it were, and, 
 rousing me from the stupefied condition 1 was in, filled me with horror; and 
 1 thought of nothing tlien but the hill falling upon my tent and all my house- 
 hold goods, and burying all at once ; and this sunk my veiy soul within me a 
 second time. 
 
 After the third shock was over, and 1 felt no more for some time, 1 began 
 to take courage ; and yet 1 had not heart enough to go over my "all 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, 1 had not the least 
 serious, religious thought ; nothing but the common " Lord, have mercy upon 
 me ! " and when it was over, that went away too. 
 
 While 1 sat thus, 1 foimd the air overcast, and grow cloudy, as if it would 
 rain ; soon aitcr that, the wind arose, by little and little, so that, in less than 
 half an hour, it blew a most dreadflil hurririuic : the sea was,all on a sudilen, 
 tovered over with foam and froth; the shore wafi covore») with the breach 
 
68 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 of the water ; the trees were torn up by the roots ; and a terrible storm it 
 was. This held about three hours, and then began to abate; and in two 
 hours more, it was stark calm, and began to rain very hard. All this while, I 
 sat upon the ground, very much terrified and dejected ; when, on a sudden, 
 it came into my thoughts, that these winds and rain being the consequences 
 of the earthquake, the earthquake itself was spent and over, and I might 
 venture into my cave again. With this thought, my spii-its 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 1 was forced to go into my cave, though very much afraid and 
 uneasy, for fear it should fall on my head. This violent rain forced me to a 
 new work, viz., to cut a hole through my new 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 still no more shocks of the earth- 
 quake follow, 1 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 1 could have no more when that was gone. It continued raining 
 all that night, and great part of the next day, so that I could not stir abi'oad ; 
 but, my mind being more composed, I began to think of what 1 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 1 had done 
 here, and so make myself secure from wild beasts or men ; but conchideii, 
 if I staid where 1 was, 1 should certainly, one time or other, be buried alive. 
 
 With these thoughts, 1 resolved to remove my tent from the place where ii 
 now stood, which was just under the hanging precipice of the hill ; and 
 which, if it should be shaken again, would certainly fall upon my tent; and I 
 spent the two next days, being the 19th and 20th of April, in contriving where 
 and how to remove my habitation. The fear of being swallowed up alive, 
 made me, that 1 never slept in quiet ; and yet the apprehension of lying 
 abroad, without any fence, was almost equal to it ; but still, when 1 looked 
 about, and saw how every thing was put in order, how pleasantly concealed 
 I was, and how safe from danger, it made me vei-y loath to i-emove. In the 
 mean time, it occurred to me that it would require a vast deal of time for me 
 to do this, and that I must be contented to run the venture where I was, till 
 I had foi'med a camp. for myself, and had secured it so as to remove to it. 
 So, with this resolution, I composed myself for a time, and resolved that 1 
 would go to work with all speed to build me a wall with piles and cables, 
 &c., in a circle, as before, and set my tent up in it when it was finished ; but 
 that 1 would venture to stay where 1 was till it was finished, and fit to re- 
 move. This was the 21st 
 
 Jlpril 22. The next morning 1 began to consider of means to put this 
 resolve into execution ; but I was at a great loss about my tools. I had three 
 large axes, and abundance of hatchets, (for we carrie(f the hatchets for traffic 
 with the Indians ;', but with much chopping and cutting knotty, hard wood, 
 they were all full of notches, and dull, and, though I had a grindstone, I could 
 not turn it, and grind my tools too. This cost me as much thought as a 
 statesman would have bestowed upon a grand point of politics, or a judge 
 upon the life and death of a man. At length, I contrived a wheel with a 
 string, to turn it with my foot, that 1 might have both my hands at liberty. 
 
All tins wliile, I lut upon Uie ground, verj luucli terrified and dejetle* 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 71 
 
 Note. — I had never seen any such thing hi England, — or, at least, not to 
 take notice how it was done, — though since I have ohserved it is very com- 
 mon there ; besides that, my gi-indstone was very large and heavy. Thia 
 machine cost me a full week's work to bring it to perfection. 
 
 Jlpril 28, 29. These two whole days I took up in grinding my tools ; my 
 machine for turning my grindstone performing very well. 
 
 ^pril 30. Having perceived my bread had been low a great while, now 1 
 took a survey of it, and reduced myself to one biscuit-cake a day, which 
 made my heart vei-y heavj'. 
 
 May ]. In the morning, looking toward tlie sea-side, the tide beiflg low, 
 I saw sometliiiig 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 wi-eck itself, I thought it seemed to lie higher out of the 
 water than it used to do. 1 examined the barrel which was driven on shore, 
 and soon found it was a bai-rel of gunpowder; but it had taken water, and the 
 powder was caked as hard as a stone ; however, 1 rolled it farther on shore 
 for the present, and went on upon the sands, as near as 1 could to the wreck 
 of the ship to look for more. 
 
 When I came down to the ship, I found it sti*angely removed. The fore- 
 castle, which lay before buried in sand, was heaved up at least six feet, 
 
72 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 and the stern, which was broke m pieces, and parted from the rest, by the 
 force of the sea, soon after 1 had left rummaging her, was tossed, as it were, 
 up, and ci-^t on one side ; and the sand was thrown so high on that side next 
 her stern., that, whereas there was a great place of water before, so that I 
 could not come within a quarter of a mile of the wreck without swimming, J 
 could now walk quite up to her when the tide was out. 1 was surprised 
 Witt this, at first, but soon concluded it must be done by the earthquake : 
 and, as by this violence the ship was more broke open than formerly, so 
 many things came daily on shore, which the sea had loosened, and which 
 the winds and water rolled by degrees to the land. 
 
 This wholly diverted my thoughts from the design of removing my habita- 
 tion, and I busied myself mightily, that day especially, in searching whether 
 1 could make any way mto the ship ; but 1 found nothing was to be ex- 
 pected of that Mnd, for all the inside of the ship was choked up with 
 sand. However, as 1 had learned not to despair of any thing, 1 resolved to 
 pull evei-y thing to pieces that I could of the ship, concluding that every 
 thing 1 could get from her would be of some use or other to me. 
 
 May 3. 1 began with my saw, and cut a piece of a beam through, which 
 I thought held some of the upper pai-t or quarter-deck together ; and when I 
 had cut it through, I cleared away the sand, as well as 1 could, from the side 
 which lay highest ; but, the tide coming in, I was obliged to give over for 
 that time. 
 
 •May 4. 1 went a-fishing, but caught not one fish that 1 durst eat of, till J 
 was weary of my sport; when, just going to leave off, I caught a young dol- 
 phin. I had made me a long line of some rope-yarn, but 1 had no hooks ; 
 yet 1 frequently caught fish enough, as touch as I cared to eat ; all which I 
 dried in the sun, and eat them dry. 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 73 
 
 May 5 Worked on the wreck ; cut another heam asunder, and brought 
 thi'ee great fir-planks off from the decks, which I tied together, and made 
 swim on shore when the tide of flood came on. 
 
 May & Worked on the wreck ; got several iron bolts out of her, and other 
 pieces oriron-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 ftiU of water and sand. 
 
 May 8. Went to the vvTCck, and carried an iron crow to wrench up the 
 deck, which lay now quite clear of the water or sand. I wrenched open two 
 planks, and brought them on shore also with the tide. I left the iron crow 
 in the 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. 1 felt also a roll of English lead, and could stu' it, 
 but it was too heavy to remove. 
 
 May 10 — 14. Went evei-y day to the wreck ; and got a great many pieces 
 of timber, and boards, or plank, and two or three hundred weight of iron. 
 
 May 15. 1 carried two hatchets, ta try if I could not cut a piece off of 
 the roll of lead, by placing the edge of one hatchet, and diivuig it with the 
 other ; but as it lay about a foot and a half in tiie water, I could not make 
 any blow to di'ive the hatchet. 
 
 May 16. It had blown hai-d in the night, and the wreck appeared more 
 broken by the force of the water; but I staid teo long in tlie woods to get 
 pigeons for food, that the tide prevented my going to the ^vrtck that day. 
 
 May 17. I saw some pieces of the wreck blown on shore, at a great dis- 
 tance, near two miles off me, but resolved to see what they were, and found 
 it was a piece of the head, but too heavy for me to bring away. 
 
 May 24. Every day, to this day, I worked on tlie wi-eck ; and, witli liard 
 labor, 1 loosened some things so much with the crow, tliat, 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 1 continued this work eveiy day to tlie 15th of June, 
 except the time necessai-y to get food, which I always appointed, during this 
 part of my emplo}aiient, to be when the tide was up, that I might be ready 
 when it ^vas ebbed out ; and, by this time, I had gotten timber, and plank, 
 and iron-work, enough to have built a good boat, if 1 had known how ; and 
 also I got, at several times, and in several pieces, near one hundred weight 
 of the sheet-lead. 
 
 Jnne 16. Going down to tlie sea-side, 1 found a large tortoise, or turtle. 
 This was the first 1 had seen ; which, it seems, was only my misfortune, not 
 any defect of the place, or scai-city ; for, had I happened to be on the other 
 side of the island, 1 might have had hundi-eds of them every day, as I found 
 afterwards, but perhaps had paid deal- enough for them. 
 
 June 17 I spent in cooking the turtle. I found in her threescore eggs; 
 «nd her flesh was to me, at that time, the most savory and pleasant thf t ever 
 I tasted in my life, having had no flesh, but of goats and fowls, since I knded 
 io this hon'id place. 
 10 
 
^4 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Juru 1». Rained all day, and I staid within. I thought, at this time, tlie 
 rain felt cold, and I was something chilly, which I knew was not usual in 
 that latitude. 
 
 June 19. Veiy ill, and shivering, as if the weather had been col^ 
 
 June 20. No rest all night ; violent pains in my head, and feveriSh. 
 
 June 21. Very ill ; frighted almost to death with the apprehensions of my 
 sad condition, — to be sick, and no help ; prayed to God, for the first time 
 since the storm off of Hull, but scarce knew what I said, or why, my thoughts 
 lieing all confused. 
 
 June 22. A little better ; but under dreadful apprehensions of sickness. 
 
 June 23. Veiy bad again ; cold and shivering, and then a violent headache. 
 
 June 24. Much better. 
 
 June 25. An ague very violent : the fit held me seven hours ; cold fit, and 
 hot, with faint sweats after it. 
 
 June 26. Better ; and, having no victuals to eat, took my gun, but found 
 myself very weak; however, I killed a she-goat, and with much difficulty got 
 it home, and broiled some of it, and eat. I would fain have stewed it, and 
 made some broth, but had no pot. 
 
 June 27. The ague agam so violent that I lay abed all day, and neither 
 eat nor drank. I was ready to perish for thirst ; but so weak, I had not 
 strength to stand up, or to get myself any water to drink. Prayed to God 
 again, but was light-headed ; and when I was not, I was so ignorant that 1 
 knew not what to say ; only I lay and cried, « Lord, look upon me ! Lord, 
 pity me ! Lord, have mercy upon me ! " I suppose I did nothing else for two 
 or three hours ; till, the fit weai-ing off, I fell asleep, and did not wake till far 
 in the night. When 1 awoke, 1 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, 1 
 had this terrible dream : — 1 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 
 1 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 eai-thquake, and all the air looked, to my apprehension, as if 
 It had been filled with flashes of fire. He was no sooner landed upon the 
 earth, but he moved forward towards me, wj.th a long spear or weapon in hia 
 hand, to kill me ; and, when he came to a rising gi-ound, at some distance, he 
 sjioke to me, or I heard a voice so ten-ible 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. 
 
 IVo one that shall ever read this account, will expect that 1 should be able 
 i ■ describe the horroi-s of my soul at this terrible vision ; I mean, that even 
 '% liile it was a di-eam, I even di-eamed of those hon-ors ; nor is it any more 
 possible to describe the impression that remained upon my mind when 1 
 awaked, and found it was but a dream. 
 
 I had, alas ! no divine knowledge ; what I had received by the good instruc- 
 tion of my father was then worn out, by an uninterrupted series, for eight 
 years, of seafaring wickedness, and a constant conversation with none but 
 
OF ROBINSON CKUSOE. 75 
 
 such as were, like myself, wicked and profane to the last degree. 1 do not 
 remember that I had, in all that time, one thought that so much as tended 
 either to looking upwards towards God, or inwards towards a reflection upon 
 my own ways; but a certain stupidity of soul, without desire of good, or 
 conscience of evil, had entirely overwhelmed me ; and 1 was all that the 
 most hardened, unthinking, wicked creature, among our common sailors, can 
 be supposed to be ; not having the least sense, either of the fear of God in 
 danger or of thankfulness to God in deliverance. 
 
 In the relating what is already past of my story, this will be the more easily 
 believed, when 1 shall add, that, through all the variety of miseries that had 
 to this day befallen me, I never had so much as one thought of it being the 
 hand of God, or that it was a just punishment for my sin, — my rebellious 
 behavior against my father, or my present sins, which were great, — or so 
 much as a punishment for the general course of my wicked life. When I 
 was on the desperate expedition on the desert shores of Africa, I never had 
 so much as one thought of what would become of me, or one wish to God 
 to direct me whither I should go, or to keep me from the danger which 
 appai'ently surrounded me, as well from voracious creatures as cruel savages ; 
 but I was merely thoughtless of a God or a providence, — acted like a mere 
 brute, from the principles of nature, and by the dictates of common sense only, 
 and indeed hardly that. When I was delivered, and taken up at sea by the 
 Portugal captain, well used, and dealt justly and honorably with, as well as 
 chai'itably, I had not the least thankfulness in my thoughts. Wlion, again, 1 
 was shipwrecked, ruined, and in danger of drowning, on this island, I was as 
 far from remorse, or looking on it as a judgment ; I only said to myself often, 
 that I was an unfortunate dog, and born to be always miserable. 
 
 It is true, when I got on shore first here, and found all my ship's crew 
 drowjned, 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 thankfulness ; but it ended where it began, in a mere com- 
 mon flight of joy, or, as 1 may say, being glad I was alive, without the least 
 reflection upon the distinguished goodness of the hand which had preserved 
 me, and had singled me out to be preserved when all the rest were destroyed ; 
 or an inquiry why Providence had been thus merciful unto me ; even just 
 the same common sort of joy which seamen generally have, afl;er they are 
 got safe ashore from a ship^vreck, which they drown all in the next bowl of 
 punch, and forget almost as soon as it is over ; and all the rest of my life was 
 like it. Even when I was, afterwards, on due consideration, made sensible 
 of my condition, — how 1 was cast on this dreadful place, out of the reach of 
 hmnan kind, out of all hope of relief, or prospect of redemption, — as soon 
 as 1 saw but a prospect of living, and that I should not starve and perish for 
 hunger, all the sense of my afiliction wore off; and I began to be veiy easy 
 applied myself to the works proper for my presei-vation and supply, and was 
 far enough from being afflicted at my condition, as a judgment from Heaven 
 or as the hand of God against me ; these were thoughts which very seldom 
 entered my head. 
 
 The growing up of the corn, as is hinted in my journal, had, at first, some 
 little influence upon me, and began to aflfect me with seriousness, as long as 
 I thought it had something miraculous in it ; but as soon as ever that part 
 of the tliought was removed, all the impression that was raised from it wore 
 off also, as I have noted already. Even the earthquake, though nothing 
 
7G THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 could be more terrible in its nature, or more immediately directing to the 
 invisible Power which alone directs such things, yet no sooner was the 
 first flight over, but the impression it had made went off also. I had no 
 more sense of God, or His judgments, — much less of the present affliction 
 of my circumstances being from His hand, — than if I had been in the most 
 prosperous condition of life. But now, when I began to be sick, and a 
 leisurely view of the miseries of death came to place itself before me ; when 
 my spirits began to sink under the burden of a strong distemper, and nature 
 was exhausted with the violence of the fever, — conscience, that had slept so 
 long, began to awake, and I began to reproach myself with my past life, 
 in which I had so evidently, by uncommon wickedness, provoked the justice 
 of God to lay me under uncommon strokes, and to deal with me in so 
 vindictive a manner. These reflections oppressed me for the second or third 
 day of my distemper; and in the violence, as well of the fever as of the 
 dreadful reproaches of my conscience, extorted some words from me like 
 praying to God, though I cannot say they were either a prayer attended with 
 desires or with hopes ; it was rather the voice of mere fright and distress. 
 My thoughts were confused, the convictions great upon my mind, and the 
 horror of dying in such a miserable condition, raised vapors into my head 
 with the mere apprehension ; and, in these hvuries of my soul, I knew not 
 what my tongue might express ; but it was rather exclamation, such as, 
 " Lord, what a miserable creature am I ! If I should be sick, I shall certainly 
 die for want of help ; and what will become of m« .' " Then the tears burst 
 out of my eyes, and I could say no more for a good while. In tliis interval, 
 the good advice of my father came to my mind, and presently his prediction, 
 which I mentioned at the beginning of this story, viz., that if I did take this 
 foolish step, God would not bless me, and I would have leisure hereafter to 
 reflect upon having neglected his counsel, 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 mercifiilly put me 
 in a posture or station of life wherein I might have been happy and easy ; 
 but I would neither see it myself, or leai-n to know the blessing of it from 
 my parents. 1 left them to momn over my folly, and now I am left to mourn 
 under the consequences of it: I refused their help and assistance, who would 
 have lifted me in the world, and would have made 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 help, no comfort, no advice." Then I cried 
 out, " Lord, be my help, for I am in gi-eat distress." This was the first prayer, 
 if I may call it so, that I had made for many years. 
 
 But 1 return to my journal : — 
 
 June 28. Having been somewhat refreshed with the sleep I had had, and 
 (he fit being entirely off, I got up ; and, though the fright and teiTor of my 
 dream was veiy great, yet I considered that the fit of the ague would return 
 again the next day, and now was my time to get something to refresh and 
 support myself when 1 should be ill ; and the first thing I did, I filled a large, 
 square case-bottle with water, and set it upon my table, in reach of my bed ; 
 and to take off the chill or aguish disposition of the water, I put about a 
 quarter of a pint of rum into it, and mixed them together. Then I got me a 
 piece of the goat's flesh, and broiled it on the coals, but could eat very little. 
 I walked about ; but was very weak, and withal very sad and heavy hearted, 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 77 
 
 under a sense of my miserable condition, di-eading the return of my dis- 
 temper the next day. At night, I made my supper of three of the turtle's 
 eggs ; which I roasted m the ashes, and eat, as we call it, in the shell : and 
 this was the first bit of meat 1 had ever asked God's blessing to, even, as I 
 could remember, in my whole life. Afler 1 had eaten, I tried to walk, but 
 found myself so weak, that I could hardly carry a gun, for 1 never went out 
 without that; so 1 went but a little way, and sat down upon the ground, 
 ooking out upon the sea, which was just before me, and very calm and 
 
 smooth. As 1 sat here, some such thoughts as these occm-red to me : — AVhat 
 is this eaith and sea, of which I have seen so much ? AVhence is it pro- 
 duced ? And what am I, and all the otlier creatures, ^vild and tame, human 
 and brutal .' Whence ai-e we ? Sure ^ve are all made by some secret po\\ er, 
 who formed the eai-th and sea, the air and gky. And who is that ? Then it 
 tbllowed, most naturally. It is God that has made all. Well ; but, then, it came 
 on strangely, if God has made all these tilings, he guides and governs them 
 all, and all things that concern them; for the power that could make all 
 things, must certainly have power to guide and direct them; if so, nothing 
 can happen m the great circuit of His works, either without His knowledge 
 or appointment. 
 
 And if nothing happens wtliout His knowledge, He knows that 1 am here, 
 and am in this dreadful condition ; and if notliing happens without His ap- 
 pointment. He has appointed all this to befall me. Nothing occurred to nij 
 thought, to contradict any of tliese conclusions ; and therefore it rested upon 
 MIC with the greater force, tliat it must needs be that God had appointed all 
 this to befall me ; that I was brought into tliis miserable circumstance by His 
 direction. He having tlie sole power, not of me only, but of every thing that 
 happened in the world. Immediately it followed, Why has God done this to 
 me ? AMiat 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, — " Wi-etch ! dost thou ask what thou hast done .' Look back upon a 
 dreadful misspent life, and ask thyself what thou hast not done. Ask, Wliy is 
 
78 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 it that thou wert not long ago destroyed? Why wert thou not di-owned in 
 Yarmouth Roads ? killed in the fight when the ship was taken by the Sallee 
 maa-of-war ? devoured by the wild beasts on the coast of Africa ? or drowned 
 here, when all the crew perished but thyself? Dost tlwu ask, What have 1 
 done ? " 1 was struck dumb with these reflections, as one astonished, and had 
 not a word to say, — no, not to answer to myself, but rose up pensive and, sad, 
 walked back to my retreat, and went up over my wall, as if I had been going 
 to bed ; but my thoughts were sadly disturbed, and 1 had no inclination to 
 sleep ; so I sat down in my chau-, and lighted my lamp, for it began to be 
 dark. Now, as the apprehension of the return of my distemper terrified me 
 vei-y much, it occurred to my thought, that the Brasilians take no physic but 
 their tobacco, for almost all distempers, and 1 had a pie(;e of a roll of tobacco 
 in one of the chests, which was quite cm-ed, and some also that was green, 
 and not quite cured. 
 
 1 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 1 looked for, viz., the 
 tobacco ; and, as the few books 1 had saved lay there too, I took out one of 
 the Bibles which 1 mentioned before, and which, to this time, I had not found 
 leisure, or so much as inclination, to look into. I say, I took it out, and 
 brought both that and the tobacco with me to the table. What use to make 
 of the tobacco I knew not, as to my distemper, or whether it was good for it 
 or no ; but I tried several experiments with it, as if I was resolved it should 
 hit one way or other. I first took a piece of a leaf, and chewed it in my 
 mouth, which, indeed, at first, almost stupefied my brain, the tobacco being 
 green and strong, and that I had not been much used' to. Then I took some 
 and steeped it an hour or two in some rum, and resolved to take a dose of it 
 when I lay down ; and, lastly, 1 bm-nt 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, 1 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 deliver thee, and thou shalt 
 glorify me." These words were very apt to my case, and made some 
 impression upon my thoughts at the time of reading them, though not so 
 much as they did afterwards; for, as for being delivered, the word had no 
 sound, as I may say, to me ; the thing was so remote, so impossible in my 
 apprehension of things, that I began to say as the childi-en of Israel did 
 when they were promised flesh to eat, " Can God spread a table in the 
 wilderness ? " so 1 began to say, " Can God himself deliver me from this 
 place ? " And, as it was not for many years that any hopes appeared, this 
 prevailed vei-y ofl:en upon my thoughts; but, however, the words made a 
 great impression upon me, and I mused upon them veiy often. It grew now 
 late, and the tobacco had, as I said, dozed my head so much that I inclined 
 to sleep ; so I left my lamp burning in tlie cave, lest I should want any thing 
 in the night, and went to bed. But before 1 lay down, I did what 1 never 
 had done in all my life ; I kneeled down, and prayed to God to fulfil tlie 
 promise to me, that if I called upon him in the day of trouble, he would 
 deliver me. After my broken and imperfect prayer was over, I drank the 
 rum in which I had steeped the tobacco ; which was so strong and rank of 
 the tobacco, that indeed I coidd, scarce get it dovra ; immediately upon this 1 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 79 
 
 went to bed. I found presently it flew up into my head violently ; but I fell 
 into a sound sleep, and waked no more till, by the sun, it must necessarily 
 be near thi-ee o'clock in the afternoon the next day ; nay, to tliis horn- 1 am 
 partly of opinion, that 1 slept all the next day and night, and till almost three 
 the day after ; for, otherwise, I know not how I should lose a diiy out of my 
 reckoning in the days of the week, as it appeared, some yeai-s after, I had 
 done ; for if 1 had lost it by crossing and recrossiug the Line, I should have 
 lost moi'e than one day ; but certauily 1 lost a day in iny accouut, and never, 
 knew which way. Be that, however, one way or tlie otlier, when I awaked, 
 1 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 hungi-y ; and, in short, I had no fit tlie next day, but con- 
 tinued much altered for the better. This was die 29th. 
 
 The 30th was my well day, of com-se, and I went abroad with my gun, but 
 did not cai-e to travel too far. 1 killed a sea-fowl or two, something like a 
 brand goose, and brought them home ; but was not very foi-ward to eat 
 tlieni ; so I eat some moi-e of the turtle's eggs, which were very good. 
 This evening, I renewed tlie medicine, wliich 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 lea? or hold my head over the smoke ; 
 however, I was not so well the next day, which was tlie fii'st of July, as 1 hoped 
 I should have been ; for I had a Uttle spice of the cold fit, but it was not much. 
 
 July 2. I renewed the medicine all the three ways; and dosed myself 
 with it as at fii-st, and doubled the quantity which I drank. 
 
 July 3. 1 missed the fit for good and all, though I did not recover my full 
 strength for some weeks after. Wliile I was thus gathering strength, my 
 thoughts ran exceedingly upon tiiis scripture — " 1 will deliver thee ; " and the 
 
so 
 
 THE LIFE ANO ADVENTUKKS 
 
 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 1 had received ; and I was, 
 as it were, made to ask myself such questions as these, viz.: — Have 1 not 
 been delivered, and wonderfully too, from sickness? from the most distressed 
 condition that could be, and that was so frightful to me ? And what notice 
 nad I taken of it? Had I done my part? God had delivered me, but 1 had 
 not glorified him ; that is to say, I had not owned and been thankful for that 
 as a deliveiahce ; and how could I expect greater deliverance ? This touched 
 my heart very much ; and immediately 1 knelt down, and gave God thanks 
 aloud for my recovery from my sickness. 
 
 July 4. In the morning, I took the Bible, and, beginning at the New 
 Testament, 1 began seriously to read it, and imposed upon myself to read 
 awhile evei-y morning and evei-y night; not tying myself to the number of 
 chapters, but as long as my thoughts should engage me. It was not long 
 after I set seriously to this work, but I found my heart more deeply and 
 sincerely aflfected with the wickedness of my past life. The impression 
 of my di-eam revived ; and the words, " All these things have not brought 
 thee to repentance," ran seriously in my thoughts. I was earnestly begging 
 of God to give me repentance, when it happened providentially, the very 
 lay, that, reading the Scripture, 1 came to these words : " He is exalted a 
 
OF KOBINSON cnUSOE. 
 
 81 
 
 Prince and a Savior, to give repentance, and to give remission." 1 threw 
 down the book ; and, with my heart as well as my hands lifted up to heaven, 
 in a kind of ecstasy of joy, 1 cried out aloud, "Jesus, thou son of David' 
 Jesus, thou exalted Prince and Saviour! give me repentance!" This was 
 the first time I could say, in the true sense of the words, that 1 prayed in all 
 my life ; for now 1 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 1 
 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 de- 
 livered from the captivity I was in ; for though I was indeed at large in the 
 place, yet the island was certainly a prison to me, and that in the worst sense 
 in the world. But now I learned to take it in another sense ; now I looked 
 back upon my past life with such horror, and my sins appeared so dreadful, 
 that my soul sought nothing of God but deliverance from the load of guilt 
 that bore down all my comfoi-t As for my solitary life, it was nothing ; 1 
 did not so much as pray to be delivered from it, or think of it ; it was all of 
 no consideration, in comparison to this. And I add tliis part here, to hint to 
 whoever shall read it, that whenever they come to a true sense of tilings, 
 they will find deliverance from sin a much greater blessing than deliverance 
 from affliction. 
 
 But, leaving this pait, I return to my journal : — 
 
 My condition began now to be, though not less miserable as to my way 
 of living, yet much easier to my mind ; and my thoughts being directed, by a 
 constant reading the Scnpnire and praying to God, to things of a higher 
 12 
 
82 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 nature, 1 had a great deal of comfort within, which, till now, 1 knew nothing 
 of; also, as my health and strength returned, 1 bestirred myself to fui-nisb 
 myself with every thing that I wanted, and make my way of living as 
 regular as 1 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 appU- 
 cation 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 
 tois e3q)eriment ; and, though it did carry off the fit, yet it rather contributed 
 to vyeakening 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 
 d,ccompanied with such storms, so I found that rain was much more dan- 
 gerous than the rain which fell in September and October. 
 
 I had been now in this unhappy island above ten months : all possibility 
 of deliverance from this condition seemed to be entirely taken from me ; and 
 I fii'mly believed that no human shape had ever set foot upon that place- 
 Having now secured my habitation, as I thought, fully to my mind, I had a 
 great desire to make a more perfect discovei-y of the island, and to see what 
 other productions I might find, which I yet knew nothing of 
 
 It was on the 15th of July that I began to take a more particular survey 
 of the islauid itself I went up the creek first, where, as 1 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 run- 
 ning water, and vei7 fresh and good ; but, this being the dry season, there 
 was hardly any water in some parts of it ; at least, not enough to run in any 
 stream, so as it could be perceived. On the banks of this brook, I found many 
 pleasant savannas 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 overflowed, I found a great deal of tobacco, 
 green, and growing to a great and veiy strong stalk : there were divers other 
 plants which I had no notion of, or understanding about, and might, perhaps, 
 have virtues of their own, which I could not find out I searched for the 
 cassava root, which the Indians, in all that climate, make their bread of, but 
 I could find none. I saw lai'ge plants of aloes, but did not understand them, 
 1 saw several sugar-canes, but wild, and, for want of cultivation, imperfect 
 I contented myself with these discoveries for this time, and came back, 
 riiusing with myself what course 1 might take to know the virtue and good- 
 iiesb of any of the fruits or plants which I should discover; but could bring- 
 it tc no conclusion ; for, in short, I had made so little observation while I 
 was in tlie Brasils, that I knew little of the plants in the field ; at least, ver) 
 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 
 savannas began to cease, and the country became more woody than before. 
 In this part, I found different fruits, and particularly I found melons upon the 
 ground, in great abundance, and grapes upon the trees ; the vines had spread. 
 

 I descended a liltle on the aide afthat delicious vale 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 85 
 
 indeed, over the trees, and the clusters of grapes were just now in their prime 
 very ripe and rich. This was a surprising discovery, and I was exceeding 
 glad of them ; but I was warned by my experience to eat sparingly of them, 
 remembering that when I was ashore in Barbary, the eating of grapes killed 
 several of our Englishmen, who were slaves there, by throwing them into 
 fluxes and fevers. But I found an excellent use for these grapes ; and that 
 was, to cure or dry them in the sun, and keep them as dried grapes or raisins 
 are kept, which 1 thought would be, as indeed they were, as wholesome as 
 agreeable to eat, when no grapes might be to be had. 
 
 I spent all that evening there, and went not back to my habitation ; which, 
 by the way, was the first night, as I might say, I had lain from home. In 
 the night, I took my first contrivance, and got up into a tree, where I slept 
 well ; and, the next morning, proceeded upon my discovery, travelling nearly 
 four miles, as I might judge by the length of the valley, keeping still due 
 north, with a ridge of hills on the south and north side of me. At the end of 
 this march, I came to an opening, where the countiy seemed to descend to 
 the west ; and a little spring of fresh water, which issued out of the side of 
 the hill by me, ran the other way, that is, due east ; and the country appeared 
 so fresh, so green, so flourishing, everything being in a constant verdure, or 
 flourish of spring, that it looked like a planted garden. I descended a Uttle 
 on the side of that delicious vale, surveying it with a secret kind of pleasure, 
 though mixed with my other afiiicting thoughts, to think that this was all my 
 own ; that I was king and lord of all this country indefeasibly, and had a right 
 of possession ; and, if I could convey it, 1 might have it in inheritance as 
 completely as any lord of a manor in England. I saw here abundance of 
 cocoa-trees, orange, and lemon, and citron-trees ; but all wild, and very few 
 beaiing any fi-uit, 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 
 afterwai'ds with water, which made it very wholesome, and very cool and re- 
 freshing. 1 found, now, I had business enough, to gather and carry home , 
 and I resolved to lay up a store, as well of grapes as limes and lemons, to 
 flirnish 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 pai'cel of limes and lemons in another place ; and, taking 
 a few of each with me, I ti'avelled homewai-d; and resolved to come again, 
 and bring a bag or sack, or what I could make, to carry the rest home. Ac- 
 cordingly, 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 gi-apes were 
 spoiled ; the richness of the fruit, and the weight of the juice, having broken 
 them and bruised them, they were good for httle or nothing : as to the limes, 
 tliey were good, but I could bring but a few. 
 
 The next day, being the 19th, I went back, having made me two small 
 bags to bring home my harvest; but I was surprised, when, coming r> 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, 1 concluded there were 
 some wild creatures thereabouts, which had done this ; but what they were, I 
 knew not However, as I found there was no laying them up on heaps, and no 
 cai-rying 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 
 coui-se ; for I gathered a large quantity of the grapes, and hung them upon the 
 
86 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 out-brancnes 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 1 came home from this journey, I contemplated with great pleasure 
 the fruitfulness of that valley, and the pleasantness of the situation ; the se- 
 curity from storms on that side the water, and the wood ; and concluded that 
 1 had pitched upon a place to fix my abode, which was by far the worst part 
 of the country. Upon the whole, I began to consider of removing my habita- 
 tion ; and to look out for a place equally safe as where now 1 was situate, if 
 possible, in that pleasant, fruitful part of the island. 
 
 This thought ran long in my head, and I was exceeding fond of it for soise 
 time, the pleasantness of the place tempting me ; but when I came to a nearer 
 view of it, I considered that I was now by the sea-side, where it was at least 
 possible that something might happen to my advantage ; and, by the same 
 ill fate that brought me hither, might bring some other unhappy wretches to 
 the same place ; and though it was scarce probable that any such thing 
 should ever happen, yet to enclose myself among the hills and woods in the 
 centre of the island, was to anticipate my bondage, and to render such an 
 affair not only improbable; but impossible ; and that, therefore, I ought not, 
 by any means, to remove. However, I was so enamored of this place, that 1 
 spent much of my time there for the whole remaining part of the month of 
 July ; and thqugh, upon second thoughts, I resolved as above, 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 ; and here I lay very secure, sometimes two 
 or three nights together ; always going over it with a ladder, as before ; so that 
 I fancied now, 1 had my country house and my sea-coast house ; and this 
 work took me up to the beginning of August. 
 
 I had but newly finished my fence, and began to enjoy my labor, when the 
 rains came on, and made me stick close to my first habitation ; for, though I 
 had made me a tent like the other, with a piece of a sail, and spread it very 
 well, yet I had not the shelter of a hill to keep me from storms, nor a cave 
 behind me to retreat into when the rains were extraordinary. 
 
 About the beginning of August, as I said, 1 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, indeed, were excellent good raisins of the sun • 
 so' I began to take them down fi-om the trees, and it was very happy that I 
 did so, for the rains which followed would have spoiled them, and 1 had lost 
 the best part of my winter food ; for 1 had above two hundred large bunches 
 of them. No sooner had I taken them all down, and carried most of them 
 home to my cave, but it began to rain ; and from hence, which was the 14th 
 of August, it rained more or less, every day, till the middle of October, and 
 sometimes so violently, that I could not stir out of my cave for several days. 
 
 In this season, I was much surprised with the increase of my lamily ; 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 tale or tidings of her, til to 
 my astonishment, she came home, about the end of August, with three kittens. 
 This was the more strange to me, because, though I had killed a wildcat, as 
 I called it, with my gim, yet 1 thought it was a quite different kind from'our 
 European cats; and the young cats were the same kmd of house-breed like 
 the old one ; and both my cats being females, I thought it very strange. But 
 from these three cats, I afterwards came to be so pestered with cats, that I 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 87 
 
 
 
 was forced to kill them like vermin, or wild beasts, and to diive them from 
 my house as much as possible. 
 
 Prom the 14th of August to the 26th, hicessant rain, so that 1 could not stii-, 
 and was now veiy careful not to be much wet In this confinement, I began 
 to be straitened for food ; but venturing out twice, I one day killed a goat ; 
 and the last day, which was the 26th, found a very large tortoise, whicli was 
 a ti-eat to me, and my food was regulated thus : — I eat a bunch of raisins for 
 my breakfast; a piece of goat's flesh, or of the turtle, for my dinner, broiled; 
 for, to my great misfortune, 1 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 ray fence or wall ; and so I came m and out this way. But I 
 was not perfectly easy at lying so open ; for, as I had managed myself before, 
 I was in a perfect enclosure ; whereas, now, I thought I lay exposed, and open 
 for any tiling to come in upon me ; and yet 1 could not perceive that there was 
 any living thing to feai-, the biggest creatm-e that I had yet seen upon the 
 island being a goat 
 
 Sept. 30. I was now come to the unhappy anniversary of my landing. I 
 cast up the notches on my post, and fomid I had been on shore three hun- 
 dred and sixty-five days. I kept this day as a solemn fast, setting it apart to 
 religious exercise, prostrating myself on the groimd with tlie most serious 
 humiliation, confessing my sins to God, acknowledging his righteous judg- 
 ments upon me, and praying to him to have mercy on me through Jesus 
 Christ ; and not having tasted the least refi-eshment for twelve hours, even tUl 
 the going down of the sun, I then eat a biscuit-cake and a bunch of grapes, 
 and went to bed, finishing the day as I began it liad all this time observed 
 no Sabbath-day ; for, as at first I had no sense of rehgion upon my mind, I 
 had| after some time, omitted to distinguish tlie 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 1 had 
 oeen 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 ray account, I had lost a day or 
 
88 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTUKES 
 
 two in my reckoning. A little after this, my ink began to fail nie, and so I 
 contented myself to use it more sparingly, and to write down only the most 
 remarkable events of my life, without continuing a daily memorandum of 
 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 1 
 bought all my experience before I had it, and this I am going to relate, was 
 one of the most discouraging experiments that I made at all. 
 
 I have mentioned that I had saved the few ears of barley and rice, which 
 I had so surprisingly found spring up, as I thought, of themselves, and I be- 
 lieve there were about thirty stalks of rice, and about twenty of barley ; and 
 now 1 thought it a proper time to sow it, after the rains, the sun being in its 
 southern position, going from me. A ccordingly, 1 dug up a piece of ground as 
 well as I could with my wooden spade, and, dividing it into two parts, I sowed 
 my grain ; but, as I was sowing, it casually occurred to my thoughts that I would 
 not sow it all at first, because I did not know when was the proper time for 
 it ; so I sowed about two thirds of the seed, leaving about a handftil of each. 
 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 months following, the 
 earth having had no rain after the seed was sown, it had no moisture to assist 
 its growth, and never came up at all till the wet season had come again, and 
 then it gi-ew as if it had been but newly sown. Finding my first seed did 
 not grow, which I easily imagined was by the drought, I sought for'a moister 
 piece of gi-ound 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 
 vsmal equinox ; and this, having the rainy months of March and April to 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 89 
 
 water it, sprung up very pleasantly, and yielded a very good crop ; but, having 
 part of the seed left only, and not daring to sow all that I had, 1 had but a 
 small quantity at last, my vrhole crop not amounting to above half a peck of 
 each kind. But by this experiment 1 v?as made master of my business, and 
 knew exactly when the proper season was to sow, and that 1 might expect 
 two seed-times and two harvests every year. 
 
 While this com 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 coun- 
 try to my bower, where, though I had not been some months, yet I foimd 
 all things just as I left them. The circle or double hedge that I had made 
 was not only firm and entire, but the stakes which I had cut out of some trees 
 that grew thereabouts, were all shot out, and grown with long branches, as 
 much as a willow-tree usually shoots the first year after lopping its head. I 
 could not tell what tree to call it that these stakes were cut fronx 1 was sur- 
 prised, and yet very well pleased, to see the young trees grow ; and I pruned 
 them, and led them up to gi-ow 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 edge 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 mider 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 yai-ds' distance from my first fence, 
 they grew presently, and were at first a fine cover to my habitation, and after- 
 wards served for a defence also, as I shall observe in its order. 
 
 I fiiund, now, that the seasons of the year might generally be divided, not 
 into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into the rainy seasons and the 
 dry seasons ; which were generally thus : — 
 
 The half of February, the whole of March, and the half of April; — rainy, 
 the sun being then on or near the equinox. 
 
 The half of ApVil, the whole of May, June, and July, and the half of Au- 
 gust ; — dry, the sun being then to the north of the Line. 
 
 The half of August, the whole of September, and the half of October ; — 
 rainy, the sun being then come back. 
 
 The half of October, the whole- of November, December, and January, and 
 the half of February ; — dry, tlie sun being then to the south of the Line. 
 
 The rainy seasons sometimes held longer or shorter, as the winds happened 
 to blow ; but this was the general observation I made. After I had found by 
 experience the ill consequences of being abroad in the rain, 1 took care to 
 furnish myself with provisions beforehand, that 1 might not be obliged to go 
 out ; and I sat within doors as much as possible during tlie 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 labor and constant application ; particiUaily, I tried many way? 
 to make myself a basket, but all the twigs I could get for the purpose proved 
 so brittle, that they would do nothing. It proved of excellent advantage to 
 me, now, that, when I was a boy, I used to take great delight in standing at a 
 basket-maker's in the town where my father lived, to see them make their 
 wicker-ware ; and being, as boys usually are, very officious to help, and a 
 great observer of the manner how they worked those things, and sometimes 
 13 
 
) THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 tiding a hand, 1 had, by these means, full knowledge of the methods of it, 
 at I wanted nothing but the materials ; when it came into my mind that the 
 figs of that tree from whence I cut my stakes that grew, might possibly be as 
 ugh as the sallows, willows, and osiers in England, and I resolved to try. 
 ccordingly, the next day, I went to my country house, as I called it, and, 
 itting some of the smaller twigs, I found them to my purpose as much as I 
 luld desire ; whereupon I came the next time prepared with hatchet to cut 
 )wn a quantity, which I soon found, for there was great plenty of them, 
 hese I set up to dry within my circle or hedge, and, when they were fit for 
 !e, I carried them to my cave ; and here, during the next season, I employed 
 yself in making, as well as I could, a great many baskets, both to carry 
 u-th, or to carry or lay up any thing, as I had occasion ; and though I did not 
 lish them very handsomely, yet I made them sufficiently sei-viceable for my 
 arpose ; and thus, afterwards, I took cai-e never to be without them ; and as 
 ly wicker-ware decayed, I made more, especially strong, deep baskets, to 
 lace my corn in, instead of sacks, when I should come to have any quantity 
 fit 
 
 Having mastered this difficulty, and employed a world of time about it, I 
 Bstired myself to see, if possible, how to supply two wants. I had no vessel 
 I hold any thing that was liquid, except two runlets, which were almost full 
 frum, and some glass bottles, — some of the common size, and others which 
 'ere case-bottles-square, for the holding of vyaters, spirits, &c. I had not so 
 mch as a pot to boil any thing, except a great kettle, which I saved out of the 
 lip, and which was too big for such use as I desired it, viz., to make broth, and 
 :ew a bit of meat by itself The second thing I fain would have had, was a 
 )bacco-pipe, but it was impossible to me to make one ; however, I found a 
 ontrivance for that too, at last. 1 employed myself in planting my second 
 ows of stakes or piles, and in this wicker- working all the summer or dry 
 sason, when another business took me up more time than it could be im- 
 gined 1 could spare. 
 
 I mentioned before that I had a great mind to see the whole island ; and 
 lat I had travelled up the brook, and so on to where I built my bower, and 
 ?here 1 had an opening quite to the sea, on the other side of the island. I 
 ow resolved to travel quite across to the sea-shore on that side ; so, taking 
 ly gun, a hatchet, and my dog, and a larger quantity of powder and shot than 
 sual, with two biscuit-cakes, and a gi-eat bunch of raisins in my pouch for 
 ly store, I began my journey. When I had passed the vale where my bowei 
 tood, as above, I came within view of the sea to the west ; and it being a very 
 lear day, I fairly descried land, whether an island or a continent, could not 
 3ll ; but it lay very high, extending from the W. to the W. S. W., at a very 
 Teat distance ; by my guess, it could not be less than fifteen or twenty 
 eagues off. 
 
 I could not tell what paut of the world this might be, otherwise than that I 
 new it must be part of America ; and, as I concluded, by all my observa- 
 ions, must be near the Spanish dominions, and, perhaps, was all inhabited by 
 avages, where, if I should have landed,! had been in a worse condition than 
 
 was now ; and, therefore, I acquiesced in the dispositions of Providence, 
 vhich I began now to own and to believe ordered every thing for the best; 
 '. say, I quieted my mind with this, and lefl afflicting myself with fruitless 
 vishes of being there. 
 
 Besides, after some pause upon this affair, I considered that if this land was 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 91 
 
 the Spanish coast, I should certainly, one time or other, see some vessel pass 
 or repass one way or other; but if not, then it was the savage coast between 
 the Spanish country and Brasils, which are indeed the worst of savages ; for 
 they are cannibals, or men-eaters, and fail not to murder and devoiu- all the 
 human bodies that fall into their hands. 
 
 With these considerations, I walked very leisurely forward ; I found that 
 side of the island, where I now was, much pleasanter than mine ; the open 
 or savanna fields sweet, adorned with flowers and grass, and iuU of very fine 
 woods. I saw abundance of parrots, and fain I would have caught one, if 
 possible, to have kept it to be tame, and taught it to speak to me. I did, aftei 
 some pains-taking, catch a young parrot, for I knocked it down with a stick, 
 and, having recovered it, I brought it home ; but it was some years before I 
 could make him speak ; however, at last I taught him to call me by my name 
 very familiarly. But the accident that followed, though it be a trifle, will be 
 very diverting in its place. 
 
 I was exceedingly diverted with this journey. 1 found, in the low grounds, 
 hares (as 1 thought them to be) and foxes ; but they differed greatly from all 
 the other kinds 1 had met with, nor could I satisfy myself to eat them, though 
 1 killed several. But 1 had no need to be venturous, for 1 had no want of 
 food, and of that which was very good too ; especially these three sorts, viz., 
 goats, pigeons, and turtle, or tortoise ; which, added to my grapes, Leadenhall 
 Market could not have furnished a table better than I, in proportion to the 
 company ; and though my case was deplorable enough, yet I had great cause 
 for thankfulness, that I Was not driven to any extremities for food, but had 
 rather plenty, even to dainties. 
 
 I never travelled in this journey above two miles outright in a day, or there- 
 abouts ; but I took so many turns and returns, to see what discoveries I could 
 make, that I came weary enough to the place where I resolved to sit down 
 for all night ; and then I either reposed myself in a tree, or surromided 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 sm-prised 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 tiutles ; 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 ^inds, some which I had seen, and some which 1 had not seen, 
 before, and many of them very good meat, but such as 1 knew not the names 
 of, except those called Penguins. 
 
 I could have shot as many as I pleased, but was very sparing of my powder 
 and shot, and therefore had more mind to kill a she-goat, if I could, which I 
 could better feed on ; and though there were many goats here more than on 
 my side the island, yet it was vrith much more difficulty that I could come 
 near them, the country being flat and even, and they saw me much soonar 
 than when I was on the hill. 
 
 I confess this side of the country was much pleasanter than mine ; but yet 
 I had not the least inclination to remove ; for, as I was fixed in my habitation, 
 it became natiural to me, and 1 seemed all the while 1 was here to be, as 
 it were, upon a journey, and from home. However, 1 travelled along the 
 shore of the sea towards the etist, I suppose about twelve miles ; and then, 
 setting up a great pole upon the shore for a mark, I concluded I would go 
 home again, and tlaat the next jouniey I took should be on the other side of 
 
92 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 the island, east from my dwelling, and so round tUl I came to my post again ; 
 of which in its place, 
 
 1 took another way to come back than that 1 went, thinking I could easily 
 keep all the island so much in my view, that I could not miss finding my first 
 dwelling by viewing the country ; but I found myself mistaken ; for, being 
 come about two or three miles, I found myself descended into a very large 
 valley, but so surrounded with hills, and those hills covered with wood, that 
 I could not see which was my way by any direction but that of the sun, nor 
 even then, unless I knew very well the position of the sun at that time of the 
 day. It happened to my further misfortune, that the weather proved hazy 
 for three or four days ; while I was in the valley, and not being able to see the 
 sun, I wandered about very uncomfortably, and at last was obliged to find out 
 the sea-side, look for my post, and come back the same way I went ; and then 
 by e&sy journeys, I tinned homeward, the weather being exceeding hot, and 
 my gun, ammunition, hatchet, and other things, very heavy. 
 
 In this journey my dog si^rised a young kid, and seized upon it, and 1, 
 running in to take hold of it, caught it, and saved it alive from the dog. 1 
 had a great mind to bring it home if I could, for I had oflen 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 collai" to this little creatm-e, and with a string which 1 made 
 of some ropeyam, which I always cariied about me, I led him along, though 
 with some difficulty,. tUl 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. 
 
The shore wja covered with innumerable turtles 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 95 
 
 I cannot express what a satisfaction it was to me to come into my old 
 hutch, and lie down in my hammock-bed. This Utile wandering journey 
 without settled place of abode, had been so unpleasant to me, that my own 
 house, as I called it to myself, was a perfect settlement to me, compared to 
 that ; and it rendered every thing about me so comfci'table, that I resolved 1 
 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 a mere domestic, and to 
 be mighty well acquainted with me. Then I began to thmk of the poor kid 
 which 1 had penned in within my little circle, and resolved to go and fetch 
 it home, or give it some food ; accordingly I went, and found it where I left 
 it, for, indeed, it could not get out, but was almost starved for want of food. 
 I went and cut boughs of trees, and branches of such shrubs as I could find, 
 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 1 had no need to have tied it, for 
 it followed me like a dog ; and, as I continually fed it, tlie creature became so 
 loving, so gentle, and so fond, that it became from that time one of my do- 
 mestics also, and would never leave me aftei-wards. 
 
 The rainy season of the autumnal equinox was now come, and I kept the 
 30th of September in the same solemn manner as before, beuig tlie anniver- 
 sary of my landing on the island, having now been there two years, and no 
 more prospect of being delivered than the first day I came there. I spent 
 the whole day in humble and thankful acknowledgments of the many wonder- 
 ful mercies which my solitary condition was attended wth, and without 
 which it might have been infinitely more miserable. 1 gave humble and 
 hearty thanks that God had been pleased to discover to me, even that it was 
 possible I might be more happy in this solitary condition, than I should have 
 been in a liberty of society, and in all the pleasures of the world ; that he 
 could fully make up to me the deficiencies of my soUtary state, and the want 
 of human society, by his presence, and the communications of his grace to 
 my sou! ; supporting, comforting, and encouraging me to depend upon his 
 providence here, and hope for his -eternal presence hereafter. 
 
 It was now that I began sensibly to feel how much more happy this life 1 
 now led was, with all its miserable cii-cumstances, than the wcked, cursed, 
 abominable life I led all the past part of my days ; and now 1 changed both 
 my sorrows and my joys ; my very desires altered, my affections changed 
 their gusts, and my delights were perfectly new from what they were at my 
 first coming, or, indeed, for the two years past 
 
 Before, as I walked about, either on my hunting, or for viewing the coun- 
 try, the anguish of my soul at my condition would break out upon me on a 
 sudden, and my vei-y heart would die within me, to think of the woods, the 
 mountains, the deserts I was in, and how I was a prisoner, locked up with 
 the eternal bars and bolts of the ocean, in an iminhabited 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 woidd take me in the middle of my work, 
 and 1 would imjnediately sit dnwn and sigh, and look upon the ground for 
 an hour or two together ; and this was still worse to me, for if I could burst 
 out into tears, or vent myself by words, it would go off, and the grief, having 
 exhausted itself, would abate. 
 
THE LIFE ANU ADVENTURES 
 
 But now I began to exercise myself with new thoughts; I daily read the 
 rord of God, and applied all the comforts of it to my present state. One 
 loming, being very sad, I opened the Bible upon these words — "I will never, 
 ever leave thee nor forsake thee." Immediately it occurred that these 
 rords were to me ; why else should they be directed m such a manner, just 
 t the moment when I was mourning over my condition, as one forsaken of 
 rod and man ? " Well, then," said I, " if God does not forsake me, of what 
 1 consequence can it be, or what matters it, though the world sliould all 
 )rsake me, seeing o i the other hand, if I had all the world, and sliould lose 
 le favor 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 
 )r me to be more happy in this forsaken, solitai-y condition, than it was 
 robable 1 should ever have been in any other particular state in the world ; 
 nd with this thought, 1 was going to give thanks to God for bringing me to 
 lis place. 1 know not what it was, but something shocked my mind at that 
 lought, and I durst not speak the words. " How canst thou become such a 
 ypocrite," said 1, even audibly, " to pretend to be thankful for a. condition, 
 ^hich, however thou mayest endeavor to be contented with, thou wouldst 
 ither pray heartily to be delivered from ? " So I stopped there ; but, though 
 
 could not say I thanked God for being there, yet I sincerely gave thanks to 
 Jod for opening my eyes, by whatever afflicting providences, to see the former 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 97 
 
 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. . 
 
 Thus, and in this disposition of mind, I began my third year; and, though 
 1 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 1 constantly set apart some time for, tlirice 
 every day; secondly, the going abroad with my gim for food, which gen- 
 erally took me up three hours in every morning, when it did not rain ; 
 thirdly, the ordering, cutting, preserving, and cooking what I had killed or 
 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 exception, that sometimes I changed my hours of himting and 
 working, and went to work in the morning, and abroad with my gun in the 
 afternoon. 
 
 To this short time allowed for labor, 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 malting 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 to be a large tree which was to be cut down, 
 because my board was to be a broad one. Tliis tree I was three days a 
 cutting down, and two more cutting off" the boughs, and reducing it to a log, or 
 piece of timber. With inexpressible hacking and hewing, I reduced both the 
 sides of it into chips, till it began to be light enough to move ; then I turned 
 it, and made one side of it smooth and flat as a boaid 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 
 labor of my hands in such a piece of work, but labor and patience carried 
 me through that, and many other things ; I only observe this, in particular, to 
 show tlie reason why so much of my time went away with so little work, 
 viz., tliat what might be a little to be done with help and tools, was a vast 
 labor, and required a prodigious time to do alone, and by hand. But, not- 
 withstanding this, with patience and labor, I went through many things, and, 
 indeed, every thing that my circumstances made necessary to me to do, as 
 will appear by what follows. 
 
 I was now, in the months of November and December, expecting my crop 
 of bai'ley and rice. The ground I had manured 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, for I had lost one whole crop by sowing in the dry season ; but now 
 my crop promised very well, when, on a sudden, I foimd I was in danger 
 of losing it all again by enemies of several sorts, which it was scarce possible 
 to keep fi-om it ; as, first, the goats, and wild creatures which I called haresi 
 who, tastins the sweetness of the blade, lay in it night and day, as soon as it 
 13 
 
ya THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 came up, and eat it so close, that it could get no time to shoot up into 
 stalk. 
 
 This I saw no remedy for, but by making an enclosure about it with a 
 hedge, which I did with a great deal of toil ; and the more, because it 
 required speed. However, as my arable land was but small, suited to my 
 crop, I got it totally well fenced, in about three weeks' time ; and, shooting 
 some of the creatures in the daytime, I set my dog to guard it in the night, 
 tying him up to a stake at the g£(,te, where he would stand and bark aU 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 ittle crop surrounded vidth 
 fowls, of I know not how many sorts, who stood, as it were, watching^ till I 
 should be gone. I immediately let fly among them, for I always had my gun 
 with me. I had no sooner shot, but there rose up a little cloud of fowls, 
 which I had not seen at all, from among the corn itself. 
 
 This touched me sensibly, for I foresaw that in a few days they would 
 devour all my hopes ; that I should be starved, and never be able to raise a 
 crop at all ; and what to do I could not tell ; however, I resolved not to lose 
 my com, 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 like 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 they only waited till I was 
 gone away ; and the event proved it to be so ; for, as I walked ofij as if I was 
 gone, I was no sooner out of their sight, than they dropped down, one by one, 
 into the com again. I was so provoked, that I could not have patience to 
 stay till more came on, knowing that every grain that they eat now was, as 
 it might be said, a peck-loaf to me in the consequence ; but, coming up to the 
 hedge, I fired again, and killed three of them. This was what I wished for ; 
 so I took them up, and served them as we serve notorious thieves in Eng- 
 land, viz., hanged them m chains, for a terror to others. It is impossible to 
 imagine, almost, that this should have such an efiect as it had ; for the fowls 
 would not only not come at the corn, but, in short, they forsook all that part 
 of the island, and I could never see a bird near the place as long as my 
 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 com. 
 
 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 broadswords, or 
 cutlasses, which I saved among the arms out of the ship. However, as my 
 first crop was but small, I had no gi*eat difficulty to cut it down ; in short, 1 
 reaped it my way, for I cut nothing off but the eai's, and carried it away in a 
 great basket which I had made, and so rubbed it out with my hands ; and, at 
 the end of all my harvesting, I found that out of my half-peck of seed I had 
 near two bushels of rice, and above two bushels and a half of barley ; that is 
 to say, by my guess, for I had no measure at that time. 
 
 However, this was a great encouragement to me, and 1 foresaw that, in 
 
'i~--.^N> -■-. 
 
 I could never see a bird near the phce a° long as my scare-crowa hung there. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 101 
 
 time, it would please God to supply me with bread ; and yet, here I was per- 
 plexed 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 pre- 
 serve it all for seed against the next season ; and, in the mean time, to em- 
 ploy 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. 'Tis a little 
 wonderful, and what I believe few people have thought much upon, viz., the 
 strange multitude of little things necessary in the providing, producing, cur- 
 ing, dressing, making, and finishing this one article of bread. 
 
 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 1 
 had got the first handful of seed-corn, which, as I have said, came up unex- 
 pectedly, and indeed to a surprise. 
 
 First, I had no plough to turn up the earth ; no spade or shovel to dig it. 
 Well, this 1 conquered by making me a wooden spade, as I observed before ; 
 but this did my work but in a wooden manner ; and though it cost me a great 
 many days to make it, yet, for want of iron, it not only wore out the sooner, 
 but made my work the harder, and made it be perfoi-med much worse. How- 
 ever, this 1 bore with, and was content to work it out with patience, and bear 
 with the badness of the performance. When the corn was sown, I had no 
 harrow, but was forced to go over it myself, and drag a great heavy bough of 
 a tree over it, to scratch it, as it may be called, rather than rake or harrow it. 
 When it was growing and grown, I have observed already how many things 
 I wanted to fence it, secure it, mow or reap it, cure and carry it home, thrash, 
 part it from the chaff, and save it. Then I wanted a mill to grind it, sieves to 
 dress it, yeast and salt to make it into bread, aud an oven to bake it ; and yet 
 all tliese things I did without, as shall be observed ; and yet the corn was an 
 inestimable comfort and advantage to me, too. All this, as 1 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 1 had divided it, a certain part 
 of it was every day appointed to these works, and as I had resolved to use 
 none of the corn for bread till I had a greater quantity by me, I had the next 
 six months to apply myself wholly, by labor and invention, to fm-nish myself 
 with utensils proper for the performing all the operations necessary for 
 making the corn, when I had it, fit for my use. 
 
 But first 1 was to prepare more land, for I had now seed enough to sow 
 above an acre of ground. Before I did this, I had a week's work, at least, to 
 make me a spade, which, when it was done, was but a son-y one indeed, and 
 very heavy, and required double labor 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 1 could find thetn to my mind, and fenced them in mth a good 
 hedge, tlie stakes of which were all cut off that wood which I had set before, 
 and knew it would grow ; so that, in one year's time, I knew I should have a 
 quick or living hedge, that would want but little repair. This work was not 
 so little as to take me up less than three months, because a gi-eat part of that 
 time was of the net season, when I could not go abroad. Withm doors, that 
 is, when it rained, and I could not so out,! foiuid employment on the follow- 
 
102 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ing occasions ; always observing, that all the while I was at work, I diverted 
 myself with talking to my parrot, and teaching him to speak; and I quickly 
 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, therefore, 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 ; viz., 
 I had long studied to make myself, by some means or other, some earthen 
 vessels, which, indeed, I wanted sorely ; but knew not where to come at them : 
 however, considering the heat of the climate, I did not doubt but if I could 
 find out any such clay, I might botch up some such pot as might, being 
 dried in the sun, be hard enough and strong enough to beai- handling, and to 
 hold any thing that was dry, and required to be kept so ; and as this was ne- 
 cessary in the preparing corn, meal, &c., which was the tiling I was upon, 1 
 resolved to make some as large as I could, and fit only to stand like jars, to 
 hold what should be put into them. 
 
 It would make the reader pity me, or rather laugh at me, to tell how many 
 awkward ways I took to raise this paste ; what odd, misshapen, ugly things I 
 made ; how many of them fell in, and how many fell out, the clay not being 
 stiflT 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 labored hard to find the clay, — to dig it, to temper it, to bring it 
 home, and work it, — 1 could not make above two large earthen ugly things 
 (I cannot call them iara) in about two months' labor. 
 
 However, as the sun baked these two very dry and hard, I lifted them veiy 
 gently up, and set them down again in two gi-eat 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 tlie rice 
 and barley-straw ; and these two pots, being to stand always dry, I thought 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 103 
 
 would hold my diy corn, and perhaps the meal, when the com was 
 bruised. 
 
 Though I miscarried so much in my design for large pots, yet I made 
 several smaller things with better success ; such as little round pots, flat 
 dishes, pitchers, and pipkins, and any things my hand turned to ; and the heat 
 of the sun baked them strangely hard. 
 
 But all this would not answer my end, which was to get an earthen pot tn 
 hold what was liquid, and bear the fire, which none of these could do. Ji 
 happened after some time, making a pretty large fire for cooking my meat, 
 when I went to put it out after I had done with it, I found a broken piece of 
 one of my 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 cer- 
 tainly they might be made to burn whole, if they would burn broken. 
 
 This set me to study how to oi-der my fire, so as to make it bum some 
 pots. I had no notion of a kiln, such as the potters bm-n in, or of gla- 
 zing 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 ; whea I saw them clear red, 1 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 1 had gone on ; so I slacked my fire grad- 
 ually till the pots began to abate of the red color ; 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. 
 
104 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 After this experiment, I need not say that ] wanted no sort of eailhen- 
 ware for my use ; but I must needs say, as to the shapes of them, they were 
 very indifferent, as any one may suppose, when I had no way of making 
 them, but as the children make dirt pies, or as a woman would make pies 
 that never learned to raise paste. 
 
 No joy at a thing of so mean a nature was ever equal to mine, when I 
 found I had made an earthen pot that would bear the fire ; and I had hardly 
 patience to stay till they were cold, before I set one on the fire again, with 
 some water in it, to boil me some meat, which it did admirably well ; and 
 with a piece of a kid I made some very good broth, though I wanted oatmeal 
 and several other ingredients requisite to make it so good as I would hava 
 had it been. 
 
 My next concern was to get me a stone mortar to stamp or beat some corn 
 in ; for as to the mill, there was no thought of arriving to that perfection of 
 art with one pair of hands. To supply this want, I was at a great loss ; for, 
 of all the trades in the world, 1 was as perfectly unqualified for a stone-cutter, 
 as for any whatever ; neither had 1 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 moitar, and could find none at all, except what was in the solid rock, 
 and which I had no way to dig or cut out ; nor, indeed, were the rocks in 
 the island of hardness sufficient, but were all of a sandy, crumbling stone, 
 which neither would 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 for a great block 
 of hard wood, which I found, indeed, much easier ; and getting one as big as 
 1 had strength to stir, 1 rounded it, and formed it on the outside with my axe 
 and hatchet, and then, with the help of fu-e, and infinite labor, made a hollow 
 place in it, as the Indians in Brasil make their canoes. After this, 1 made a 
 great heavy pestle, or beater, of the wood called the iron-wood ; and this I 
 prepared and laid by against 1 had my next crop of com, when I proposed to 
 myself to grind, or rather pound, my corn into meal, to make my bi'ead. 
 
 My next difficulty was to make a sieve, or scarce, to di-ess my meal, and to 
 part it from the bran and the husk ; without which I did not see it possible I 
 could have any bread. This was a most difficult thing, so much as but to 
 think on, foi", to be sure, I had nothing like the necessary thing to make it; I 
 mejn fine thin canvass or stuff, to searce the meal through. And here I was 
 at a full stop for many months ; nor did I really know what to do ; linen I 
 had none left, but what was mere I'ags ; I had goats'-hair, but neither knew 
 how to weave it or spin it ; and had I known how, here were no tools to work 
 it with : all the remedy that I found for this was, that at last I did remember 
 I had, among the seamen's clothes which were saved out of the ship, some 
 neckcloths of calico or muslin ; and with some pieces of these I made three 
 small sieves proper enough for the work ; and thus I made shift for some 
 years ; how I did afterwards, I shall show in its place. 
 
 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 supplymg the want, so I did not concern myself much 
 about it ; but for an oven, I was, indeed, in great pain. At length, I found 
 out an experiment for that also, which was this : I made some earthen vessels 
 very broad, but not deep, that is to say, about two feet diameter, and not above 
 nine inches deep ; these I burned in the fire, as I had done the other, and 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 105 
 
 laid them by ; and when I wanted to bake, I made a great fire upon my 
 hearth, which I had paved with some square tiles, of my own baking and 
 burning also ; but I should not call them square. 
 
 When the fire-wood was burned pretty much into embers, or live coals, I 
 drew them forwai'd upon this earth, so as to cover it all over ; and there let 
 them lie till the hearth was very hot ; then, sweeping away all the embers, 
 1 set down my loaf, or loaves, and, whelming down the earthen pot upon 
 them, drew the embers all round the outside of the pot, to keep in and add 
 to the heat ; and thus, as well as in the best oven in the world, I baked my 
 barley-loaves, and became, in little time, a good pastry-cook into the bar- 
 gain ; for I made myself several cakes and puddings of the i 'ce ; but I made 
 no pies, neither had I any thing to put into them, supposing 1 had, except tlie 
 flesh either of fowls or goats. 
 
 It need not be wondered at, if all these things took me up most pait of 
 tlie thu'd yeai- of my abode here ; for it is to be observed, that, in the in- 
 tervals of these things, I had my new hai-vest and husbandry to manage ; for 
 I reaped my corn in its season, and carried it home as ^vell as I could, and 
 laid it up in the ear, in my large baskets, till I had time to rub it out, for I had 
 no floor to thrash it on, or instrument to tlirash 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 com now 
 yielded me so much, that I had of the barley about twenty bushels, and of the 
 rice as much, or more, insomuch that now I resolved to begin to use it 
 freely ; for my bread had been quite gone a great while ; also I resolved to 
 see what quantity would be sufficient for me a whole year, and to sow but 
 once a year. 
 
 Upon the whole, 1 found tliat the forty bushels of barley and rice were 
 much more than I could consume in a year; so I resolved to sow just the 
 same quantity every year that I sowed the last, in hopes that such a quantity 
 would fully provide me with bread, &c. 
 
 All the while these tilings were doing, you may be sure my thoughts ran 
 It 
 
06 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 many times upon the prospect of land, which I had seen from the other si da 
 of the island ; and I was not without secret wishes that 1 were on shore there, 
 fancying that, seeing the main land, and an inhabited country, I might find 
 some way or other to convey myself farther, and perhaps, at last, find some 
 means of escape. 
 
 But, all this while, I made no allowance for the dangers of such a condition, 
 and how I might fall into the hands of savages, and, perhaps, such as 1 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" fi-om that shore. Then, supposing they 
 were not cannibals, yet that they might kill me, as many Europeans who had 
 fallen into their hands had been served, even when they had been ten or 
 twenty together — much more I, that was but one, and could make little or no 
 defence ; all these things, 1 say, which I ought to have considered well of, 
 and did cast up in my thoughts afterwEirds, yet took up none of my appre- 
 hensions at first, and my head ran mightily upon the thought of getting over to 
 the shore. 
 
 Now I wished for my boy Xury, and the long-boat with the shoulder-of- 
 mutton sail, with which 1 sailed above a thousand miles on the coast of Afiica ; 
 but this was in vain; then 1 thought I would go and look at our ship's boat, 
 which, as I have said, was blown up upon the shore a great way, in the 
 storm, when we were first cast away. She lay almost where she did at first, 
 but not quite ; and was turned, by the force of the waves and the winds, 
 almost bottom upwai'd, 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 well enough, and 1 
 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 1 
 could do ; suggesting to myself; that, if I could but turn her down, I might 
 repau- the damage she had received, and she would be a very good boat, and 
 I might go to sea in her very easily. 
 
 I spared no pains, indeed, in this piece of fi-uitless toil, and spent, I think, 
 three or foiu- weeks about it; at last, finding it impossible to heave it up 
 with my little strength, I fell to digging away the sand, to undermine it, 
 and so to make it fall down, setting pieces of wood to thrust and guide it 
 right in the fall. 
 
 But when I had done this, I was unable to stir it up agsun, or to get 
 under it, much less to move it foi-ward towards the water; so I was 
 forced to give it over ; and yet, though I gave over the hopes of the boat, 
 my desire to venture over the main increased, rather than decreased, as 
 the means for it seemed impossible. 
 
 This, at length, put me upon thinking whether it was not possible to 
 make myself a canoe, or periagua, such as the natives of those climates 
 make, even without tools, or, as I might say, without hands, of the trunk 
 of a gi-eat tree. This I not only thought possible, but easy, and pleased 
 myself extremely with the thoughts of making it, and with my having much 
 more convenience for it than any of the Negroes or Indians, but not at 
 
OF ROBIIVSON CRUSOE. 
 
 107 
 
 all ronsidering the particular inconveniences which 1 lay under more than 
 the Indians did, viz., want of hands to move it, when it was made, into the 
 water — a difficulty much harder for me to surmount than all the consequences 
 of want of tools could be to them ; for what was it to me, if that, when 1 
 had chosen a vast tree in the woods, 1 might with much trouble cut it down, 
 if, ai'ter I 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 
 to make a boat of it ; if, after all this, I must leave it just there where I foimd 
 It, and was not able to launch it into the water.' 
 
 One would have thought I could not have had the least reflection upon my 
 mind of my circumstances, whUe I was making this boat, but I should have 
 immediately thought how I should get it into the sea ; but my thoughts were 
 ?o intent upon my voyage over the sea in it, that I never once considered how 
 ( should get it oiFof the land ; and it was really, in its own nature, more easy 
 for me to guide it over forty-five miles of sea, than about forty-five fathom 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, withou,t de- 
 terminmg whether I was ever able to undertake it ; not but that the difliculty 
 of launching my boat came often into my head ; but I put a stop to my 
 inquiries into it, by this foolish answer, which I gave myself: " Let me first 
 
 > 1 
 
 - V 
 
 
108 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 make it ; 1 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 of Je- 
 rusalem ; 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, 
 afl:er which it lessened for a while, and then parted into branches. It was not 
 without infinite labor that I felled this tree ; I was twenty days hacking and 
 hewing at it at the bottom ; I was fourteen more getting the branches and 
 limbs, and the vast spreading head of it, cut off, which I hacked and hewed 
 through with axe and hatchet, and inexpressible labor ; after this, it cost me 
 J 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 a mere mallet and chisel, 
 and by the dint of hard labor, till I had brought it to be a very handsome 
 periagua, and big enough to have carried six-and-twenty men, and, con- 
 sequently, big enough to have canied me and all my cargo. 
 
 When I had gone through this work, I was extremely delighted with it 
 The boat was really much bigger than ever I saw a canoe or periagua, that 
 vas made of one tree, in my life. Many a weai-y stroke it had cost, you may 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 109 
 
 be sure ; and had I gotten it into the water, 1 make no question but 1 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 
 infinite labor, too. It lay about one hundred yards firom the water, and not 
 more; but the first inconvenience was, it was uphill 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 ?) 
 but when this was worked through, and this difficulty managed it was still 
 much the same, for 1 could no more stir the canoe than I couH 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, 1 began this woi-k ; 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,l found that, by the number of hands I had, being none 
 but my own, it must have been ten or twelve years before I could have gone 
 through with it ; for the shore lay so high, that at the upper end it must have 
 been at least t\venty feet deep ; so at length, though with great reluctancy, 
 I gave this attempt over also. 
 
 This grieved me heartily ; and now 1 saw, though too late, the folly of 
 beginning a work before we count the cost, and 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 
 ever befoi-e ; 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 1 had nothing to do with, no ex- 
 pectation from, and, indeed, no desires about ; in a word, I had nothing, indeed, 
 to do with it, nor was ever likely to have ; so I thought it looked, as we may, 
 perhaps, look upon it hereafter, viz., as a place 1 had lived in, but was come out 
 of it ; and well might 1 say, as Father Abraham to Dives, " Between me and 
 thee is a great gulf fixed." 
 
 Li the first place, 1 was removed from all the wickedness of the world 
 here ; I had neither the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the pride o 
 life. I had nothing to covet, for I had all that I vi^as now capable of enjoying ; 
 I war- lord of the whole manor; or, if I pleased, I might call myself king or 
 emperor over the whole coimtry which I had possession of; there were no 
 .rivals ; I had no competitor, none to dispute sovereignty or command vrith 
 me ; 1 might have raised ship-loadings of corn, but I had no use for it ; so I 
 let as little grow as I thought enough for my occasion. I had tortoise or tur- 
 tle 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 supply my wants, and what was all the rest to me? If I killed more 
 flesh than I could eat, the dog must eat it, or vermin ; if I sowed more com 
 than I could eat, it must be spoiled ; the trees that I cut down were lying to 
 rot on the ground ; I could make no more use of them than for fuel, and that 
 I had no occasion for but to dress my food. 
 
no THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 In a word, the nature and experience of things dictated to me, upon just 
 reflection, that all the good things of this world are no farther good to us 
 than they are for our use ; and that, whatever we may heap up, indeed, to ^ve 
 others, we enjoy just 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 was of things 
 which I had not, and they were but trifles, though, indeed, of great use to 
 me. I had, as I hinted before, a parcel of money, as well gold as silver, about 
 thh-ty-six pounds sterling. Alas ! there the nasty, sorry, useless stuff lay ; 1 had 
 no manner of business for it ; and I often thought with myself, that 1 would 
 have given a handful of it for a gross of tobacco-pipes, or for a hand-mill to 
 grind my com; nay, I would have given it all for sixpenny- worth of turnip 
 and carrot seed out of England, or for a handful of peas and beans, and a 
 bottle of ink. As it was, I had not the least advantage by it, or benefit from it , 
 Ibut there it lay in a di-awer, 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 easier in itself than it was 
 at first, and much easier to my mind, as well as to my body. I fi-equently 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, some- 
 times, 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 some- 
 thing that he has not giv^n them. All oiu- 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 com- 
 pare my present condition with what I at first expected it should be ; nay, vrith 
 what it would csitainly have been, if the good providence of God had not 
 wonderfully ordered the ship to be cast up neai-er 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, or gunpowder and shot for getting my food. 
 
 I spent whole hours, I may say whole days, in representing to myself, in 
 the most lively colors, how I must have acted if I had got nothing out of the 
 ship ; how I could not have so much as got any food, except fish and tur- 
 tles ; and that, as it was long befoi-e I found any of them, I must have perished 
 first; that 1 should have lived, if I had not perished, like a mere savage ; 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 misei-y, 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. HI 
 
 I had another refleclion, which assisted me also to comfort my mind with 
 bopes ; and this was comparing my present situation with what I had de- 
 served, and had therefore reason to expect from the hand of Providence. I 
 had lived a dreadful life, perfectly destitute of the knowledge and fear of 
 God. I had heen well instructed by father and mother ; neither had they 
 been wanting to me, in their eal-ly endeavors to infuse a religious awe of 
 God into my mind, a sense of my duty, and what the nature and end of my 
 being required of me. But, alas! falling early into the seafai-ing 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 sea- 
 laring company, all that litde sense of religion which I had entertained was 
 laughed out of me by my messmates ; by a hai-dened despising of dangers, 
 and the views of death, which gi'ew habitual to me ; by my long absence from 
 all manner of opportunities to converse with any thing but what was like my- 
 self, or to hear any thing that was good, or tended towards it 
 
 So void was 1 of every thing that was good, or of the least sense of what I 
 was, or was to be, that, iu the greatest deliverances I enjoyed, — such as my 
 escape from Sallee ; my being taken up by the Portuguese master of the 
 ship ; my being planted so well in the Brasils ; my receiving the cargo from 
 England, and the lilie, — I never had once the words, " Thank God," so much 
 as on my mind, or in my mouth ; nor in the greatest distress had 1 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 
 blaspheme it 
 
 I had terrible reflections upon my mind for many months, as I have already 
 observed, on account of my wicked and hai-dened life past ; and when I looked 
 about me, and considered what particulai- 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 plenti- 
 fully provided for me, — this gave me gi-eat hopes that my repentance was 
 . accepted, and that God had yet mercy in store for me. 
 
 With these reflections, I worked my mind up, not only to a resignation 
 to the will of God in the present disposition of my circumstances, but even to 
 a sincere thankfulness for my condition ; and that I, who was yet a living man, 
 ought not to complain, seeing 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 won- 
 ders could have brought ; tliat I ought to consider I had been fed even by a 
 miracle, even as great as that of feeding Elijah by ravens ; nay, by a long 
 series of miracles ; and that I could hardly have named a place in the unin- 
 habitable part of the world where I could have been cast more to my ad- 
 vantage — 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 creatures, or poisonous, which I might feed on to my hurt; 
 no savages to murder and devour 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 be able to make my sense of God's goodness to 
 me, and care over me in this condition, be my dmly consolation ; and after I 
 did make a just improvement of these things, I went away, and was no 
 more sad. 
 
112 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 1 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 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 
 appeai-ance 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 hap- 
 pened to me ; and, first, by casting up times past, 1 remembered that there 
 was a strange concurrence of days in the various providences which befell 
 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. 
 
 First, I had observed, that the same day that 1 broke away fi-om 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 that ship in Yar- 
 mouth Roads, that same day-year afterwards I made my escape from 
 Sallee in a boat ; the same day of the year I was bom on, viz., the 30th of 
 September, that same day I had my life so miraculously saved twenty-six 
 years after, when I was cast on shore in this island ; so that my wicked life 
 and my solitary life began both on a day. 
 
 The next thing to my ink being wasted, was that of my bread, — I mean 
 the biscuit which I brought out of the ship ; this I had husbanded to the last 
 degi-ee, 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 com 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 miraculous. 
 
 My clothes, too, began to decay mightUy ; as to linen, I had had none a 
 good whUe, except some checkered shirts which I found in the chests of the 
 other seamen, and which I carefully preserved, because many times I could 
 bear no other clothes on but a shirt ; and it was a very great help to me that 
 1 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 1 abide the thought of it, though I was all alone. The reason 
 why I could not go 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 a 
 hat; the heat of the sim, beating with such violence as it does in that place, 
 would give me the headache presently, by darting so directly on my head, 
 without a cap or hat on, so that I could not bear it; whereas, if I put on mj 
 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 some order ; I had worn out all the waistcoats 1 
 had, and my business was now to try if I could not make jackets out of the 
 great watch-coats which I had by me, and with such other materials as I 
 had ; so I set to work a-tailoring, or rather, mdeed, a-botching, for I made 
 aiost piteous work of it However, I made shift to make two or three new 
 
OF ROBINSON Crusoe. 
 
 U3 
 
 waistcoats, which I hoped would sei-ve me a great \\ln\e : as for breeches oi 
 drawers, I made but a very sorry shift indeed till afterwards. 
 
 I have mentioned that I saved tlie sldns of all the creatures that 1 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 di-y and hai-d that they were 
 fit for little ; but others, it seems, were very useful. The firet thing I made 
 of these was a gi'eat 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 these skins ; — that is to say, a waistcoat, and breeches open 
 at the knees, and both loose, for they were rather wanting to keep me cool 
 than to keep me wrn-m. I must not omit to acknowledge that they were 
 wretchedly made ; for if I was a bad cai-penter, I was a worse tailor. How- 
 ever, they were such as I made very good shift with ; and when I was abroad, 
 if it happened to rain, tlie hair of my waistcoat and cap being outermost,! 
 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 Brasils, where they are very useful in the great heats 
 which are there, and I felt the heats every jot as great here, and greater too, 
 being nearer the equinox ; besides, as I was oWiged to be much abroad, it 
 was a most useful thing to me, as well for the rains as the heats. 1 took a 
 world of pains at it, and was a great while before I could make any thmg 
 15 
 
114 IHE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 1 made one that answered indiffer 
 ently well ; the main difficulty I found was to make it to let down. I could 
 make it to 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. How- 
 ever, at last, as I said, I made one to answer, and covered it with skins, the 
 hair upwai-ds, so that it cast off the rain lilre 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 1 could before in the coolest, and, when I had no need 
 of it, could close it, and carry it under my arm. 
 
 Thus I lived mighty comfortably, my mind being entu-ely composed by 
 resigning to the will of God, and throwing myself wholly upon the disposal 
 of his providence. This made my life better than sociable ; for, when I began 
 to regret the want of conversation, I would ask myself, whether thus con- 
 versing mutually with my own thoughts, and (as 1 hope I may say) with even 
 God himself, by ejaculations, was not better than the utmost enjoyment of 
 human society in the world. 
 
 1 cannot say that, after tliis, for five years, any extraordinary thing hap- 
 pened to me ; but I lived on in the same coiu-se, in the same posture and 
 place, just as before: the chief things I was employed in, besides my 
 yearly labor of planting my bai-ley and rice, and curing my raisins, of both 
 which 1 always kept up just enough to have sufficient stock of one year's 
 l-irovision beforehand ; I say, besides this yeai'ly labor, and my daily pm-suit 
 of going out with my gun, I had one labor, 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 fiist, which 
 was so vastly big, as I made it without considering beforehand, as 1 ought to 
 do, how I should be able to launch it, so, never bemg able to bring it into the 
 water, or bring ths water to it, I was obliged to let it lie where it was, as a 
 memorandum to teach me to be iviser 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, neai' half a 
 mile, yet, as I saw it was practicable at last, J never gave it over; and, 
 though I was near two years about it, yet 1 never grudged my labor, 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 answei-able to the design which 1 had in view when I made the first; 
 I mean of venturing over to the terra Jirma, where it was above forty miles 
 broad ; accordingly, 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 veiy eager to see other 
 parts of the coast ; and now I had a boat, I thought of nothing but saij-ng 
 round the island. 
 
 For this purpose, that I might do every thing with discretion and consid- 
 eration, I fitted up a little mast in my boat, and made a sail to it out of some 
 of the pieces of the ship's sails which lay in store, and of which I had a great 
 stock by me. Having fitted my mast and sail, and tried the boat, I found she 
 would sail veiy well : then I made little lockers, or boxes, at each end of my 
 boat, to put provisions, necessaries, ammunition, &c., into, to be kept dry 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 115 
 
 eithei fiom lam or the spray of the sea , and a httle, long, hollow place I cut 
 in the mside of the hoat, where I could lay a>y gun, making a flap to hang 
 down over it, to keep it dry. 
 
 I fixed my umbrella also in a step at the stbru, like a mast, to stand over 
 my head, and keep the heat of the sun otT me, like an a\vniiig ; and thus I 
 every now and then took a little voyage upon the t?ea ; but never ^; ent far 
 out, nor far fl-om the little creek. At last, being eager to \iew die circum- 
 ference 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 1 ate a great deal of,) a little bottle of rum, half a goat, and powder 
 and shot for killing more, and two large watch-coats, of those which, as I 
 mentioned before, I had saved out of tlie 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 voyage ; and I found it much longer 
 than I expected ; for, tliough the island itself was not very large, yet, when 1 
 came to the east side of it, I found a great ledge of rocks he out about two 
 leagues into the sea, some above water, some under it ; and beyond that a 
 shoal of sand, lying dry half a league more, so that I was obliged to go a 
 great way out to sea to double the point 
 
 When first I discovered them, I was going to give over my enterprise, 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 agaui; so I came to an 
 anchor ; for I had made me a kind of an anchor with a piece of a broken 
 grappling which I got out of the ship. 
 
116 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Having secured my boat, I took my gun and went on shore, climbing up 
 on a hiU, vehich 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 perceived a strong, 
 and, indeed, a most furious current, wiiich ran to the east, and even came 
 close to the point; and I took the more notice of it, because I saw there 
 might be some danger, that when I came into it, I might be carried out to sea 
 by the strength of it, and not be able to make the island again ; and, indeed, 
 had I not got first upon this hiU, 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 nothing 
 to do but to get out of the fii-st 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 contraiy 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 thu-d 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 gi'eat depth of 
 water, and a current like the sluice of a mill : it caiTied 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 failher 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 
 iiTecoverably 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 diiven 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 1, "I shall 
 never see thee more. O miserable creature ! whither am I going ? " Then 1 
 reproached myself with my unthankful temper, and how I had repined at 
 my solitai-y condition; and now what would I give to be on shore there 
 again ! Thus we never see the time state of our condition till it is illus- 
 trated to us by its contraries, nor know how to value what we enjoy, but by 
 (lie 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 despau- 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 1 could; 
 when about noon, as the sun passed the meridian, I thought I felt a little 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 117 
 
 breeze of wind in my face springing up from 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 toward the island, if I had but once lost sight of it ; but the 
 weather continumg 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, 1 
 saw, even by the clearness of the water, some alteration of the cun-ent was 
 near ; for, where the current was so strong, the water was foul ; but, per- 
 ceiving the water clear, I found the cm-rent abate ; and presently I found, tc 
 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 die 
 ladder, or to be j-escued from thieves just going to murder them, 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 under foot. 
 
 This eddy carried me about a league iu my way back again, dh'ectJy 
 towards the island, but about two leagues more to the northward tlian the 
 current which carried me away at first; so that, when I came near the 
 island, 1 found myself open to the northern shore -of it, that is to saj', the 
 other end of the island, opposite to that A\hich I went out from. 
 
 When 1 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. How- 
 ever, I found that being between two great currents, viz., that on the soutli 
 side, which had hm'ried me away, and that on the north, whicli 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 tlie point of the rocks which occasioned this disaster, stretching out, 
 as is described before, to the southward, and casting off the current more 
 southerly, had, of cowse, made anotlier 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 1 was on shore, I fell on my knees, and gave (Jod 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 labor and fatigue of the voyage. 
 
 I was now at a great loss which way to get home with my boat ; I had run 
 
118 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 SO much hazard, and knew too much of the case, to think of attempting it by 
 tlie way I went out ; and what might be at the other side (I mean the west 
 side) I knew not, nor had I any mind to run any more ventures ; so I only 
 resolved in the morning to make my way westward along the shoj-e, 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 thereabouts, coast- 
 ing the shore, I came to a very good inlet or bay, about a mile over, which 
 naiTowed till it came to a very little rivulet or brook, where I found a very 
 convenient harbor for my boat, and where she lay as if she had been in a 
 little dock made on purpose for her. Here I put in, and having stowed my 
 boat vei-y 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 ti'avelled on foot to that shore ; so, taking nothing out of my 
 boat but ipy gun and umbrella, — for it was exceedingly hot, — I began my 
 mai'ch. The way was comfortable enough after such a voyage as I had been 
 upon, and I reached my old bower in the evening, where I found every thing 
 standing as I left it ; for I always kept it in good order, being, as I said 
 before, my countiy house. 
 
 I got over the fence, and laid me down in the shade to rest my limbs, for I 
 was veiy 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, calli;ig me by my name several times, "Robin, Robin, Robin Crusoe; 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 119 
 
 poor Robin Crusoe ! Where are you, Robin Crusoe ? Where are you ? 
 Where liave you been ? " 
 
 1 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 
 lot wake thoroughly, but, dozing between sleeping and waking, thought I 
 dreamed that somebody spoke to me ; but as the voice continued to repeat 
 " Robin Crusoe, Robin Crusoe," at last I began to wake more perfectly, and 
 was at first dreadfully frightened, and started up in the utmost consternation ; 
 but no sooner were my eyes open, but 1 saw my Poll sitting on the top of the 
 hedge ; and immediately linew that it was he that spoke to me ; for just in 
 such bemoaning language 1 had used to talk to him, and teach him ; and he 
 liad learned it so perfectly that he would sit upon my finger, and lay his bill 
 close to my face, and cry, " Poor Robin Crusoe ! Where are you ? Where 
 have you been ? How came you here ? " and such things as I had taught 
 him. 
 
 However, even though 1 knew it was the parrot, and that indeed it could 
 be nobody else, it was a good while before I could compose iTiyself. 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 ^\ell satisfied it couk' 
 be nobody but honest Poll, I got over it ; and, holding out my hand, and 
 calling hhn 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 1 been ? " — just us 
 if he had been overjoyed to see me again ; and so 1 cai'ried him home along 
 with me. 
 
 I now had enough of rambling to sea for some time, and 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 itUuid ; but 
 I knew not how it was practicable to get it about. As to the cast side of the 
 island, which I had j^one round, I knew well enough there was no %cnturing 
 that wa\- ; my veij heart would shrink, and my vciy blood run chill, but to 
 think of it ; and as to the other side of the island, 1 did not laio^v how it 
 might be there ; but, supposing the current ran with tlie 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 1 had been 
 before of being carried away from it. So, with these thoughts, 1 contented 
 myself to be without any boat, though it had been the product of so many 
 months' labor to make it, and of so many more to get it into tlie sea. 
 
 In this government of my temper, I remained neai- a jear, and hved a very 
 sedate, retu-ed life, as you may well suppose ; and, my thoughts being very 
 much composed as to my condition, and fidly comforted in resignit:g myself 
 to the dispositions of Providence, I tliought I hved 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 1 believe I could, upon oc- 
 casion, have made a very good carpenter, especially considermg how few 
 tools I had. 
 
 Besides this, I arrived at an unexpected perfection in my earthen ware, and 
 contrived well enough to make them witli 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 ot 
 
120 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 my own performance, or niore 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 burned red, like other earthen ware, yet, 
 as it was hard and firm, and would di-aw the smoke, I was exceedingly com- 
 forted 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 seai-ched the ship again, I could not come 
 at any pipes at all. 
 
 In my wicker ware, also, 1 improved much, and made abimdance of neces- 
 sary baskets, as well as my invention showed me ; though not very hand- 
 some, yet they were such as were veiy handy and convenient for my laying 
 things up in, or fetching 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. ^Iso, large, deep 
 baskets were the receivers of my corn, which I always rubbed out as soon as 
 it was di-y, 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 thu-d year of my 
 being here, kept a young kid, and bred her up tame, and 1 was in hoj^es 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 pnare 
 the goats, to see whether I could not catch some of them alive ; and, parficu- 
 larly, I wanted a she-goat great with young. For this purpose, I made SD«res 
 to hamper them ; and I do believe they were more than once taken in thptn ; 
 but my tackle was not good, for 1 had no wire, and I always found thero 
 broken, and my bait devoured. At length, 1 resolved to tiy a pit-fall : so I 
 dug several large pits in the eai-th, in places where 1 had observed the goats 
 used to feed, and over those pits I placed hurdles, of my own malting too, 
 with a great weight upon them ; and several times I put ears of barley and 
 dry rice, without setting the trap ; and I could easily perceive that the goats 
 had gone in and eaten up the corn, for I could see the marks of their feet 
 At length, 1 set thi-ee traps in one night, and, going the next morning, I found 
 them all standing, and yet the bait eaten and gone : this was very discour- 
 aging. However, 1 altered my traps ; and, not to trouble you with particulars, 
 going one morning to see my traps, 1 found in one of them a lai'ge, 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, 1 
 durst not go into the pit to him ; that is to say, to go about to bring him away 
 alive, which was what I wanted ; I could have killed him, but that was not 
 my business, nor would it answer my end ; so I even let him out, and 
 he ran away as if he had been frightened out of his wits. But I did not then 
 know what I afterwards learned, 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 ; fgr they are mighty sagacious, ti'actable creatures, wliere 
 they are well used. 
 
 However, for the present, 1 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 1 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, 1 
 might have them about my house lilie a flock of sheep. But then it occurred 
 to me, that I must keep the tame from the \\ild, 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, eitlier with hedge or pale, to keep 
 them in so effectually that those within might not break out, or tliose wthout 
 break in. 
 
 This was a gi'eat uudei'taldng 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 underetand such enclosiu-es will think I had very little contri- 
 vance when 1 pitched upon a place very proper for all these, (being a plain, 
 open piece of meadow land, or savanna, as our people call it in the western 
 colonies,) which had 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 1 shall tell 
 16 
 
122 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 them, 1 began by 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 mad- 
 ness of it so great as to the compass, — for, if it was ten miles about, 1 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 earned on, 1 believe about fifty yards, when this 
 thought occun-ed to me ; so I presently stopped short, and, for the first be- 
 ginning, I resolved to enclose a piece of about one hundred and fifty yards in 
 length, and one hundred yards in breadth ; which, as it would maintain as 
 many as I should have in any reasonable time, so, as my stock increased, 1 
 could add more gi-ound to my enclosure. 
 
 This was acting with some prudence, and I went to work with courage. 1 
 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 neai' 
 me as possible, to make them familiar ; and vei-y often 1 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 com. 
 
 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 en- 
 closed five several pieces of gi-ound to feed them in, with little pens to drive 
 them into, to take them as I wanted, and gates out of one piece of ground 
 into another. 
 
 But this was not all ; for now I not only had 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 surprise; 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 eveiy creatui'e, dictates even natui-ally 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 1 was a boy, after a great many essays and miscai'riages, made me both 
 butter and cheese at last ; also salt, (though I found it partly made to hiy 
 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 ci'eatures, 
 even in those conditions in which they seemed to be overwhelmed in de- 
 struction ! 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 dmner : there was my majesty, the prince and lord of the whole 
 island ; I had the lives of all my subjects at my absolute command; 1 could 
 hang, di-aw, give liberty, and take it away ; and no rebels among all my sub- 
 jects. Then to see how like a king I dined, too, all alone, attended by my 
 servants ! Poll, as if he had been my favorite, "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 favor. 
 
It would have modo a Stoic sinilej to have seen me and mj- little fimih 
 sit down to dinner 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 125 
 
 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 havpg 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. 
 
 1 was something impatient, as 1 have observed, to have the use of my boat, 
 though veiy loath to run any more hazards ; and, therefore, sometimes I sat 
 contriving ways to get her about the island, and at other times I sat myself 
 down contented enough without her. But I had a strange uneasiness in my 
 mind to go down to the point of the island, where, as I have said, in my last 
 ramble, 1 went up the hill to see how the shoi-e lay, and how the cun-ent set, 
 that 1 might see what I had to do : this inclination increased upon me every 
 day, and at length 1 resolved to travel thither by land, following the edge of the 
 shore. 1 did so ; but had any one in England been to meet such a man as 
 1 was. It must either have frightened him, or raised a gi'eat deal of laughter ; 
 and as I frequently stood still to look at myself, I could not but smUe at the 
 notion of my travelling through Yorkshire, with such an equipage, and in 
 such a dress. Be pleased to talce a sketch of my figm-e, as follows : — 
 
 I had a great, high, shapeless cap, made of a goat's skin, with a flap hang- 
 ing 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. 
 
126 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 1 had a short jacket of goat's skin, the skirts coining down to about the 
 middle of the thighs, and a pair of open-kneed breeches of the same ; tjie 
 breeches were made of the skin of an old he-goat, jwhose bair hung down 
 such a length on either side, that, like pantaloonsjit reached to the middle of 
 my legs ; stockings and shoes I had none, but Bad made me a pair of some- 
 things, 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, which I di-ew together 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 lefl: 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 color of it was really not so mulatto- 
 like as one might expect fi-om 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 quai-ter of a yard long ; but, as I had both scissors and 
 razors sufficient, 1 had cut it pretty short, except what grew on my upper lip, 
 which I had trimmed into a large pair of Mahometan whiskersjiiSuch as I had 
 seen worn by some Turks at Sallee; for the Moors did not wear such, 
 though the Turks did. Of these moustachios or whiskers, I vrill 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 
 fi-igTbitful. 
 
 But all this is by the by ; 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 jom-ney, 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 sur- 
 prised to see the sea all smooth and quiet ; no rippljng, no motion, no current, 
 any more there than in any other places. I was at a strange loss to under- 
 stand 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 join- 
 ing with the cuiTent 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 
 tlie rock again, and then the tide of ebb being made, I plainly saw the cur- 
 rent 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 hunieo 
 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 
 
In this kind of figure I w«nt my new journey 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 129 
 
 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 con- 
 trary, I took up another resolution, which was more safe, though more labori- 
 ous ; and this was, that I would build or rather make me another periagua 
 or canoe ; and so have one 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 fortification, — 
 that is to say, beyond where my wall joined to the rock, — was all filled up with 
 the large earthen pots of which I have given an account, and with fourteen 
 or fifteen great baskets, which would hold five or six bushels each, where I 
 laid up my stores of provisions, especially my corn, some in the ear, cut off 
 short from the straw, and the other rubbed out with my hand. 
 
 As for my wall, made, 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 appearance, to any one's view, of any habitation 
 behind them. 
 
 Near this dwelling of mine, but a little farther within the laud, and upon 
 lower ground, lay «iy two pieces of corn laud, 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 counti-y seat ; and I had now a tolerable plantation 
 there also ; for, fii-st, 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 stalces, but were now gi'own very 
 firm and tall, always cut, so that they might spread and grow thick and wild 
 and nialie the more agreeable shade ; which they did effectually to my mind. 
 In the middle of this, 1 had my tent always standing, bemg 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 nie 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 occasion to be 
 absent from my chief seat, I took up my counti-y habitation. 
 
 Adjoining to this, I had my enclosures for my cattle, tliat is to say, my 
 goats ; and, as I had tal^eu 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, witli infinite labor, 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 afterwai'ds, when those stakes grew, as they all did in 
 the next rainy season, made the enclosure strong like a wall, indeed stronger 
 titan any wall. 
 
 This will testify for me that 1 was not idle, and that I spared no pains to 
 bring to pass whatever appeared necessary for my comfortable support ; for 
 17 
 
130 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURE!* 
 
 I considered the keeping up a breed of tame creatures tlius at my hand 
 would be a living magazine of flesh, milk, butter, and cheese for me, as long 
 as 1 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 siu-e of keeping them together; which, by this 
 method, indeed, I so effectually secured, that when these little stakes began 
 to grow 1 had planted them so very thick, that I was forced to pull some of 
 them uy again. 
 
 
 In this place, also, I had my gi-apes growing, which I principally depended 
 on for my winter store of raisins, and which I never failed to preserve very 
 carefully, as the best and most agreeable dainty of my whole diet; and, 
 indeed, they were not only agreeable, but medicinal, wholesome, nourishing, 
 and refreshing to the last degree. 
 
 As this was also about half-way between my other habitation and the place 
 whei-e I had laid up my boat, I generally staid 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 
 divert myselfj but no more hazardous voyages would 1 go, nor scarce ever 
 ^bove a stone's cast or two from the shore, I was so apprehensive of being 
 
I waa exceedingly surprised with the priot of a man's naked foot on the ahon 
 
OF UOUINSOM CKUSOE. 133 
 
 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 exceeding- 
 ly sui-prised with the print of a mail's naked foot on the shore, which was 
 very plain to be seen in the sand. I stood like one thunderstruck, or as if I 
 had seen an apparition ; 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. 1 went to it again, to see if there were any 
 more, and to observe if it might not be my fancy ; but there was no room for 
 that, for there was exactly the print of a foot — toes, heel, and every part of a 
 foot : how it came thither 1 knew not, nor could 1 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 degi-ee, looking behind nie at evei^ 
 two or three steps, mistaking eveiy 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 aifrighted imagination represented tilings to me in, how many 
 wild ideas were found eveiy moment in my fancy, and what strange, un- 
 accountable whimseys came into my thoughts by the way. 
 
 When I came to my castle, {for so 1 think I called it ever after this,) I fled 
 into it like one pursued ; whether I went over by the ladder, as first con- 
 trived, or went in at the hole iu the rock, which I had called a door, I cannot 
 remember ; no, nor could I remember the next morning ; for iic\ cr fright- 
 ened 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 1 was from the occasion of my fright, 
 the greater my apprehensions were, — which is soinothing contrai-j- to the 
 nature of such things, and especially to the usual practice of all creatures in 
 I't-.n- ; but I was so embarrassed with my o\vii frightful ideas of the thing, that 
 I formed nothing but dismal imaginations to myself, even thougli I was now 
 a great way off it. Sometimes I fancied it must be tlie Devil, and reason 
 jouicd ill with me upon this supposition ; fur how should any other thing in 
 human shape come into tlie place ? ^\'here was the vessel that brought 
 them ? What mai'ks were there of any other footstep ? And how was it 
 possible a man should come there ? But, tlun, to think tnat Satan should 
 take human shape upon liim in such a place, where there could be no 
 manner of occasion for it but to leave the jirint of his foot behind him, and 
 that even for no purpose too, for he could not be sm-e I should see it, — 
 this was an amusement the other way. I considered that the Devil might 
 liHvc found out abundance of other ways to have terrified me than this of the 
 single print of a foot ; that, as I lived quite on the other side of the island, 
 he would never have been so simple as to leave a mai"k in a place where it 
 was ten thousand to one whetlier 1 should ever see it or not, and in the sand, 
 too, which the first surge of the sea, upon a high wind, wowld have defaced 
 entirely ; all this seemed inconsistent with die tiling itsellj and with all the 
 notions we usually entertain of the subtlety of the Devil. 
 
 Abundance of such tilings as these assisted to argue me out of all appre- 
 hensions of its being tlie Devil : and I presently concluded, 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 
 
134 THE LIKE AND AUVENTUUES 
 
 canoes, and, either driven by the currents or by contraiy winds, had made the 
 island, and had been on shore, but were gone away again to sea ; being as 
 loath, perhaps, to have staid m this desolate island as 1 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 having 
 found my boat, and that there were people here ; and that, if so, I should 
 certainly have them come again in greater numbers, 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, and cairy away all my flock of tame goats, 
 and I should perish at last for mere want 
 
 Thus my fear banished all my religious hope, all that former confidence 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 pre- 
 serve, by his power, the provision which he had made for me by his good- 
 ness 1 reproached myself with my laziness, that would not sow any more 
 corn one year than would just serve me till the next season, as if no accident 
 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' com beforehand ; so that, whatever might come, I might not 
 perish for want of bread. 
 
 How strange a checker-work of Providence is the life of man ! and by 
 what secret, different spi-ings are the affections hurried about, as different 
 circumstances present ! To-day we love what to-moiTOW we hate ; to-day 
 we seek what to-morrow we shun ; to-day we desire what to-morrow v/e 
 fear, nay, even tremble at the apprehensions of. This was e?xemplified in 
 me, at this time, in the most lively manner imaginable ; for I, whose only 
 afiliction was, that I seemed banished fiom 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 itseKJ 
 next to the supreme blessing of salvation, could bestow, — I say, that I should 
 now tremble 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 
 havmg set his foot in the island. 
 
 Such is the uneven state of human life ; and it afforded me a great many 
 curious speculations afl;erwai'ds, when I had a little recovered my first sur- 
 prise. 1 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 1 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 him, had likewise a judicial right to condemn 
 me to what punishment he thought fit ; and that it was my part to submit to 
 bear his indignation, because I had sinned against him. I then reflected, 
 that, as God, who was not only righteous, but omnipotent, had thought fit 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 135 
 
 thus to punish and afflict me, so he was able to deliver me ; that if he did 
 not think fit to do bo, it was my unquestioned duty to resign myself abso- 
 lutely and entu-ely to his will ; and, on the other hand, it was my duty also to 
 iiope 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 cogitations on this occasion I cannot 
 omit. One moi-ning, early, lying in my bed, and filled with thoughts about 
 my danger from the appearances of savages, I found it discomposed me very 
 niuch ; 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 1 was guided and encouraged to pray earnestly to God 
 for deliverance : when I had done praying, I took up my Bible, and, opening 
 it to read, the first words that pi-esented to me were, " Wait on the Lor'l, and 
 be of good cheer, and he shall strengthen thy heart; wait, 1 say, on the 
 Lord." It is impossible to express the comfort this gave me. In answer, 
 I thankfully laid down the book, and was no more sad, at least on that 
 occasion. 
 
 In the middle of these cogitations, apprehensions, and reflections, it came 
 into my thoughts, one day, that all this might bo a mere chimera of my own, 
 and that this foot might be the print of my own foot, w hen I came on shore 
 from my boat: this clieered me up a little, too, and I began to persuade 
 myself it was all a delusion ; that it was nothing else but my own foot; and 
 uhy might I not come that way from the bobt, 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 wIiclc I had not ; and that if, at lust, this was 
 only the print of my own foot, I had j)!;!} ed 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 1 had not 
 stirred out of my castle for tlu-cc days and nights, so that I began to stai-ve 
 for provisions ; for I had little or nothing within doors, but some barle} - 
 calces and water : tlien I knew that my goats wanted to be milked too, which 
 usually was my evening diversion ; and the poor creatures ^vere in great pain 
 and inconvenience for want of it ; and, indeed, it almost spoiled some of 
 them, and almost dried up tlieir milk. Encouraging myself, therefore, witli 
 the belief that this was notliing but the print of one of my own feet, and that 
 I might be truly said to stai't at my own shadow, I began to go abroad again, 
 and went to my country house to milk my flock ; but, to see with what fear 
 I went forward, how often I looked behind me, how I was ready, eveiy now 
 and then, to lay down my basket, and run for my life, it would have made 
 any 3ue have 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 tlius two or three days, and having seen nothing, I began to be a 
 little bolder, and to tlimk tliere was really nothing in it but my own imagina- 
 tion ; 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 1 might be assured it was my 
 own foot ; but when I came to the place first, it appeared evidently to me, 
 that when T laid up my boat, I could not possibly be on shore any where 
 
136 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 thereabouts : secondly, when I came to measui-e the mark with my own foot, 
 1 found my foot not so large by a great deal. Both these things filled my 
 head with new imaginations, and gave me the vapors 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 isleind was inhabited, and I might be surprised before I 
 was aware ; and what course to take for my security 1 knew not. 
 
 O, what ridiculous resolutions men take when possessed \vith fear ! It de- 
 prives them of the use of those means which reason offers for their relief) 
 The first thing I proposed to myself was, to thi-ow down my enclosm-es, 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 cornfields, lest they should find 
 such a grain there, and still be prompted to frequent the island ; then to de 
 molish my bower and tent, that they might not see any vestiges of habitation, 
 and be prompted to look farther, in order to find out the persons inhabiting. 
 
 These were the subject of the first night's cogitations afler 1 was come 
 home again, while the apprehensions which had so overrun my mind were 
 fresh upon me, and my head was full of vapors, as above. Thus fear of 
 danger is ten thousand times more teiTifying than danger itself, when appa- 
 rent to the eyes ; and we find the bm'den of anxiety gi-eater, by much, than 
 the evil which we are anxious about ; emd, which was worse than all this,.! 
 nad not that relief in this trouble that, from the resignation 1 used to practise, 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 137 
 
 I hoped to have. I looked, 1 thought, like Saul, who complained not only 
 that the Philistines were upon him, hut that God had forsaken him ; for 1 did 
 not now take due ways to compose my mind, hy crying to God in my dis- 
 tress, and resting upon his providence, as 1 had done before, for my defence 
 and deliverance ; which if I had done, I had at least been more cheerflilly 
 supported tmder tliis new surprise, and perhaps carried through it with more 
 resolution. 
 
 This confusion of my thoughts kept me awake all night; but in the morn- 
 ing I fell asleep ; and having, by the amusement of my mmd, been, as it 
 were, tired, and my spirits exhausted, I slept very soundly, and waked m\ich 
 better composed than 1 had ever been before. And now I began to think 
 sedately ; and, upon the utmost debate with myself, 1 concluded that this 
 island (which was so exceedingly pleasant, fruitful, and no farther from the 
 main land than as I had seen) was not so entirely abandoned as I might im- 
 agine ; that although there were no stated inhabitants who lived on the spot, 
 yet that there might sometimes come boats off from the shore, who, either 
 with design, or pei-haps never but when they were driven by cross winds, 
 might come to this place ; that I had lived here fifteen yeais now, and had 
 not met with the least shadow or figiare 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 agauist thoir wills, so they made 
 no stay here, but went oft' again with all possible speed; seldom staying one 
 night on shore, lest they should not have the help of the tides and daylight 
 back again ; and that, therefore, 1 had nothing to do but to consider of some 
 safe retreat, in case I should see any savages laud upon the spot. 
 
 Now I began sorely to repent that I had dug my cave so large as to bring 
 a door through again, which door, as I said, came out beyond \\lierc my for- 
 tification joined to the rock; upon maturely considering this, therefore, 1 
 resolved to dra^v me a second fortification, in the same manner of a semi- 
 circle, at a distance from my wall, just were I had planted a double row of 
 trees about twelve yeai's before, of which I made mention: these ti'ees having 
 been planted so thick before, tliey 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 litde 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 continually bringing earth out of my cave, and laying it at the foot of 
 the wall, and walking upon it ; and through the seven holes I contiived to 
 plant the muskets, of which I took notice that I had got seven on shore out 
 of the ship ; these I planted hke my cannon, and fitted them into frames, 
 that held them like a cai-riage, so that I could fii-e all the seven guns in two 
 minutes' time ; this wall I was many a weary month in finishing, ancP yet 
 never thought myself safe tUl it was done. 
 
 When this was done, I stuck all the giound \vithout my wall, for a great 
 
 length every way, as fidl with stakes or sticks of the osier-like wood, which 
 
 1 found so apt to grow, as they could well stand ; insomuch, that I believe I 
 
 might set in near twenty thousand of tliem, leaving a pretty large space be 
 
 18 
 
138 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 iween them and my wall, that 1 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, 1 had a thick grove ; and in five or six years' time 
 1 had a wood before my dwelling, growing so monstrous thick^and strong 
 that it was, indeed, perfectly impassable ; and no men, of what kind soever, 
 would ever imagine that there was any thing beyond it, much less a habita- 
 tion. 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 they were not altogether 
 without just reason ; tliough 1 foresaw nothing at that time more than my 
 mere fetir suggested to me. 
 
 While this was doing, I was not altogether careless of my other affairs; 
 for I had a great concern upon me for my little herd of goats : they were not 
 only a ready supply to me on every occasion, and began to be sufficient for 
 me, without the expense of powder and shot, but also without the fatigue of 
 hunting after the wild ones ; and I was loath to lose the advantage of them, 
 and to have them all to nurse up over again. 
 
 For this purpose, after long consideration, I could think of but two ways 
 to preserve them: one was, to find another convenient place to dig a cave 
 un4er ground, and to drive them into it every night ; and the other was, to 
 enclose two or three little bits of land, remote from one another, and as much 
 concealed as I could, where I might keep about half 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 tiouble and time : and this, though it 
 would require a gi-ent d.^al of time and labor, I thought was the most rational 
 design. 
 
DF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 131) 
 
 Accordingly, I spent some time to find out tlie most retii-ed 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 be- 
 fore, endeavoring 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 tlid not want 
 near so much labor to make it so, as the other pieces of ground 1 had 
 worked so hard at 
 
 I immediately went to work with this piece of ground ; and, in less than i; 
 month's time, I had so fenced it round, that my flock, or herd, — call it whicli 
 you please, — who were not so wild now, as at first they might be supposed 
 to be, were well enough secui-ed in it ; so, without any further delay, I re- 
 moved 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 ; whicli, however, I did at more leisure, and it took me up more 
 time by a great deal. All this labor I was at tlie expense of, pm-ely fi-om my 
 apprehensions on the account of the print of a man's foot which 1 had seen ; 
 for, as yet, I never saw any human creature come near the island ; and 1 had 
 now lived two yeai-s under this uneasiness, which, indeed, made my life 
 much less comfortable than it was before, as may be well imagmed by any 
 who know what it is to live in the constant snai-e of the fear of man. And 
 this I must observe, with gi-ief, too, that the discomposure of my mind* had 
 too great impressions, also, upon the rehgious 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 m a due temper for application 
 to my Maker ; at least, not witli the sedate calmness and resignation of soul 
 which I was wont to do ; I rather prayed to God as imder great affliction and 
 pressure of mind, surrounded with danger, and in expectation, every night. 
 
140 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 of being murdered and devoured before morning ; and I must testify, t.>/,n 
 my experience, that a temper of peace, thankfulness, love, and affection, is 
 much the more proper frame for prayer, than that of terror and discompo- 
 sure ; and that under the dread of mischief impending, 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 
 \vent about the whole island, searching for another private place to make 
 such another deposit ; when, wandering more to the west point of the island 
 tlian I had ever done yet, and looking out to sea, I thought I saw a (oat 
 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 remote that I could not tell what to make of it, 
 though I looked at it till my eyes were not able to hold to look any longer; 
 whether it was a boat or not, I do not know ; but as I descended from the 
 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 1 was come down 
 the hUl to the end of the island, where, indeed, I had never been before, I 
 was presently convinced that the seeing the print of a man's foot was not 
 such a strange thing in the island as I imajpned ; and but that it was a special ' 
 providence that 1 was cast upon the side of the island where the savages 
 never came, 1 should easily have known that nothing was more fi-equent 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 harbor ; 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 cus- 
 toms, — being all cannibals, — they would kill and eat them; of which 
 hereafter. 
 
 Wlien I was come down the hUl to the shore, as 1 said above, being the 
 S. W. point of the island, I was perfectly confounded and amazed ; nor is 
 it possible for me to express the horror of my mind at seeing the shore 
 spread with skulls, hands, feet, and other bones of human bodies ; and, par- 
 ticularly, 1 observed a place where there had been a fire made, and a circle 
 dug in the earth, like a cockpit, where I supposed the savage wretches had 
 sat down to their inhuman feastings, upon the bodies of their fellow-creatui-es. 
 
 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 ap- 
 prehensions were buried in the thoughts of such a pitch of inhuman, 
 hellish brutality, and the horror of the degeneracy of human natm-e, which, 
 though I had heard of it often, yet I never had so nesir a view of before; 
 in short, I turned away my face from the horrid spectacle ; my stomach grew 
 sick, a_-d I was just at the point of fainting, when nature discharged the 
 disorder from my stomach ; and, having vomited with uncommon violence, 
 I was a little relieved, but could not bear to stay in the place a moment ; 
 so 1 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 pai't of the island, I stood still awhile, 
 as amazed, and then, recovering myself, I looked up with the utmost af- 
 
I was perfectly confonncletl and nmi/.ed 
 
OP KOBINSON CRUSOE. ] 43 
 
 fectiou of iny soul, and, with a flood of tears in my eyes, gave God thanks, 
 that had cast my first lot in a part of the v/^orld 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 circumstances, than ever i 
 was before ; for I obsei-ved that these wretches never came to this island 
 in seaj-ch of what they could get ; perhaps not seeking, not wanting, or not 
 expecting, any thing here ; and having often, no doubt, been up in the covered, 
 woody part of it, without finding any thing to theii- purpose. I knew ] had 
 been here now almost eighteen years, and never saw the least foolsteiis 
 of human creature there before ; and I might be eighteen yeai's more as 
 entirely concealed as I was now, if I did not discover myself to thcin, 
 which 1 had no manner of occasion to do ; it being my only business to 
 keep myself entirely conoealed 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 savage wretches that 1 have been speaking of, 
 and of the ^vretched, 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 o^\u circle, I 
 mean by it my three plantations, viz., my castle, my country seat, («hich 
 I called my bower,) and my enclosure in the woods ; nor did I look after 
 this for any other use tliau as an enclosure for my goats; for the aversion 
 which natiu'e gave nie to these helhsh wretches was such, that I was as 
 fearful of seeing tlicm as of seeing the De^'il himself I did not so much as 
 go to look after my boat all this time, but bei;;in rather to tliiuk 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 liad 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 1 used more caution, and kept my eyes more about me than 1 
 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 
 tliat I had furnished myself with a tame breed of goats, and that I bad 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 tliis, I believe, I never fired my gun once 
 off, though I never went out without it; and, which was more, as I had 
 saved tlu-ee pistols out of the ship, I always carried them out with me, or at 
 least two of them, sticking them in my goat-skin belt. I also furbished up 
 one of the great cutlasses that I had out of the ship, and made me a belt to 
 bang it on also ; so that I was now a most formidable fellow to look at when 
 
144 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 I went abroad, if you add to the former description of myself, the particular 
 of two pistols, and a great broadsword hanging at my side in a belt, but 
 without a scabbard. 
 
 Things going on thus, as I have said, for some time, 1 seemed, exceptiog 
 these cautions, to be reduced to my former calm, sedate 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 par- 
 ticulars 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 woi'se, in order to be thankful, than be always comparing 
 them with those which are better, to assist then- mm-miu-ings and com- 
 plainings. 
 
 As, in my present condition, there were not really many things which 1 
 wanted, so, indeed, I thought that the frights I had been in about these 
 savage wi-etches, 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 14o 
 
 and I reproved myself often for the simplicity of it; for 1 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 presei-ve it in, 
 which was a thing that, as I have observed already, I could never compass ; 
 no, though 1 spent not only many days, but weeks, nay, months, in attempt- 
 ing 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 vei-ily believe, had not the frights and terrors I 
 was in about the savages inteiTened, I had undertaken it, and peihaps 
 brought it to pass, too ; for I seldom gave any thing over without accom- 
 plishing 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 entertain- 
 ment ; and, if possible, save the victim they should bring hither to desti-oy. 
 It would take up a larger volume than this whole work is intended to be, to 
 set down all the contrivances I hatched, or, rather, brooded upon, in my 
 thoughts, for 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 tliem together, with then- darts, or their bows 
 and arrows, with which they could shoot as true to a mark as I could ^^ ith 
 my gun ? 
 
 Sonjetimes I thought of digging a hole under the place \\here they made 
 their fire, and, putting in five or six poinids of gunpowder, ^^■llich, when they 
 kmdled their fire, would consequently take fire, and blo^v up all that was 
 near it ; but as, in the first place, I should be unwilling to waste so inuch 
 powder upon them, my store being now witliin the quantity of one barrel, so 
 neither could I be sure of its going off at any certain time, \^heu it might 
 sui-prise them; and, at best, that it would do little more than just blow the 
 fir-e about their cars and fright them, but not sufiacieut to make them forsake 
 the place : so I laid it aside ; and thcu proposed that I would place myself 
 m ambush in some convenient place, ^^•ith my three guns, all double loaded ; 
 and, in the middle of their bloody ceremony, let fly at them, when I should 
 be sure to kill or wound perhaps two or three at every shot ; and then falling 
 in upon tlicm with my thi-ee 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 ^veeks ; and I was so full of it, that I often dreamed of it, and some- 
 times, 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 fiUed with thoughts of re- 
 venge, and a bloody putting twenty or thirty of them to the sword, as I 
 may call it, the hoiTor I had at the place, and at the signals of the barbarous 
 wi'etches devouring one anotlier, abetted my malice. WeU, 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, miseen, into some thickets of 
 trees, in one of which tliere was a hollow large enough to conceal me 
 entirely ; and tliere I might sit and observe all their bloody doings, and take. 
 19 
 
146 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 my full aim at 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 wound- 
 ing three or four of them at the fii'st shot. In this place, then, I resolved to 
 fix my design ; and, accordingly, I prepared two muskets and my ordinaiy 
 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 chai-ge, 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, eveiy morning, up to the top 
 of the hill, which was from my castle, as I called it, about thi-ee 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 hai-d duty, 
 after I had, for two or three months, constantly kept my watch, but came 
 always back without any discoveiy ; there having not, in all that tune, 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 long, also, 1 kept 
 up the vigor of my design; and my spu-its seemed to be all the while in a 
 suitable form for so outrageous an execution as the killing twe'nty or thii-ty 
 naked savages, for an ofience which I had not at all entered into any dis- 
 cussion of in my thoughts, any farther than my passions were at first fiied 
 by the hon'or I conceived at the unnatural custom of the people of that 
 countiy, who, it seems, had been suffered by Providence, in His wise dis- 
 position of the world, to have no other guide than that of theu- ovm abomi- 
 nable and vitiated passions ; and, consequently, were left, and perhaps had 
 been so for some ages, to act such hon-id things, and receive such dreadful 
 customs, as nothing but natm-e, entirely abandoned by Heaven, and actuated 
 by some hellish degeneracy, could have run them mto. But now, when, as 
 I have said, I began to be weaiy of the fi-uitless 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 executioner upon these men as criminals, whom Heaven had 
 thought fit for so many ages to suffer, unpunished, to go on, and to be, as it 
 wei'e, the executioners of His judgments one upon another ; how fai' 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. 1 
 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 ciime ; it is not against then* own consciences reproving, 
 or then- hght reproaching them; they do not know it to be an offence, 
 and then commit it in defiance of divine justice, as we do in almost all 
 the sins we commit They think it no more a crime to Idll a captive taken 
 in war, than we do to kill an ox ; nor to eat human flesh, than we do to 
 eat mutton. 
 
 When 1 considered this a little, it followed necessarily that I was certauily 
 in the wi-ong in it ; that these people were not mm-derers in the sense that I 
 had before condemned them in my thoughts, any more tlian those Chris- 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 147 
 
 tians were murderers who often put to death tlie prisoners taken iu battle 
 or more frequently, upon many occasions, i)iit whole troops of men to the 
 sword, without giving quai-ter, though the}' threw down their arms, and 
 submitted. In the next place, it occurred to me, tliat, although the usage 
 they gave one anotlier was thus brutish and inhuman, yet it was really 
 nothing to me ; these people had done me no injuiy ; that if tliey attempted 
 me, or I saw it necessaiy for my immediate preservation, to fall upon them, 
 soraethuig might be said for it ; but tliat I was yet out of their power, and they 
 really had no knowledge of me, and, consequently, no design upon me ; and, 
 tlierefore, it could not be just for me to fall upon tliem ; that this would justi- 
 fy the conduct of the Spaniards in all their barbarities practised in America, 
 where they destroyed millions of these people ; who, however they were idola- 
 ters and barbarians, and had several bloody and barbarous rites in their customs, 
 such as sacrificing himian bodies to tlieu- idols, were yet, as to the Spaniards, 
 very innocent people ; and that the rooting them out of the countiy is spoken 
 of witli the utmost abhorrence and detestation by even the Spaniards them- 
 selves at this time, and by all other Christian nations in Europe, as a mere 
 butchei-y, 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 fright- 
 ful and terrible to all people of humanity or of Christian compassion ; as if 
 the kingdom of Spain were particulai-ly eminent for the produce of a race 
 
148 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 of men wno were witnout 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 resolution to attack the savages ; and that it 
 was not my business to meddle with them, unless they fu-st attacked me ; 
 and this it was my busmess, if possible, to prevent ; but that, if I were dis- 
 covered and attacked by them, I knew my duty. On the other hand, 1 
 argued with myself, that this really was the way not to deliver myself, but 
 entirely to ruin and destroy myself; for, unless I was sm-e to kill every one 
 tliat not only should be on shore at that time, but that should ever come on 
 shore afterwards, if but one of them escaped to tell their coimti-y people 
 what had happened, they would come over again by thousaflds to revenge 
 the death of then- fellows, and I should only bring upon myself a ceitain 
 destruction, which, at present, I had no manner of occasion for. Upon the 
 whole, I concluded that I ought, neither in principle nor in policy, one way 
 or other, to concern myself in this affair ; that my business was, by all possi- 
 ble 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, — 1 
 mean of human shape. Religion joined in with this prudential resolution ; 
 and 1 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 innocent 
 creatures, — I mean innocent as to me. As to the crimes they were guilty of 
 towai-ds one another, I had nothhig to do with them ; they were national, 
 and I ought to leave them to the justice of God, who is the Governor of na- 
 tions, and knows how, by national punishments, to make a just retribution 
 for national offences, and to bring public judgments upon those who offend 
 in a public manner, by such ways as best please Him. This appeai-ed so 
 clear to me now, that nothing was a greater satisfaction to me than that 1 
 had not been suffered to do a thmg which I now saw so much i-eason to be- 
 lieve would have been no less a sin than that of wilful murder, if I had com- 
 mitted it ; and I gave most humble thanlts on my knees to God that He had 
 thus delivered me from blood-guiltiness ; beseeching Him to grant me the 
 protection of His providence, that 1 might not fall into the hands of the bar- 
 baiians, or that I might not lay my hands upon them, unless I have a more 
 cleEU- call from Heaven to do it, in defence of ray own life. 
 
 In this disposition I continued for near a year after this ; and so feu: 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 that 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 tne island, and carried 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 1 
 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 bai-e 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 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 149 
 
 grapnel ; however, it was the best 1 could make of its kind : all tliese 1 
 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 
 
 
 "^^s^ji^iiMs^'F 
 
 
 ^~-^&s^^ 
 
 other part of the island, was quite out of danger ; for cei-tain it is that tliese 
 savage people, who sometimes haunted tliis 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 chopped upon them and 
 been discovered before that ; when, naked and unarmed, except with one gun, 
 and that loaded often only with small shot, I walked every where, peeping and 
 peering about the island to see what I could get ; what a sm-prise should I 
 have been in, if, when I discovered the print of a man's foot, I had, instead 
 of tliat, seen fifteen or twenty savages, and found them pursuing me, and, 
 by the swiftness of theu- running, no possibility of my escajing thera ! The 
 thoughts of this sometimes sunk my very soul within me, alid 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 have been unable to resist them,' but even 
 should not have had presence of mind enough to do what I might have 
 done ; much less what now, after so much consideration and preparation, J 
 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 
 
150 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 resolved it all, at last, into thanidulness to that Providence which had deliv- 
 ered me from so many unseen dangers, and had kept from me those mischiefs 
 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 suppo- 
 sition of its being possible. This renewed a contemplation which often had 
 come to my thoughts in former time, when &st I began to see the merciful 
 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 du-ect 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 impression upon the mind, from 
 we know not what springs, and by we know not what power, shall oveiTule 
 us to go this way ; and it shall afterwai'ds 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 1 
 found those secret hints or pressings of mind, to doing or not doing anything 
 that presented, 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 miad. I could give many examples of the suc- 
 cess 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 extraor- 
 dineuy 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 wUl. 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 imbodied and those unimbodied, and such a 
 proof as can never be withstood ; of which I shall have occasion to give 
 some very remarkable instances in the remainder of my solitary residence hi 
 this dismal place. 
 
 I believe the reader of this will not think it stremge, if I confess that these 
 anxieties, these constant dangers I lived in, and the concern that was now 
 upon me, put an end to all invention, and to all the contrivances that I had 
 laid for my future accommodations and conveniences. I had the care of my 
 safety more now upon my hands than that of my food. I cai-ed 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, 
 1 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, 1 removed 
 tliat part of my 4)usiness which required fire, such as biu-ning of pots and 
 pipes, &c., into my new apartment in the woods ; where, after 1 had been 
 some time, 1 found, to my unspeakable consolation, a mere natui-al cave in 
 the earth, which went in a vast way, and where, I dai'e say, no savage, had he 
 been at the mouth of it, would be so hardy as to venture in ; nor, indeed) 
 would any man else, but one who, like me, wanted nothing so much as a safe 
 retreat 
 
 The mouth of this hollow was at the bottom of a great rock, where, by 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 JSI 
 
 mere accident, (I would say, if I did not see abundant reason to ascribe all 
 such things now to Providence,) I was cutting down some thick branches of 
 trees to make charcoal ; and before I go on I must observe the reason of my 
 making this charcoal, which was thus : I was afraid of making a smoke about 
 my habitation, as I said before ; and yet 1 could not live there without baking 
 my bread, cooking my meat, &c. ; so I contrived to bum some wood hert as 
 1 had seen done in England, under tui-f, till it became chark, or dry coal ; 
 and then, putting the fire out, I preserved the coal to carry home, and perfonn 
 the other services for which fire was wanting, without dsmger of smoke. 
 But this is by the by. While I was cutting down some wood here, I per- 
 ceived that, behind a very thick branch of low brushwood or undenvood, 
 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 farther into the place, and which was perfectly dai-k, I saw two 
 broad, shining eyes of some creature, whether Devil or man I knew not, 
 which twinkled like two stars ; the dim light from the cave's mouth shining 
 directly in, and making the reflection. However, after some pause, I recov- 
 ered 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 yeai-s 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 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 stinick with such a surprise that it put me 
 into a cold sweat, and if I had had a hat on my head, I will not answer for it 
 that my hair might not have lifted it off. But still, plucking up my spirits as 
 
 
152 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 well as I could, and encom-aging myself a little with considering that the 
 power and presence of God was evei-y where, and was able to protect mei 
 upon this I stepped foi-ward again, and by the light of the fu-ebratnd, holding 
 it up a little over my head, I saw lying on the ground a most monstrcus, 
 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 assayed to get up, but was not able to raise himself; and 
 I thought with myself he might even lie there ; for if he had frightened me, 
 so he would certainly fright any of the savages, i^»ny one of them shoidd 
 be so hardy as to come in there while he had any life in him. 
 
 I was now recovered from my sm-prise, and began to look round me, when 
 I found the cave was but very small, that is to say, it might be about twe.Ve 
 feet over, but in no manner of shape, neither round nor square, no hands 
 having ever been employed in making it but those of mere Nature. I 
 observed also that there was a place at the farther side of it that went in 
 further, but was so low that it requu'ed me to creep upon my hands and 
 laiees to go uito 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 
 ovra making, (for I made very good candles now of goats' tallow, but was 
 hai'd set for candle-wick, using sometimes rags or rope-yarn, and sometimes 
 the dried rind of a weed like nettles ;) and, going into this low place, I was 
 obliged to creep vipon all fours, as 1 have said, almost ten yards ; which, by 
 the way, I thought was a venture bold enough, considering that I knew not 
 how far it might go, nor what was beyond it When I had got through the 
 strait, I found the roof rose higher up, I believe near twenty feet ; but never 
 was such a gloiious sight seen in the island, I dare say, as it was, to look 
 round the sides and roof of this vault or cave ; the wall reflected a hundi-ed 
 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 suppo- 
 sed 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 gi-avel upon it, so that there 
 was no nauseous or venomous creature to be seen, neither was thei'e 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 reti-eat 
 as I wanted, 1 thought that was a convenience ; so that I was really rejoiced at 
 the discoveiy, and resolved, 'without any delay, to bring some of those things 
 which I was most anxious about to this place ; pai-ticulai-ly, I resolved to 
 brmg hither my magazine of powder, and all my spare arms, viz., two 
 fowling-pieces, for I had three in all, and three muskets, for of them I had 
 eight in all : so I kept m 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, J 
 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 
 hai-d, 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 
 
r 
 
 Up 
 
 \v 
 
 :^ 
 
 I look op a firebrand, and in I ruslied ajam 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 155 
 
 fgreeahle discovery to me at that time ; so I carried all away thither, never 
 keeping above two or three pomids 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 1 
 persuaded myself, while I was here, that if five hundred saveiges were to 
 hmit nie, they could never find me out ; or, if they did, they would not ven- 
 ture to attack me here. The old goat, whom I found expiring, died in the 
 mouth of the cave the next day after I made this discovery ; and I found it 
 niiich easier to dig a gi-eat hole there, and throw him in and cover him with 
 earth, than to drag him out : so 1 interred him there, to prevent ofience 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, 
 lUie the old goat, in the cave. 1 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 PoU, as I noted before, 
 to speak ; and he did it so familiarly, and talked so articulately and plain, 
 that it was veiy 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 afterwai-ds I know not, though I know they have a notion in the Brasils 
 that they live a hundred years. My dog was a pleasant and loving companion 
 to me for no less than sixteen years of my time, and tlicn died of mere old 
 age. As for my cats, they multiplied, as 1 have observed, to that degi'ee, 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 tlie two old ones I brought with me 
 were gone, and after some time continually di-ivLng them from me, and 
 letting them have no provision with me, they all ran wild mto the woods, 
 except two or three favorites, which I kept tame, and whose young, when 
 they had any, I always drowned ; and these were pai-t of my family. Besides 
 these, 1 always kept two or three household kids about me, whom I taught to 
 feed out of my hand ; and 1 had two more paiTots, which talked pretty well, 
 and would all call " Robin Crusoe," but none lilce my first ; nor, indeed, did 
 I take the pains with any of tliem 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 tliat, as I said above, I began to be very well contented with the life I 
 led, if I could have been secured from the dread of the savages. But it was 
 otherwise du'ected ; and it may not be amiss for aU people who shall meet 
 \vith my story, to make this just obsei-vation from it, viz., how fi-equently, 
 in the course of our lives, the evil which in itself we seek most to shun, and 
 which, when we ai-e 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 tlie afiliction we are fallen into. I could give many examples of 
 this in the course of my unaccountable life ; but in nothing was it more par- 
 
156 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ticulai-ly remarkable than in the circumstances of my last years of solitary 
 residence in this island. 
 
 It was now the month of December, as I said above, in my twenty-thu-d 
 year ; and this, being the southern solstice, (for vrinter 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 daylight, 1 was surprised vrith seeing a light of some fire upon the 
 shore, at a distance from me of about two miles, towards the island where / 
 had observed some savages had been, as before, and not on the other side ; 
 but, to my great afiiiction, 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 1 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 
 improvements, 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 naturtJ as I could. 
 
 Then I prepared myself within, putting myself in a postm-e of defence : 1 
 loaded all my cannon, as I called them, that is to say, my muskets, which 
 were mounted upon my new fortification, and all my pistols, and resolved to 
 defend myself to the last gasp ; not forgetting seriously to commend myself 
 to the divine protection, and earnestly to pray to God to deliver me out of 
 the hands of the barbarians. I continued in this posture about two hours ; 
 and began to be mighty impatient for intelligence abroad, for I had no spies 
 to send out After sitting awhile longer, and musing what I should do in 
 this case, 1 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 1 
 obsei-ved before, and then pulling the ladder after me, I set it up again, and 
 mounted the top of the hill ; and pulling out my perspective-glass, which I 
 had taken on purpose, I laid me down flat on my belly on the ground, and 
 began to look for the place. I presently found thei'e were no less tnan 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 jad 
 brought with them, whether alive or dead, I could not tell. 
 
 They had two canoes with them, wliich 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 confu- 
 sion 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 he 
 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 1 expected, so it proved ; for, as soon as the tide made to the wesiwaro, 
 1 saw them all take boat, and row (or paddle, as we call it) away. I should 
 have observed that, for an horn-- 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. 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 157 
 
 As soon as I saw them shipped and gone, 1 took two guns upon my slioul- 
 ders, and two pistols in my girdle, and ray great sword by my side, without a 
 scabbard, and, with all the speed 1 was able to make, went away to the hill 
 where I had discovered the first appearance of all ; and, as soon as I got 
 thither, which was not in less than t« o hours, (for I could not go apace, being 
 so loaded with arms as 1 was,) I perceived there had been three canoes more 
 of the savages at that place ; and, looldng out farther, I saw they were all at 
 sea together, malting over for the main. This was a dreadful sight to me, 
 especially as, going down to the shore, 1 could see the marks of horror which 
 the dismal work tliey 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 tlie destruction of the next that 1 saw 
 there, let them be whom or how many soever. It seemed evident to me that 
 tlie visits which they made thus to this island were not very fi-equent, for it 
 was above fifteen months before any more of them came on shore there 
 again ; that is to say, I neither saw them, nor any footsteps or signals of them, 
 in all that time ; for, as to the rainy seasons, then they are sure not to come 
 abroad, at least not so far : yet all this while 1 lived uncomfortably, by reason 
 of the constant apprehensions of their coming upon me by surprise ; from 
 ^vhence I observe, that the expectation of evil is more bitter than the suffer- 
 ing, especially if tliere is no room to shake off' that expectation or those 
 apprehensions. 
 
 During all this time, I was in the nnudering humor, and took up most of 
 my hours, which should have been better employed, in contriving how to 
 
158 THE LIFE AND ADVENTUEES 
 
 Circumvent and fall upon them, the very next time I should see them ; espe- 
 cially 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, tiU 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 
 ui 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 
 cai-e and caution imaginable. And now I found, to my great comfort, how 
 happy was that I had provided a tame flock or herd of goats ; for I dui-st 
 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 hundi-ed 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 
 1 ever saw any more of the savages, and then 1 found them again, as 1 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' inter- 
 val, was veiy great ; 1 slept miquiet, dreamed always fiightful dreams, and 
 often started out of my sleep in the night In the day, great troubles over- 
 whelmed my mind; and, in the night, I di-eamed often of killing the savages, 
 and of the reasons why I might justify the doing of it But to waive all this 
 for a while. — It was in the middle of May, on the sixteenth day, I think, as 
 well as my poor, wooden 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 itj but, 
 ' as I was reading in the Bible, and taken up with vei-y seiious thoughts about 
 my present condition, I was sm-prised 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, 1 started up in the greatest haste imaginable, and, in a 
 ti-ice, clapped my ladder to the middle place of the rock, and pulled it after me, 
 and, mounting it the second time, got to the top of the hill the very moment that 
 a flash of fire bid me listen for 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 cun-ent in my boat I immediately consid- 
 ered that this must be some ship in disti-ess, and that they had some comrade 
 or some other ship in company, and fired these 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 1 brought 
 together all the dry wood I could get at hand, and, making a good, handsome 
 pile, I set it on fire upon the hill. The wood was dry, and blazed fi-eely; 
 and, though the wind blew very hard, yet it burned fairly out, — so that I was 
 certain, if there was any such thing as a ship, they must needs see it : and no 
 doubt they did ; for, as soon as ever my fire blazed up, I heard another gun, 
 and after that several others, all from the same quarter. I plied my fire all 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 159 
 
 night long till daybreak ; and, when it was broad day, and the air cleared U]}, 
 I saw something at a great distance at sea, full cast of tlie island, ^vhether a 
 sail or a bull 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 ■ixas a ship at anchor; and, being 
 eager, you may be sure, to be satisfied, I took uiy gun m my hand, and ran 
 towards the south side of the island, to the rocks where I had formerly been 
 carried away with the current; and, getting up tliere, the weather by this 
 time being perfectly clear, I could ])lainly sec, to my great sorrow, the wreck 
 of a shij) cast away in the night upon those concealed rocks which I found 
 when I was out in niy boat ; and which rocks, as they checked tlie Wolence 
 of the stream, and made a kind of counter-stream, or eddy, were the occasion 
 of my recovering from the most desperate, hopeless condition that e\ev 1 had 
 been in, in all my life. Thus, what is one rhan'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 imder water, had been driven upon 
 them in the night, the wind blowing hard at E. N. E. Had tliey seen the 
 island, as I must necessarily suppose they did not, they must, as I thought, 
 have endeavored to save themsehes on shore by the help of their boat; 
 out their firing off guns for help, t sperially u Irn i!i< y saw, as I imagined. 
 
160 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 my fire, filled me with many thoughts. First, I imagined that, upon seemg 
 my light, they might have put themselves into their boat, and endeavored 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 theu- ship, which many times obliged men to stave or take in pieces 
 their boat, and sometimes to throw it overboard with their own hands. Other 
 times, I imagined they had some other ship or ships in company, who, upon 
 the signals of disti-ess they had made, had taken them up, and carried them 
 off. Other times, I fancied they were all gone ofi" to sea in then- boat, and, 
 being hurried away by the ciUTent that I had been formerly in, were carried 
 out into the great ocean, where there was nothing but miseiy and perishing; 
 and that, perhaps, they might by this time think of starving, and of being in 
 a condition to eat one another. 
 
 As all these were but conjectures at best, so, in the condition I was in, 1 
 could do no more than look on upon the misery 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 nappily and comfortably pro- 
 vided for me in my desolate condition ; and that, of two ships' companies, 
 who were now cast away ujjpn 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 mis- 
 ery so great, but we may see something or otlier to be thankful for, and may 
 see others in worse circumstances than our own. Such ceitainly 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 possibUity only of their 
 being taken up by another ship in company ; and this was but mere possi- 
 bility indeed, for 1 saw not the least sign or appearance of any such thing. 
 I cannot explain, by any possible energy of words, what a sti'ange longing or 
 hankering of desu-es I felt in my soul upon this sight, breaking out sometimes 
 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 com- 
 panion, one fellow-creatui'e, to have spoken to me, and to have conversed 
 with ! " In all the time of my solitaiy life, I never felt so earnest, so strong a 
 desire after the society of my fellow-creatures, or so deep a regret at the 
 want of it 
 
 There are some secret moving springs in the affections, which, when thej 
 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 earnest 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 desu-es 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, so that, if 1 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 soma 
 time, 1 could not pai-t 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 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 161 
 
 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 con- 
 versation of one of my fellow-Christians would have been to me. — But it 
 was not to be ; either their fate or mine, or both, forbade it; for, till the last 
 year of my being on this island, I never knew whether any were saved out 
 of that ship or no ; and had only the affliction, sonje days after, to see the 
 corpse of a drowned boy come on shore at the end of the island which was 
 next the shipwreck. He had no clothes on but a seaman's waistcoat, a pair 
 
 ol 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 1 had a gi-eat mind to ventm-e out in my boat to this 
 wreck, not doubting but I might find something on board that might be use- 
 ful to me ; but that did not altogether press me so much as the possibility 
 that there might be yet some living creature on board, whose life I might not 
 only save, but might, by saving that life, comfort my own to the last degree ; 
 and this thought clung so to my heart that I could not be quiet night or day, 
 but I must venture out in my boat on board this wreck ; and, committing the 
 rest to God's providence, I thought the impression was so strong upon my 
 mind that it could not be resisted, that it must come from some invisible 
 direction, and that I should be wanting to myself if I did not go. 
 
 Under the power of this impression, I hastened back to my castle, 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 
 21 
 
162 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 that left,) and a basket of raisins ; and thus, loading myself with evei-y thing 
 necessaiy, I went down to my boat, got the water out of her, got her afloat, 
 loaded.all my cargo in her, and then went home again for more. My second 
 cargo was a great bag of rice, the umbrella to set up over my head for a shade, 
 another large pot of fresh water, and about two dozen of small loaves, or 
 barley-cakes, more than before, with a bottle of goat's milk, and a cheese ; all 
 which, with great labor and sweat, 1 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. 1 looked on the rapid currents which ran constantly on both sides 
 of the island at a distance, and which were very terrible to me, from the 
 remembrance of the hazard I had been in before, and my heart began to fail 
 me ; for I foresaw that, if I was driven into either of those cuiTents, 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, 1 should be inevitably lost. 
 
 These thoughts so oppressed my mind, that I began to give over ifiy enter- 
 prise ; and, having hauled my boat into a little creek on the shore, I stepped 
 out, and set me down upon a rising bit of gi-ound, very pensive and anxious, 
 between fear and desu-e, about my voyage ; when, as 1 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 occuri'ed 
 to me that 1 should go up to the highest piece of ground 1 could find, and 
 obsei-ve, if 1 could, how the sets of the tide, or currents, lay when the flood 
 came in, that 1 might judge whether, if I was di'iven one way out, I might 
 not expect to be driven another way home, with the same rapidness of the 
 cun'ents. This thought was no sooner in my head than I cast my eye upon 
 a little hUl, which sufiRciently 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 
 ebb set out close by the south point of the island, so the cun-ent of the flood 
 set in close by the shore of the north side ; and that 1 had nothing to do but 
 to keep to the north side of the island, in my return, and I should do well 
 enough. 
 
 Encom-aged with this observation, 1 resolved, the next rhorning, to set out 
 with the first of the tide; and, reposing myself for the night in my canoe, 
 under the great watch-coat I mentioned, I launched out I first made a little 
 out to sea, full north, till I began to feel the benefit of the current, which set 
 eastward, and which carried me at a gi-eat rate, and yet did not so hmiy me 
 as the current on the south side had done before, so as to take from me all 
 government of the boat ; but, having a strong steerage with my paddle, I went 
 at a great rate directly for the wi-eck, and in less than two hoiurs 1 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 by the sea ; and, as her forecastle, which stuck 
 in the rocks, had run on with great violence, her mainmast and foremast » 
 were brought by the board, that is 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 165 
 
 into the boat, but found him almost dead with hunger and thu-st. 1 gave him 
 a cake of my bread, and he devoured it like a ravenous wolf that had been 
 starving a fortnight in the snow: I then gave the poor creature some fresh 
 water, with which, if I would have let him, he would have biu-st 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. 1 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 rush- 
 ing 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 1 
 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, 1 could see ; but they were too big to 
 meddle with. I saw sevei'al chests, which I believed belonged to some of 
 the seamen ; and I got two of them into the boat, without examining what 
 was in them. Had the stern of tlie ship been fixed, and the forepart broken 
 off, I am persuaded I might have made a good voyage ; for, by what 1 found 
 in these two cliests, I had room to suppose the sliip had a great deal of 
 wealth on board; and, 11' I may guess from the rourse she steered, she must 
 have been bound from Buenos Ajres, or the Rio de la Plata, in the south 
 paj-t of America, beyond the Bj'asils, to the Havana, in the Gulf of Mexico, 
 and so, perhaps, to Spain. SJie had, no doubt, a great treasure in her, but 
 of no use, .it that time, to any body ; and what became of the crew I tlien 
 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 wore several 
 muskets in the cabin, and a great powdcr-honi, witli about four pounds of 
 powder in it : as for the muskets, 1 had no occasion for them ; so I left 
 tlieiii, but took the powder-horn. I took a fire-shovel and tongs, which 1 
 wanted extremely; as also two little brass kettles, a copper pot to make 
 chocolate, and a gridiron; and with this caiijo, and the dog, I came away, 
 the tide beginning to malw home again; and, the same evening, about 
 an hour ^vithin night, I reached the island again, weary and fatigued to the 
 last degree. 1 reposed that night in thi' boat; and, in the morning, 1 re- 
 solved to harbor what 1 had got in my new ca^'e, and not cany it home to 
 my castle. After refresliing myself, 1 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 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 foimd in one a fine case of bottles, of an extraordinary kind, 
 and filled with cordial waters, fine and vciti' good; the bottles held about 
 three pints each, and were tipped ^^ith siher. I found two pots of vcit good 
 sucoades, or sweatmcats, 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, wliich were very welcome to me ; and about a 
 dozen and a half of ivhite linen handlierchicfs and colored neckcloths; the 
 former were also very welcome, beuig exceeding refreshing to wipe my face 
 in a hot day. Besides this, when I came to ihe till in the chest, I found 
 there three great bags of j)ieces-of-eight, which hekl about eleven hundred 
 pieces in all ; and in one of them, wrapped up in a paper, six doubloons of 
 
166 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 iu it, except two pounds of fine glazed 
 powder, in thi-ee 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 1 would have given it all for 
 three or four pan* of Knglish shoes and stockings, which were things I 
 greatly wanted, but had none on my feet for many yeai-s. 1 had, indeed, got 
 two pair of shoes now, which I took off the feet of the two di-ovTied men 
 whom I saw in the wi-eck, and I found two pan- more iu one of the chests, 
 which were very welcome to me ; but they were not like our English shoes, 
 either for ease or seiTice, being rather what we call pumps than shoes. I 
 found in this seaman's chest about fifty pieces-of-eight in rials, but no gold : 
 I suppose this belonged to a poorer man than the other, which seemed to 
 belong to some officer. Well, however, I lugged this money home to my 
 cave, and laid it up, as I had done that before, which I brought from our 
 own ship ; but it was a gi-eat pity, as I said, that the other part of this ship 
 had not come to my shai-e; for I am satisfied I might have loaded my 
 canoe several times over with money ; and, thought J, 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 them, I went 
 back to my boat, and rowed or paddled her along the shore to her old 
 harbor, where I laid her up, and made the best of my way to my old habita- 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 167 
 
 tion, 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 1 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 1 
 was pretty well satisfied the savages never came, and where 1 could go 
 without so many precautions, and such a load of arms and ammunition as I 
 always carried with me if 1 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 1 
 believe, verily, if I had had the boat that I went from Sallee in, I should have 
 ventured to sea, bound any where, I knew not whither. I have been, in all 
 my circumstances, a memento to those who are touclieJ \vith the general 
 plague of mankind, whence, for auglit 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 u])on my primitive condition, and 
 the excellent advice of my father, tlie opposition to which was, as I may call 
 it, my original sin, my subsef)uent 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 inean 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 uuprovemeuts I had made in that little time I lived 
 there, and the increase I should probably have made if I had remahied, I 
 might have been worth a hundred thousand moidores : and what business 
 had I to leave a settled fortune, a well-stocked plantation, improving and 
 increasing, to tm-n supercargo to Guinea to fetch negroes, ^\'hen patience and 
 time would have so increased our stock at home, that we could have bought 
 them at pur own door from those whose business it was to 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 1 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 pleasm-e to the reader, bring on the remaining part of my 
 story, it may not be improper to give some account of my first conceptions 
 on the subject of this foolish scheme for my escape, and how, and upon 
 what foundation 1 acted. 
 
 I am now to be supposed retu-ed into my castle, after my late voyage to 
 the wreck, my frigate laid up and secured under water, as usual, and my 
 condition restored to what it was before ; I had more wealth, indeed, than 1 
 had before, but was not at all the richer ; for I had no more use for it than 
 the Indians of Peru had before the Spaniai-ds came there. 
 
 It was one of the nights in the rainy season in March, the four-and- 
 
168 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 twentieth year of my iirst setting foot in this island of solitude, 1 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 in- 
 numerable crowd of thoughts that whkled through that great thoroughfare 
 of the brain — the memory, in this night's time. I ran over the whole history 
 of my life, in miniature, or by abridgment, as I may call it, to my coming 
 to this island, and also of that part of my hfe since I came to this island. In 
 my reflections upon the state of my case since I came on shore on this island, 
 I was comparing the happy posture of my affairs in the first years of my 
 habitation here, 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 frequented 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 vsdth many very profitable reflections, and 
 particularly this one : 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 sur- 
 round him I 
 
 After these thoughts had for some time enteitained 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 tranqmlUty, 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 crime to kill and devour me, 
 than I did of a pigeon or a curlew. I would unjustly slander myself, if I 
 should say I was not sincerely thankful to my great Preserver, to whose 
 singular protection I acknowledged, with great humiUty, all these imknown 
 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 tune) fruitless speculations, it occurred to me to in- 
 quire 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 
 come to mc. 
 
 I never so much as troubled myself to consider what I should 4o with 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. J 69 
 
 myself when I went thither; what would become of me if I fell into the 
 hands of the savages ; or how I should escape them if they attacked me ; no, 
 nor so much as how it was possible for me to reach the coast, and not be 
 attacked by some or other of them, without any possibility of deUvering 
 myself; and, if I should not fall into their hands, what I should do for pro- 
 vision, or whither I should bend my 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 tliat could possibly be ; that I was not able 
 to throw myself into any thing but death, that could be called worse ; and if 
 J reached the shore of the main, I might, perhaps, meet with relief, or 1 
 might coast along, as I did on the African shore, till I came to some inhabited 
 counti-y, and where I might find some relief; and, after all, perhaps, 1 might 
 fall in with some Christian ship that might take me in ; and if the worst 
 ciime to the worst, I could but die, which would put an end to all these 
 miseries at once. Pray note, all this was the fruit of a disturbed mind, an 
 impatient temper, made desperate, as it were, by the long continuance 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., somebody to speak to, and to learn some knowledge from them of 
 the place where 1 was, and of the probable means of my deliverance. I was 
 agitated ^v'holly by these thoughts ; all my calm of mind, in my resigna- 
 tion to Providenc^, and waiting the issue of tlie dispositions of Heaven, 
 seemed to be suspended ; and I had, as it were, no power to turn my 
 thoughts tp 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 veiy blood into a ferment, and my pulse beat as if I 
 had been in a iever, merely with the extraordinary fei-vor of my mind about 
 it, Nature, as if I had been fatigued and exhausted with tlie very thoughts 
 of it, threw me into a sound sleep. One would have thought I should have 
 dreamed of it, but I did not, nor of any thmg relatmg to it ; but I di-earaed 
 that as I was going out in the morning, as usual, from my castle, I saw, upon 
 the shore, two canoes antl eleven savages, coming to land, and that they 
 brought with tliem 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 miming 
 into my little tliick gi-ove before ray fortification, to hide himself; and that I, 
 seeing him alone, and not perceiving that the others sought him that way, 
 showed myself to him, and, smiling upon him, encouraged him ; that he 
 kneeled down to me, seeming to pray me to assist him ; upon which I 
 showed him my ladder, made him go up, and can-ied him into my cave, and 
 he became my servant ; and that, as soon as I had got this man, I said to my- 
 self, "Now I may certainly venture to the 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 
 ventiu-e 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, ant? 
 22 
 
170 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 finding that it was no. more than a dream, were equally extravagant the 
 other way, and threw me into a vei-y 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 con- 
 demned to be eaten, and should bring hither to kill. But these thoughts still 
 were attended with this difficulty, that it was impossible to eiFect this with- 
 out 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 
 band, 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 deliverance. 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 defence, 
 as much as if they were actually assaulting me, and the like ; 1 say, though 
 these things argued for it, yet the thoughts of shedding human blood for my 
 deliverance were veiy terrible to me, and such as 1 could by no means recon- 
 cile myself to for a great while. However, at last, after many secret disputes 
 with myself, and after great perplexities about it, (for all these arguments, 
 
OF KOltlNSON UltUSOE. 171 
 
 one way and another, struggled in my head a long time,) the eager, prevail- 
 ing 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 1 could pitch upon no probable means for it, so 1 resolved 
 to put myself upon the watch, to see them when they came on shore, and 
 leave the rest to the event, taking such measiu'es as the opportunity should 
 [tresent, 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 tii'ed 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 evei-y 
 day, to look for canoes, but none appeared. This was very discoiu-aging, 
 and bcj,'an to trouble me much, though I cannot say that it did in this case 
 (as it had done some time before) 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 
 \vord, 1 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, 1 
 liiiicicd myself able to manage one, nay, two or three savages, if 1 had them, 
 so as to make them entirely slaves to me, to do whatever I should direct 
 them, and to prevent their beuig able at any time to do me any hurt. It was 
 a great while that I pleased myself with this affair; but nothing still pre- 
 sented ; 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 entcu'taiiied these notions, (and, by long 
 musing, had, as it were, resolved them all into nothing, for want of an occa- 
 sion to |)ut them into execution,) 1 was surprised, one morning, 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. 
 ahvavs came foiu- or six, or sometimes more, in a boat, I could not tell ^vhat 
 to thiiik of it, or how to take my measures to attack twenty or tliirty men 
 single-lianded ; so lay still in niy castle, ])erplexcd and discomforted. How- 
 ever, 1 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 \ery impatient, I set my guns at the foot of my ladder, and clambered 
 up to the top of the hill, by my tw o stages, as usual ; standing so, however, 
 that my head did not appear above the hill, so that they could not perceive 
 me, by any means. Here I observed, by the help of my perspective glass. 
 that they were no less than thirty in number ; that they had a fire kindled, 
 and that they had meat dressed. How the}' had cooked it 1 knew not, or 
 what it was ; but tliey were all dancing in I know not how many barbarous 
 gestures and figures, tlieir own way, round the fire. 
 
 While I was thus- looking on them, 1 perceived, by my perspective, two 
 miserable wretches dragged from the boats, where, it seems, they were laid 
 by, and were now brought out for the slaughter. I perceived one of them 
 iimnediately 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, imme- 
 diately, 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, 
 
172 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTUKE8 
 
 
 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, dii-ectly towards me ; I mean 
 towards that part of the coast where my habitation was. I was dieadfully 
 frightened, 1 must acknowledge, when I perceived him run my way; and 
 especially when, as 1 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 1 found that there was not above three 
 men that followed him ; and still more was 1 encoui-aged, 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, 1 saw easily he would fairly get 
 away from them all. 
 
 There was, between them and my castle, the creek, which I mentioned 
 often in the first part of my story, where I landed my cargoes out of the ship ; 
 ;ind this 1 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 
 ui about thirty strikes, or thereabouts, landed, and ran on with exceeding 
 strength and swiftness. When the three pei-sons came to the creek, 1 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 
 
OF ROBINSON URLSOE. 173 
 
 long swimming over tiie 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 plainly called by Providence to save this poor creature's life. ) 
 immediately ran down the ladders with all possible expedition, fetched my 
 two guns, — for they were both at the foot of the ladders, as 1 observed be- 
 fore, — and, getting up again, with the same haste, to the top if the liill, I 
 crossed towards the sea; and, having a very short cut, and ali do\vn hill, 
 placed myself in the way between the pursuers and the pursued, hallooing 
 aloud to him that fled, who, looking back, was at first, perhaps, as much 
 frightened at me as at them ; but 1 beckoned with my hand to him to come 
 back ; and, in the mean time, I slowly advanced towai-ds the two that fol- 
 lowed ; then, rushing at once upon the foremost, 1 knocked him down with 
 -he stock of my piece. 1 was loath to fire, because 1 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 liave 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, 1 perceived presently he had a 
 bow and arrow, and was fitting it to shoot at me ; so I was tlien necessi- 
 tated to shoot at him first, which 1 did, and killed him at the first shot. 
 The poor savage who fled, but had stopped, though he saw botli his 
 enemies fallen, and killed, as he thought, yet was so frightened witli 
 the fire and noise of my piece, tliat he stood stock still, and neither came 
 forward, nor went backward, though he seemed rather inclined still to 
 fly than to come on. 1 hallooed again to him, and made signs to come 
 forward, which he easily imderstood, 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 eome to 
 me, and gave him all the signs of encouragement that I could think of; and 
 he came nearer and nearer, kneeling down every ten or twelve steps, in 
 token of acknowledgment for saving his life. I smiled at him, and looked 
 pleasantly, and beckoned to him to come still nearer: at length, he came 
 close to me ; and then he kneeled down again, kissed the ground, and laid 
 his head upon the ground, and, taking me by the foot, set my foot upon his 
 head : this, it seems, was in token of swearing to be my slave forever. 1 
 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 had 
 knocked down was not killed, but stunned with the blow, and began to come 
 to himself: so 1 pointed to him, and showed him the savage, that he was not 
 dead : upon this, he spoke some words to me, and, though 1 could not under- 
 stand 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 o^vn excepted, for above twenty- 
 five yeai's. But there was no time for such reflections now : the savage who 
 was knocked down recovered himself so far as to sit up upon the groimd, 
 and 1 perceived that my savage began to be afraid ; but when I saw that, 1 
 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 
 
174 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 executioner in Germany could have done it sooner or better ; which I thought, 
 very strange for one virho, I had reason to beUeve, never saw a sword in his 
 life before, except their own wooden swords : however, it seems, as I learned 
 afterwards, they make their woorfen swords so sharp, so heavy, and the 
 wood is sD hard, that they vvill even cut tiff heads with them, ay, and arms, 
 and that at one blow, too. When he had ^Jone this, he comes laughing to 
 me in sign of triumph, and brought me the svyord again, and, with abundaKjc 
 of gestures which I did not miderstand, 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 Indian so far off: so, pointing to 
 him, he made signs to me to let him go to him ; so I bade him go, as tvell as 
 I could. When he came to him, he stood like one amazeo, looking at him, 
 turning him fu-st 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 an-ows, and came back ; so 
 1 turned to go away, and beckoned him to follow me, making signs to him 
 that more might come after them. Upon this, he made signs to me that he 
 should bury them with sand, that they might not be seen by the rest, if they 
 followed ; and so 1 made signs to him again to do so. He fell to work ; and, 
 in an instant, he had scraped a hole in the sand, with his hands, big enough 
 to bury the «first in, and then dragged him into it, and covered him ; and did 
 so by the other also : 1 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 thp fai'ther 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 
 1 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 yeai's of age. He had a very good countenance, not a fierce and 
 surly aspect, but seemed to have something very mSnly in his face ; and yet 
 he had all the sweetness and softness of a European in his countenance, 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 spai'kling 
 sharpness in his eyes. The color of his skin was not quite black, but very 
 tawny ; and yet not an ugly, yellow, nauseous tawny, as the Brazilians, and 
 Virginians, and other natives of America, are, but of a bright kind of a dun 
 olive color, 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 
 Negroes : a veiy 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 1 had in the enclosure just by : when he espied me, he came running 
 to me, laying himself down again upon the ground, with all the possible 
 signs of an humble, thankful disposition, making a great many antic gestures 
 
OF ROUINSON CKUSOE. 
 
 177 
 
 to show it. At last, he lays his head flat upon the ground, close to my foot, 
 and sets my other foot upon lijs 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 sei've me so long as he lived. I understood 
 liim in many things, and let him know I was very well pleased with him. In 
 a little time, I began to speak to him, and teach him to speak to me ; and 
 tirst 1 let him know his name should be Friday, which was the day I saved 
 liis life : I called him so for the memory of the time. 1 likewise taught him to 
 say Master ; and then let him know that was to be my i.cjne : 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, wliicl: 
 he quickly complied with, and made signs that it was very good for him. 1 
 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 ; ai 
 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 agam and eat them. At this, 1 appeared 
 \ ory 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 tlien led him up to the top of the 
 hill, to see if his enemies were gone ; and, pulling out my glass, 1 looked, and 
 saw plainly the place where they had been, but no appearance of them oj- 
 tlieir canoes ; so that it was plain they were gone, and had left their twti 
 (•omrades behind them, without any search after them. 
 
178 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 
 tlie sword in his hand, with the bow and arrows at his back, which I found 
 lie could use very dexterously, making him carry one gun for me, and 1 two 
 'or myself; and away we marched to the place where these creatures had 
 been ; for I had a mind now to get some fuller intelligence of them. When 
 I came to the place, my very blood ran chill in my veins, and my heai-t 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 o'f 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, 
 alter a victory over then- enemies. 1 saw three skulls, five hands, and the 
 bones of thi-ee or four legs and feet, and abundance of other parts of the 
 bodies ; and Friday, by his signs, made me understand that they brought 
 over four prisoners to feast upon ; that three of them were eaten up, and tliat 
 he, pointing to himself, was the fourth ; that tliere had been a great battle 
 between them and their next king, of whose subjects, it seems, he had been 
 one, and that they had taken a great number of prisoners ; all which were 
 carried to several places by those who had taken them in 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 fiie 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 natui-e ; but 1 discov- 
 ered 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 offered it 
 
 When he had done this, we came back to our castle ; and there I fell to 
 vi'orkfor my man Friday; and first of all, 1 gave him a pair of linen drawers, 
 which I had out of the poor gunner's chest 1 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 1 
 made of hare's skm, very convenient, 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 awk- 
 wardly in these clothes at first : wearing the drawers was very awkwai'd 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, 1 began to consider 
 where 1 should lodge him ; and that I might do well for him, and yet be 
 perfectly easy myself, I made a little tent for him in the vacant place between 
 my two fortifications, in the inside 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 httle 
 within the entrance ; and causing the door to open in the inside, I baired it 
 up in the night, taking in my ladders too ; so that Friday could no way come 
 at me in the inside of my innei-most wall, without making so much noise in 
 
OF KOUINSON OUUSUE. 174 
 
 getting over that it must needs waken me ; for my fii-st wall had now a com 
 plete roof over it of long poles, covering all my tent, and leaning up to the 
 side of the hill ; which was again laid across with smaller sticks, instead of 
 laths, and then thatched over a great thickness with the rice straw, which 
 was strong, like reeds ; and at the hole or place which was left to go in or 
 out by the ladder, 1 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 gi-eat noise : as to weapons, 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 
 passions, suUenness, or designs, perfectly obliged and engaged; his very 
 affections were tied to me, like those of a chUd to a father ; and I dare say 
 he would have sacrificed his life for the saving mme, 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 woM 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 poAvers, the same 
 reason, the same affections, the same sentiments of kindness and obligation, 
 the same passions and resentments of ivrongs, tlic 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 occM^ion.* 
 of exerting these, tliey ai-e as ready, nay, more ready, to apply tlicm to the 
 right uses for which they were bestowed, than we ai-e. This made me \'erj' 
 melancholy sometimes, in reflecting, as the several occasions i)rcsonted, how 
 mean a use we make of all these, even though we have these powers enlii;lu- 
 ened by the great lamp of mstruction, the Spirit of God, and by tiie 
 knowledge of His word added to our understanding ; and \\\i\ it lias pleased 
 God to hide the like saving knowledge from so many millions 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 sometimes was led too laj", to invade the sover- 
 eignty of Providence, and, as it were, ai-raign the justice of so aibiti'ary a 
 disposition of things, that should hide that sight from some, and reveal it to 
 otliers 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 condenmed ; 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 creatm'es 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 discovered to us ; and, secondly, that 
 still, as we all are the clay in tlie hand of the potter, no vessel coidd say to 
 him, " Why hast thou formed me tlius .' " 
 
 But to return to my new companion: — I was gi'eatly deUghted 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 under- 
 stand me when i spoke : and he was the aptest scholar that ever was ; and 
 particularly was so merry, so constantly diligent, and so pleased when he 
 
180 THE LIFK AND ADVENTUllES 
 
 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 1 lived. 
 
 After 1 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. 1 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 Friday ; " Hold," said 1, " stand still ; " and made signs 
 to him not to stir : immediately, 1 presented my piece, shot, and killed one 
 of the kids. The poor creature, who had, at a distance, indeed, seen me kill 
 the savage, his enemy, but did not know, nor could imagine, how it was done, 
 was sensibly surprised, trembled and shook, and looked so amazed that I 
 thought he would have sunk down. He did not see the kid I shot at, or 
 perceive I had killed it, but ripped up his waistcoat, to feel whether he was 
 not wounded ; and, as 1 found presently, thought 1 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 1 could easily see the meaning was, 
 to pray me not to kill him. 
 
 I soon found a way to convince him that 1 would do him no harm ; and, 
 taking him up by the hand, laughed at him, and, pointing to the kid which 1 
 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, 1 loaded my 
 gun again. By and by, I saw a great fowl, like a hawk, sitting upon a tree 
 within shot ; so, to let Friday understand a little what I would do, I called 
 him to me again, pointed at the fowl, which was, indeed, a parrot, though I 
 thought it had been a hawk, — 1 say, pointing to the parrot, and to my gun, 
 and to the ground under the pan-ot, to let him see I would make it fall, ] 
 made him understand that 1 would shoot and kill that bird ; accordingly, 1 
 &-ed, and bade him look, and immediately he saw the parrot fall. He stood 
 like one frightened 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 wonderful fund of death and 
 destruction in that thing, able to kill man, beast, bird, or any thing near or 
 far off; and the astonishment this created in him was such as could not 
 wear off for a long time ; and, 1 believe, if 1 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 after- 
 wards learned of him, was to desire it not to kill him. Well, after his 
 astonishment 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 I might be ready 
 for any other mark that might present ; but nothing more ofiered at that 
 time ; so I brought home the kid, and the same evening I took the skin off 
 and cut it out as well as 1 roiild ; and, having a pot fit for that purpose, 1 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 18J 
 
 boiled or stewed some of the flesh, and made some very good broth. Alter 
 1 had begun to eat some, I gave some to my man, vi^ho seemed very glad ol 
 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 tlie salt was not good to eat ; and. 
 putting a little into his own mouth, he seemed to nauseate it, and would 
 spit and sputter at it, washing his mouth with fresh water after it; on the 
 other hand, I took some meat into my mouth without salt, and I pretended 
 to spit and sputter for want of salt, as fast as he had done at the salt ; but 
 it would not do ; he would never care for salt with his meat or in his broth : 
 at least, not for a great while, and then but a very little. 
 
 Having thus fed him with boiled meat and broth, I was resolved to feast 
 him tlie next day with roasting a piece of the kid: this I did by hanging it 
 before the fire on a string, as I had seen many people do in England, setting 
 two poles up, one on each side of the fire, and one across on the top, and 
 tying tlie string to the cross stick, letting the meat turn continually. This 
 Friday admired very much ; but when he came to taste the flesh, he took so 
 
182 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 com out, and sifting it in 
 the manner I used to do, as I observed before ; and he soon understood how 
 to do it as well as I, especially after he had seen what the meaning of it was, 
 and that it was to make bread of; for, after that, I let him see me make my 
 bread, and bake it too; and in a little time, Friday was able to do all the 
 work for me, as well as I could do it myselC 
 
 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, iu which Friday worked not only very 
 willingly and very hard, but did it very cheerfully : and I told him what it 
 vi'as for ; that it was fpr 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 moi-e labor 
 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 yeai- of all the life I led iu this place. Friday be 
 I'an to talk pretty well, and understand the names of almost every thing 
 
 I had occasion to call for, and of eveiy place I had to send him to, and talked 
 
 II great deal to me ; so that, in short, I began now to have some use for my 
 tongue again, which, indeed, 1 had veiy little occasion for before ; that is to 
 say, about speech. Besides the pleasure of talking to him, I had a singular 
 satisfaction in the fellow himself: his simple, unfeigned honesty appeared to 
 me more and more every day, and I began really to love the creature ; and, 
 on his side, I believe he loved me more than it was possible for him ever to 
 love any thing before. 
 
OF KOBINSON CRUSOli. 183 
 
 I had a mind once to try if he had any hankeinug inclination to his own 
 countiy again ; and, having taught hun 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 al- 
 ways 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 prisonei 
 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 ovei'-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 caiTy 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 .' 
 
 FYiday. Yes, 1 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 fai'ther part of the island, on the 
 same man-eating occasions he was now brought for ; and, some time after, 
 when I took the courage to carry him to that side, being the same I formerly 
 mentioned, 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 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 whatfoUows ; that, after this 
 discourse I had with him, I asked him how far it Avas from om- island to the 
 shore, and whether the canoes were not often lost. He told me there was no 
 dangei', no canoes ever lost ; but that, after a little way out to sea, there was a 
 current and wind, always one way in the morning, the other in the afternoon 
 This I 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 gi-eat draft 
 and reflux of the mighty River Oroonoko, in the mouth or gulf of which river. 
 as I found afterwards, oiu- island lay ; and that this land which I per- 
 ceived 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. 1 asked him 
 tJie names of the several nations of his sort of people, but could get no other 
 
184 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 name than Caribs ; from whence 1 easily understood that these were the 
 Caribbees, which our maps place on the pai-t of America which reaches from 
 the mouth of the River Oroonoko to Guiana, and onwards to St. Martha. He 
 told me, that up a great way beyond the moon, that was, beyond the setting 
 of the moon, which must be west from then- country, there dwelt white 
 bearded men, like me, and pointed to my gi-eat whiskers^ which I mentioned 
 before ; and that they had killed much mans, (that was his word ;) by all 
 which, I understood he meant the Spaniards, whose cruelties in America had 
 been spread over the whole country, and were remembered by all the na- 
 tions, from father to son. 
 
 1 inquired if he could tell me how 1 might go from this island and get 
 among those white men : he told me, "Yes, yes, you may go in two canoe." 
 I could not understand 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 lai'ge boat, as big as two canoes. This part of Friday's dis- 
 course began to relish with me very well ; and from this time 1 entertained 
 some hopes that, one time or other, I might find an opportunity to make 
 ray escape from this place, and that this poor savage might be a means to 
 help me. 
 
 During the long time that Friday had now been with me, and that he be- 
 gan to speak to me, and understand me, I was not wanting to lay a founda- 
 tion of religious knowledge in his mind ; particularly I asked him, one time, 
 who made him. The poor creature did not understand me at all, but thought 
 I had asked him who was his father ; but I took it up by another handle, ana 
 asked him who made the ^ea, the ground we walked on, and the hills and 
 woods. He told me, "It was one old Benamuckee, that lived beyond all;" 
 he could describe nothing of this great 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 
 
OF UOBINSON CKUSOE. 1S5 
 
 die in his countiy went away any whei'e. He said, " Yes ; they ail went to 
 Benamuckee." Then 1 aslied him whether those they eat up went thither 
 too. He said, "Yes." 
 
 From these things 1 began to instruct him in tlie 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, andi-eceived 
 with pleasure the notion of Jesus Christ being sent to redeem us, and of the 
 mrinner of making our prayers to God, and His being able to hear us, even in 
 heaven. He told me one day, that if our God could hear us up beyond the 
 sun, he must needs be a greater God than their Benamuckee, who lived but a 
 little way off, and yet could not hear till they went up to the great mountains 
 where he dwelt to speak to him. I asked him if ever he went thither to 
 speak to him. He said, "No ; they never went that were young men; none 
 went thither but the old men," whom he called their Oowokakee ; that is, as 
 £ made him explain it to me, their religious, or clergy ; and that they went to 
 say O, (so he called saying prayers,) and then came back, and told them what 
 Benamuckee said. 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 re- 
 ligions in the world, even among the most brutish and bai-barous suvaijes. 
 
 I endeavored to clear up this fraud to my man Friday; and told him, that 
 the pretence of their old men going up to the mountains to say O to their 
 god Benamuckee was a cheat ; and their bringing word from thence what he 
 said was much more so ; that if they met with any answer, or spake witli any 
 one there, it must be with an evil spirit ; and then I entered into a long dis- 
 course with him about the Devil, the original 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 oiu" inclmatious, so as to cause us even to be our own tempters, and 
 run upon our destruction by our own choice. 
 
 I found it was not so easy to imprint right notions in his mind about the 
 Devil as it was about tlie being of a God : natiue assisted all my arguments 
 to evidence to him even the necessity of a great First Cause — an overruling, 
 governing Power — a secret, directing Providence ; and of the equity and 
 justice of paying homage to Him tliat made us, and the like ; but there ap- 
 peared nothing of this Idnd 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 Creatme puzzled me once in such a manner, 
 by a question merely natm-al and innocent, that 1 scarce knew what to say to 
 him. I had been talking a great deal to him of the power of God, His om- 
 nipotence. 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 aU the world in 
 a moment ; and he listened with great seriousness to me all the while. After 
 this, 1 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 Provi- 
 34 
 
186 THE LlFii AN1> AUVENTIIKKS 
 
 dence, and to ruiii the kingdom of Chi-ist 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 1, "Friday; God is stronger 
 than the Uevil : God is above the Devil, and therefore we pray to God to tread 
 him down imder our feet, and enable us to resist his temptations and quench 
 liis 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 .' ' 
 1 was str^gely sui-prised at this question ; and, after all, though I was now 
 an old man, yet I was but a young doctor, and ill qualified for a casuist, or a 
 solver of difiiculties ; and at first I could not tell what to say ; so I pretended 
 not to hear him, and asked him what he said ; but he was too earnest for an 
 answer, to forget his question, so that he repeated it in the very same broken 
 words as above. By this time I had recovered myself a little, and I said, 
 " God will at last punish him severely ; he is reserved for the judgment, and 
 is to be cast into die bottomless pit, to dwell with everlasting fire." This did 
 not satisfy Friday ; but he returns upon me, repeating my words, " ' Resent at 
 last!' me no understand: but why not kill the Devil now; not kill great 
 ago .'" " You may as well ask me," said I, " why God does not kiU you and 
 me, when we do wicked things here that ofiend him: we are preserved to 
 repent and be peu'doned." He mused some time on this : " Well, well," says 
 he, mightily affectionately, "that well: so you, I, Devil, all wicked, all pre- 
 serve, repent, God pardon all." Here I was run dovni again by him to the 
 last degi-ee ; 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 woi'ship or homage due to the supreme being of God, as the conse- 
 quence of our natm-e, yet nothing but divine revelation can form the know) 
 edge of Jesus Christ, and of redemption purchased for us ; of a Mediator or 
 the new covenant, and of an Intercessor at the footstool of God's throne ; 1 
 say, nothing but a revelation from heaven can form these in the soul ; and 
 that, therefore, the gospel of oui- Lord and Savior Jesus Christ — 1 mean the 
 Word of God, and the Spirit of God, promised for the guide and sanctifier 
 of His people — ai'e the absolutely ne(;essary insti'uctors of the souls of men 
 in the saving knowledge of God, and the means of salvation. 
 
 1 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, 1 seriously prayed to God that he would ena- 
 ble 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 Gfod in Christ, reconciling hun 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 en- 
 tered into a long discourse with him upon the subject of the redemption of 
 man by the Savior of the world, and of the doctrine of the gospel preached 
 from heaven, viz., of repentance towards God, and faith in om- blessed Lord 
 Jesus. I then explained to him, as well as I could, why our blessed Redeemer 
 took not on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham ; and how. 
 for that reason, 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 1 
 took for this poor creatm-e's instruction, and must acknowledge, what 1 
 beUeve all that act upon the same principle will find, that, in laying things 
 
OF ROlilNSOK CRUSOE. 187 
 
 0])cii to liiiu, 1 really infoiined and instructed myself in many things that 
 either I did not know, or had not fully considered before, but which occurred 
 naturally to my mind upon searching into them, for the information of this 
 poor savage ; and I had more affection in my inquiry after things upon this 
 occasion than ever 1 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 solitaiy life which I had 
 lieen 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 aught I knew, the 
 soul of a poor savage, and bring hrm to the true knowledge of religion, and 
 of the Christian doctrine, that he might know Christ Jesus, in whom is 
 life ete-ial ; 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 1 ; though 
 I have reason to hope, and bless God for it, that we were equally penitent 
 and comforted, restored penitents. We had here the word of God to read, 
 and no farther off from His Spirit to instruct, than if we had been in Eng- 
 land. 1 always applied myself, in reading the Scripttires, 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 mypwn mere 
 private reading. Another thing I cannot refrain from observing here also, 
 from experience in this retired part of my life, viz., how infinite and inex- 
 pressible 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 
 Savior for life and salvation, to a stated reformation in practice, and obedi- 
 ence to all God's commands, and this without any teacher or instructor, — 1 
 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 a;ll the disputes, wrangling, strife, and contention which have hap- 
 pened in the world about religion, whether niceties in doctrines, or schemes 
 of church government, they were all perfectly useless to us, and, for aught 1 
 can yet see, they have been so to the rest of the woi-ld. We had the sure 
 guide to heaven, viz., the word of God ; and we had, blessed be God, com- 
 fortable views of the Spirit of God teaching and instructing us by His word, 
 leading us into all truth, and making us botli willing and obedient to the 
 instruction of His word. And I cannot see tlie least use that the greatest 
 knowledge of tlie disputed points of religion, which have made such confu- 
 sions in the world, would have been to us, if we could have obtained it ; — 
 
188 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 but I must go on with the historical part of things, and take every part in ita 
 order. 
 
 After Friday and 1 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. 
 
 J described to him the country of Europe, paiticularly England, which 1 
 came from ; how we Uved, 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 1 could, the place where she lay ; but she was all beaten in pieces 
 before, and gone. 1 showed him the ruins of our boat, which we lost when 
 wc escaped, and which 1 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 natioti." 
 1 did not understand him a good while ; but, at last, when I had exammed 
 further 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 
 
01' UOBINSON UltUSlHJ. 189 
 
 driven thither by stress of weather. I presently iinaguied tliat some Euro- 
 pean 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 mighl 
 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 1 presently asked him, if there were any white 
 mans, as he called them, in the boat. "Yes," he said; "the boat full of 
 white mans." 1 asked him how many ? He told upon his fingers seventeen 
 I asked him, then, what became of them. He told me, " They hve, they 
 dwell at my nation." 
 
 This put new thoughts into my head ; for 1 presently imagined 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, 1 
 inquired of him more critically what was become of them ; he assured me 
 they lived still there ; that they had been there about four years; that the 
 savages left them alone, and gave them victuals to live on. 1 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, liom ^\hence, as 1 have said, I had in 
 a clear day discovered the main or continent of America, Friday, the 
 weather being very serene, looks very earnestly towai'ds the main land, 
 and, in a kind of surprise, falls a-jumping and dancing, and calls out to me, 
 for I was at some distance from him. I asked him wliat was the matter. 
 "O joy!" says he; " O glad ! there see my country, tliere my nation ! " J 
 observed an extraordinary sense of pleasure appeared in his face, and his 
 eyes sparkled, and his countenance 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 tliat if Friday 
 could get back to his own nation again, he would not only forget all his 
 religion, but all his obligation to me, and would be forward enough to give 
 his countrymen an account of me, and c6me back perhaps with a hundred 
 or two of them, and malcc a feast upon me, at which he might be as meirj" 
 as he used to be with those of his enemies, when they were taken in war. 
 But I ivronged the poor, honest creature very much, for which I was very 
 soi-ry afterwards. However, as my jealousy increased, and held me some 
 weeks, I was a little more circumspect, and not so familiar 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 prin- 
 ciples, both as a religious Christian, and as a grateful friend ; as appeared 
 afterwards to my full satisfaction. 
 
 While my jealousy of him lasted, you may be sure 1 was every day pump- 
 ing him, to see if he would discover any of the new thoughts which I 
 
190 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 suspected were in him ; but I found every thing he said was so honest and 
 so innocent, that I could find nothing to nouiish 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 countiy, 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 wUd 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 gi-ave at that, and then 
 said, " No, no ; they no kill me, Ihey willing love learn." He meant by this, 
 they would be willing to learn. He added, they learned much of the beai'ded 
 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 fai". I told 
 him, I would make a canoe for him. He told me he would go, if I would go 
 witli 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 191 
 
 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 beai-ded men, who, I made no doubt, were Spaniards 
 and Poituguese ; not doubting but, if I could, we might find some method to 
 escape from thence, being upon the continent, and a good company together, 
 better than I could from an island forty miles off the shore, and alone, with- 
 out 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, accordingly, I carried him to my frigate, which lay on the other side of 
 the island, and having cleared it of water, (ibr 1 always kept it sunk in water,) 
 I brought it out, showed it to him, and we both went into it. I found he was 
 a most dexterous fellow at managing it, and would make it go almost ;;? 
 swift again as I could. So, when he was in, I said to him, "^^'ell, now. 
 Friday, shall we go to your nation ?" lie looked veiy dull at my saying so : 
 which it seems was because he thought the boat too small to go so far ; ] 
 then told him I had a bigger ; so the next day 1 went to the place where the 
 first boat lay which I had made, but which I could not get into the watur. 
 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 thcic, tlie sun had split and dried it, 
 that it was in a manner rotten. Friday told me such a boat would do vciy 
 well, and would can-y " much enough vittle, drink, bread ; " tliat was his way 
 of talking. 
 
 Upon tlie whole, 1 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 us liig 
 as that, and he should go home in it. lie 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 Fridiiy .' AV hat mc done?" 1 
 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 ; " ^^■hy sciid Friday home 
 away to my nation ? " " Why," says I, "Friday, did not you say you wished 
 vou 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 \\ ithout me. " I go there, Friday ! " says I ; " what shall I do there ? " 
 He returned very quick upon me at tliis. " You do great deal much good," 
 says ho ; "you teach wild mans be gooil, sober, tame mans ; you tell them 
 know God, pray God, and live new life." " Alas, Friday," says I, " thou 
 knowost not what thou sayest ; I am but an ignoi-aut man mysell!" " Yes, 
 vcs,'' savs lie, "you tcachee me good, you tciichee them good." "No, no. 
 Friday," says I, "you shall go without me; leave me here to live by myself, 
 as I did befcre." 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 
 Fridaj'," says he. " What must I kill you for ? " said I again. He retm-ns 
 very quick, " What you send Friday away for ? Take kill Friday, no send 
 Friday away.'' This he spoke so earnestly that I saw tears sta^d in his eyes : 
 m a word, I so plainly discovered the utmost affection in him to me, and a 
 firm resolution 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, ns 1 found, by nil his discom-se a settled afTection to me, 
 
192 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTUKES 
 
 and that nothing should part him from me, so I found all the foundation of 
 his desire to go to his own country was laid in his ardent affection to the 
 people, and his hopes of my doing them good — a thing which, as I had no 
 notion of myself, so I had not the least thought, or intention, or desire of 
 undertaking it But still I found a strong inclination to my attempting an 
 escape, as above, fbmided on the supposition gathered from the discourse; 
 viz., that there were seventeen bearded men there ; and, therefore, without 
 Euay 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 lai-ge vessels ; but the main thing I looked at was, 
 to get one so near the water that we might launch it when it was made, to 
 avoid the mistake I committed at first. At last, Friday pitched upon a tree; 
 for I found he knew much better than I what kind of wood was fittest for it ; 
 nor can I tell, to this day, what wood to call the tree we cut down, except 
 that it was very like the tree we call fustic, or between that and the Nicara- 
 gua wood, for it was much of the same color 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 vei-y handily ; and, in about a month's hard labor, we 
 finished it, and made it very handsome ; especially when, with our axes, 
 which 1 showed him how to handle, we cut and hewed the outside into the 
 true shape of a boat After this, however, it cost us neai' a fortnight'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 cai'ried twenty men with 
 great ease. 
 
 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, 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 193 
 
 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 awkward stitching, you may be sure, for want of needles, I at 
 length made a three-cornered, ugly thing, like what we call, in England, a 
 sfaoulder-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 as I had to tlie 
 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., rigging and fitting 
 rny mast and sails ; for 1 finished them very complete, making a small stay, 
 and a sail, or foresail, to it, to assist if we should turn to windward ; and, 
 which was more than all, I fixed a rudder to the stem of her to steer with. I 
 was but a bungling shipwright; yet, as I knew the usefulness, 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 1 
 had for it that failed, I think it cost me almost as much labor as making 
 tlie boat. 
 
 After all tills was done, I had my man Friday to teach as to what belonged 
 to the navigation of my boat; for, though he knew very well how to paddle 
 a canoe, he knew nothing of what belonged to a sail and a rudder ; and was 
 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, wlien he saw this, he stood like one aston- 
 ished 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, 1 could make him understand very little of that On the other 
 hand, as tliere was veiy little cloudy weather, and seldom or never any fogs 
 in those pai'ts, 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 cyt 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, ray 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 Grod for his mercies as at first ; sind, if I had 
 such cause of acknowledgment at first, I had much more so now, having 
 such additional testimonies of the care of Providence over me, and the great 
 hopes I had of being efiectually and speedily delivered ; for I had an invinci- 
 ble impression upon my thoughts that my deliverance was at hand, and that 
 I should not be another year in this place. I went on, however, with my 
 25 
 
194 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 husbandry ; digging, planting, and fencing, as usual. I gathered and cui-ed 
 my grapes, and did every necessary thing as before. 
 
 The rainy season was, in the mean time, upon me, when 1 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 1 said in the begin 
 ning, 1 landed my rafts from the ship ; and, hauling her up to the shore, at 
 high- water mark, 1 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 di-y as to the tide from the sea ; and, to 
 keep the rain offj 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 Novem- 
 ber and December, in which I designed to make my adventure. 
 
 When the settled season began to come in, as the thought of my design 
 retm-ned with the fair weather, I was preparing daily for the voyage : and 
 the first thing 1 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 1 had time to speak to him, he cries out to me, " O master ! O 
 master ! O soitow ! O bad ! " " What's the matter, Friday ? " says L « O 
 yonder, there," says he, " one, two, three canoes ; one, two, three ! " By this 
 way of speaking, I concluded there were six; but, on inquiry, I found there 
 were but three. " Well, Friday," says I, " do not be frightened." So I heart- 
 ened him up as well as I could : however, I saw the poor fellow was most 
 terribly scai'ed ; 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, Friday.'" "Me shoot," says he, "but there 
 come memy great number." " No matter for that," said I again ; " our guns 
 will fright them that we 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 had drank it, I made him take 
 the two fowling-pieces, which we always carried, and loaded them with large 
 swan-shot, as big as small pistol-bullets ; then I took four muskets, and 
 loaded them with two slugs, and five small bullets each; and my two pistols 
 1 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 theu 
 whole business seemed to be the triumphant banquet upon these three 
 human bodies — a barbarous feast, indeed, but nothing more than, as I had 
 
iiWiii'\&iM 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE 197 
 
 observed, was usual with them. I observed also, that they were lauded, 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 
 veiy 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 1 had charged, as 
 before, between us : I gave Friday one pistol to stick in his girdle, and tlu-ee 
 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 could come 
 within shot of them before 1 should be discovered, which I had seen by my 
 glass it was easy to do. 
 
 While I was making this march, my former thoughts returning, I began to 
 abate my resolution: I do not mean that I entertained any fear of theh 
 number; for, as they were naked, unarmed ^vretches, it is certain I was 
 superior to them, — nay, though I had been alone. But it occurred to my 
 thoughts, what call, what occasion, much less wliat necessity, I was in, to go 
 and dip my hands in blood, to attack people who had neither done or in- 
 tended me any wrong ; who, as to me, were innocent, and whose barbarous 
 customs were their own disaster ; being, in them, a token, indeed, of God's 
 having left them, with the other nations of that part of the world, to sucli 
 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 vengeance, punish them, as a people, for national crimes ; but 
 that, in the mean time, it was none of my business ; that, it was true, Friday 
 might justify it, because he was a declared enemy, and in a state of war witli 
 those very particular people, and it was lawful for him to attack them ; but 1 
 could not say the same with regai-d 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 observe their barbarous 
 feast, and that I would act then as God should direct ; but that, unless some- 
 thing 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, 1 marched till 1 came to the 
 skirt of the wood, on the side wliich 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 comer of the wood, I bade 
 him go to the tree, and bring me word if he could see there plaiidy 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 
 
198 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 the sand, a little from them, which, he said, .they would kill next, and which 
 fired the very soul within me. He told me it was not one of then: 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 a European, and had clothes on. , 
 
 There was another tree, and a little thicket beyond it, about fifty yards 
 nearer to them than the place where 1 was, which, by going a little way 
 about, I saw I might come at undiscovered, and that then I should be within 
 half a shot of them; so 1 withheld my passion, though I was indeed enraged 
 to the highest degree ; and, going back about twenty paces, I got behind 
 some bushes which held all the way till I came to the other tree ; and then 
 came to a little rising ground, which gave me a full view of them, at the 
 distance of about eighty yards. 
 
 I had now not a moment to lose, for nineteen of the dreadful wretches sat 
 upon the ground, all close huddled together;* and had just sent the other two 
 So butcher, the poor Christian, and bring him, perhaps, limb by limb, to 
 iheir fire ; and they were stooping down to untie the bands at his feet. J 
 ■urned to Friday. " Now, Friday," said J, " do as 1 bid thee." Friday said 
 ae would. j'Then, Friday," says I, "do exactly as you see me do; fail in 
 nothing." So 1 set down one of the muskets and the ibwling-piece upon the 
 gi-ound, and Friday did the like by his ; and \vith the other musket I took my 
 aim at the savages, bidding him to do the like; then asking him if he wes 
 ready, he said, " Yes." " Then fire at them," said I ; and the same moment 
 [ fired also. 
 
 Friday took his aim so much better than 1, 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 con- 
 sternation ; and all of them that were, not hurt jumped upon their feet, but 
 did not immediately know which way to run, or which way to look, for they 
 knew not from whence their destruction came. Friday kept his eyes close 
 upon me, that, as I had bid him, he might obsei-ve what I did ; so, as soon as 
 the fii'st shot was made, I threw down the piece and took up the fowling- 
 piece, and Friday did the like: he saw me cock and present; he did the 
 same again. "Are you ready, Friday.'" said 1. " Yes," says he. "Let fly, 
 then,'' says I, "in the name of God! " And with that I fired agam among tlic 
 amazed wretches, and so did Fi'iday ; and, as our pieces were now loaded 
 with what I called swan-shot, or small pistol -bullets, we found only tivo di"op ; 
 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 1, laying down the discharged pieces, and takiiij.' iiji 
 the nnisket which was yet loaded, "follow me ;" which he did with a great 
 deal of courage ; upon which I rushed out of the wood, and showed mysel*; 
 and Friday close at my foot. As soon as I perceived they saw me, I sliouted 
 as loud as I could, and bade Friday "do so too ; and, ruiming as fast as 1 
 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 
 

OF UOBINSON CUUSOE. 
 
 201 
 
 the surprise of our first fire, and fled, in a terrible fi'iglit, to tbe sea-side, and 
 had jumped into a canoe, and three more of the rest made the same way. J 
 turned to Friday, and bade him step forwards and fire at them ; he understood 
 me immediately, and, running about forty yards, to be nearer them, he shot 
 at them, and I thought he had killed them all, for I saw them all fall of a 
 heap into the boat, though 1 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. 
 
 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 hfted him 
 
 up, and asked him, in the Portuguese tongue, what he was. He answered, 
 in Latin, Christianus; but was so weak and faint that he could scai-ce stand 
 or speak. I took my bottle out of my pocket, and gave it him, making signs 
 that he should drink, which he did; and I gave him a piece of bread, which 
 he ate. Then I asked him what counti-yman he was; and he said, Es- 
 pagniole; and, being a little recovered, let me know, by all tlie signs he 
 could possibly make, how much he was in my debt for his deliverance. 
 " Seignior," said I, with as much Spanish as I could make up, " we will 
 talk afterwards, but we must fight now. If you have any strength left, take 
 this pistol and sword, and lay about you." He took them very tliankfuUy ; 
 and no sooner had he the ai-ms in his hands, but, as if they had put new 
 vjcTor into him, he flew upon liis murderers like a fury, and had cut two oi" 
 them in pieces in an instant ; for the truth is, as the whole was a sui-prisc 
 to them, so the poor creatm-es were so much fiightened vnth the noise of 
 our pieces, that they fell down for mere amazement and fear, and had no 
 more power to attempt their own escape, than their flesh had to resist our 
 shot ; and that was the case of tliose 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 fi-ight 
 
 1 kept my piece in my hand still, \vithout firing, being willing to Keep 
 my charge ready, because I had given the Spaniard my pistol and sword ; 
 26 
 
202 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 SO I called to Friday, and bade him run up to the tree from whence we first 
 fired, and fetch the ai-ms 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 c(jpe to me when they wanted 
 While I was loading these pieces, there happened a fierce engagement be- 
 tween the Spaniai-d, and one of the savages, v^ho made at him with one of 
 their great wooden 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 the Indian a good 
 while, and had cut him two gi-eat wounds on his head ; but the savage, being 
 a stout, lusty fellow, closing in with him, had thrown him down, being faint, 
 and was wiunging my swoi'd out of his hand ; when the Spaniard, though 
 undermost, wisely quitting the swoi'd, 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. 
 
 Fi-iday, being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying wretches, with no 
 '.veapou in his hand but his hatchet; and with that he despatched those 
 three, who, as I said before, were wounded at first, and fallen, and all the 
 rest lie could come up with ; and, the Spaniai-d coming to me for a gun, I 
 gave him one of the fowling-pieces, with which he pursued two of the sav- 
 ages, and wounded them both ; but, as he was not able to run, they both got 
 from him into the wood, where Friday pursued them, and killed one of them ; 
 l)ut 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 — \vith one wounded, 
 that we knew not whether he died or no — were all that escaped our hands 
 of one and twenty. The account of the whole is as follows : three killed at 
 our first shot from the tree ; two killed at the next shot ; two killed by Fri- 
 day in the boat ; two killed by Friday, of those at first wounded ; one killed 
 by Friday in the wood ; three killed by the Spaniai'd ; four killed, being 
 found dropped here and there, of the wounds, or killed by Friday in his 
 chase of them; four escaped in the boat, whereof one wounded, if not 
 dead. — Twenty-one in all. 
 
 Those that wei'e in the canoe worked hard to get out of gunshot ; and 
 though Friday made two or three shots at them, I did not find that 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, car- 
 rying tlie news home to their people, they should come back, perhaps, with 
 two or tlu-ee 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, 1 
 jumped in, and bade Friday follow me ; but when I was in the canoe, I was 
 surprised to find another poor creature lie there, boimd hand and foot, as the 
 Spaniard was, for the slaughter, and almost dead with feai-, — 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. 
 
 1 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, bul 
 groaned most piteously, — believing, it seems, still, that he was only unbound 
 in order to be killed. When Friday came to him, I bade him speak to him, 
 »nd tell him of his deliverance ; and, pulling out my bottle, made him give 
 
OF KOBINSON CKUSOF,. 
 
 23;J 
 
 ihe poor wretch a di'ara ; which, with the news of his being delivered, re- 
 vived him, and he sat up in the boat Uut when Friday came to hear him 
 speak, and look in his face, it would have moved any one to tears to have 
 seen how Friday kissed him, embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed, 
 hallooed, jumped about, danced, sung ; then cried again, wmng his hands, 
 l)eat his own face and head ; and then sung and jumped about again, like a 
 Jistracted creature. It was a good while before I could make him speak to 
 mc, 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 1 describe half the ex- 
 ti-avagances of his affection after this ; for he went into the boat, and out of 
 the boat, a great many times ; when he went in to him, he would sit down 
 by him, open his breast, and hold his father's head close to his bosom, for 
 many minutes together, to nourish it ; then he took his arms and ankles, 
 which were numbed and stiff with the bintUng, 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 gi-eat deal of good. 
 
 This affair put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with the otlier savages. 
 who were now got almost out of sight, — and it was happy for us that wi; did 
 not, for it blew so hard within two hours after, and before they could be got 
 a quarter of tlieir way, and continued blowing so hard all night, and that from 
 the north-west, which was against them, that 1 could not suppose their boat 
 could live, or that they ever reached their own coast. 
 
 But to return to Friday : he was so busy about his father, that I could noi 
 
304 
 
 TlIU LIFiS AND ADVENTURES 
 
 find in my heait to take him oft' 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." 1 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 
 earned it to his father. I had in my pocket two or three bunches of raisins ; 
 g" T 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 hallooed out too, 
 alter 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, 
 1 found his pace slacker, because he had something in his hand. When he 
 came up to me, 1 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, 1 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 calves, that 
 Friday brought, to the Spaniard, too, who was indeed very weak, and was 
 reposing himself upon a green place under the shade of a tree ; and whose 
 limbs were also very stifij 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, 1 went to 
 him, and gave him a handful of raisins ; he looked up in my face with all the 
 tokens of gi-atitude and thankfulness that could appear in any countenance ; 
 but was so weak, notwithstanding he had so exerted himself in the fight, that 
 he could not stand up upon his feet ; he tried to do it two or three times, but 
 was really not able, his ankles were so swelled and so painful to him ; so I 
 bade him sit still, and caused Friday to rub his ankles, and bathe them with 
 rum, as he had done his father's. 
 
 I observed the poor, affectionate creature, every two minutes, 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 perceive 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 1 
 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 paddled it along the 
 ehore faster than I could walk, though the wind blew pretty hard too ; so he 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 205 
 
 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 ran like him ; and he had the 
 other canoe in the creek almost as soon as I got to t 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 Friday knew 
 not what to do. 
 
 To remedy this, I went to work in my thought, and calling to Friday to 
 bid them sit down on the bank while he came to me, I soon made a kind of 
 hand-barrow to lay them on, and Friday and I carried them both up together 
 upon it, between us. 
 
 But when we got them to the outside of our 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 1, 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 1 had planted ; 
 and here we made them two beds of such things as 1 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 1 thought myself very rich in subjects ; 
 and it was a merry reflection, which I frequently made, how like a king 1 
 looked. Fh'st of all, the whole country was my own mere property, so that 
 I had an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were perfectly 
 subjected ; I was absolutely lord and lawgiver ; they all owed their lives to 
 me, and were ready to lay down their lives, if there had been occasion for it. 
 
206 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 for me. It was remarkable, too, I had but thi-ee subjects, and they were ol 
 three different religions ; my man Friday was a Protestant, his father was a 
 Pagan and a cannibal, and the Spaniard was a Papist ; however, I allowea 
 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 iirst thing I did, I ordered Friday to take a year- 
 ling goat, betwixt a kid and a goat, out of my particular flock, to be killed ; 
 when I cut off the hinder quai-ter, and, chopping it into small pieces, I set 
 Friday to work to boiling and stewing, and made them a very good dish, 1 
 assure you, of flesh and broth ; and, as I cooked it without doors, — for I made 
 no fii-e within my inner wall, — so I caiTied it all into the new tent, and, having 
 set a table there for them, I sat down, and ate my own dinner also with them, 
 and, as well as I could, cheered them and encouraged 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 oi)en to the sun, 
 and would presently be offensive. I also ordered him to buiy 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 efiaced the very 
 appeai-ance of the savages being there ; so that, when I went again, I could 
 scarce know where it was, otherwise than by the corner of the vrood 
 pointing to the place. 
 
 I then began to enter into a little conversation with my two new subjects ; 
 and, first, I set Friday to inquire of his father what he thought of the escape 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 207 
 
 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 sav- 
 ages in the hoat never could live out the stonn which blew that night they 
 went offj but must, of necessity, be drowned, or driven south to those other 
 shores, where they wei-e as sure to be devoured, as they were to be drowned, 
 if they were cast away ; but, as to what they would, if they came safe on 
 shore, he said he knew not ; but it was his opinion, that they were so dread- 
 fully frightened with the manner of their being attacked, the noise, and the 
 (ire, that he believed they would tell the people they were all killed by 
 tlmnder and lightning, not by the hand of man ; and that the two which 
 appeared, viz., Friday and I, were two heavenly spirits, or furies, come down 
 to destroy them, and not men with weapons. This, he said, he knew ; 
 because he heard thenl 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 
 thunder, 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 understood since, by other 
 hands, the savages never attempted to go over to the island afterwards, 
 they were so terrified with the accounts given by those four men, (for, it 
 seems, they did escape the sea,) that they believed whoever ^vent to that 
 enchanted island, would be destroyed with fire from the gods. This, how- 
 ever, I laiew not; and, therefore, was under continual apprehensions for 
 a good while, and kept always upon my guard, with all my ai'my ; 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 feai- of their 
 coming woi'e off; and I began to take my former thouglits 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 1 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 necessai'ies, and, indeed, for life. I asked 
 lim all the pai-ticulars of their voyage, and found they were a Spanish ship, 
 bound from the Rio de la Plata to the Havanna, being du-ected to leave their 
 lOading there, which was chiefly hides and silver, and to bring back what 
 European goods they could meet with tliere ; that they had five Portuguese 
 seamen on board, whom tliey took out of another wreck ; that five of their 
 own men were drowned, when first the ship was lost, and that these escaped 
 hrough infinite dangers and hazards, and arrived, almost starved, on the 
 cannibal coast, where tliey expected to have been devoiu-ed every moment 
 He told me they had some arms witli tliem, but tliey were perfectly useless, 
 for that they had neither powder nor ball, the washing of the sea having 
 spoiled all their powder, but a little, which tliey used, at their first landing, to 
 provide themselves some food. 
 
 I asked him what he tliought would become of them there, and if they 
 had formed any, design of making their escape. He said they had many 
 consultations about it ; but that, having neither vessel, nor tools to build one, 
 nor provisions of any kind, then- councils always ended in tears and despair. 
 1 asked him how he thought they would receive a proposal fi-om me, which 
 might tend towai'ds an escape ; and whether, if they were all here, it might 
 
208 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 not be done. I told him with freedom, I feared mostly their treacheiy and 
 ill usage of me, if 1 put my life in their hands ; for that gratitude was no 
 inherent virtue in the natm-e of man, nor did men always square their deal- 
 ings hy the obligations they had' received, so much as they did by the 
 advantages they expected. 1 told him it would be very hard- that I should be 
 the instrument of their deliverance, and that they should aftei-wards make 
 me their prisoner in New Spain, where an Englishman was certain to be 
 made a saci-ifice, what necessity or what accident soever brought him thith- 
 er ; and that I had rather be delivered up to the savages, smd 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 bai-k large enough to carry us 
 all away, either to the Brazils, southward, or to the islands, or Spanish coast, 
 northward ; but that, if, in requital, they should, when I had put weapons 
 into their hands, carry me by force among their own people, I might be ill 
 used for my kindness to them, and make my case worse than it was before. 
 
 He answered, with a great deal of candor and ingenuousness, that their 
 condition was so miserable, and that they were so sensible of it, that he 
 believed they would abhor the thought of using any man unkindly that 
 should contribute to their deliverance ; and that, if I pleased, he would go to 
 them, with the old man, and discourse with them about it, and return again, 
 and bring me their answer ; that he would make conditions with them, upon 
 then- solemn oath, that they should be absolutely under my leading, as their 
 commander and captain ; and 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 theu* hands, for that pur- 
 pose. Then he told me he would first swear to me himself, that he would 
 never stir from me as long as he lived, till I gave him orders ; and that he 
 would take my side to the last drop of his blood, if there should happen the 
 least breach of faith among his countrymen. He told liie they were all of 
 them very civil, honest men, and they were under the greatest distress imagi- 
 nable, 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 reUef, 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 
 uhich time I had let him see in what manner I had provided, with the assist- 
 ance 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 sufiicient 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 sufBcient, if his country- 
 men, who were, as he said, sixteen, still alive, should come over ; and, least 
 of all, would i ; be sufiicient 4o victual our vessel, if we should buUd one, for 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 209 
 
 a voyage to any of the Christian colonies of America ; so he told me he 
 thought it would be more advisable to let him and the other two dig and culti- 
 vate some more land, as much as I could spare seed to sow, and that we should 
 wait another harvest, that we might have a supply of corn for his counti-y 
 men, 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 
 difBculty into another. " You know," says he, " the children of Israel, though 
 they rejoiced at first for their being delivered out of Egypt, yet rebelled even 
 against God himself, that delivered them, when they came to want bread in 
 the wilderness." 
 
 His caution was so seasonable, and his advice so good, that 1 could not but 
 be veiy well pleased with his proposal, as well as 1 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 ti'immed up, as 
 we sowed two-and-twenty bushels of barley on, and sixteen jars of rice, 
 which was, in short, all the seed we had to spare ; nor, indeed, did we leave 
 ourselves barley sufficient for our own food, for the six months tliat 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 sufficient to put us out 
 of fear of the savages, if they had come, unless their number had been veiy 
 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 impos- 
 
210 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 sible, at least for me, to have the means of it out of mind. For this purpose, 
 1 marked out several trees, which I thought fit for our work, and 1 set Friday 
 und his father to cutting them down ; and then 1 caused the Spaniard, to 
 whom 1 imparted my thoughts 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 labor it took 
 up, any one may imagine. 
 
 At the same time, I contrived to increase my little flock of tame goats as 
 much as I could ; and, for this purpose, I made Friday and the Spaniard go 
 out one day, and myself with Friday the next day, (for we took our turns,) 
 and by this means we got about twenty young kids to breed up with the rest ; 
 for whenever we shot the dam, we saved the kids, and added them to our 
 flock. But, above all, the season for curing the grapes coming on, I caused 
 such a prodigious quantity to be hung up in the sun, that, I beUeve, had we 
 been at Alicant, where the raisins of the sun ai-e 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 Uving too, I assure you, for it is exceeding noui- 
 ishing. 
 
 It was now harvest, and our crop in good order ; it was not the most 
 plentiful increase I had seen in the island, but, however, it was enough to 
 answer our end ; for, from twenty-two bushels of barley, we brought in 
 and threshed out above two hundi-ed and twenty bushels ; and the like ta 
 proportion of the rice, which was store enough for our food to the next har- 
 vest, 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 fimd 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 in their hands. How they were to have done this, when I laiew 
 they had neither pen or ink, was a question which we never asked. Under 
 tliese 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 occasions. 
 
 This was a cheerful work, being the fu-st measui-es used by me, in view of 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 211 
 
 ray delivemnce, for now twenty-seven yeai's 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 witli them about a 
 signal they should hang out at their return, by which I should know them 
 again, when they came back, at a distance, before tiiey 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 
 1 had once lost it, I could never recover it again ; nor had I kept even the 
 number of yeai-s so punctually as to be sure I was right; though, as it proved, 
 \vhen I aflcr\vards examined my account, I found I had kept a true reckoning 
 of years. 
 
 It was no less than eight days 1 had waited for them, when a strange and 
 unforeseen accident intervened, of whicli tlic like has not, perhaps, been 
 lieard of in history. I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning, when my 
 man Friday came running in to me, and called aloud, " Master, master, they 
 are come, they ai'e come ! " I jumped up, and, regai-dless of danger, I went 
 out as soon as I could get my clothes on, through my little grove, wliich, by the 
 way, was by this time grown to be a very thick wood ; I say, regardless of 
 danger, I went without my arms, which was not my custom to do : but 1 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, witli a shoulder-of-mut- 
 ton sail, as they call it, and tlie wind blowing pretty fair to bring them in : 
 also 1 obsei-ved, presently, tliat they did not come from that side which the 
 shore lay on, but from the southernmost end of the island. Upon this, I called 
 Friday in, and bade liim lie close, for these were not the people we looked 
 for, and that we might not Imow yet ■i\hether they were fHends or enemies. 
 In the next place, I went in to fetch my perspective glass, to see what 1 could 
 
212 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 appi'ehensive of any thing, and to take 
 ray 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 seeing a ship, 
 and one that 1 had reason to believe was manned by my own countrymen, 
 and consequently friends, was such as 1 cannot describe ; but yet 1 had some 
 secret doubts hung about me — 1 cannot tell fi'om whence they came — bid- 
 ding me keep upon my guai-d. In the fii-st place, it occurred to me to consid- 
 er what business an English ship could have in that part of the world, since 
 it was not the way to or from any pait of the world whei'e the English had 
 any traffic ; and I knew there had been no storms to di-ive 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 J 
 was, than fall into the hands of thieves and mm-derers. 
 
 Let no man desjyse the secret hints and notices of danger which some- 
 times are given him when he may think there is no possibility of its being 
 real.. That such liints and notices are given us, I believe few that have made 
 any observations of things can deny ; that they are certain discoveries of an 
 invisible world, and a converse of spirits, we cannot doubt ; and if the ten- 
 dency of them seems to be to warn us of danger, why should we not sup- 
 pose they ai'e from some friendly agent, (whether supreme, or inferior and 
 subordinate, is not tlie question,) and that they are given for our good. 
 
 The present question abundantly confti-ms me in the justice of this I'eason- 
 ing ; for had 1 not been made cautious by this secret admonition, come it 
 from whence it will, I had been undone inevitably, and in a far worse condi- 
 tion than before, as you will see pi-esently. 1 had not kept myself long in 
 this postui'e, but I saw the boat draw neai- 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 tlie beach, at about half a 
 mile from me, which was vei-y 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 satisfied they were Englishmen, at least most of them ; one 
 or two 1 thi-ight were Dutch, but it did not prove so ; there were in all eleven 
 men, whereof three of them, 1 found, were unai-med, and, as I thought, bound ; 
 and when the first four or five of them were jumped on shore, they took those 
 tlu-ee out of the boat, as prisoners : one of the three I could perceive using 
 the most passionate gestm-es of entreaty, affliction, and despak, even to a 
 kind of exti-avagance ; the other two, I could perceive, lifted up their hands 
 sometimes, and appeared concerned, indeed, but not to such a degree as the 
 fii'st. I was perfectly confounded at the sight, and knew not what the mean- 
 ing of it should be. Friday called out to me in English, as well as he could, 
 " O master ! ;^u see English mans eat prisoner as well as savage mans." 
 " Why, Friday," says I, " do you think they are going to eat them, then?" 
 " Yes," says Friday, " they will eat them." " No, no," says I, " Friday ; 1 
 am afraid they will murder them, indeed, but you may be sure they will not 
 tat them." 
 
1 •aw one of the villains lift up his arm with a great !utiu« 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 215 
 
 All this while 1 had no thought of what the matter really was, but stood 
 trembling with the hoiTor of the sight, expecting every moment when the 
 three prisoners should be killed ; nay, once 1 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 1 expected to see him fall eveiy moment ; at which all 
 the blood in my body seemed to run chill in my veins. I wished heartily 
 now for my Spaniard, and the savage that was gone with him, or that I had 
 any way to have come, undiscovered, within shot of them, that I might have 
 secured the three men, for I saw no fire-arms they had among them ; but it 
 fell out to my mind another way. After I had observed the outrageous usage 
 of the three men by the insolent seamen, 1 observed the fellows run scatter- 
 ing about the island, as if they wanted to see the country. 1 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 1 
 looked round me ; what di'eadful apprehensions I had ; and how I lodged in 
 the tree all night, for lear of being devoured by ^\ild beasts. As I knew 
 nothing, that night, of the supply I was to receive by the providential di-iving 
 of the ship nearer the land by the storms and tide, by which 1 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 eflectually and really they were in a condition of 
 safety, 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, they have always something to be thankful for, and some- 
 times ai-e nearer theu- 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 tlie 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 tliem, waking a little sooner than the other, and, 
 finding the boat too fast aground for him to stk it, hallooed 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 laimch her, die boat being very heavy, and 
 the shore, on tlaat side, being a soft, oozy sand, almost like a quicksand. 
 In this condition, like true seamen, who are, pei'haps, tlie least of all mankind 
 given to foretliought, tliey gave it over, and away they stroUed 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 country- 
 men 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 fortified. I 
 knew it was no less than ten houre before the boat could float again ; £md by 
 that time it would be dark, and I might be at more liberty to see th^ir 
 
216 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 motions, and to heai- theii- discourse, if they had any. In the mean time, I fitted 
 myself up for a battle, as before, though with more caution, knowing I haa 
 to do with another kind of enemy than 1 had at first I ordered Friday, also, 
 whom I had made an excellent marksman with his gun, to load himself with 
 ai-ms. 1 took myself two fowling-pieces, and I gave him three muskets. 
 My figure, indeec( was very fierce ; 1 had my formidable goat-skin coat on, 
 witli the great cap I have mentioned, a naked sword by my side, two pistols 
 in my belt, and a gun upon each shoulder. 
 
 It was my design, 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 1 thought, laid down to 
 sleep. The three poor, distressed men, too anxious for their condition to get 
 any sleep, were, however, sat down under the shelter of a great tree, at 
 about a quarter of a mile fi.-om me, and, as 1 thought, out of sight of any of 
 the rest. Upon this, 1 resolved to discover myself to them, and learn some- 
 thing of their condition; immediately 1 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 figm-e 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 1 made. They made no answer at all, but I thought 
 1 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 fi-ora 
 Heaven then," said one of them very gravely to me, and pulling off his hat at 
 the same time to me; "for om- condition is past the help of man." "All 
 help is from Heaven, su-," 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 dovni his face, and trembling, looked 
 like one astonished, returned, " Am I talking to God or man ? Is it a real 
 man, or an angel ? " " Be in no fear about that, sn-," said I ; "if God had sent 
 an angel to relieve you, he would have come better clothed, and armed after 
 another manner than you see me : pray lay aside your fears ; I am a man, an 
 Englishman, and disposed to assist you: you see I have one servant only; 
 we have arms and ammunition ; tell us freely, can we serve you .' What is 
 your case .' " " Our case, sir," said he, " is too long to tell you, while our 
 murderers are so near us ; but, in short, sir, I was commeinder 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, viith 
 these two men with me, one my mate, the other a passenger, where we 
 expected to perish, believing the place to be uninhabited, and know not yel 
 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, 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 L 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 
 
1 came as near tliom undiscovered as 1 could. 
 
fiF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 219 
 
 rather take them prisoners ? " He told me tliere were two desperate villams 
 among them, that it was scarce safe to show any mercy to ; but if they were 
 secured, he beheved all the rest would return to then* duty. I asked him 
 which they were ? He told me he could not, at that distance, distinguish 
 them, but he would ojiey 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 further." So they willingly went back with me, till the woods 
 covered us from them 
 
 " Look you, sir," said I, " if I venture upon your deliverance, ai-e 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 evei-y thing; and, if the ship was not 
 i-ecovered, he would live aud die with me in what pai1 of the world soever 1 
 would send him ; and the two other men said the same. " Well," says I, 
 " my conditions are but two : first, that, while you stay in this island with 
 me, you will not pretend to any authority here ; and, if I put arms in your 
 hands, you will, upon all occasions, give them up to me, and do no prejudice 
 to me or mine upon this island ; and, in the mean time, be governed by niy 
 orders: secondly, that, if the ship is or may be recovered, you will cairy iiie 
 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 mo, and acknowledge it upon all occa- 
 sions, as long as he lived. "Well, then," said I, "hei-e are three muskets for 
 you, with powder and ball : tell me next what you thmk 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 were not killed at the fii-st voUej', 
 and offered to submit, we might save them, and so put it wholly upon God's 
 providence to direct the shot. He said, very modestly, that he was loath to 
 kill them, if he could help it ; but that those two were incorrigible villains, 
 and had been the authors4)f all the mutiny iu the ship, and, if they escaped, 
 we should be undone still ; for they would go on boai-d, and biing the whole 
 ship's company, and destroy us all. " Well, then," says I, " necessity legiti 
 mates my advice, for it is tlie only way to save our lives." However, seeing 
 him still cautious of shedding blood, I told him they should go themselves, 
 and manage as they found convenient 
 
 In tlie middle of this discourse, we heard some of them awake, and, soon 
 after, we saw two of them on their feet. I asked liim if either of them were 
 the heads of the mutiny. He said, "No.'' "Well, then," said I, "you may 
 let them escape ; and Providence seems to have awakened tliem on purpose 
 to save tliemselves. Now," says I, " if the rest escape you, it is your fault" 
 Animated vrith this, he took tlie 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 fii'ed ; 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, 
 
220 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 not being dead, he started up on his feet, and called eagerly for help to trie 
 other ; but the captain, stepping to him, told him it was too late to ciy for 
 lielp ; 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 theu- 
 danger, and that it was in vain to resist, they begged for mercy. The captain 
 told them he would spare their lives, if they would give him an assurance of 
 their abhorrence of the treachery they had been guilty of, and would sweai' 
 to be faithful to him in recovering the ship, and after\vai'ds in cari-ying her 
 back to Jamaica, from whence they came. They gave him all the protesta- 
 tions of thek sincerity that could be desired, and he was willing to believe 
 them, and spare their lives, which 1 was not against, only that I oWiged him 
 to keep them bound hand and foot while they were on the island. 
 
 While this was doing, 1 sent Friday, with the captain's mate, to the boat, 
 with orders to secure her, and bring away the oars and sails, which they did ; 
 and by and by, three straggling men, that were (happily for them) parted 
 rt-om the rest, came back upon hearing the guns &-ed ; and, seeing the cap- 
 tain, who was before their prisoner, now tlieir conqueror, they submitted to 
 be bound also ; and so our victory was complete. 
 
 It now remained that the captain and I should inquu-e 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 seemed to have been 
 
OF ROBINSON CliUSOE. 221 
 
 preserved tliere ou purpose to save liis life, the tears ran down his face, and 
 lie could not speak a word more. After this communication was at an end, 
 1 carried liini and his two men into my apartment, leixding them in just 
 \v\inve I came out, viz., at the top of the house, where I refreshed them with 
 such provision as I liad, and showed them all the contrivances I had made, 
 (luring my long, long inhahiting that place. 
 
 All 1 showed them, all 1 said to them, was perfectly amazing; but, above 
 all, tlie 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 ftister 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 whei-e I had reserved my little winding passage into it I told him 
 this was my castle and my residence, but that I had a seat in the country, as 
 most princes have, whither I could retreat upon occasion, and I would shew 
 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 per- 
 fectly at a loss what measures to take, for that there were still six and twenty 
 hands on board, who, having entered into a cursed conspiracy, by which they 
 had all foi-feited their lives to the law, would be hardened in it now by des- 
 peration, and would can-y it on, knowing that, if tliey were subdued, they 
 would be brought to the gallows as soon as they came to England, or to an} 
 ,of the English colonies; 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 ra- 
 tional conclusion, and that, therefore, something was to be resolved on speed- 
 ily, as well to draw the men on board into some snare for their surprise, as 
 to preveut their landing upon us, and destroying us. Upon this, it presently 
 occm-red to me, that, in a little while, the ship's crew, wondering what ^^•as 
 become of their comrades and of the boat, would cei-tainly come on shore in 
 their other boat, to look for them ; and that tlien, 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, m liich lay upon 
 the beach, so that they might not cai-ry her off; and, taking every tiling 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 bis- 
 cuit cakes, a horn of powder, and a great lump of sugar in a piece of canvass, 
 (the sugar was five or six pounds ;) all which was vei-y welcome to me, 
 especially the brandy and sugar, of which I had none left for many years. 
 
 AVhen 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 gi-eat 
 hole in her bottom, that, if they had come strong enough to master us, yet 
 they could not carry off' the boat Indeed, it was not much in my thoughts 
 that we could be able to recover the ship ; but my view was, that if they went 
 away without the boat, I did not much question to make her 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 fu'st, by main strength, 
 heaved the boat upon the beach, so high that the tide would not float her ofT 
 at high water mark, and, besides, had broke a hole in her bottom too big to 
 bf! quickly stopped, and were set down musing what we should do, we heai'i 
 
222 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ihe ship fire a gun, and make a waft with her ensign as a signal for the boat 
 to come on board : but no boat stiiTed ; and they fii-ed several times, making 
 other signals for the boat At last, when all their signals and firing proved 
 fi-uitless, and they found the boat did not stir, we saw them, by the help of 
 my glasses, hoist another boat out, and row towaids the shore ; and we found, 
 as they approached, that thei-e were no less than ten men in her, and that 
 tliey 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 then* faces ; because, {he tide 
 having set them a little to the east of the other boat, they rowed up under 
 shore, to come to the same place where the other had landed, and where the 
 boat lay ; by this means, 1 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 veiy honest fellows, who, he was sui-e, were led into this 
 conspu-acy 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 enterprise ; and terribly apprehensive he was that they 
 would be too powei-fiil for us. I smiled at him, and told him that men in our 
 circumstances were past the operation of fear ; that, seeing almost eveiy condi- 
 tion that could be was better than that which we were supposed to be m, we 
 ought to expect that the consequence, whether death or life, would be sure to 
 be a deliverance. I asked him what he thought of the circumstances of my 
 life, and whether a deliverance were not worth venturing for. " And where, 
 sir," said I, " is yom- belief of my being preserved hei'e on pui-pose to save 
 your life, which elevated you a little while ago ? For my pai-t," 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, 1 should have thought God's providence had singled them 
 out to deliver them into your hands ; for, depend upon it, evei-y man that 
 comes ashore is our own, and shall die or live as they behave to us." As 1 
 spoke this with a raised voice and cheerful countenance, I found it greatly 
 encouraged him ; so we set vigorously to our business. 
 
 We had, upon the fii-st appearance of the boat's coming fi-om 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 ordi 
 nary, 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 heai-d or discov- 
 ered, or of finding then- way out of the woods if they could have delivered 
 themselves : here they left them bomid, but gave them provisions ; and prom 
 ised them, if they continued there quietly, to give them their liberty in a 
 day or two, but that, if they attempted their escape, they should be put to 
 ' death without mercy. They promised faithfully to bear their confinement 
 with patience, and were very thankful that they had such good usage as to 
 have provisions and light left them ; for Friday gave them candles (such as 
 we made ourselves) for then- comfort; and they did not know but that he^ 
 stood sentinel over them at the entrance. 
 
 The other prisoners had better uSage : two of them were kept pinioned, 
 indeed, because the captain was not free to trust them ; but the other two 
 were taken into my service, upon the captain's recommendation, and upon 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 223 
 
 their solemnly engagins; to live and die with us; so with thenj, and the tliree 
 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 cominjr, consider- 
 ing that the captain had said there were tliree or four honest men among 
 them, also. As soon as they got to tlic place «hcre tlieir other boat lay, 
 tliey ran their boat into the beach, and came all on shore, hauling the boat 
 up after them, — which I was glad to see, for 1 was afraid they would rather 
 have left the boat at an anchor some distance from the shore, « ith 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, tliey ran all to their other boat; and 
 ■' 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 lq her bottom. After they had 
 mused awhile upon this, they set up two or three great shouts, hallooing 
 ^vith all tlieir might, to try if they could make theii- companions hear ; but 
 all was to no purpose ; then they came all, close in a ring, and fired a volley 
 of their small ai-ms, 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 tlie surprise of this, that, as 
 they told us afterwards, they resolved to go all on board again to their ship, 
 and let them know tliat the men were all mm'dered, and the long-boat staved- 
 Accordingly, tliey 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 
 
224 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 over for lost ; and so he should still lose tne ship, which he was in hopes 
 we shoidd have recovered; but he was quickly as much frightened the 
 other way. 
 
 They had not been long put off with the boat, but we perceived them all 
 coming on shore again ; but with this new measure in their conduct, which, 
 it seems, they consulted together upon, viz^ to leave thi-ee men in the boat, 
 and the rest to go on shore, and go up into the country to look for then- fel- 
 lows. 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 sm-e to weigh and set sail ; and so 
 our recovering the ship would be lost. However, we had no remedy but to 
 wait, and see what the issue of things might present The seven men came 
 on shore, and the thi-ee, who remained in the boat, put her off to a good dis- 
 tance 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, mai-ching towards the top of the little hill under which 
 my habitation lay ; and we could see them plainly, though they tould not 
 perceive us. We could have been veiy 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 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 hallooed till they were weary; and not caring, it seems, to 
 ventm-e far from the shore, nor far fi-om one another, they sat down togetlier 
 under a tree to consider of it Had they thought fit to have gone to sleep 
 Uiere, as the other part of them had done, they had done the job for us ; but 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 225 
 
 they were too full of apprehensions of danger to venturfe 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 consultation of 
 theirs, viz., that perhaps they would all fire a volley again, to endeavor tc 
 make their fellows hear, and that we should all sally upon them, just at tne 
 juncture when their pieces were all discharged, and they would certainly 
 yield, and we should have them without bloodshed. 1 liked this proposal, 
 provided it was done while we were near enough to come up to them before 
 they could load their pieces again. But this event did not happen; and we 
 lay still a long time, very irresolute what course to take. At length, 1 told 
 them there would be nothing done, in my opinion, tiU 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 
 ^heir removing ; and were very uneasy, when, after long consultations, we 
 saw them all start up, and mai'ch 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 u tittle. 1 ordered 
 Friday and the captain's mate to go over the little creek, Avestward, towards 
 the place where the savages came on shore when Friday was rescued ; and, 
 so soon as they came to a little rising ground, at about half a mile distance, 1 
 bade them halloo out as loud as they could, and wait till they found the sea- 
 men heard them ; that, as soon as ever they heard the seamen answer them, 
 they should retiu-n it again ; and then, keeping out of sight, take a round, 
 always answering, when the others hallooed, to draw them as far into the 
 island, and among tlie woods, as possible, and then wheel about again to mc 
 by such ways as 1 du-ected them. 
 
 They were just going into the boat, when Friday and the mate hallooed ; 
 and they presently heard them, and, answering, ran along the shore west- 
 ward, towards the voice they hetu'd, 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 harbor within the land, they took one of 
 the three men out of her, to go along with them, and left only two in nie 
 boat, having fastened her to the stump of a little tree on the shore. This was 
 what I viashed for ; aai, immediately, leaving Friday and the captain's mate 
 to their business, I took the rest vnih me, and ci-ossing the creek out of their 
 sight, we surprised tlie two men before they were aware ; one of them lying 
 on the sliore, and the other being in the boat The fellow on shore was be- 
 tween 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 veiy few 
 arguments to persuade a single man to yield, when he saw five men upon 
 Inm, and his comrade knocked dovm ; besides, this was, it seems, one of the 
 29 
 
226 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 three who were not so hearty iu the mutuiy 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 hallooing and 
 answering, from one hill to another, and fi-om 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 wijs dark ; and, indeed, they weie 
 heartily tu-ed themselves, also, by the time they came back to us. 
 
 We had nothing now to do but to watch for them in the dark ; aad to fall 
 upon them, so as to make sure work with them. It was several hours after 
 Friday came back to me, before they came back to their boat ; and we could 
 heai- the foremost 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 vei^ 
 welcome news to us. At length they came up to the boat; but it is impossi 
 ble 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 murdered ; or else there were devils and spirits in it, 
 and they should be all carried away and devoured. They hallooed again, 
 and called their two comrades by their names a gi'eat many times, but no 
 ?mswer. 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, 
 i.hey would go and sit down in the boat to rest themselves ; then come ashore 
 again, and walk about again, and so the same thing over again. My men 
 would fain have had me give them leave to fall upon them at once, ui the 
 dark ; but I was willing to take them at some advantage, so as to spare them, 
 and kill as few of them as 1 could ; and, especially, I was unwilling to hazai-d 
 the killing any of our men, knowing the others were very well armed. I re- 
 solved to wait, to see if they did not separate ; afld, therefore, to make sure 
 of them, I drew my ambuscade nearer, and ordered Friday and the captain 
 to creep upon their hands and feet, as close to the ground as they could 
 that they might not be discovered, and get as near them as they could, possi- 
 bly, 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 towai'ds them, with two 
 more of the crew: the captain was so eager at having this principal rogue so 
 much infills power, tliat he could hardly have patience to let him come so 
 near as to be sure of him, for they only hesird his tongue before ; but, when 
 they came neai-er, the captain and Friday, starting up on their feet, let fly at 
 them. The boatswain was killed upon the spot ; the next man was shot into 
 the body, and fell just by him, though he did not die till an hour or tivo 
 after; and the third ran for it At the noise of the fire, I immediately 
 advanced with my whole army, which was now eight men, viz., myself 
 generalissimo ; Friday, my lieutenant-general ; tlie captain and his two men, 
 and the three prisonei'S of war, whom we had trusted with arms. We caiM 
 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, 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 227 
 
 perhaps, reduce tlicit] to terms, vvliicli fell out just as we desired; lor, 
 indeed, it was easy to tliink, as tlieir condition then was, they would be very 
 willing to capitulate. So he csdls 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, '• Ay, ay ; 
 for God's sake, Tom Smith, throw down your arms and } ield, or you are all 
 dead men this moment." " Who must we }iel(l to ? ^\'llere 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'll go and ask, if you promise to yield," said 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, captain, 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 seems, this Will Atkins was the first 
 man tliat laid hold of tlie captain, when they first mutinied, and used him 
 barbarously in tying his hands, and giving him injurious language. How- 
 ever, the captain told him he must lay down his arms at discretion, and trust 
 to tne governor's mercy; by which he meant me, for they all cedled me 
 governor. In a word, they all laid do^vn their arms, and begged their lives ; 
 and I sent the man tliat had parleyed 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 then- 
 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, 
 
228 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 as for the captain, now he had leisure to parley with them, hs expoetnlattiv 
 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 gal- 
 lows. 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 com- 
 mander'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 vrith there as justice 
 requu-ed, 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 rest begged of him, for God's sake, that they might 
 not be sent to England. 
 
 It now occurred to me, that the time of our deliverance was come, and 
 that it would be a most easy thing to bring these fellows in to be heai-ly in 
 getting possession of the ship; so I retired in the dark from them, that tiey 
 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 replied, " Tell his Excellency I am just a-coming." 
 This more perfectly amused them, and they all believed that the commander 
 was just by, with his fifty men. Upon the captain coming to me, I told him 
 my project for seizing the ship, which he liked wonderfully well, and 
 resolved to put it in execution the next morning. But, in order to execute it 
 with more art, and to be secure of success, I told him we must divide the 
 prisoners, and that he should go and take Atkins, and two more of the worst 
 of them, and send them pinioned to the cave where the others lay. This 
 was committed to Friday and the two men who came on shore with the 
 captain. They conveyed them to the cave as to a prison ; and it was, indeed, 
 a dismal place, especially to men in then* condition. The others I ordered 
 to my bower, as I called it, of which- 1 have given a full description; and, as 
 it was fenced in, and they pinioned, the place was secure enough, consider- 
 ing they were upon their behavioi-. 
 
 To these, in the morning, 1 sent the captain, who was to enter 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 tlie 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 presenf 
 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 to recovei 
 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 imprecations, that they would be faithful to him 
 to the last di-op, 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE, 
 
 229 
 
 governor what you say, and see what 1 can do to bring him to consent to iL" 
 So he brought mo 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, 1 told him he should go back again and choose out those five, and tell 
 them, that they might see he did not want men, that he would take out those 
 five to be his assistants, and that the governor would keep the otlier 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 unfaitliful in the execution, the 
 five hostages should be hanged in chains alive, on the shore. This looked 
 severe, and convinced them tliat the governor was in earnest ; however, they 
 had no way left them but to accept it ; and it was now the business of the 
 prisoners, as much as of the captain, to persuade the other five to do their duty. 
 
 Our strength was now thus ordered for the expedition : first, the captain, 
 his mate, and passenger : second, then tlie two prisoners of the first gang, to 
 whom, having their character from the captain, I had given their libeity, and 
 trusted them with arms : third, the otiier two that I had kept till now in my 
 bower pinioned, but, on the captain's motion, had now released : fourth, these 
 five released at last^ so that they were twelve in all, besides five we kept 
 prisoners in the cave for hostages. 
 
 I asked the captain if he was willing to venture with these hands on board 
 the ship ; but, as for me and my man Friday, I did not thizik 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 thenj with victuals. As to the five in 
 the cave, I resolved to keep them fast, but Friday went in tvrice a day to 
 them, to supply them with necessmes ; and I made the other two carry 
 provisions to a certain distance, where Friday was to take it. 
 
230 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 When 1 showed myself to the two hostages, it was with the captain, who 
 told them 1 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 hut by 
 iny 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, ] 
 now appeared as another person, and spoke of the governor, the garrison, the 
 castle, and the like, upon all occasions. 
 
 The captain now had no difficulty before him, but to furnish his two boats, 
 stop the breach of one, and man them. He made his passenger captain of 
 one, with four of the men; and himself, his mate, and five more, went in the 
 other ; and they contrived then' business very well, for they came up to the 
 ship about midnight. As soon as they came within call of the ship, he made 
 Robmson hail them, and tell them they had brought off the men and the 
 boat, but that it was a long time before they had foimd them, and the like , 
 holding them in a chat tiU they came to the ship's side ; when, the captain 
 and the mate entering first, with their arms, immediately knocked dovm the 
 second mate and carpenter, with the butt-end of their muskets, being very 
 faithfully seconded by their men ; they secured all the rest that were upon 
 the main and quarter-decks, and began to fasten the hatches, to keep them 
 down that were below ; when the other boat and their men, entering at the 
 fore-chains, secured the forecastle of the ship, and the scuttle which went 
 down into the cook-room, making three men they found there prisoners. 
 When this was done, and all safe upon deck, the captain ordered the mate, 
 with thi-ee 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-ai-ms 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 vidth 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, 1 was very glad to hear, having sat watch- 
 ing 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, 1 heard a man call me by the 
 name of " Governor ! Goyemor ! " 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 yom'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 fan, 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 
 
or ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 f=-mfpff-iri|i| 'i 'T"'| ""^ '' '""1 
 
 26] 
 
 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 not able to answer him one word ; but 
 as he had taken me in his arms, I held fast by him, or I should have fallen to 
 the groimd. 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 pur- 
 pose for me. After I had drank it, I sat down upon the ground ; and, though 
 
232 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 it brought me to myself, yet it was a good while before 1 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. 1 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 coidd search 
 into the remotest corner of the world, and send help to the miserable when- 
 ever He pleased. , 1 forgot not to lift up my heeirt in thankfulness to Heaven ; 
 and what heart could forbear to bless Him, who had not only, in a miracu- 
 lous manner, provided for me in such a vsdlderness, 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 caiTied away with them, but as if 1 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 lem- 
 ons, and two bottles of lime-juice, and abundance of other things. But 
 besides these, and what was a thousand times more useful to me, he brought 
 me six new, clean shirts, six very good neckcloths, two pan* of gloves, one 
 pair of shoes, a hat, and one pair of stockings, with a very good suit of 
 clothes of his own, which had been worn but very little ; in a word, he 
 clothed me from head to foot. It was a very kind and agreeable present, as 
 any one may imagine, to one in my circumstances ; but never was any thing 
 in the world of that kind so unpleasant, awkwai-d, and uneasy as it was to 
 me to wear such clothes at first. 
 
 After these ceremonies were passed, and after all his good things were 
 brought into my little apartment, we began to consult what was to be done 
 with the prisoners 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 
 krew to be incorrigible and refractory to the last degree ; and the captain 
 said he loiew 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 justice 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 heait." " 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 235 
 
 performed theii' promise ; I say, 1 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 governor again. Being all met, and the captain with me, I 
 caused the men to be brought before me, and 1 told them 1 had got a full 
 account of their villanous behavior to the captain, and how they had run 
 away with the ship, and were preparing to commit further robberies, but that 
 Providence had insnared 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 captain jjrottiised them their 
 lives, and they humbly implored my mercy. Hut I told them I knew not 
 what mercy to show them ; for, as for myself, 1 had resolved to quit the island 
 with all my rnen, and had taken passage with the captain 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 witli the ship ; 
 the consequence of which, they must needs know, would be the gallows ; 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 desired that, as I had libei-ty to leave the 
 island, I had some inclination to give them their lives, if they thought they 
 could shift on shore. They seemed veiy thankful for it, and said they would 
 much rather venture to stay there than be carried to England to be hanged ; 
 so 1 left it on that issue. 
 
 However, the captain seemed to make some difficulty of it, as if he durst 
 not leave them there. Upon tliis, 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 favor, 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 tills, they gJIpeared 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 boai'd 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, tliat tliese 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 then* 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 
 
236 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 would let them into the story of my living there, and put them into the way 
 of making it easy to them ; accordingly, 1 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 com, cured my grapes ; and, in a word, all tliat 
 was necessary to make them easy. I told them the story, also, of the seven- 
 teen Spaniards that were to be expected, for whom I left a letter, and made 
 them promise to treat them in common with themselves. Here it may be 
 noted, that the captain had ink on board, who was greatly surprised that I 
 never hit upon a way of making ink of charcoal and water, or of something 
 else, as I had done things much more difficult. 
 
 I left them my fire-arms, viz., five muskets, three fowling-pieces, and tliree 
 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 
 he 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 beenvery glad of; also, I gave them the bag of peas which the cap- 
 tain had brought me to eat, and bade them be sm-e 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 the most lamentable complaint of the other three, begged to be 
 taken into the ship for God's sake, for they should be murdered, and begged 
 the captain to take them on board, though he hanged them immediately. 
 Upon this, the captain pretended to have no power without me ; but, after 
 some difficulty, and after then* solemn promises of amendment, they were 
 taken on board, and were, some time after, soundly whipped and pickled j 
 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 interces- 
 sion, caused their chests and clothes to be added, which they took, and were 
 very thankful for. 1 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 can-ied on board, for i-elics, the great 
 goat-skin cap I had made, my umbrella, and one of my parrots ; also I forgot 
 not to take the money 1 formerly mentioned, which had lain by me so long 
 useless that it was grovyn rusty or tarnished, and could hai-dly 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 yeai's, two months, and nineteen days; being deUvered from 
 this second captivity the same day of the month that I first made my escape, 
 in the long-boat, firom 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 
 thuty-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 benefactor and faithful steward, whom 
 1 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 
 
OF KOBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 237 
 
 give her no trouble ; but, on the contrary, m 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 ] 
 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 afterwards into Yorkshire ; but my father was dead, and my mother, 
 and all the family extinct, except that I found two sisters, and t^vo of the 
 children of one of my brotliers ; 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 vrith one piece of gratitude, indeed, which I did not expect ; and this 
 was, that the master of tlie ship, whom I had so happily deUvered, and by the 
 same means saved the ship and cai-go, having given a very handsome account 
 to the owners of the manner how I had saved the lives of the men, and the 
 ship, they invited me to meet them and some other merchants concerned, 
 and all together made me a very handsome compliment upon the subject 
 and a present of almost £200 sterling. 
 
 But, after making several reflections upon the circumstances of my life, and 
 how little way this would go towards settling me in the world, I resolved to 
 go to Lisbon, and see if I might not come by some information of the state 
 of my plantation in the Bi*asils, and of what was become of my partner, who, 
 
338 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 1 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 ; mj 
 man Friday accompanying me very honestly ia all these ramblings, and prov- 
 ing a most faithful sei-vant upon all occasions. When I came to Lisbon, 1 
 found out, by inquiry, and to my particular satisfaction, my old friend, the 
 captain of the ship, who &-st 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, 1 hardly knew him : but I soon 
 brought him to my remembrance, and as soon brought myself to his remem- 
 brance, 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 plantation ; for that, upon the general belief of my 
 being cast away and di-owned, my trustees had given in the account of the 
 produce of my part of the plantation to the procurator-fiscal, who had appro- 
 priated it, in case 1 never came to claim it, one third to the king, and two 
 thu'ds to the monastery of St. Augustine, to be expended for the benefit of 
 the poor, and for the conversion of the Indians to the Catholic faith ; but that, 
 if I appeared, or any one for me, to claim the inheritance, it would be 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 pi'ovedore, or steward of the monas- 
 tery, had taken great care all along that the incumbent, that is to say, my 
 partner, gave evefy yeai- a faithful account of the produce, of which they had 
 duly received my moiety. I asked him if he knew to what height of im- 
 provement he had brought the plantation, and whether he thought it might 
 be worth looking after ; or whether, on my going thither, I should meet with 
 any obstruction to my possessing my just right in the moiety. He told me 
 he could not tell exactly to what degree the plantation was improved ; but 
 this he knew, that my partner was grown exceeding rich upon the enjoying 
 his pait 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, gi-anted away to some other 
 monastery or religious house, amounted to above two hundred moidores a 
 yeEir ; 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 account, and inquired 
 of the old captain how it came to pass that the trustees should thus dispose 
 of my effects, when he knew that I had made my will, and had made him, 
 the Portuguese captain, my universal heir, &c. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 239 
 
 He told me that was true ; but that, as there was no proof of my being dead, 
 he could not act as executor, imtil some certain account should come of my 
 death ; and, besides, he was not willing to Intermeddle with a thing so re- 
 mote ; 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 ingeino, (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 the first six or eight years' 
 profits which I received. Tliei-e being at that time great disbursements for in- 
 creasing the works, building an ingeino, and buying slaves, it did not amount 
 to near so much as afterwards it produced : however," says the old man, " ] 
 shall give you a true accmwt of what I have received in all, and how I have 
 disposed of it." 
 
 After a few days' farther conference with this ancient fi-iend, he broun-ht 
 me an account of the first six yeai-s' income of my plantation, signed by mv 
 partner and tlie merchant-trustees, being always delivered in goods, viz. : to- 
 hacco 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 disbursements being 
 large, tlie sum at first was small : however, the old man let me see that he 
 was debtor to me four hundred and seventy moidores of gold, besides sixty 
 chests of sugar, and fifteen double rolls of tobacco, which were lost in his 
 
240 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ship ; he having been shipwrecked coming home to Lisbon, about eleven 
 years after my leaving the place. The good man then began to complaui of 
 his misfortunes, and how he had been obliged to make use of my money to 
 recover his losses, and buy him a share in a new ship. " However, my old 
 friend," 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 one hundred and sixty Portugal moidores in gold ; 
 and giving the writings of his title to the ship, which his son was gone to the 
 Brasils m, of which he was quarter-part owner, and his son another, he puts 
 them both into my hands for security of the rest 
 
 I was too much moved with the honesty and kindness of the poor man to 
 je able to bear this ; and remembering what he had done for me, how he had 
 taken me up at sea, and how generously he Ifed used me on all occasions, 
 and particularly how sincere a firiend he was now to me, I could hardly re- 
 frain weeping at what he had said to me ; therefore I asked him if his circum- 
 stances 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 hai'dly re 
 frain from tears while he spoke ; in short, I took one hundi'ed 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, 1 would not take it by any means ; but 
 that, if I T^anted the money, 1 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 hini. 
 
 When this was passed, the old man asked me if he should put me into a 
 method to make my claim to my plantation. I told Mm I thought to go over 
 to it myself He said I might do so if 1 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 merchant of his ac- 
 quaintance at the place ; and then proposed my staying with him till an 
 account came of the return. 
 
 Never was any thing more honorable 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. 
 
 Fu-st, there was the account-current of the produce of my farm or planta- 
 tion, from the year when then- fathers had balanced with my old Portugal 
 captain, being for six years ; the balance appeared to be one thousand one 
 hundi-ed and seventy-fom- moidores in my favor. 
 
 Secondly, there was the account of four years more, while they kept the 
 eflfects in their hands, before the government claimed the administration, as 
 being the effects of a person not to be found, which they called civil death ; 
 
OF EOBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 241 
 
 and the balance of this, the value of the plantation increasing, amounted to 
 nineteen thousand four hundred and forty-six crusadoes, being about three 
 thousand two hundred and forty moidores. 
 
 Thirdly, there was the prior of St Augustine's account, who had received 
 tlie profits for above fourteen years ; but not being to account for what wa;s 
 disposed of by the hospital, very honestly declared he had eight hundi-ed 
 and seventy-two moidores not distributed, which he acknowledged to my 
 account : as to the king's part, that refunded nothing. 
 
 There was a letter of my partner's, congratulating me veiy affectionately 
 upon my being alive, giving me an account how the estate was impiK)ved, 
 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 he had said so mans 
 Ave Marias, to thank the Blessed Virgin that I was alive ; inviting me ver}- 
 passionately to come over and take possession of my own ; and, in the mean 
 time, to give him orders to whom he should deliver my effects, if I did not 
 come myself; concluding with a hearty tender of his friendship, and that of 
 his family ; and sent me, as a pi-esent, seven fine leopards' skins, which he had, 
 it seems, received irom Africa, by some other ship that he had sent thither, 
 and which, it seems, had made a better voyage than L He sent me also five 
 chests of excellent sweetmeats, and a hundred pieces of gold uncoined, not 
 quite so large as moidores. By the same fleet, my two merchant trustees 
 shipped me one thousand two hundred chests of sugar, eight hundred rolls 
 of tobacco, and the rest of the whole account in gold 
 
 1 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 vfry heart 
 when I found all my wealth about me ; for as tlie Brasil ships come all in 
 
 :ii 
 
242 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 HI, and was so some 
 hours, till, a physician being sent for, and something of the real cause of my 
 Alness being known, he ordered me to be let blood ; after which I had relief; 
 md grew well : but I verily helieve, 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 1 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 scai-ce knew how to understand, or how to 
 compose myself for the enjoyment of it. The fii'st thing I did was to recom- 
 pense my original benefactor, my good old captain, who had been iu'st chari- 
 table to me in my distress, kind to me in ray 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 1 would do a hundred fold : so 1 
 first returned to him the hundi-ed moidoi-es I had received of him ; then I sent 
 for a notary, and caused him to draw up a general release or discharge from 
 the four hundi'ed and seventy moidores, which he had acknowledged he owed 
 me, in the fullest and fu-mest manner possible ; after which, I caused a procu- 
 ration to be drawn, empowering him to be my receiver of the annual profits 
 of my plantation ; and appointing my partner to account with him, and make 
 the returns, by the usual fleets, to liira in my name ; and a clause in the end, 
 being a grant of one hundi'cd moidores a year to him during his life, out of 
 the effects, and fifty moidores a year to his son after him, for his life : and 
 thus I requited my old man. 
 
 I was now to consider which way to steer my course next, and what to do 
 with the estate that Providence had thus put into my hands; and, indeed, 1 
 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 1 
 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 gi-ew 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 1 had. In the next place, my interest in 
 the Brasils seemed to summon me thither; but now I-could not tell how to 
 think of going thither till I had settled niy affairs, and left my effects in some 
 safe hands behind me. At first I thought of my old friend, the widow, who J 
 knew, was honest, and would be just to me ; but then she was in years, and 
 but poor, and, for aught I knew, might be in debt ; so that, in a word, I had 
 no way but to go back to England myself, and take my effects with me. 
 
 It was some months, however, before 1 resolved upon this ; and, therefore, 
 as I had rewai-ded 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 243 
 
 to write to Jiis correspondent in London, not only to pay a bill, but to go find 
 her out, and can-y her, in money, a hundred pounds from me, and to talk 
 with her and comfoi-t her in her poverty, by telling her she should, if I lived, 
 have a further supply : at the same time, 1 sent my two sisters, in the country, 
 a hundred pounds each, they being, though not in want, yet not in very good 
 circumstances ; one having been married and left a widow ; and the other 
 having a husband not so kind to her as he should be. But, among all my 
 relations or acquaintances, I could not yet pitch upon one to whom 1 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. 
 
 1 had once a mind to have gone to the Brasils, and have settled myself 
 there, for 1 was, as it were, naturalized to the place ; hut I had some little 
 scruple in my mind about religion, which insensibly drew me back. How- 
 ever, it was not religion that kept me from going there for the present; and, 
 as 1 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, 
 naving of late thought more of it than foniierly, when 1 began to think of 
 hving 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 tiling that kept me from going 
 to the Brasils, but that really I did not know \vith whom to leave my effects 
 behind me ; so I resolved at last to go to England with it, where if 1 ai'rived, 
 I concluded I should make some acquaintance, or find some relations, that 
 would be faithful to nie ; and, accordingly, I prepared to go to England, with 
 all my wealth. 
 
 In order to prepare things for my going home, 1 first (the Brasil fleet being 
 just going away) resolved to give answers suitable to the just and faithful 
 account of things 1 had from thence ; and, first, to the prior of St. Augustine, 
 I wrote .1 letter full of thanks for his just dealings, and the offer of the eight 
 hinidred and seventy-two moidores which were undisposed of^ which 1 
 desired might be given, five hundred to the monastery, and three hundred 
 and seveiit}-two to the poor, as the prior should direct; desiring the good 
 padre's prayers for mc, and the like. 1 wrote next a letter of thanks to 
 my two trustees, with all the acknowledgment that so much justice and 
 honesty called for; as for sending them any present, tliey were far above 
 having any occasion for it. Lastly, I wrote to my partner, ackno\\ ledging 
 his industry in the improving the plantation, and his integrity in increasing 
 the stock of the works ; giving him instructions for his future government 
 of my part, accoitling to the powers I had left with my old jjatron, to whom 
 ( desired him to send whatever became due to me, till he should hear from 
 me more particularly ; assuring him that it was my uitention not only to 
 come to him, but to settle myself there for tlie remainder of my life. To this 
 I added a very handsome present of some Italian silks, for his wife and two 
 daughters, — for such the captain's son informed me he had, — with two 
 pieces of fine English broadcloth, the best I could get in Lisbon ; five pieces 
 of black baize, and some Flanders lace, of a good value. 
 
 Having tlius settled my affairs, sold my cargo, and turned all my effects 
 into good bills of exchange, my next difficulty was, which way to go to Eng- 
 land : 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 
 
244 
 
 THE LIFE AND AUVENTUUES 
 
 leason for it, yet the difficulty increased upon me so much, tliat, tliough 1 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 veiy uulbrtuuate by sea, and this might be one of the 
 reasons; but let no man slight the strong impulses of his own thoughts, in 
 cases of such moment ; two of the ships which I had singled out to go in, J 
 mean moi-e particularly singled out than any other, having ])ut my things on 
 board one of them, and In the other to have agreed with the captain ; 1 say, 
 two of these ships miscarried, viz., one was taken by the Algerines, and ilie 
 other was cast away on the Start, near Torbay, and all the people drownetl, 
 except three ; so that in either of those vessels I had been made miserable. 
 
 Having been tlius harassed in my thoughts, my old pilot, to whom I com- 
 municated eveiy thing, pressed me earnestly not to go by sea, but ither 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 joumey, 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 again.'it my going by sea at all, 
 except from Calais to Dover, that I resolved to travel all the way by land; 
 which, as I was not in haste, and did not vahie the charge, -vas by much the 
 pleasanter way ; and to make it more so, my old captain brought an Enghsli 
 gentleman, the son of a merchant in Lisbon, who was nvilling to travel with 
 me; after which we picked up two jnore English merchants also, and two 
 young Portuguese gentlemen, the last going to Paris only; so that, in all, 
 tliere were six of us, and five servants ; the two merchants and the two 
 Portuguese contenting themselves with one servant between two, to save the 
 charge ; and, as for me, I got an English sailor to travel with me as a servant, 
 besides my man Friday, who was too much a stranger to be capable of sup- 
 plying the place of a servant ort the road. 
 
 In this manner I set out from Lisbon ; and, our company being very «eil 
 mounted and armed, we made a little troop, whereof they did me the honor 
 to call me captain, as well because I was tlie oldest man, as because I had 
 two servants, and, indeed, was the original of the whole journey. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 245 
 
 As I have troubled you with none of ray sea journals, so I shall trouble 
 you now with none of my land journal ; but some adventures that happened 
 10 us in this tedious and difficult journey I must not omit. 
 
 When we came to Madrid, we, being all of us strangers to Spain, were 
 willing to stay some time to see the coiut of Spain, and to see what was 
 worth observing ; but, it being the latter part of the summer, we hastened 
 away, and set out from Madrid about the middle of October; but when we 
 came to 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 Pampeluna, 
 after having attempted, at an extreme hazard, to pass on. 
 
 When we came to Pampeluna itself, we found it so indeed ; and to me, 
 that had been always used to a hot climate, and to countries where I could 
 scarce bear any clothes on, the cold was insufferable : nor, indeed, was it 
 more painful than surprising, to come but ten days before out of Old Castile, 
 where the weather was not only warm, but very hot, and immediately to feel 
 a wind from the Pyrenean Mountains so vei-y keen, so severely cold, as to 
 be intolerable, and to endanger benumbing and perishing of our fingers 
 and toes. 
 
 Poor Friday was really frightened when he saw the mountains all covered 
 with snow, and felt cold weather, which he had never seen or felt before in 
 liis life. To mend the matter, when we came to Pampeluna, 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 u word, tlie snow lay in some places too thick fo 
 us to travel, and being not hard frozen, as is the case in the nortliern coun- 
 tries, there was no going without being in danger of being buried alive every 
 step. We staid no less than twenty days at Pampeluna; when, (seeing 
 the winter coming on, and no likelihood of its being better, for it «as the 
 severest winter all over Europe that had buen known in the memory of man,) 
 I proposed tliat we should all go away to Fontarabia, and there take sliipping 
 for B*urdeaux, which was a very little \oyage. But while I was considering 
 this, tliej'e 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, ti-aversiug the country neai- the head of Languedoc, had brought them 
 over the mountains by such ways that they were not much uicommoded with 
 the snow ; for where they met with snow in any quantity, they said it was 
 frozen hard enough to bear them and their horses. We sent for this guide, 
 who told us he would imdertake to caiTy us tlie same way, with no hazard 
 from the snow, provided we were armed sufficiently to protect ourselves 
 from wild beasts ; for, he said, upon these gi-eat snows, it was fi-equent for 
 some wolves to show themselves at tlie 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 m most danger from, especially on the French side of the mountains. 
 He satisfied us that tliere 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 
 pentlemen, with their servants, some French, some Spanish, who, as I said, 
 had attempted to go, and were obliged to come back again. 
 
246 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Accordingly, we set out from Pampeluna, 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 tlie same road that we came from Ma4vid, 
 about twenty miles ; when, having passed two rivers, and come into the plain 
 countiy, we found ourselves in a warm climate again, where the countiy 
 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 and fruitful provinces 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 bade us be easy, wc 
 should soon be past it all ; we found, indeed, that we began to descend evei'y 
 day, and to come more north than before ; and so, depending upon our guide 
 we went on. 
 
 It was about two hours before night, when, our guide being something 
 before us, and not just in sight, out rushed three monstrous wolves, and aier 
 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 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 247 
 
 been devoured before we could have helped him ; one of them fastened 
 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 hallooed 
 and cried out to us most lustily. My man Friday being next me, I bade him 
 ride up, and see what was the matter. As soon as Friday came in sight of 
 the man, he hallooed out as loud as the other, "O master! O master!" but, 
 like a bold (ellow, rode directly up to the poor man, and with hLs 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 vould 
 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 inost dismal howling of wolves ; and the noise, redoubled 
 by the echo of the mountains, appeared to us as if there had been a prodi- 
 gious number of them ; and, perhaps, there was not such a fcw as that we had 
 no cause of apprehensions ; however, as Friday had killed tliis wolf, the 
 other, that had fastened upon the horse, left him immediately, and fled, with- 
 out doing bim any damage, having happily fastened upon liis 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 wcic, 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 difiicult, would give us 
 leave, to see what was the matter. As soon as we came clear of the trees, 
 which blinded us beloie, we sa\v clearly what had been the case, and how 
 Friday had disengaged the poor guide, though wo did not j)resently discern 
 what kind of creature it was he had killed. 
 
 But never was a fight managed so hardily, and in such a surprising man- 
 nci-, as that which followed between Friday and the bear, which gave us all, 
 tliouiih at first we were surprised and afraid for him, the greatest diversion 
 inian-inable. As the boar is a heavy, clumsy creatm-e, and does not gallop as 
 tho wolf does, who is swift and light, so he has two particular qualities, 
 which mnerally ai'e the rule of his actions : first, as to men, who are not lii.s 
 propel- prey, (he does not usually attempt them, except they first attack him, 
 unless he be excessive hungi-y, which it is probable might now be the case, 
 Iho "round being covered witlisnow,) if you do not meddle with him, he will 
 not meddle with you ; but tlien you must take care to be very civil to him, 
 ami 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 i-eally afraid, your best way is to 
 look .-uiother way, and keep going on ; for sometimes, if you stof), and stand 
 still, and look steadfastly at him, he takes it for an aflfront ; but if you throw 
 or toss any thing at him, and it hits him, though it were but a bit of stick as 
 hig as your finger, he thinlcs hhnself abused, and sets all other business aside 
 to pursue his revenge, and will have satisfaction in point of honor; — this is 
 his first quality : the next is, if he be once affronted, he will never leave you, 
 
248 THE LIFE AND ADVENTUKES 
 
 night or duy, 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 countenance : " O, O, O ! " says 
 Friday, thi-ee times, pointing to him ; " O master ! you give me te leave, me 
 shakee te hand with him ; me makee you good laugh." 
 
 I was surprised to see the fellow so well pleased. " You fool," says I, « he 
 will eat you up." " Eatee me up ! eatee me up ! " says Friday, twice over 
 again ; " me eatee him up : me makee you good laugh ; you all stay here, me 
 show you good laugh." So down he sits, and' gets off his boots in a moment, 
 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, hai-k ye," says Friday ; " me speakee with you." We followed at 
 a distance, for now, being come down on the Gascony side of the mountains, 
 we were entered a vast forest, where the country was plain and pretty open, 
 though it had many trees in it scattered here and there. Friday, who had, 
 as we say, the heels of the bear, came up with him quickly, and takes up a 
 great stone and thi-ows 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 Fri- 
 day'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 ran towai-ds 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 creatui-e 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, smelled to it, but let it 
 lie, and up he scrambles into the tree, climljing like a cat, though so mon- 
 strous heavy. 1 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 near to him. 
 
 When we came to the tree, there was Friday got out to the small end of a 
 large branch, and the bear got about half way to him. As soon as the bear 
 
So he fahs a-jumping and shaking the hough 
 
OF ROBINSON CKUSOE. 25) 
 
 gi>t out to that i>art where the hmb of the tree was weaker, " Ha! " sa}S he 
 to us, " now you see me teachee the bear dance : " so he falls a-juinping 
 and shaking the bough, at which the bear began to totter, but stood still, anil 
 began to look behind him, to see how he should get back ; then, indeed, we 
 did laugh heartily. But Friday liad not done with himby 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 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 be 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 \n: the end of it, and what the jest would be 
 at last. But Friday put us oui of doubt quickly ; for, seeing the bear cling 
 fast to the bough, and that he would not be persuaded to come any farther, 
 " Well, well," says Friday, " you no come larther, me go; you no come to 
 me, me come to you :" and upon tills 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 
 1 to him, "Friday, what will you do now? Why don't you shoot him?" 
 " No shoot," says Friday, " no yet ; nie shoot now, me no kill ; me stay, give 
 you one more laugh;" and, indeed, so he did, as you will .''ee presently; for, 
 when the bear saw his enemy gone, he comes back from the bough where 
 he stood, but did it mighty cautiously, looking beiiind him every step, and 
 coming backward till he got into tlie body of the tree ; then, \\itli the same 
 hinder end foremost, he came down the tree, gras|)ing 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 \\ hen 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 1 ; " why, you 
 have no gnns." " No," says he, " no gun, but shoot great much long aiTow." 
 This was a good diversion to us ; but we were still in a wild place, and our 
 guide very much hurt, and what to do we hardly knew: the howling of 
 wolves ran much in my bead ; and, indeed, except the noise I once heard on 
 the shore of Africa, of which I have said something already, I never heard 
 any tiling that filled me with so much horror. 
 
 These things, and tlie approach of night, called us off, or else as Friday 
 ^vould have had us, we shoidd 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 jom-ney. 
 
 The ground was still covered with snow, though not so deep and dangerous 
 
252 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 as on the mountains ;, and the ravenous creatures, as we heard afterwards^ 
 were come down into the forest and plain country, pressed by hunger, to 
 seek for food, and had done a great deal of mischief in the villages, where 
 they surprised the country people, killed a great many of their sheep and 
 liorses, and some people too. We had one dangerous 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, naiTow defile, or lane, which we were to pass to get through the wood, 
 and then we should come to the village where we were to lodge. It was 
 within half an hour of sunset when we entered the wood, and a little after 
 sunset when we came into the plaui : we met with nothing in the first wood, 
 except that ui a little plain within the wood, which was not above two fur- 
 longs over, we saw five great wolves cross the road, full speed, one after an- 
 other, as if they had been in chase of some prey, and had it in view ; they 
 took no notice of us, and were gone out of sight in a few moments. 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, nei- 
 ther did they take much notice of us. Friday would have let fly at them, bu. 
 1 would not suffer him by any means; for I found we were like to havt 
 more business upon our hands than we 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 hundi-ed 
 coming on directly towards us, all in a body, and most of them in a line, as 
 regularly as an army drawn up by experienced officers. I scai-ce 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 volleys, half 
 of us at a time : however, at present, we had no necessity ; for, upon firing 
 the fii-st volley, the enemy made a full stop, being terrified as well with the 
 noise as with the fire ; four of them, being shot in the head, dropped ; several 
 others were wounded, and went bleeding off", as we could see by the snow. 
 1 found they stopped, but did not immediately retreat ; whereupon, remem- 
 bering that 1 had been told that the fiercest creatm-es were terrified at tl)« 
 voice of a man, I caused all the company to halloo as loud as we could ; andl 
 found the notion not altogether mistalcen ; for upon our shout they began to 
 retire, and turn about 1 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, 
 
or ROliliNSON CKI-UJt.. 
 
 we kept going ; but we had but little more than loaded our fusees, and put 
 ourselves in readiness, when we heard a toiTible noise in the same wood on 
 our left, only that it was farther onwaid, 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 hellisli creatures ; and, on a sudden, we 
 perceived two or three troops of wolves, one on om- 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 foi-ward, as fast as we could 
 make our horses go, which, the way being very rough, ^vas only a good hard 
 trot In this manner, we came in view of the entrance of a wood, tlu-ough 
 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, lookuig that way, out rushed a 
 horse, with a saddle and a bridle on him, flying like the wind, and six- 
 teen or seventeen wolves after him lull 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 enti-ance 
 where the horse cam 3 out, we found the carcasses of another horse and of 
 two men, devoured by tlie ravenous creatures; and one of the men was no 
 doubt the same ^^■hom we heai-d fij-e the gun, for there lay a gun just by him 
 fired off"; but as to the man, his head and tlie upper part of his body were 
 eaten up. This filled us with horror, and we knew not what course to take ; 
 but the creatures resolved us soon, for they gathered about us presently, in 
 hopes of prey; and I verily believe there were three hundred of them. It 
 
2o4 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Happened very much to our advantage, that at the entrance into the wood, 
 but a httle 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 breastworlc. to stand in a triangle, or three fronts, enclosing our horses in 
 the centre. We did so, and it was well we did ; for never was a more furious 
 charge than the creatures made upon us in this place. They came on with 
 a growling kind of noise, and mounted the piece of timber, which, as I said, 
 was our breastwork, as if they were only rushing upon their prey ; and this 
 fuiy of theirs, it seems, was principally occasioned by their seeing our horses 
 behind us. I ordered our men to fu-e as before, every other man ; and thf.y 
 took their aim so sure, that they killed several of the wolves at the first vol- 
 ley; but .there was a necessity to keep a continual fii-ing, for they came on 
 like devils, those behind pushing on those before. 
 
 When we had fired a second volley of our fusees, we thought they stopped 
 a little, and I hoped they would have gone off; but it was but a moment, for 
 others came forward again ; so we fired two volleys of our pistols ; and I 
 believe in these four firings we had killed seventeen or eighteen of them, and 
 lamed twice as many ; yet they came on again. 1 was loath to spend our shot 
 too hastily ; so 1 called my sej-vant, not my man Friday, for he was better 
 employed ; for, with the greatest dexterity imaginable, he had charged my 
 fusee and his own while we were engaged ; but, as 1 said, 1 called my other 
 man, and, giving him a horn of powder, 1 bade him lay a train all along the 
 piece of timber, and let it be a large train. He did so ; and had but just time 
 to get away, when the wolves came up to it, and some got upon it, when Ij 
 snapping an uncharged pistol close to the powder, set it on fire: those that 
 were upon the timber were scorched with it, and six or seven of them fell, 
 or rather jumped in among us, with the force and fright of the fire ; we de- 
 spatched 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 tenible, that 
 they drew back a little ; upon which 1 ordered our last pistols to be fired off in 
 one volley, and after that we gave a shout : uj)on 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 ci-ying 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 
 daylight, we had killed many more. The field of battle being thus cleared, 
 we made forwwd 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 time?, 
 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 anns ; 
 for, it seems, the night before, the wolves and some bears had broke into the 
 village, and put them in such terror that they were obliged to keep guard 
 night and day, but especially in the night, to preserve their cattle, and, indeed, 
 their people. 
 
 The next moraing, our guide was so ill, and his limbs swelled so much 
 with the rankling of his two wounds, that he could go no farther ; so we 
 

 a^-=«- 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 257 
 
 were obliged to take a new guide here, and go to Thoulouse, where we found 
 a warm climate, a fruitful, pleasant country, and no snow, no wolves, nor 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 forest at the foot of the moun- 
 tains, especially when the snow lay on the ground ; but they inquired much 
 what kind of a guide we had got, who would venture to bring us that way in 
 such a severe season ; and told us it was surprising we were not all devoured. 
 When we told them how we placed ourselves and the horses m 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 
 furious, 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 continued fii-e, 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 all together, and left our horses, they would 
 have been so eager to have devoured them, that we might have come off 
 safe, especially having our fire-arms in our hands, and being so many in 
 number. For my part, I was never so sensible of danger in my life ; for, 
 seeing above three hundred devils come roaring and open-mouthed to devour 
 us, and having nothing to shelter us or retreat to, I gave myself over for lost ; 
 and, as it was, I believe 1 shall never care to cross those mountains again ; I 
 think I would much rather go a thousand leagues by sea, though 1 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 travelled from Thoulouse to Paris ; and, ^vithout 
 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 1 
 brought with me having been very currently paid. 
 
 My principal guide and privy counsellor was my good, ancient widow, 
 who, in gratitude for the money I had sent her, thought no pains too much, 
 nor care too great, to employ for me ; and I trusted her so entirely with 
 every thing, tliat I was perfectly easy as to the security of my effects ; and, 
 indeed, I was very happy from the beginning, and now to the end, in the 
 unspotted integrity of this good gentlewoman. 
 
 And now, having resolved to dispose of my plantation in the Brasils, 1 
 wrote to my old friend at Lisbon ; who, having offered it to the two mer- 
 chants, the survivors of my trustees, who lived in the Brasils, they accepted 
 the offer, and remitted thirty-three thousand pieces-of-eight to a correspond- 
 ent of theirs at Lisbon, to pay for it 
 
 In return, I signed the instrument of sale in the form which they sent from 
 
 Lisbon, and sent it to my old man, who sent me the bills of exchange for 
 
 thirty-two thousand eight hundred pieces-of-eight for the estate; reserving 
 
 the payment of one hundi-ed moidores a year to him (the old man) during his 
 
 33 
 
258 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 life, and fifty moidores afterwards to his son for his life, which 1 had prom- 
 ised them; and which the (plantation was to make good as a rent-charge. 
 And thus 1 have given the first part of a life of fortune and adventure ; a hfe 
 of Providence's checker-work, and of a variety which the world will seldom 
 be able to show the like of; beginning foolishly, but closing much more 
 happily than any part of it ever gave me leave so much as to hope for. 
 
 Any one would think, that in this state of complicated good fortune, I was 
 past running any more hazards, and so, indeed, 1 had been, if other circum- 
 stances had concurred; but 1 was inured to a wandering life, had no family, 
 nor many relations ; nor, however rich, hac I contracted much acquainteince ; 
 and though I had sold my estate in the Brasils, yet I could not keep that 
 country out of my head, and had a great mind to be upon the wing again ; 
 especially I could not resist the strong inclination 1 had to see my island, 
 and to know if the poor Spaniards were in being there. My true fiiend, 
 the widow, earnestly dissuaded me from it, and so far prevailed vrith me, 
 that, for almost seven years, she prevented my running abroad ; during which 
 time, I took my two nephews, the children of one of my brothers, into my 
 care : the eldest, having something of his own, I bred up as a gentleman, and 
 gave him a settlement of some addition to his estate, after my decease. The 
 other I 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 adventures 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 dissatisfaction, and had three chil- 
 dren, two sons and one daughter; but my wife dying, and my nephew 
 coming home with good success from a voyage to Spain, my inclination to 
 go abroad, and his importunity, prevailed, and engaged me to go in his ship 
 as a private trader to the East Indies : this was in the year 1694. 
 
 In this voyage, I visited my new colony in the island ; saw my successors, 
 the Spaniards ; had the whole story of their lives, and of the villains I left 
 there ; how at fii-st they insulted the poor Spaniards ; how they afterwards 
 agreed, disagreed, united, separated, and how, at last, the Spaniards were 
 obliged to use violence with them ; how they were subjected to the Span- 
 iards ; how honestly the Spaniards used them — a history, if it were entered 
 into, as full of variety and wonderful accidents as my own part ; particularly, 
 also, as to their battles with the Caribbeans, who landed several times upon 
 the island; and as to the improvement they made upon the island itself; 
 and how five of them made an attempt upon the main land, and brought 
 away eleven men, and five women, prisoners ; by which, at my coming, I 
 found about twenty young children on the island. 
 
 Here I staid about twenty days ; left them supplies of all necessary things, 
 and pai-ticularly of arms, powder, shot, clothes, tools, and two workmen, 
 which 1 brought fi-om England vrith me, viz., a carpenter and a smith. 
 
 Besides this, I shared the lands into parts with them ; reserved to myself 
 the property of the whole, but gave them such parts, respectively, as they 
 agreed on ; and, having settled all things with them, and engaged them not 
 to leave the place, I left them there. 
 
 From thence I touched at the Brasils ; from whence I sent a bark, which 
 I bought there, with more people, to the island; and in it, besides other 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 •259 
 
 supplies, I sent seven women, — being such as I found proper for service, or 
 for wives to such as would t£ike them. As to the Englishmen, 1 promised 
 them to send them some women from England, with a good cargo of neces- 
 saries, if they would apply themselves to planting ; which I afterwards could 
 not perfonn. The fellows proved very honest and diligent, after they were 
 mastered, and had their properties set apart for them. 1 sent them, also, 
 from the Brasils, five cows, three of them being big with calfj some 
 .sheep, and some hogs; which, when 1 came again, were considerab.y 
 increased. 
 
 But all these things, with an account how three hundred Caribbees camt 
 and invaded them, and ruined their plantations ; and how they fought vnth 
 that whole number twice, and were at first defeated, and one of them killed ; 
 but, at last, a storm destroying their enemies' canoes, they famished or de- 
 stroyed almost all the rest, and renewed and recovered the possession of 
 their plantation, and still lived upon the island. 
 
 All these things, with some very surprising incidents in some new adven- 
 tures of my own, for ten years more_, 1 shall give a farther account of in the 
 second part of my history. 
 
THE 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ROBINSON CRUSOE 
 
 ~^^^^^''} 
 
 HAT homely proverb, used on so 
 many occasions in England, viz., 
 "That what is bred in the bone 
 will not go out of the flesh," was 
 never more verified than in the 
 story of my life. Any one would 
 think, that after thirty-five yeai-s' 
 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 
 
262 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 a man completely happy; I say, after all this, any one would have thought 
 that the native propensity to rambling, vrhich 1 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 evacuated, or, at least, con- 
 densed, and I might, at sixty-one yeai's 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 1 had gained 
 ten thousand pounds, I had been no richer : for 1 had already sufficient for 
 me, and for those I had to leave it to ; and that I had was visibly increasing; 
 for, having no gi-eat family, I could not spend the income of what 1 had, 
 unless I would set up for an expensive way of living, such as, a great family, 
 servants, equipage, gayety, and the like, which were things 1 had no notion of; 
 or inclination to ; so that 1 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 desu-e of seeing my new plantation 
 in the island, and the colony I Jeft there, ran in my head continually. I 
 dreamed of it all night, and my imagination ran upon it all day ; it was up- 
 permost in all my thoughts ; and my fancy worked so steadily and strongly 
 upon it, that I talked of it in my sleep ; in short, nothing could remove it out 
 of ihy mind ; it even broke so violently into all my discom-ses, that it made 
 my conversation tiresome ; for I could talk of nothing else ; all my discourse 
 ran into it, even to impertinence ; and I saw it in myself. 
 
 I have often heard persons of good judgment say, that all the stir people 
 make in the world about ghosts and apparitions, is owing to the strength of 
 imagination, and the powerful operation of fancy in their minds ; that there 
 is no such thing as a spu'it appealing, or a ghost walking, and the like ; that 
 people'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 an- 
 swered by them, when, in truth, there is nothing but shadow and vapor in 
 the thing, and they reaUy know nothing of the matter. 
 
 For my part, I know not to this hour whether there are any such things 
 as i-eal appaiitions, 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 vapors, 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 vapors, or what else I may call it, that 1 actually supposed myself 
 often upon the spot, at my old castle, behind the trees ; saw my old Span- 
 iard, Friday's father, and the reprobate sailors I left upon the island; nay, 
 I fancied I talked with them, and looked at them steadily,; — though I was 
 broad awake, — as at persons just before me ; and this I did, till I often 
 frightened myself with the images my fancy represented to me. One time, 
 in my sleep, I had the villany of the tlu-ee pirate sailors so lively related to 
 me by the first Spaniard and Friday's father, that it was surprising ; they 
 told me how they barbarously attempted to mm*der all the Sps&iiards, and 
 that they set fire to the provisions they, had laid up, on pui-pose to disU'ess 
 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 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 263 
 
 so realized to me, that, to the hour I saw them, 1 could not be persuaded 
 hut that it was, or would be, true ; also, how I resentetLft, when the Spaniard 
 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 1 came to form such things 'n my 
 ilream, and what secret converse of spirits injected it, yet there was, 1 say, 
 uiuch of it true. I own that this dream had nothing in it literally and spe- 
 cifically ti-ue ; but the general part was so true, — the base, villanous beha- 
 vior 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 1 would afterwards have punished them severely, so, if I had hanged 
 them all, I had been much in the right, and even should have been justified 
 both by the laws of God and man. But to return to my story : In this kind 
 of temper 1 lived some years ; 1 had no enjoyment of my life, no pleasant 
 horns, no agreeable 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 verj' 
 sei'iously one night, that she believed there was some secret powerful im- 
 pulse of Providence upon me, which had determined me to go thither 
 again ; and that she found nothing hindered my going, but my being en- 
 gaged to a wife and children. She told me that it was true she could not 
 think of parting with me ; but, as she « as 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 1 looked vei-y 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 
 
264 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 tears stood in her eyes.] « Speak out, my dear," said 1 ; « ai-e you willing 
 I should go?" "No,!' says she, very affectionately, "1 am far from willing; 
 but if you are resolved to go," says she, " and rather than 1 would be the 
 only hinderance, I will go with you ; for though 1 think it a most preposterous 
 thing, for one of your years, and in your condition, yet, if it must be," said 
 she, again weeping, "1 would not leave you; for, if it be of Heaven, you 
 must do it ; there is no resisting it ; and if Heaven make it your duty to go, 
 He will also make it mine to go with you, or otherwise dispose of me, that 
 I may not obstruct it." 
 
 This affectionate behavior of my wife's brought me a little out of tlie 
 vapors ; and I began to consider what I was doing. I corrected my wan- 
 dering fancy; and began to argue with myself, 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 1 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 hazard for gain ; that 
 I was declining in years, and ought to think rather of leaving what 1 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, 1 
 had no notion of "that ; so, after many of these cogitations, 1 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 conquered it; 
 composed myself with such arguments as occurred to my thoughts, and 
 which my present condition furnished me plentifully with ; and, particularly, 
 as the most effectual method, 1 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 1 found that thing return upon me chiefly 
 when I was idle, and had nothing to do, nor any thing of moment imme- 
 diately before me. To this purpose, I bought a little farm in the county of 
 Bedford, and resolved to remove myself thither. I had a little, convenient 
 house upon it ; and the land about it, I found, was capable of great improve- 
 ment ; and it was many ways suited to my inclination, — which deUghted in 
 cultivating, managing, planting, and improvmg 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. 
 
 In a word, I went down to my farm, settled my family, bought me ploughs, 
 harrows, a cart, wagon, 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, 
 enclosing, planting, &c. ; and 1 lived, as I thought, the most agreeable life 
 that nature was capable of directing, or that a man, always bred to misfor 
 tunes, was capable of reti'eatiog to. 
 
 I farmed upon my own land ; I had no rent to pay ; was limited by no 
 articles ; I could pull up or cut dovioi as I pleased ; what I planted was for 
 myself, and what I improved was for my family ; and, having thus left off 
 the thoughts of wandering, I had not the least discomfort in any part of hfe 
 as to this world. Now I thought, indeed, that I enjoyed the middle state of 
 life, which Tny father so earnestly recommended to me ; and lived a kind 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 265 
 
 of heavenly life, something like what is described by the poet, upon the 
 Bubject of a country life : — 
 
 " Free from vices, free from care, 
 
 Age has no pain, and youth no snare." 
 
 But, in the middle of all this felicity, one blow from vmseen Providence 
 unhinged me at once ; and not only made a breach upon me, inevitable 
 and incurable, but drove me, by its consequences, Into a deep relapse of the 
 wandering disposition, which, as I may say, being bom in my very blood, 
 soon recovered its hold of me ; and, like the returns of a violent distemper, 
 came on with an iiTesistible force upon me. This blow was the loss of my 
 wife. It is not my business here to vmte an elegy upon my vrife, give a 
 character of her particular virtues, and make my court to the sex by the 
 flattery of a funeral sennon. She was, in a few words, the stay of all my 
 affairs, the centi-e of all my enterprises, 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 mothei-'s tears, a father's jnstructions, 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 entreaties ; 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. J 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 around me ; one part laboring for bread, 
 another part squandering in vile excesses or empty pleasures, equally mis- 
 erable, because the end they proposed still fled from them; for the men 
 of pleasure every day surfeited of their vice, and lieaped up work for sorrow 
 and repentance ; and the men of labor spent their strength in daily strug- 
 gling for bread to maintain the vital strength they labored 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 isleind; 
 where I 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 gi-ew mouldy, and had scarce the favor to be looked 
 upon in twenty yeai-s. 
 
 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 
 fai-ther than human enjoyments for a full felicity; and that there was some- 
 thing which ce-tainly 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 vrithout a pilot, 
 that could only run afore the wind : my thoughts ran all away again into the 
 old affair; my head was quite turned with the whimsejrs of foreign ad- 
 ventures ; 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 
 34 
 
266 
 
 IHE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 to one that has no taste : in a word, I resolved to leave off housekeeping, 
 let my farm, and return to London ; and, in a few months after, I did so. 
 
 When I came to London, I was still as uneasy as I was before ; I had no 
 relish for the place, no employment in itj nothing to do but to saunter about 
 like an idle person, of whom it may be said, he is perfectly useless in God's 
 creation, and it is not one farthing's matter to the rest of his kind whether 
 he be dead or alive. This, also, was the thing which, of all circumstances 
 of life, was the most my 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 
 di-egs of Ufe : " 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, and had made him com- 
 mander of a ship, was come home fi'om a short voyage to Bilboa, being the 
 fh-st 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 yoiu- 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 concuiTence 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 wandering was 
 returned upon me, and I knew nothing of what he had in his thought to say, 
 when, that very morning, before he came to me, I had, in a great deal 
 of confusion of thought, and revolving eveiy part of my circumstances m 
 my mind, come to t^iis 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. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 267 
 
 I had pleased myself with the thoughts of peopling the place, and canying 
 uihabitants fi-om 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. 
 
 1 paused a while at his words, and, looking steadily at him, " What devil," 
 said I, " sent you on this unlucky en-and ? " My nephew stared, as if he 
 had been frightened, at &-st ; but perceiving that 1 was not much displeased 
 with the proposal, he recovered himselfl "I hope it may not be an unlucky 
 proposal, sir," says he ; "I dare say you would be pleased to see your new 
 colony there, where you once reigned with more felicity than most of yoiu- 
 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, m a few words, if he agreed with the merchants, I would go with him ; 
 but I told him I would not promise to go any farther than my own island. 
 " Why, sir," 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 return ? " He told me 
 it would not be possible to do so ; that the merchants would never allow him 
 to come that way with a laden ship of such value, it being a month's sail 
 out of his way, and might be three or four. " Besides, sir, if I should 
 miscany," 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 boai'd the ship, which, being taken in pieces, 
 and shipped on boai-d the ship, might, by the help of some carpenters, whom 
 we agi'eed to cany 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, mueed, the importunities of my nephew 
 joined so effectually with my inclination, that nothing 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, excejit my ancient, 
 good friend the widow, who earnestly struggled with me to consider my 
 years, my easy cii'cumstances, and the needless hazards of a long voyage ; 
 and, above all, my young childi-en. 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 tlie 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 expostulations, and joined with 
 me, not only in making provision for my voyage, but also in settling my 
 family affairs for my absence, and providing for the education of my 
 children. 
 
 In order to do this, I made my will, and settled the estate I had in such a 
 manner for my childi-en, and placed in such hands, that I was perfectly easy 
 and satisfied they would have justice done them, whatever might befall me ; 
 and for their education, I left it wholly to the widow, with a sufficient 
 maintenance to herself, for her care ; all which she richly deserved ; fi)r 
 no motlier could have taken more care in theu- education, or understood it 
 hotter ; and as she lived till I came home, I also lived to thank her for it. 
 
 My nephew was ready to sail about the beginning of January, 1694-5 • 
 and I, with my man Friday, went on board in the Downs, the 8th ; having, 
 besides tliat sloop which I mentioned above, a very considerable cargo of all 
 
268 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 kinds of necessary things for my colony, which, if I did not find in good 
 condition, I resolved to leave so. 
 
 First, 1 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 staid, 
 and either to leave them there or carry them forward, as they would 
 appear willing ; particularly, I carried two carpenters, a smith, and a verj- 
 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 1 can recollect, — for I have not kept account of 
 the particulars, — consisted of a sufficient quantity of linen, and some English 
 thin stuffs, for clothing the Spaniards that I expected to find there; and 
 enough of them, as, by my calculation, might comfortably supply them for 
 seven years : if I remember right, the materials I carried for clothing them, 
 with gloves, hats, shoes, stockings, and all such things as they could want 
 for wearing, amounted to above two hundred pounds, including some beds 
 
 beddhig, and household stuff, particularly kitchen utensils, vnth pots, kettles, 
 pewter, brass, &c., and near a hundred pounds more in iron work, nails, 
 tools of every kiiid, staples, hooks, hinges, and every necessary thing I could 
 think of. 
 
 1 carried, also, a himdred spare ai;ms, muskets, and fusees : besides some 
 pistols, a considerable quantity of shot of all sizes, three or four tons of lead, 
 and two pieces of brass cannon ; and, because I knew not what time and 
 what extremities I was providing for, I carried a himdred barrels of powder 
 besides swords, cutlasses, and the iron part of some pikes and halberts ; so 
 
OP EOBINSON CRUSOE. 269. 
 
 that, in short, we had a large magazine of all sorts of stores ; and 1 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 interrupt the reader, who, per- 
 haps, may be impatient to hear how matters went with my colony ; yet some 
 odd accidents, cross winds, and bad weather, happened on this first setting 
 out, which made the voyage longer than I expected it at first ; and I, who had 
 never made but one voyage, viz., my first voyage to Guinea, in which I might 
 be sai 1 to come back again, as the voyage was at first designed, began to 
 think the same ill fate attended me ; and that I was bom 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 exceed- 
 uig cheap, and in the utmost plenty ; so that, while we lay here, we never 
 touched the ship's stores, but rather added to them. Here, also, I took in 
 several live hogs, and two cows, with their calves ; which 1 resolved, if I had 
 a good passage, to put on shore in my island ; but we found occasion to dis- 
 pose otherwise of them. 
 
 We set out on the 5th of Februaty from Ireland, and had a very fair gale 
 of wind for some days. As I remember, it might be about the 20th of Feb- 
 ruary, 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 
 recourse to our reckonings, in which we all agreed, that there could be no 
 land that way in which the fire showed itself, no, not for five hundi-ed 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 con- 
 cluded that it could not be far ofi", we stood directly towards it, and were pres- 
 ently satisfied we should discover it, because the farther we sailed, the greater 
 the light appeared ; though, the weather being hazy, we could not perceive 
 anything but the light for a while. In about half an hour's saihng, 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 WB.S most sensibly touched with this disaster, though not at all acquainted 
 with the persons engaged in it : I presently recollected my former circum- 
 stances, and in what condition I was in, when taken up by the Portuguese 
 captain ; and how much more deplorable the circumstances of the poor crea- 
 tiu-es 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 he 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 endeavor to save them- 
 
270 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 selves in their boat ; for though we could see the flames of the ship, yet they, 
 it being night, could see nothing of us. 
 
 We lay by some time upon this, only driving as the burning ship drove, 
 waiting for daylight ; when, on a, sudden, to our great terror, though we had 
 reason to expect it, the ship blew up in the air ; and immediately, that is to 
 say, in a few minutes, all the Are 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 reason it was dark, I could not see. However, to direct them as 
 weU as I could, I caused lights to be hung out in all the parts of the ship 
 where we could, and which we had lanterns 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 prospective 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 immediately spread our ancient, to let them know we saw them, and 
 hung a waft out, as a signal for them to come on board ; and then made more 
 sail, standing directly to them. In little more than half an hour, we came up 
 with them ; and, 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 three-hundred 
 tons, home-bound from Quebec, In the Kiver 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 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 27i 
 
 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 difiicult to come at that 
 they could not eflfectually quench it ; and afterwards, getting in between the 
 timbers, and withm 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 liad 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 then- 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 fau: ; for it blew an easy gale at S. E. by E. They 
 had as much provision and water, as, with sparing it so as to be next door to 
 starving, might support them about twelve days ; in which, if they had no bad 
 weather and no 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 then' 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 
 sui*prised 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 tlie light. This 
 revived their hearts, and gave them the notice, which, as above, I desired it 
 should, viz., that there was a ship at hand for theu- help. It was upon tlie 
 hearing of these guns that they took down their masts and sails; the sound 
 coming from the windward, they resolved to lie by till morning. Some time 
 after this, hearing no more guns, they fired three muskets, one a considerable 
 while after another ; but these, the wind being contrary, we never heard. 
 
 Some tune after that, again, they were still more agreeably surprised with 
 seeing our lights, and hearing tlie guns, which, as I have said, I caused to be 
 fired all the rest of the night : this set them to work \vith their oars, to keep 
 then' boats ahead, at least, that we might tlie sooner come up with them ; and, 
 at last, to their inexpressible joy, they found we saw them. 
 
 It is impossible for me to express the several gestures, the sti-ange ecstasies, 
 the variety of postures, which these poor deUvered 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 vn-inging their hands ; some were dancing, some sing- 
 ing, some laughing, more crying; many quite dumb, not able to speak a 
 word ; others sick and vomiting ; several swooning and ready to fiiint ; and 
 a few were crossing themselves, and giving God thanks. 
 
272 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 1 delivered fi-om 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 1 saw in Friday, or any where else in my life. 
 
 It is further observable, that these extravagances did not shew themselves, 
 in that different manner I have mentioned, in difiFerent 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 tliis minute dumb, and, as it were, stupid 
 and confounded, would the next minute be dancing and hallooing like an an- 
 tic ; 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 im- 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 273 
 
 mediate help been had, he 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 dropped down stone dead, to all appearance ; not the least sign of life 
 could be perceived in him : our surgeon immediately applied pi.^per reme- 
 dies 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, bo as to warm it as much as possible ; upon this, the blood, 
 which only dropped at first, flowing freely, in three minutes after the man 
 opened his eyes ; and a quarter of an hour after that he spoke, grew better, 
 and in a little time quite well. After the blood was stopped, he walked 
 about ; told us he was perfectly well ; took a dram of cordial which the sur- 
 geon gave him, and was what we call come to himself. About a quarter of 
 an hour after this, they came running into the cabin to the surgeon, who was 
 bleeding a French woman that had fainted, and told him the priest was gone 
 stark mad. It seems he had begun to i-evolve the change of his circum- 
 stances in his mind, and again this put him into an ecstasy of joy; his sphits 
 whirled about faster than the vessels could convey them, the blood grew hot 
 and feverish, and tlie 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; ^vllich, after some time, oper- 
 ated upon him, and he awoke next morning perfectly composed and well. 
 
 The younger priest behaved with great command of his passions, and was 
 
 35 
 
274 THE HFK AND ADVENTURES 
 
 really an example of a serious, well-governed mind ; at his first coining on 
 board the ship, he threw himself flat on his face, prostrating himself in 
 thankfulness for his deliverance, in which I unhappily and unseasonably 
 disturbed him, reeilly thinking he had been in a swoon ; but he ^poke 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 contmued in that posture about three 
 minutes, or little more, after I left him ;' then came to me, as he had said he 
 would, and, with a great deal of seriousness and affection, but with tears in 
 his eyes, thanked me, that had, under God, given him and so many miserable 
 creatures their lives. I told him I had no room to move him to thank God 
 for it, rather than me, for I had seen that he had done that already ; but 1 
 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 ; labored 
 to compose them ; persuaded, entreated, argued, reasoned with them, and 
 did his utmost to keep them within the exercise of their reason ; and with 
 some he had success, though others were for a time out of all government 
 of themselves. 
 
 I cannot help committing this to writing, as, pei'haps, 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 extrava- 
 gances of anger, rage, and a provoked mind, cari-y 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 somewhat 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 heai-tily, — 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 naturdly apt enough 
 to exceed that way. The captain and one of the priests came to me the 
 next day, and desired to speak with nie and my nephew; the commander 
 began to consult witli us what should be done with them ; and, first, they 
 told us we had saved their lives, so all they had was little enough for a return 
 to us for that kindness received. The captain said they had saved some 
 money and some things of value in their boats, 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 then- money at first word, and to consider what to do with them 
 afterwards ; but 1 oveiTuled him in that pait, for I knew what it was to be 
 set on shore in a strange country ; and if the Portuguese captam that took 
 me up at sea had served me so, and took all I had for my deliverance, 1 must 
 Imve starved, or have been as much a slave at the Brasils as 1 had been at 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 275 
 
 Barbary, the mere being sold to a Mahometan excepted ; and perhaps a Por 
 tuguese is not a much better master than a Turk, — if not, in some casesi 
 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 theu- case, and 
 they in ours ; but that we took them up to save them, not to plunder them ; 
 and it would be a most barbarous thing to take that little from them which 
 they had saved out of the fire, and then set them on shore and leave 
 them ; that this would he first to save them from death, and then kill thenr 
 ourselves; save them from di-owning, and abandon them to stai-ving ; and, 
 therefore, 1 would not let the least thing be taken from them. As to setting 
 them on shore, I told them, indeed, that was an exceeding difficulty to us, for 
 that the ship was bound to the East Indies ; and though we were driven out 
 of our course to the westward a very great way, and perhaps were directed 
 by Heaven on purpose for their deliverance, yet it was impossible for us 
 wilfully to change our voyage on their particular account; nor could my 
 nephew, the captain, answer it to flie freighters, with whom he was under 
 charter-party to pursue his voyage by the \vay of Brasil ; and all 1 knew we 
 could do for them was to put ourselves in the way of meeting with other 
 ships homeward boimd 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 veiy thankful for it ; but they were in a very great consternation, 
 especially the passengers, at the notion of being cai-ried away to the East 
 Indies ; they then entreated me, that seeing I was driven so far to the west- 
 ward before I met with them, I would, at least, keep on tlie same course to 
 the Banks of Newfoundland, where it was probable I might meet with some 
 ship or sloop that they might hire to can-y them back to Canada, from whence 
 they came. 
 
 I thought this was but a reasonable request on their pait, and, therefore, I 
 inclined to agree to it ; for, indeed, I considered that to cari7 this whole 
 company to the East Lidies, would not only be- an intolerable severhy upon 
 the poor people, but would be ruining our whole voyage, by devouring all 
 our provisions; so I thought it no breach of charter-party, but what an 
 unforeseen accident made absolutely necessai-y 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 shovdd refuse to take up two boats full of people in such a 
 distressed condition ; and the nature of the thing, as well respecting our- 
 selves as tlie poor people, obUged us to set them on shore somewhere or 
 other for their deliverance ; so I consented that we would carry them to 
 Newfoundland, if vmid 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 a& 
 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, fi-om St. Chris- 
 topher's ; but they had been so long beating up against the ivind that they 
 durst take in no passengers, for fear of wanting provisions for the voyags, as 
 
276 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 Newfound- 
 land ; 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 I wonderfully liked the man, and had very 
 good reason, as will appear afterwards ; also four of the seamen entered 
 themselves on our ship, and proved very useful fellows. 
 
 From hence we du-ected our com-se for the West Indies, steering away S. 
 and S. by E. for about twenty days together, sometimes little or no wind at 
 all ; when we met with another subject for our humanity to work upon, almost 
 as deplorable as that before. 
 
 It was in the latitude of 27 degrees 5 minutes north, on the 19th day of 
 March, 1694-5, when we spied a sail, our com-se S. E. and by S. : we soon 
 perceived it was a large vessel, and that she bore up to us, but could not at 
 fu'st know what to make of her, till, after coming a little nearer, we found 
 she had lost her maintopmast, foremast, and bowsprit ; and presently she 
 fired a gun, as a signal of disti-ess : 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 huiTicane, while the captain and chief mate were both 
 gone on shore ; so that, besida$ 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 
 hun-icane 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-coui-se, and 
 a kind of square-sail upon a jmy foremast, which they had set up, they could 
 not lie neai- the wind, but were endeavoring to stand away for the Canaries. 
 
 But that which was worst of all was, that they were almost starved for 
 W£mt of provisions, besides the fatigues they had undergone : their bread and 
 flesh were 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 sweetmeats, they had at fii-st, but they were all devoured ; and 
 they had seven casks of rum. 
 
 There were a youtli, 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 pro- 
 visions 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 sm-e, for the poor passengers ; and they were, 
 indeed, in a condition that their misery is very hard to describe. 
 
 I had, perhaps, not known tliis part, if my curiosity had not led me (the 
 weather being fair, and the wind abated) to go on board the ship. The 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE 277 
 
 iiecund mate, who upon this occasion command sd the ship, had been on board 
 our ship, and he told me, indeed, they had tb" x passengers in the great cabin, 
 that were in a deplorable condition. " J^ay," says he, " I believe they are 
 dead, for 1 have heard nothing of them for above two days ; and I was a&aid 
 to inquii-e 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, mdeed, I had so fai- overruled things with my nephew, that 1 
 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 
 no necessity for that. 
 
 But now they were in a new danger ; for they were afraid of eating too 
 much, even of jhat little we gave them. The mate, or commander, brought 
 six men with him in his boat ; but these poor wretches looked lUie skeletons, 
 and were so weak that they could hardly sit to then- oars. The mate himself 
 was very ill, and half stai-ved ; for he declared he had reserved nothing from 
 the men, and went share and share alike with them in every bit they ate. 
 
 1 cautioned him to eat sparingly, but set meat before him immediately ; 
 and he had not eaten three mouthfuls before he began to be sick, emd out of 
 order ; so he stopped a while, and our surgeon mixed him up something widi 
 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 ; 1 
 ordered victuals to be given them ; and the poor creatures rather devoured 
 than ate it : they were so exceeding hungry that they were in a kind ravenous, 
 and had no command of themselves ; and two of them ate with so much 
 greediness, that they were in danger of then- 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 tlie least mouthful of food, or any prospect of pro- 
 curing any ; besides the hourly apprehensions I had of being made the food 
 of other creatures. But all the wliile the mate was thus relating to me the 
 miserable condition of the ship's company, 1 could not put out of my thought 
 the story he had told me of the tliree poor creatures m the great cabin, viz., 
 the mother, her son, and tlie 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 1 understood, tliat 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. 
 
 As I therefore kept the mate, whom we tlien 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 cai-ry them a sack of bread, and fom- or five pieces 
 of beef to boil. Our surgeon charged tlie men to cause the meat to be boiled 
 while they staid, and to keep guard in tlie cook-room, to prevent the men 
 talting it to eat raw, or talcing it out of the pot before it was well boded, and 
 then to give every man but a veiy litde at a time ; and by this caution he pre- 
 served tlie men, who would othei-wise have killed themselves with that very 
 food that was given them on purpose to save tlieir 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 aUve, to comfort 
 them, and give them what refi-eshment was proper ; and the surgeon gave 
 him a large pitcher, with some of the prepared broth which he had given the 
 
278 
 
 TflK LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 
 sec 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 softened with the liquor 
 of the meat, which they called brewis, and gave them every one some, to stay 
 their stomachs, and told them it was for their own safety that he was obliged 
 to give them but little at a time. But it was all in vain ; and had I not come 
 on board, and their own commander and oflacers with me, and with good 
 words, and some threats also of giving them no more, I believe they would 
 have broken ifito the cook-room by force, and torn the meat out of the fur- 
 nace ; for words are indeed of very small force to a hungry belly : however, 
 we pacified them, and fed them gradually and cautiously for the first, and the 
 next time gave tliem more, and at last filled their bellies, and the men did 
 well enough. 
 
 But the misery of the poor passengers in the cabin was of another nature, 
 and far beyond the rest; for a.s, first, the ship's company had so little for 
 
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OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 2S1 
 
 themselves, it was but too true that they had at first kept them very low, and 
 at last totally neglected 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 bitth into her mouth. She 
 opened her lips, and lifted up one hand, but could not speak : yet she under- 
 stood 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 siiou.d take care 
 of him. However, the mate, who was exceedingly moved with the sight, en- 
 deavored to get some of the broth into her mouth, and, as he said, got two 
 or three spoonfuls down ; though 1 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 niotlier'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 ; thoiigli, by giving him, some time after, but two 
 or tln-ee spoonfuls extraordinary, he was very sick, and brought it up again. 
 
 But the next cai-e 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 liands was clasped 
 round the fi-ame of a chau-, and she griped it so hard that we could not 
 easily malie her let it go : her other arm lay over her head, and her feet lay 
 both together, set fast against the fi-ame of tlie cabin table : in short, she lay 
 just like one in the agonies of death, and yet she was alive too. 
 
 The poor ci-eature was not only starved witli hunger, and terrified with the 
 thoughts of death, but, as the men told us afterwai-ds, was broken-heaited for 
 her misti-ess, whom she saw dying for two or three days before, and whom 
 she loved most tenderly. 
 
 We Icnew not what to do with this poor girl ; for when our suigeou, who 
 was a man of very great knowledge and experience, had, with great applica- 
 tion, recovered her as to life, he had her upon his hands as to her senses ; for 
 she was little less tlian distracted for a considerable tune after, as shall 
 appeal- presently. 
 
 Whoever shall read these memorandums must be desired to consider, that 
 visits at sea ai-e not like a journey into the counti-y, where sometimes people 
 stay a week or a fortnight at a place : our business was to relieve this dis- 
 tressed 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 witti a ship that had no masts : however, as their captain begged 
 of us to help him to set up a maintopmast, 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, hav- 
 ing given him five barrels of beef, a ban-el 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 fi-om them 
 36 
 
282 THE LIFE ANO ADVENTtRES 
 
 foi satisfaction, we left them ; taking on boai-d witli us, at tiieir own earnest 
 request, the youth and the maid, and all then- 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 ; lie 
 begged of the surgeon to speak to me to tjike him out of the ship ; for he said 
 the cruel fellows had mui-dered his mother', and, indeed, so they had, that is 
 to say, passively ; for they might have spared a small sustenance to the poor, 
 helpless widow, that might have preserved her life, though it had been but 
 just enough to keep her alive : but hunger knows no friend, no relation, no 
 justice, no right ; and, therefore, is remorseless, and capable of no compassion 
 
 The surgeon told him how far we were going, and that it would carry him 
 away from all his friends, and put him, perhaps, in as bad circumstances, 
 almost, as those we found him in, that is to say, starving in the world. He 
 said it mattered not whither he went, if he was but delivered from the terri- 
 ble crew that he was among ; that the captain (by which he meant me, for he 
 could know nothing of my nephew) had saved his life, and he was sure 
 would not hmt 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 sur- 
 geon represented the case so affectionately to me that 1 yielded, and we took 
 them both on board, with all their goods, except eleven hogsheads of sugar, 
 which could not be removed or come at ; and as the youth had a bill of 
 lading for them, I made his commander sign a writing, obliging himself to 
 go, as soon as he came to Bristol, to one Mr. Rogers, a merchant there, to 
 whom the youth said he was related, and to deliver a letter which I viTote 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 ; beuig 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, cuiTents, 
 &c., on the rest of om- voyage ; but, to shorten ray story, for the sake of what 
 is to follow, shall observe that I came to my old habitation, the island, on 
 the TOth of AprU, 1695. It was with no small difficulty that 1 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, nor any landmai'k, 
 I did not know it when I saw it, or know whether 1 saw it or not. 
 
 We beat about a great while, and went on shore on several islands in the 
 mouth of the gi'eat River Oronooque, but none for my purpose ; only this 1 
 learned by my coasting the shore, that 1 was under one great mistake 
 before, viz., that the continent which 1 thought I saw from the island I hved 
 in, was really no continent, but a long island, or rather a ridge of islands, 
 reaching from one to the other side of the extended mouth of that great 
 river ; and that the savages who came to my island were not properly those 
 which we call Caribbees, but islanders, and other barbarians of the same 
 kind, who mhabited something nearer to our side than the rest. 
 
 In short, I visited several of these islands to no purpose ; some I found 
 
OF UOBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 283 
 
 were inhabited, and some were not : on one of them I found some Spaniards, 
 and thought they had lived there ; 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, some- 
 times with the Frenchmen's shallop, which we had found a convenient 
 boat, and therefore kept her, with their very good will, at length I came 
 fair on the south side of my island, and presently knew the very countenance 
 of the place : so I brought the ship safe to an anchor, broadside with the 
 little creek where my old habitation was. 
 
 As soon as I saw the place, I called for Friday, and asked him if he knew 
 where he was. He looked about a little, and presently, clapping his hands, 
 cried, " O yes, O there, O yes, O there ! " pointing to our old habitation, and 
 fell dancing and capering like a mad fellow ; and I had much ado to keep 
 him from jumping into the sea, to swim ashore to the place. 
 
 " Well, Friday," 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, aifectionate 
 creature looked dejected, and 1 could see the tears run down his face very 
 plentifully. " 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 agaiu." "Why so," said 1, 
 " 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 anyone 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 tliere.'' 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 
 
284 THE LIFE AND AUVENTUKES 
 
 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 fi-om 
 the side of the creek ; so I immediately ordered the boat out, taking Friday 
 with me ; and, hanging out a white flag, or a flag of truce, 1 went du-ectly 
 on shore, taldng with me the young friai- 1 mentioned, to whom 1 had told the 
 story of my living there, and the manner of it, and every particular, both of 
 myself and those 1 left there, and who was, on that account, extremely 
 desii-ous to go vidth 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 fii-st man I fixed my eye upon was the 
 Spaniard whose life 1 had saved, and whom 1 knew, by his face, perfectly well : 
 as to his habit, I shall describe it afterwards. 1 ordered nobody to go on 
 shore at first but myself; but there was no peeping 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 liim ; 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 hun 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 lay dovfn on the ground, and stroked his legs, and 
 kissed them, and then got up again, and stared at him ; one would have 
 thought the fellow bewitched. But 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 sugEir, 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 ti-avels, and of what 
 had happened to him abroad, to divert him. In short, if the same filial 
 affection was to be found in Chiistians to their parents, in om' 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 retm-n to my landing. It would be needless to 
 take notice of all the ceremonies and civilities that the Spaniards received 
 /lie 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 ordy 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 musket to the man that was with him, 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 285 
 
 threw his arms abroad, saying sotnething iu Spanish tliat 1 did not i)eri'ectiy 
 hear, came forward and embraced me, telling me he was inexcusable not to 
 kiio\v 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 ine if 
 I would walk to my old habitation, ■where he would give me possession of my 
 own house again, and where I should see tliey had made but mean improve- 
 ments: so 1 walked along with him; but, alas! I could no more find the 
 place 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, 
 iu ten year's' time, they were grown so big, that, in short, the place was in- 
 accessible, except by such windings and blind ways as they themselves only, 
 who made them, could find. 
 
 I asked them what put them upon all these fortifications : he told me I 
 would say there was need enough of it, when they had given me an account 
 how they had passed their time since their arriving in the island, especially 
 a'fter 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 hfe, he said, was so surprising and 
 afflicting to him at first, as tlie disappointment he was under when he came 
 back to the island and found I was not there. 
 
 As to tlie three harbarians (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 
 agoin purgatory ; " and with that he crossed himself on the breast. " But, sir,' 
 
286 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 says he, "I hope you will not be displeased when 1 shall tell you how, forced 
 by necessity, we were obliged, for oiu- own preservation, to disarm them, 
 and make them our subjects, who would not be content with being mod- 
 erately our masters, but would be oui- 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 1 might have 
 put .them in possession of every thing first, and left the others in a state of 
 subjection, as they deserved ; but if they had reduced them to it, 1 was very 
 glad, and should be very far from finding any fault with it; for 1 knew they 
 were a parcel of refractoiy, ungoverned villains, and were fit for any manner 
 of mischief. 
 
 While I was thus saying this, the man came whom he had sent back, and 
 with him eleven more. In the dress they were in, it was impossible to guess 
 what nation they were of; but he made all clear, both to them and to me. 
 First he turned to me, and pointing to them, said, " These, sir, are some of 
 the gentlemen who owe their lives to you ; " and then, turning to them, and 
 pointing to me, he let them know who I was ; upon which they all came up, 
 one by one, not as if they had been sailors, and ordinary fellows, and the like, 
 but really as if they had been ambassadors of noblemen, and I a monarch or 
 great conqueror ; their behavior was, to the last degree, obliging and cour- 
 teous, and yet mixed with a manly, majestic gravity, which very well became 
 them ; and, in short, they had so much more manners than I, that I scarce 
 knew how to receive their civilities, much less how to return them in kind. 
 
 The history of their coming to, and conduct in, the island, after my going 
 
OF ROBINSON CKUSOK. 287 
 
 away, is so vei-y remarkable, and has so many incidents, which the former 
 pai-t 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 caimot but com- 
 mit them, with great delight, to the reading of those that come after me. 
 
 [ shall no longer trouble the stoi-y with a relation in the first person, which 
 will put me to the expense of ten thousand " said I's," and " said he's," and 
 " he told me's," and " 1 told him's," and tlie 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 circumstances in which I left the island, and in which the persons 
 were of whom I am to speak. And first, it is necessary to repeat that I had 
 sent away Friday's father and the Spaniard {the two whose lives I had res- 
 cued from the savages) in a large canoe, to the main, as I then thought it, to 
 fetch over the Spaniard's companions that he left behind him, in order to 
 save them from the like calamity that he had been in, and in order to succor 
 them for the present ; and that, if possible, we might together find some way 
 for our deliverance afterwards. 
 
 When I sent them away, 1 hadno visible appearance of, or the least room 
 to hope for, my own deliverance, any more than I had twenty yeai's before ; 
 much less had 1 any foreknowledge of what aftersvards happened, — I mean, 
 of an English ship coming on shore there to fetch me off; and it could not 
 but be a vei-y great surprise to them, when they came back, not only to find 
 that I was gone, but to find three strangers left on the spot, possessed of all 
 that I had left behind me, which would otherwise have been their own. 
 
 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 wotdd give me a partic- 
 ular 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 pait, 
 for nothing remarkable happened to them on the way, having had very calm 
 weather, and a smooth sea. As for his coimtrymen, it could not be doubted, 
 he said, but that they were overjoyed to see hira, (it seems he was the prin- 
 cipal man among them, the captain of the vessel they had been shipwrecked 
 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 sav- 
 ages, who, they were satisfied, would devour him, as they did all the rest of 
 their prisoners ; that when he told them the stoiy of his deliveitmce, and in 
 what manner he was furnished for carrying them away, it was like a dream 
 to them, and their astonishment, he said, ^vas somewhat like that of Jo- 
 seph'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 tliem for their jom-ney or 
 voyage, they were restored to themselves, took a just share of the joy ol 
 llisir deliverance, and immediately prepared to come away with him. 
 
 Their first business was to get canoes : and in this they were obliged not 
 to stick so much upon tlie honest pai-t of it, but to ti-espass upon their friendly 
 savages, and to borrow two large canoes, or periaguas, on pretence of going 
 out a-fisliing, or for pleasm-e. 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 pro\isions, nor any thing in the world but what 
 
288 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 they had on them, and a few -lOts to eat, of which they used to make 
 their bread. 
 
 They were, in all, three weeks absent ; and in that time, unluckily for them, 
 I had the occasion offered for my escape, as I mentioned m 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' gi-eat grief and disappointment, 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 pai-t of my life there ; the way i.ow 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 1 did ; all this being writ- 
 ten 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 agi-eed very well for some time. They gave them an equal 
 admission into the house, or cave, and they began to live vei-y sociably ; and 
 the head Spaniard, who had seen pretty much of my methods, and Friday's 
 father together, managed all their affaii-s ; but as for the Englishmen, they 
 did nothmg but ramble about the island, shoot parrots, and catch tortoises ; 
 and when they came home at night, the Spaniards provided their suppers 
 for them. 
 
 The Spaniards would have been satisfied with this, had the others but let 
 them alone ; which, however, they could not find in their hearts to do long ; 
 but, like the dog in the manger, they would not eat themselves, neither would 
 they let the others eat. The differences, nevertheless, were at first but 
 ti-ivial, and such as are not worth relating ; but at last it broke out into open 
 war ; and it began with all the rudeness and insolence that can be imagined, 
 — without reason, without provocation, contraiy 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 1 came to 
 examine the fellows, they could not deny a word of it. 
 
 But before I come to the particulars of this pai-t, 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 second 
 mutiny ; nor was it appeased till the captain, rousing up his courage, and 
 taking us all to his assistance, parted them by force, and, making two of the 
 most refractory fellows prisoners, he laid them in irons ; and as they had 
 been active in the foi^mer disorders, and let fall some ugly, dangerous words, 
 the second time he threatened to carry them in u-ons to England, and have 
 thfui hanged there for mutiny, and running away with the ship. This, it 
 seems, though the captain did not intend to do it, frightened some other men 
 in the ship ; and some of them had put it into the heads of the rest, that the 
 captain only gave them good words for the present, till they should come to 
 some English port, and that then they should be all put into gaol, and tried 
 for then- 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 289 
 
 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 honor'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 .o 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 companions in 
 roguery on shore. As soon as we found this, I ordered the long-boat on 
 shore, with twelve men and the mate, and away they went to seek the 
 rogues; but they could neither find them or any of the rest, for they all fled 
 into the woods when they saw the boat coming on shore. The mate was 
 once resolved, in justice to their roguery, to have destroyed their plantations, 
 Ijiimed all their household stuff" and furniture, and left them to shift without 
 it ; but, having no orders, he let it all alone, left every thing as he found it, 
 and, bringing the pinnace away, came on Ijoard without tbem. These two 
 men made their number five ; but the other three villains were so nauch 
 more wicked than tliey, 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 huve nothing to do willi them; nor could tliey, for a good while, be 
 persuaded to give them any food : as for the Sjianiards, they were not 
 yet come. 
 
 When the Spaniards came first on shni-e, the business licgan to go iiir- 
 ward ; the Spaniards would have |)( rnuudcd the three Eiiglisli brutes to liave 
 taken in their countrymen agaiji, tliat, as tliey said, they might be all one fami 
 ly ; but they would not hear of it : so the two |>oor IMIohs lived by themselves ; 
 and rinding nothing but industry and ap|)licaticin would malie them live 
 comfortably, tliey pitched their tents on tlir north shore of the island, but a 
 little more to the west, to be out of danger of the savagos, who always landed 
 on the east parts of the island. 
 
 Here they built them two huts, one to lod^c in, and tlie other to lay up 
 their magazines and stores In ; and the Spaniaids 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 
 began to live pretty well. Their fust crop of corn m as on the ground ; and 
 tliough it was but a little bit of laud which tliey 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 tlie fellows, being the cook's mate of 
 the ship, was very ready at making soup, puddings, and such other prepara- 
 tions as the rice, and the milk, and such little flesh as they got, furnished 
 him to do. 
 
 They were going on in this little thiiving posture, when the three vmnat- 
 ural rogues, theu- own countrymen too, in mere hiunor, and to insult them, 
 came and bullied them, and told them the island was theirs- that the 
 governor, meaning me, had given tliem 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 1/uilt, and to 
 tell them what rent they demanded ; and one of them merrily said, if they 
 37 
 
29(t 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 were the ground landlords, he hoped, if they built tenements upon their 
 land, and made improvements, they would, according to the custom of land- 
 lords, grant a long lease : and desired they would get a scrivener to di-aw the 
 writings. One of the three, cursing and raging, told them they should see 
 they were not in jest; and, going to a little place at a distance, where the 
 honest men had made a fire to dress their victuals, he takes a firebrand, and 
 claps it to the outside of their hut, and very fairly set it on fire; and it would 
 have been all 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 difiiculty too. 
 
 The fellow was in such a rage at the honest man's thrusting liim away, 
 that he returned upon him, with a pole he had in his hand ; and had not the 
 man avoided the blow veiy nimbly, and run into the hut, he had ended his 
 days at once. His comrade, seeing the danger they were both in, ran in 
 after him, and immediately they came both out with their muskets, and the 
 man that was first struck at with the pole, knocked the fellow down, that 
 begun the quai-rel, 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 ofl^. 
 
 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 com- 
 manded them to lay down their amis. They did not, indeed, lay down their 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 291 
 
 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 im- 
 mediately 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 crowd this part with an account of the lesser part of the ro- 
 gueries, such as treading down their com ; shooting three young kids and 
 a she-goat, which the poor men had got to breed up tame for theu* 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 thi-ee, 
 .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 lived together at that time, intending to 
 have a fair battle, — and" the Spaniards should stand by to see fair play : so 
 they got up in the morning before day, and came to the place, and called 
 the Englishmen by their names, telling a Spaniard, that answered, that they 
 wanted to speak with them. 
 
 It happened that, the day before, two of the Spaniards, having been in 
 the woods, had seen one of the two Englishmen, whom, for distinction, 1 
 called the honest men, and he had made a sad complauit, 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 tliey had 
 labored so hard to bring forward, and killed the milch-goat and their three 
 kids, which was all they had provided for then- 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 tlie three English- 
 men, 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 theu- labor, and that it had cost 
 them a great deal of pains to bring things to such perfection as they ^i ere 
 then in. 
 
 One of the Englishmen returned very briskly, "A\Tiat had they to do 
 there? tliat they came on shore without leave; and that they should not 
 plant or build upon the island ; it was none of theu- ground." "Why," says 
 the Spaniai-d, very calmly, " Seignior Liglese, they must not stai-ve." The 
 EngUshman replied, like a 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 re- 
 turned, "Do? d n them; they should be senants, and work for them." 
 
 "But how can you expect that of them?" says the Spaniard; "they are 
 not bought mth your money; you have no right to make them servants." 
 The EngUshman 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 tliat, swore by his Maker, that tliey would go and bum all their new 
 huts; they should build none upon their land. "Why, seignior," says the 
 Spaniard, " by the same rule, we must be your servants, too." « Ay," says 
 the bold dog, "and so you shall, too, before we have done with you," mix- 
 
292 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ing two or three "G — d d — n me's" in the proper intervals of his speech. 
 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 particulars, only that, in general, they threatened them hard for taking 
 the two Englishmen's part. 
 
 Whither they went, or how they bestowed theu- 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 bum 
 them there, or murder them as they came out. As malice seldom sleeps 
 vei7 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 hap- 
 pened, and veiy luckily for them all, that they were up, and gone abroad, 
 before the bloody-minded rogues came to theii' huts. 
 
 When they came there, and found the men gone, Atkins, who, it seems, 
 was the forwardest man, called out to his comrade, " Ha, Jack, here's the 
 nest ; but, d — n them, the birds are flown." They mused awhile, to think 
 what should be the occasion of then- being gone abroad so soon ; and sug- 
 gested, 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 re- 
 venged 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 seaice 
 any sign on the ground where they stood ; they tdre all their little collected 
 household stuff in pieces, and threw every thing about, in such a manner 
 that the poor men afterwards found some of their things a mile off their 
 habitation. When they had done this, they pulled up all the young trees 
 which the poor men had planted ; pulled up an enclosure they had made, 
 to secure their cattle and their corn ; and, in a word, sacked and plundered 
 evei-y thing as completely as a horde of Tai'tars would have done. 
 
 The two men were, at this juncture, gone to find them out, and had re- 
 solved to fight them wherever they had been, though they were but two to 
 three ; so that, had they met, there certainly would have been bloodshed among 
 them; for they were all very stout, resolute fellows, to give them their due. 
 
 But Providence took more care to keep them asunder than they them- 
 selves 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 293 
 
 
 ,«)/>"•' 
 
 u't 
 
 furious creatures, flushed with tlie rage which the work they had been about 
 iiad put tliem 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 tlie Spaniai-ds, 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 Spaniai-d, shall have the same 
 sauce if you do not mend your mauners." 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 
 liis hand, stepped gravely up to him, and, \vith 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 misseu 
 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 weis 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 
 
294 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 them not to shoot, they stepped in, secured the other two, and 
 took their arms fi-om them. 
 
 When they were thus disarmed, and found they had made all the Span- 
 iards their enenues, as well as their own countrymen, 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 Englishmen, and that it would be the best method they could take to keep 
 them from killing one another, told them they would do them no harm, and, 
 if they would live peaceably, they would be very willing to assist and asso- 
 ciate with them as they did before ; but that they could not think of giving 
 them tlieir 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 r'efused 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 scarce have room to tell their tale, the Spaniards were so eager to tell 
 them theirs ; and it was strange enough to find that three men should thus 
 bully nineteen, and receive no punisliment at all. 
 
 The Spaniards, indeed, despised them, and especially, having thus disarmed 
 them, made lighf of then- tlu'eatenings ; but the two Englishmen resolved 
 to have their remedy against them, what pains soever it cost to find them 
 out But the Spaniards interposed here too, and told them, that, as they had 
 disarmed them, they could not consent that they (the two) should pursue 
 them with fire-arms, and perhaps kill then;. "But," said the grave Spaniard, 
 who was then- governor, " we will endeavor 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 satisfac- 
 tion for you ; and, upon this condition, we hope you will promise to use no 
 violence with them, other than in your own defence." The two Englishmen 
 yielded to this very awkwardly, 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 gi-eat pity we should not be all good fiiends. 
 \.t length, they did consent, and waited for the issue of the thing, living for 
 some days with the Spaniards ; for their own habitation was destroyed. 
 
 In about five days' time, the three vagrants, tii-ed with wandering, and al- 
 most starved vidth hunger, having chiefly lived on turtles' eggs all that while. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 295 
 
 came back to the grove ; and, finding my Spaniard, who, as 1 have said, Wda 
 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 mto the family. The Spaniards used tliem civilly, but told them they 
 had acted so unnaturally by their countrymen, and so very grossly by them, 
 (tlie Spaniards,) that they could not come to any conclusion without consult- 
 ing the two Englishmen and the rest ; but, however, they would go to them 
 and discourse about it, and they should know in linU' an hour. It may be 
 guessed tliat they were vei-y hai-d put to it ; for, it seems, as they were to wait 
 this half hour for an answer, tliey begged they would send them out some 
 bread in the mean tune, which they did ; sending, at the same time, a lai'ge 
 piece of goat's flesh, and a boiled paiTot, which they ate very heartily, for 
 they were hungry enough. 
 
 After half an hour's consultation, tliey were called m, and a long debate 
 ensued ; their two countrymen charging tliem with the ruin of all their 
 labor, and a design to murder them; all which they owned before, and 
 therefore could not deny now. Upoiv tlie whole, tlie Spaniards acted the 
 moderators between them ; and as they had obliged the two Englishmen not 
 to hurt the three while they were naked and unai-med, so they now obliged 
 the three to go and rebuild their fellows' two huts, one to be of the same, and 
 the other of lai'ger dimensions than they were before ; to fence theii- ground 
 again where they had pulled up tlieir 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 tiling in the same state as they found it, as 
 near as they could; for entu-ely it could not be, the season for the com, and 
 the growth of the trees and hedges, not being possible to be recovered. 
 
 Well, they submitted to all this ; and, as they had plenty of provisions 
 given them all the while, they grew veiy orderly, and the whole society 
 liegan to live pleasantly and agreeably together again ; only that these three 
 
296 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 fellows could never be persuaded to work, 1 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 firiendly together, and study 
 the good of the whole plantation, they would be content to work for them, 
 and let them walk about and be as idle as they pleased ; and thus, having 
 lived pretty well together for a month or two, the Spaniards gave them arms 
 again, and gave them Uberty to go abroad with them as before. 
 
 It was not above a week after they had these arms, and went abroad, but 
 the ungrateful creatures began to be as msolent 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 resent- 
 ments, 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 1 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 ran upon men 
 fighting and killing of one another, but he 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-skins laid thick upon such couches and pads as they made 
 for themselves, and not in hammocks and ship beds, as I did, who was but 
 one, so they had little to do, when they were wiUing 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 noth- 
 ing ; and, besides, the trees which I had planted, as in my former account 
 is described, and which were now grown tall, intercepted his sight, so that 
 
OF JIOBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 297 
 
 ne could only look up, and see that it was a clear, stai-light night ; and, hear- 
 ing 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, going out and 
 coming in, another of them waked, and, calling, asked who it was that was 
 up. The governor told him how it had been with hun. " Say you so ? " 
 says the other Spaniard ; » such things aj-e 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 thek huts," says he, 
 " safe enough." It seems the Spaniards had kept possession of the main 
 apartment, and had made a place for the three Englishmen, who, since then- 
 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 per- 
 suaded, from my own experience. I am satisfied our spirits imbodied have 
 a converse with, and receive intelligence from, the spu-its unimbodied, and 
 inhabiting the invisible world ; and this friendly notice is given for our ad- 
 vantage, 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 trouble, 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 1 used to 
 go ; but they, being strong, and a good company, not alone, as I was, used 
 none of my cautions, to go up by the ladder, and, pulling it up after them, to 
 go up a second stage to the top, but were going round through the grove, 
 unconcerned and unwai-y, when they were surprised with seeing a light, as 
 of fire, a very little way oflT 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 disappewed as soon as possible ; nor did 
 ever any that had seen me, escape to tell any one else, except it was the 
 three savages in our last encounter, who jumped into the boat ; of whom I 
 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 togetlier, 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 the place; or to have fallen 
 upon them so effectually as that not a man of them should have escaped, 
 which could only have been by getting in between them and their boats ; 
 but this presence of mind was wanting to them, which was the ruin of their 
 tranquillity for a great while. 
 
 We need not doubt, but that the governor and the man with him, surprised 
 with tills sight, ran back immediately, and raised their fellows, giving them 
 an account of the imminent danger they wei-e 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. 
 38 
 
298 THE LIFE AND ADVESTURES 
 
 While it was dark, indeed, they were well enough, and they had oppor- 
 tunity 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 hot 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 despatch three men away before it was light, two 
 Spaniards and one Englishman, to drive all the goats away to the great valley 
 where the cave was, and, if need were, to drive them into the very cave itself. 
 Could they have seen the savages altogether 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 appeared afterwards, were of two dififer- 
 ent nations. 
 
 After having mused a great while on the course they should take, and 
 beating their brains in considering their present circumstances, they resolved, . 
 at last, while it was still dark, to send the old savage, Friday's father, out as 
 a spy, to learn, if possible, something concerning them ; as, what they came 
 for, what they intended to do, and the like. The old man readily undertook 
 it ; and, stripping himself quite naked, as most of the savages were, away he 
 went. After he had been gone an hour or two, he brings word that he had 
 been among them undiscovered ; that he found they were two parties, and 
 of two several nations, who had war with one another, and had a great battle 
 in their own country ; and that, both sides having had several prisoners taken 
 in the fight, they were, by mere chance, landed all on the same island, for 
 the devouring their prisoners and making merry, but their coming so by 
 chance to the same place had spoiled all their mirth ; that they were in a 
 great rage at one another, and were so near that he believed they would fight 
 again as soon as daylight began to appear; but he did not perceive that 
 they had any notion of 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 Englishmen: 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 advan- 
 tage, 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 
 
Ihey were in great perp'exily also for fear of their flock of goatf » 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 301 
 
 of them said he could perceive that some of them were men of great braveiy, 
 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, sqme 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 gi-ove before their dwelling for shelter, 
 and thereby involuntaiily 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 gi-ove, 
 they resolved to sally out over the wall and kill them ; so that, if possible, 
 not one should return to give an account of it : they ordered, also, that it 
 should be done with their swords, or by knocking them down with the 
 stocks of their muskets, but not by shooting them, for fear of raising an 
 alarm by the noise. 
 
 As they expected, it fell out ; three of the routed ai-my fled for life, and, 
 crossing the creek, ran directly into the place, not in tlie least knowing 
 whither they went, but running as into a thick wood, for shelter. The scout 
 thty kept to look abroad, gave notice of tliis within, with this addition, to 
 our men's great satisfaction, viz., tliat the conquerors had not pursued them, 
 or seen which way they were gone: upon this, the Spaniaid governor, a 
 man of humanity, would not suifer them to kill the three fugitives, but 
 sending three men out by the top of tlie hill, ordered them to go round, come 
 in behind them, and sui-prise and talie 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, drawing themselves 
 
302 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 into a body together, gave two great, screaming shouts, which ihef 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, then: fright was over, 
 and they saw no sayages in several years after. 
 
 After they were all gone, the Spaniards came out of theu- den, and, viewmg 
 the field of battle, they found about two-and-thirty men dead on the spot : 
 some were killed with great, long arrows, some of which were found sticking^ 
 in their bodies ; but most of them were killed with great, wooden swords, 
 sixteen or seventeen of which they found in the field of battle, and as many 
 bows, with a great many an-ows. These swords were strange, great, un- 
 wieldy 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 piece& as 
 we may say, or, as we call it in English, their brains knocked out, and several 
 their ai-ms and legs broken ; so that it is evident they fight with inexpressible 
 rag*and fury. We found not one man that was not stone dead, for either 
 they stay by theu' enemy till they have killed him, or they carry all the 
 wounded men, that are not quite dead, avray with them. 
 
 This deliverance tamed our Englishmen for a gi'eat while : the sight had 
 filled them with horror, and the consequences appeared terrible to the last 
 degree, especially upon supposing that some time or other they should fall 
 into the hands of those creatures, who would not only kill them as enemies, 
 but kill them for food, as we kill our cattle ; and they professed to me, that 
 the thoughts of being eaten up like beef or mutton, though it was supposed 
 it was not to be till they were dead, had something in it so horrible that it 
 nauseated then' veiy stomachs, made them sick when they thought of it, and 
 filled their mmds with such unusual ten-or, that they were not themselves for 
 some weeks after. This, as I said, tamed eVen the three English brutes I 
 have been speaking of; and, for a gi-eat 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 coimtry. 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 servants, and taught them to 
 work for them ; and, as slaves, they did well enough ; but they did not take 
 then- measures with them as I did by my man Friday, viz., to begin with 
 them upon the principle of having saved their lives, and then instruct them 
 in the rational principles of life; much less of religion, civihzing, and 
 reducing them by kind usage and aflTectionate arguings ; but as they gave 
 them their food every day, so they gave them their work too, and kept them 
 fully employed in drudgery enough ; but they failed in this by it, that tliey 
 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 faniily part. Being all now good friends, for common 
 danger, as I said above, had efiectually reconciled them, they began to con- 
 sider their general cu-cumstances ; and the first thing that came under their 
 consideration was, whether, seeuig the savages particularly haunted that side 
 of the island, and that there were more remote and retired parts of it equally 
 adapted to their way of living, and manifestly to tlieir advantage, they should 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 303 
 
 not rather move their hahitation, and plant in some more proper place for 
 their safety, and especially for the security of their cattle and corn. 
 
 Upon this, after a long debate, it was concluded that they would not 
 remove their habitation ; because that, some time or other, they thougnc they 
 iriight hear from their governor again, meaning me; and, if I should send 
 any one to seek them, I should be sure to direct them to that side ; where, 
 if they should find the place demolished, they would conclude the savages 
 had killed us all, and we were gone, and so our supply would go too. But, 
 us to their com and cattle, they agreed to remove them into the valley where 
 my cave was, where the land was as proper for both, and where, indeed, 
 there was land enough : however, upon second thoughts, they altered one 
 part of their resolution too, and 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 tliey 
 had made in that valley, or of any cattle they had there, much less of the 
 cave there, which they kept, in case of necessity, as a safe retreat; and 
 thither they carried also the two barrels of powder wJiich I had sent them 
 .it my coining away. But, however, they resolved not to change their 
 habitation ; yet they agreed, that, as 1 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 coiieeid the place yet more effectu- 
 ally than before. For this purpose, as I planted trees, or rather thrust in 
 stakes, which in time all grew up to he trees, for some good distance before 
 tlie entrance into my apartments, they went on in the same manner, and 
 filled lip the rest of that wliole space of ground, from the trees I had set, 
 (]uitc down to the side of the oreek, where, as I said, I landed my floats, and 
 even into the veiy ooze where the tide flowed, not so much as leaving anv 
 place to land, or any sign that there had been any landing thereabouts ; these 
 stakes, also, being of a wood very forward to grow, as I have noted formerly, 
 they took care to have them generally much larger and taller than those 
 which I had planted ; and, as they grew apace, so they planted them so very 
 thick and close togetlier, that, when they had been three or four years grown, 
 there was no piercing with the eye any considerable way mto the plantation : 
 and, as for that part which I had planted, the trees were gro^vn as thick as 
 a man's thigh, and among them they placed so many other shon ones, 
 and so thick, tliat, in a word, it stood like a palisado a quai-ter 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 tliey did the same by ali tlM ground to the right 
 hand and to the lefl:, and round even to the side of the hill, leaving no way 
 not so much as for themselves to come out, but by the ladder placed up to' 
 the side of tlie hill, and then lifted up, and placed again from the first stage 
 up to the top ; and when the ladder was taken down, nothmg but what had 
 wings or witchcraft to assist it, could come at them. This was excellently 
 well contrived ; nor was it less than what they afterwards found occasion 
 for ; which served to convince me, that, as human prudence has the authority 
 of Providence to justify it, so it has doubtless the du-ection of Providence to 
 
304 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 set it to work ; aud 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 retm-n to the story. They hved two years after this in perfect retire- 
 ment, 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 their 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 some- 
 thing 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 bai-barous cut 
 with the hatchet, which he aimed at his head, but struck into his shoulder, 
 so that he thought he had cut the poor creature's arm off, ran to him, and, 
 
 vn^x o^.- 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 305 
 
 entreating him not to murder the poor man, placed himself between him 
 and the savage, to prevent the mischief. The fellow, being enraged the more 
 at this, struck at the Spaniard with his hatchet, and swore he would serve 
 him as he intended to serve the savage ; which the Spaniard perceiving, 
 avoided the blow, and with a shovel which he had in his hand, (for they 
 were all working in the field about their corn land,) knocked the brute do^vn. 
 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 tlie 
 whole family in an uproar, and, more help coming in, they took tjje three 
 Englishmen pi'isoners. The next question was, what should be done with 
 them. They had been so often mutinous, and were so veiy furious, sc 
 desperate, and so idle withal, they knew not what course to take with them, 
 lor 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 tohl 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 preserve society, and those who were daugrrous to the 
 society ought to be expelled out of it ; but as tliey were Eni:li.-;limen, and 
 that it was to the generous kindiioss of an lliiglishman that they all owed 
 their preservation and deliverance, he would use tlieiii with all possible lenity, 
 and would leave them to tlic judgment of the other t«(i Engli-ilmien, wlm 
 were their countrymen. 
 
 One of the two honest Englishmen stood up, and said thoy desired it 
 might not be left to them. " For," says he, " I am sure \\ e ought to stntince 
 them to the gallows ;" and with that he gives iui account bow Will Atkins 
 one of the three, had proposed to have all the li\c Englishmen join together 
 and murder all the Spaniards when thoy 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." " 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 your killing 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 at the Spaniard's making a jest of it, that, had he not been held by 
 three men, and withal had no weapon near him, it was thought he would 
 have attempted to have killed the Spaniard in the middle of all the company. 
 This hai-e brain carriage obliged them to consider seriously what was to be 
 done : the two Englishmen, and tlie 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, tha* it was thought he could not live. But 
 the governor Spaniard still said no ; it was an Englishman that had saved all 
 
306 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 their lives, find he would never consent to put an Englishman to death 
 though he had murdered half of them ; nay, he said, if he had been killeO 
 himself by an Englishman, and had time left to speak, it should be that they 
 should pardon him. 
 
 This vras 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 he 
 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 ceilain distance of the place where the rest dwelt ; 
 and, if they offered to commit any disorder, so as to spoil, bum, kUl, or 
 destroy any of the corn, plantings, buildings, fences, or cattle belonging to 
 the society, they should die without mercy, and they would shoot them 
 wherever they could find them. 
 
 The governor, a man of great humanity, musing upon the sentence, con- 
 sidered 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 
 provisions." So he caused to be added, that they should have a proportion 
 of corn given them to last them eight months, and for seed to sow, by which 
 time they might be supposed to raise some of their own ; that they should 
 have six milch-goats, 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, dnd 
 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 Span- 
 iards with them, or of their fellow-Englishmen. 
 
 Thus they dismissed them the society, and turned them out to shift for 
 themselves. They went away sullen and refractory, as neither content to go 
 away nor to stay ; but, as there was no remedy, they went, pretending to go 
 and choose a place where they would settle themselves ; and some provisions 
 were given them, but no weapons. 
 
 About four or five days after, they came again for some victuals, and gave 
 the governor an account where they had pitched their tents, and marked 
 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 knows whither, in my foolish attempt to sail round 
 the island. 
 
 Here they built themselves two handsome huts, and contrived them in a 
 manner like my first habitation, being close under the side of a hill, having 
 some trees growing already on three sides of it, so that, by planting others, it 
 would be very easily covered from the sight, unless narrowly searched for. 
 They desu-ed some dried goat-skins, ibr beds and covering, which were 
 given them ; and, upon giving their words that they would not disturb the 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 'SO'i 
 
 rest, or jjijure any of their plantations, they gave them hatchets, and what 
 other tools they could spare ; some peas, barley, and rice, for sowing ; and, in 
 a word, any thing they wanted, except arms and ammunition. 
 
 They lived in this separate condition about six months, and had got in tlieii 
 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 
 liad a great deal of work upon their hands ; and when they came to make 
 boards and pots, and such things, they were quite out of their element, and 
 could make nothing of it ; and when the rainy season came on, for want of 
 a cave in the earth, they could not keep their grain dry, and it was in great 
 danger of spoiling ; and this humbled them much ; so they came and begged 
 the Spaniards to help them, which they very readily did ; and in four clays 
 worked a great hole in the side of the hill for them, big enough to secure 
 their corn and other things from the rain ; but it was a poor place, at best, 
 compared to mine, tmd 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 villany they had committed, brought 
 mischief enough upon them, and had very near been the ruin of the whole 
 colony. The three new associates began, it seems, to be weary of the labo- 
 rious 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 
 \)risoners among the natives there, and bring them home, so as to make tlieir 
 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 notliing, 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 appai-ent vengeance dn their crime of 
 mutiny and ph-acy 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 because he 
 did not,' or perhaps could not, underetand to do what he dh-ected, and to 
 wound him in such a manner as made hhn a cripple all his life, and in a 
 place where no surgeon or medicine could be had for his ciure ; and wha* 
 wus 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 tlie Spaniards in cold blood, and in theu- sleep. 
 
 But I leave obsei-ving, and retiu-n to tlie story : — The three fellows came 
 down to the Spaniards one morning, and in very humble terms desired to be 
 admitted to speak witli tliem : tlie Spaniards very readily heard what they 
 had to say, which was this : — That they were tu'ed of living in the manner 
 they did ; and that tliey were not handy enough to make the necessaries they 
 \\aiited, and that, having no help, they found tliey should be starved ; but if 
 the Spaniards would give tliem leave to take one of the canoes which they 
 came over in, and give them ai-ms and ammunition proportioned to then- de- 
 fence, they would go over to the main and seek their fortimes, and so delivei 
 them from the trouble of supplying them with any other provisions. 
 
 The SiJaninrds were glad enough to get rid of them, but very honestly 
 
308 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 represented to ithem the certain destruction they were running into ; told them 
 they had suffered such hardsliips upon that very spot, that they could, with- 
 out any spu-it 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 staid here, 
 for they could not work, arid would not work, and they could but be starved 
 abroad ; and, if they were murdered, there was an end of them ; they had no 
 wives or children to cry after them; and, in short, insisted importunately 
 upon theii- demand, declaring they would go, whether they gave them any 
 arms or no. 
 
 The Spaniards old 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 pistol, 
 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 bread enough 
 to sei-ve them a month, and given them as much goat's flesh as th6y 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 cai-ried fifleen 
 or twenty men, and therefore was rather too big for them to manage ; but, 
 as they had a fair breeze and flood tide with them, they did well enough 
 They had made a mast of a long pole, and a sail of four large goat-skins 
 
OF nOBINSON CRUSOE. 309 
 
 dried, which they had sewed or laced together ; and away they went merrily 
 enough : the Spaniards called after them, " Bon veyajo ; " and no man evei 
 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 were gone : as for their coming again, that 
 was the remotest thing from iheir thoughts that could be imagined ; when, 
 behold, after two-and-twenty days absence, one of the Englishmen, being 
 abroad upon his planting work, sees three strange men coming towai'ds him 
 at a distance, with gims upon their shoulders. 
 
 Away runs the Enghshman, as if he was bewitched, comes fi-ightened and 
 amazed to the governor Spaniard, and tells him they were all undone, for 
 there were strangers upon the island, but could not tell who. 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 Christain nation upon earth but will do us good ratlier than harm." 
 
 While they were debating thus, came the three Englishmen, and, standhig 
 without the wood, which was new planted, hallooed to them : they presently 
 knew their voices, and so all the wonder of that liind ceased. But now the 
 admiration was tui-ned upon another question, viz., what could be the mat- 
 ter, and what made them come back again. 
 
 It was not long before they brought the men in, and, inquiring where they 
 had been, and what they had been doing, they gave them a full accomit 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 pre- 
 paring with bows and aiTows to fight them, they durst not go on shore, but 
 sailed on to the northwai-d six or seven hours, till they came to a great open- 
 ing, by which they perceived tliat the land they saw from om- 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; tliat they found the people very courteous 
 and friendly to them ; and that they gave several roots and some dried fish, 
 and appeai-ed 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 inquhed, as well as they could of 
 them, by signs, what nations were this way, and that way ; and were told of 
 several fierce and terrible people that lived almost every way, who, as they 
 made known by signs to them, used to eat men ; but, as for themselves, they 
 oaid, tliey never ate men or women, except only such as they took in the 
 ware ; and then, they owned, they made a great feast, and ate their prisoners. 
 
 The Englishmen inquned 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 tlieir 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 prison- 
 ers ; but tlie others, mistaking them, thought they were desirous to have some 
 of them to carry away for their own eating : so they beckoned to them, 
 
310 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 pointing to the setting of the sun, and then to the rising ; which was to sig 
 nify that the next morning at sunrising they would bring some for. them , 
 and, accordingly, the next morning they brought down five women ana 
 eleven men, and gave them to the Englishmen, to carry with them on then- 
 voyage, just as we would bring so many cows and oxen down to a sea port 
 town to victual a ship. 
 
 
 
 
 As brutish and bai-barous as these fellows were at home, their stomachs 
 turned at this sight, and they did not know what to do. To refuse the prison- 
 ers 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, aflei 
 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 creatui-es' 
 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 they arrived, they set eight of their prisoners at hbeity, 
 there being too many of them for their occasion. 
 
 In their voyage, they endeavored to have some communication 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 immediately 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, 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 ail 
 
 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 Span- 
 iards) and the other two Englishmen, that is to say, the whole colony, re- 
 solved to go all down to the place and see them; and did so, be:' Friday's 
 father with them. 
 
 When they came into the hut, there they sat, all bound; for wl.en they 
 had brought them on shore, they bound their hands, that they might not take 
 the boat and make their escape ; there, I say, they sat, all of them stark 
 naked. First, there were three men, lusty, comely fellows, weU-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 
 tour or five and twenty ; and the fifth, a tall, comely maiden, about sixteen 
 or seventeen. The women were well favored, agreeable persons, both in 
 shape and features, only tawny ; and two of them, had they been perfect 
 white, would have passed for veiy handsome women, even in London itself; 
 having pleasant, agreeable countenances, and of a very modest behavior; 
 especially when they came aftei-wards to be clothed and dressed, as they 
 
 ' "((^'-^ N 
 
 
312 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 Spaniards, 
 who were, to give them a just character, men of the best behavior, of the 
 most calm, sedate tempers, and perfect good humor, 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 ckcumstaii(,es that human 
 nature could be supposed to be, viz., to be expecting every moment to be 
 dragged out, and have their brains knocked out, and then to be eaten up 
 like a calf that is killed for a dainty. 
 
 The first thing they did, was to cause the old Indian, Friday's father, to 
 go in, and see, first, if he knew any of them, and then if he imderstood 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. How- 
 ever, 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 awkward gestures, several ways, as is hard to describe ; 
 for, it seems, they were of several nations. 
 
 The woman, who was their interpreter, was bid, in the next place, to 
 ask them if they were willing to be servants, and to work for the men 
 who had brought 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 caiTy on their shoulders, to intimate they were willing 
 to work. 
 
 The governor, who found that the having women among them would 
 pi-esently 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 governor said, " I am not 
 going to restrain you from it; you are your own masters as to that; but 
 this I think is but just, for avoiding disorders and quarrels among you, and 
 1 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 ^vife, that he shall 
 take but one ; and that, having taken one, none else shall touch her ; for, 
 though we cannot mai-ry any one of you, yet it is but reasonable that, while 
 you stay here, the woman any of you takes should be maintained by the 
 man that takes her, and should be his wife. I mean," says he, "while lit- 
 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 Englishman asked the Spaniards if they designed to take any 
 of them. But every one of them answered, " No." Some of them said 
 they had wives in Spain ; and the others did not like women that were not 
 Christians ; and all together declared that they would not touch one of 
 them, — which was an instance of such virtue as I have not met with in all 
 my travels. 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 
 
OF BOBINSON CRUSOE. 313 
 
 a new form of living; for the Spaniai-ds and Friday's father lived in my 
 old habitation, which they had enlarged exceaduigly within. The three 
 servants, which were taken in the last battle of the savages, lived with them; 
 hLii these carried on the main part of the colony, supplied aU the rest with 
 food, and assisted them in any thing as they could, or as they found ne- 
 cessity required. 
 
 But (he wonder of this stoi-y 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, especially, seeing two or three of them were, 
 without comparison, more agreeable than the others; but they took a good 
 way enough to prevent quarelling 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 fii'st 
 
 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 wei-e to expect as- 
 sistance in, as much as in any 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 returned upon them again, 
 and they firmly believed they were now going to be devoured. Accord- 
 ingly, when the English sailor came in and fetched out one of them, the 
 rest set up a most lamentable cry, and hung about her, and took their leave 
 of her with such agonies and affection, as would have grieved the hardest 
 heart in the world ; nor was it possible for the Englishmen to satisfy them 
 that they were not to be immediately murdered, till they fetched the old 
 man, Friday's father, who inunediately let them know that the five men, 
 who were to fetch them out one by one, had chosen them for their wives. 
 
 When they had done, and the fright the women were in was a little over, 
 the men went to work, and the Spaniards came and helped them ; and, in 
 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, 
 household stuff, and provisions. The three ^vicked ones had pitched far- 
 thest off, 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 honest fellows had the two worst wives; 
 and the three reprobates, that were scarce worth hanging, that were fit for 
 nothing, and neither seemed born to do themselves good, nor any one else, 
 liad three clever, diligent, careful, and ingenious wives ; not that the first 
 two were bad wives, as to tlieir temper or humor, for all the five were 
 most willing, quiet, passive, and subjected creatm-es, rather like slaves than 
 wives ; but my meaning is, they wai-e not alike capable, ingenious, or in- 
 >^«strious, or alike cleanly and neat . 
 
 Vnother observation I must make, to the honor of a diligent application 
 40 
 
314 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 on one hand, and to the disgi-ace of a slothful, negligent, idle temper, on 
 the other, that, when I came to the place, and viewed the several improve- 
 ments, plantings, and management of the several little colonies, the two 
 men had so far outgone the three, that there was no comparison. They 
 had, indeed, both of them as much ground laid out for corn as they wanted ; 
 and the reason was, because, according to my rule, nature dictated that it 
 was to no purpose to sow more com than they wanted ; but the difference 
 of the cultivation, 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 be seen but a wood ; and 
 though they had twice had their plantation demolished, — once by their 
 ovm 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 vine- 
 yard, 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 natui-al cave, as 1 had 
 found, yet they made one with incessant labor of then- hands, and- where, 
 when the mischief, which followed, happened, they secured their wives and 
 childi-en, so as they could never be found; they having, by sticking innu- 
 merable stakes and poles of the wood, which, as I said, grew so readily, 
 made the giove unpassable, except in some places, where they climbed up 
 to get over the outside part, and then went on by ways of their own leaving. 
 
 As to the three reprobates, as I justly call them, though they were much 
 civilized by their settlement, compared to what they were before, and were 
 not so quai'relsome, having not the same opportunity, yet one of the cer- 
 tain companions of a profligate mind xiever left them, and that was their 
 idleness. It is true, they planted corn, and made fences; but Solomon's 
 words were never better veiified than in them, — "I went by the vineyard 
 of the slothful, and it was all overgrown with thorns ;" for when the Span- 
 iards came to view then* 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, thei'e was the very face of industiy and success upon all 
 they did ; there was not a weed to be seen in all their corn, or a gap in 
 any of their hedges ; and they, on the other hand, verified Solomon's words 
 in another place, "that the diligent hand maketh rich;" for eveiy tiling 
 grew and thrived, and they had plenty within and without ; they had more 
 tame cattle than the others, more utensils and necessaries within doors, 
 and yet more pleasure and diversion, too. 
 
 It is true, the wives of the three were very handy and cleanly within 
 doors ; and, having learned the English ways of dressing and cooking from 
 one of the other Englishmen, who, as I said, was a cook's mate on board 
 the ship, they dressed their husbands' victuals very nicely and well ; whereas 
 the others could not be brought to i(nderstand 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 317 
 
 fisli and birds ; in a word, any thing but labor ; and they fared accordingly. 
 The diligent lived well and comfortably ; and the slothful lived hard and 
 .jeggarly; and so, I believe, generally speaking, it is all over the world. 
 
 But 1 now come to a scene different from all that had happened 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 cauio 
 npon the old errand of feeding upon their slaves; but that part was now 
 'o familial' to the Spaniards, and to our men too, that they did not concern 
 (lu'iiisclves about it, as I did; but, having been made sensible, by their ex- 
 /ii rienco, that their only business was to lie concealed, and that, if they were 
 i;ot seen by any of the savages, they would go off again quietly, when their 
 'lusincss 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, tliey had 
 nothing to do but give notice to all the three plantations to keep within 
 !o<iis, and not show themselves, only placing a scout in a proper place, to 
 give notice when the boats went to sea again. 
 
 This \\ :is, without doubt, very right ; but a disaster spoiled all these meas- 
 iiies, and made it Icnown among the savages that there were inhabitants there • 
 ivhicli was, in the end, the desolation of almost the whole colony. After the 
 •anoes with the savages were gone off, the Spaniards pyeped abroad again ; 
 and some of them had tlie curiosity to go to the place where they had been, 
 to see what they had been doing. Here, to their great surprise, they found 
 three savages left behind, and lying fast asleep upon the ground. It was 
 supposed they had either been so gorged with their inhuman feast, that, like 
 
ai8 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 had enough already; and as to killing them, there 
 were none of them inclined to that ; the Spaniai-d governor toldv 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 
 accounts of Spanish cruelty in Mexico and Peru be what they will, I never 
 met with seventeen men, of any nation whatsoever, in any foreign countrj', 
 who were so universally modest, temperate, virtuous, so very good-humored 
 and so courteous, as these Spaniards; and, as to cruelty, they had nothino- 
 :^ it in their veiy nature ; no inhumamty, no barbaiity, no outi-ageoiis 
 passions ; and yet all of them men of great courage and spirit. Theii 
 temper and calmness had appeared in then- 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 
 upon this: that they would lie still a while longer, till, if possible, these 
 three men might be gone. But then the governor Spaniard recollected 
 that the three savages had no boat; and, 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 tliat way. Upon this, they went back again, 
 and there lay the fellows fast asleep still ; and so they resolved to awaken 
 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 fii-st to 
 the bower, where was the chief of their country work, such as the keeping 
 the goats, the planting the corn, &c. ; and, afterward, they carried them to 
 the habitation of the two Englishmen. 
 
 Here they were set to work, though it was not much they had for them 
 to do ; and, whether it was by negligence in guarding them, or that they 
 thought the fellows could not mend themselves, I know not ; but one of them 
 ran away, and, taking to the woods, they could never hear of him any more. 
 
 They had good reason to beUeve he got home again soon after, in some 
 other boats or canoes of savages who came on shore three or four weeks 
 afterwards; and who, carrjing 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 ceitamly give them an account that there 
 were people in the island, and also how few -and weak they were ; for this 
 savage, as 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 ROBINSON CRUSOE. S19 
 
 of their other retired places ; such as the cave in the valley, or the new 
 retreat which the two Englishmen had«ia(le, and the like. 
 
 The first testimony they had that this fellow had given intelligence of 
 them was, that, about two months after this, six canoes of savages, with 
 about seven, eight, or ten men in a canoe, came rowing along the north 
 side of the island, where they never used to come before, and landed about 
 an hour after sum-ise, 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 no 
 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 ofi", so that 
 it was above an hour before they landed ; and as they landed a mile from 
 tlieir huts, it was some time before they could come at them. Now, having 
 >;reiit reason to believe that they were betrayed, the first thing they did was 
 to bind the two slaves which were left, and cause two of the three men 
 whom they brought «'ith the women, ,'who, it seems, proved vei-y 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 heai'd farther. 
 
 In the next place, seeing the savages wore all cojiic on shore, and that 
 they had bent their course directly that wa) , they opened the fences where 
 the milch-goats were kept, and drove tliuuj all out ; lcu\ ing their goats to 
 straggle in the woods, whither they pleased, tliat the savages i^ight 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. 
 
 When the two poor, frightened men had secured their wives and goods, 
 lliey sent the other slave tiiey had of the thi-ee who came with the women, 
 and who was at their place by accident, away to the Spaniai'ds 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 reti'eated 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 tlieir 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 iri'etrievable, at least for some time. They kept their station 
 for a while, till they found the savages, like wild beasts, spread themselves 
 all over tlie place, rummaging every way, and every place they could think 
 of, in search of prey ; and, in pai-ticular, for the people, of whom, now, it 
 olainly appeai-ed they had intelligence. 
 
 The two Englislimen, seeing this, thinking themselves not secure where 
 I hey stood, because it was likely some of the wild people might come that 
 way, and they might come too many together, thought it pvcper to make 
 another retreat, about half a mile fartlier ; beheving, as it afterwards hap- 
 [lened, that the farther they sti-oUed, the fewer would be together. 
 
 Then- next halt was at the entrance into a vei7 thick-grown part of the 
 woods, and where an old trunk of a ti-ee stood, which was hollow and vastly 
 large ; and in this tree tliey both took their standing, resolving to see there 
 « hat miglit offer. They had not stood there long, before two of the savages 
 
320 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 appeared, running directly that way, as. if they ah-eady 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 live more beyond them, all coming 
 the san^e way ; besides which, they saw seven or eight more at a distance, 
 running another way ; for, in a word, they ran every way, like sportsmen 
 beating for their game. 
 
 The poor men were now in great perplexity whether they should stand 
 and keep their posture, or fly ; but, after a very short debate with themselves, 
 they considered, that, if the savages ranged the countiy thus before help 
 came, they might perhaps find out their retreat in the woods, and then all 
 would be lost ; so they resolved to stand them there ; and, if they were loo 
 many to deal with, then they would get up to the top of the tree, fi'om 
 whence they doubted not to defend themselves, fii-e 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 fii-e 
 at the first two, or wait for the three, and so take the middle party, by which 
 the two and the five that followed would be separated : at length they re- 
 solved to let the first two pass by, unless they should spy them in the tree, 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 321 
 
 and come to attack them. The fij-st two savages confirmed them also iu this 
 regulation, by turning a little from them towards another part of the wood ; 
 but tlie three, and the five afier them, came forward directly W the tree, as if 
 tliey had known the Englishmen were there. Seeing them come so straight 
 towards 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 then] 
 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, ho took a sure aim, without being seen, waiting till the} 
 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 -.aw thai 
 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 
 e-jcape, 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 siu-e to have a second. 
 But the first was too good a meu-ksman to miss his aim ; for, as the 
 
 ^aryf- ;Wi 
 
 savages kept near one another, a little behind, iu a line, he fired, and hif 
 two of them directly ; the foremost was killed outright, being shot in the 
 liead; the second, which ^^as the runaway Lidian, was shot through the 
 body, and fell, but was not quite dead; and the thu-d 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 sensihlp 
 of the danger, stood still at first ; for the woods made the sound a tho'i 
 41 
 
32"2 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 sand times bigger than it really was, the echoes rattling from one side to 
 another, and the fowls rising from all parts, screaming, and evety sort 
 making a different 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 com- 
 panions 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 
 supposed, inquiring of him how he came to be hurt ; and who, it is veiy 
 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 eind bullets ; if they had, one 
 might reasonably believe they would not have stood so unconcerned in 
 viewing the fate of their fellows, without some apprehensions of their o^vn, 
 
 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 
 waa not hurt at all, came and kneeled down to them, with his two hands 
 held up, and made piteous moans to them, by gestures and signs, for his 
 life, but could not say one word to them that they could understand. 
 However, they made signs to him to sit down at the foot of a tree hard 
 by ; and one of the Englishmen, with a 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 distance; however, they had the sat- 
 isfaction to see them cross over a valley towards the sea, quite the 
 contrary way from that which led to their retreat, which they were afl'aid 
 of; and being satisfied with that, they went back to the tree where they 
 left theu* 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. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 3^3 
 
 They were now in as great concern as before, not knowing what course 
 (o 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 knowl- 
 edge 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 inac- 
 cessible, 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,) were 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 1 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 brought him along with them ; where, 
 however, they were obliged to bind him agahi, as they had the two others 
 who were left when the third ran away. 
 
 The prisoners now began to bo a burden to them ; and they were so 
 afraid of their escaping, that they were once resolving 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 shoiUd 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 tliat 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, A^ith four muskets and a pistol 
 among them, and two stout quai'ter-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 had 
 been there, for they had attempted to carry their dead men away, and had 
 di-agged two of them a good way, but had given it over. From thence 
 they advanced to the first rising ground, where they had stood and seen 
 their camp destroyed, and where they had the 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, towards 
 their ruined plantation; but, a little before they came thither, coming in 
 sight of the sea-shore, they saw plainly the savages all embarked again in 
 their canoes, in order to be gone. They seemed sorry, at first, that there 
 was no way to come at them, to give them a parting blow ; but, upon the 
 whole, tliey were very well satisfied to be rid of them. 
 
 The poor Englishmen being now twice ruined, and all their improve- 
 ments destroyed, the rest all agreed to come and help them to rebuild, 
 
324 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 and to assist them with needful supplies. Their tliree countrynieu, win; 
 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 assistance, 
 and did, veiy friendly, work for several days to restore theii- habitation, 
 and make necessaries for them. And thus, in a little time, they were se' 
 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. 
 
 However, as some might miscari-y, so, on the other hand, enough of then, 
 escaped to inform the rest, as well of what they had done as of what had 
 happened to them, and to whet them on to another enterprise of the same 
 nature ; which they, it seems, resolved to attempt, with sufficient force to 
 carry eJI 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 confu'm 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 brougjjt 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 easternmost side of 
 the island, our men had that night to consult and consider what to dc 
 and, in the first place, linoiving that their being entirely concealed was 
 their only safety before, and would be much more so now, while the 
 number of their enemies was so great, they 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 game over 
 again, though they did not now land within two leagues of it In the 
 next place, they diove away all the flocks 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 
 [ilantation of the two men, to wait for their coming. As they guessed, so 
 it happens i; 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, incjeed ; but that which was worse, they had not 
 arms for all their number neither. The whole account, it seems, stood 
 thus: fu-st, as to men, seventeen Spaniards, five Englishmen, old Friday, 
 (or Friday's father,) the three slaves taken with the women, who proved 
 very faithful, and three other slaves, who lived with the Spaniards. To 
 arm these, they had eleven muskets, five pistols, three- fowling-pieces, five 
 
Thoy were invaded with a most formidable fleet of no less than eiglit-^nd-twenty caiiyus. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 327 
 
 muikets, or fowling-pieces, which were taken by me from the mutinous 
 seamen whom I reduced, two swords, and three old halberts. 
 
 To their slaves they did not give either musket or fusee, but they had 
 every one a halbert, or a long staff, like a quarter-staff, with a great spike of 
 iron fastened into each end of it, and by his side a hatchet ; also every one 
 of our men had a hatchet Two of the women could not be prevailed upon 
 but they would come into the fight, and they had bows and arrows, which 
 the Spaniards had taken from the savages when the first action happened, 
 which I have spoken of, where the Indians fought with one another ; and the 
 women had hatchets too. 
 
 The Spaniard governor, whom I described so often, commanded the 
 whole ; and Will Atkins, who, though a dreadful fellow for wickedness, was 
 a most daring, bold fellow, commanded under him. The savages came for- 
 ward like lions ; and our men, which was the worst of their fate, had no 
 advantage in their situation ; only that Will Atkins, who now proved a most 
 useful fellow, with six men, was planted just behind a small thicket of 
 bushes, as an advanced guard, with orders to let the first of them pass by, 
 and then fire into the middle of them, and, as soon as he had fii-ed, to make 
 his retreat 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 vei-y thick throng, he orders three of his 
 men to fire, having loaded their muskets with six or seven bullets apiece, 
 about as big as large pistol-bullets. How many they killed or wounded they 
 knew not, but the consternation and surprise was inexpressible among the 
 savages ; they were frightened to the last degree to hear such a dreadful noise, 
 and see their men killed, and others hurt, but see nobody that did it; when, in 
 the middle of their fright. Will Atkins and his other three let fly again 
 among the thickest of them ; and in less than a minute the first three, being 
 loaded again, gave them a third volley. 
 
 Had Will Atkins and his men retired immediately, as soon as they had 
 fired, as they were ordered to do, or had the rest of the body been at hand, 
 to have poured in theu- shot continually, the savages had been effectually 
 routed ; for the terror that was among them came principally from this, viz., 
 that they were killed by the gods with thunder and lightning, and could see 
 uobody that hurt them ; but Will Atkins, stajnng 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 afterwai-ds one Spaniard, and one of the Indian 
 slaves who came with the women. 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. 
 
 Our men, being thus hard laid at, Atkins wounded, and two other men 
 killed, retreated to a rismg gi-ound in the wood; and the Spaniards, after 
 firing tlu-ee volleys upon them, retreated also ; for their nmnber was so great, 
 and they were so desperate, that, though above fifty of them were killed, and 
 more than as many wounded, yet they came on in the teeth of our men fear- 
 less of danger, and shot their arrows like a cloud ; and it was observed that 
 
3"3& THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 their wounded men, who were not quite disabled, were made outrageous bj 
 their wounds, and fought hke madmen. 
 
 When our men retreated, they left the Spaniai-d and the Englishman that 
 were killed behind them ; and the savages, when they came up to them, killed 
 tbem over again in a wretched manner, brealdng 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 pui-sue them, but di-e w themselves up in a ring, 
 which is, it seems, their custom, and shouted twice, in token of their victory ; 
 after which, they had the mortification to see several of their wounded men 
 fall, dying with the mere loss of blood. 
 
 The Spaniard governor having drawn his little body up together upon a 
 rising ground, Atkins, though he was wounded, would have had them march 
 and charge again all together at once ; but the Spaniard replied, — " Seignior 
 Atkijis, you see how their wounded men fight ; let them alone till morning ; 
 all the wounded men will be stiff" and sore with their wounds, and faint with 
 the loss of blood ; and so we shall have the fewer to engage." This advice 
 was good ; but Will Atkins replied merrily, " That is true. Seignior, and so 
 shall I too ; and that is the reason I would go on while I am warm." 
 " Well, Seignior Atkins," says the Spaniard, " you have behaved gallantly, 
 and done your part ; we will fight for you, if you cannot come on ; hut 1 
 think it best to stay tUl morning : " so they waited. 
 
 But, as it was a cleai', moonlight night, and they found the savages in gi'eat 
 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 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 heai-d, eight of them fired in among them, and did dreadful 
 execution upon them ; m 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 di- 
 vided themselves in three bodies, and resolved to fall in among them all 
 together. 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 di- 
 vided the fire-arms equally in each party, and so the halberts and staves, 
 riiey would have had the women kept back, but they said they were re- 
 solved to die with their husbands. Having thus formed then- little army, they 
 marched out from among the trees, and came up to the teeth of tlie enemy ' 
 shouting and hallooing as loud as they could ; the savages stood all together 
 but were in the utmost confusion, hearing the noise of our men shouting! 
 from three quarters together: they would have fought if they had seen us 
 for, as soon as we came near enough to be seen, some arrows were shot, and 
 poor eld Friday was wounded, though not dangerously ; but our men gave 
 them no time, but, running up to them, fired among them thi'ee ways, and 
 then fell in with the butt-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 covdd. 
 
OF RdrilNSON CRUSOE. 
 
 331 
 
 Our men were tired with the execution, and killed or mortally wounded 
 in the two fights about one hundred and eighty of them ; the rest, being 
 frightened out of their wits, scoured through the woods and over the hills, 
 with all the speed fear and nimble feet could help them to ; and, as we did 
 not trouble ourselves 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 infinite toil to 
 get them off; and some of them were even dashed to pieces against the 
 beach, or against one another. 
 
 Our men, though glad of their victory, \et got little rest tliat night; but, 
 having refreshed themselves as well u.s they could, they resolved to march 
 to that part of the island where the savages \^ ere fled, and see what posture 
 they were in. This necessarily letl thctn 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 .lelight in his misery. However, 'hi'ie was no nee4 to give any 
 orders in this case ; for their own savages, who were their servants, de- 
 spatched these poor creatures with their hatchets. 
 
 At length, they came in view of the place where the more miserable re- 
 mains of the savages' army lay, where there appeared about a hundred still : 
 their posture was generally sitting upon the ground, with their knees up to 
 
332 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 wards their mouth, and the head put between the two hands, leauuig dowi: 
 upon the knees. 
 
 When our men came within two musket shots of them, the Spaniai-d gov- 
 ernor 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 imagi- 
 nable ; and, as our men advanced swiftly towards them, they all ran scream- 
 ing and yelling away, with a kind of bowling noise, which our men did not 
 understand, and had never heard before ; and thus they ran up the hills into 
 the country. 
 
 At first our men had much rather the weather had been calm, and they 
 had all gone away to sea ; but they did not then consider that this might 
 probably have been the occasion of then- 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, notwith- 
 standing his wound, kept always with them, proved the best counsellor in 
 this case : his advice was, to take the advantage that oflfered, and clap in be- 
 tween 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 WTetches 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 plantations continually rifled, all their tame goats 
 destroyed, and, in short, be reduced to a life of continual distress. 
 
 Will Atkins told them they had better have to do with a hundred men 
 than with a hundred nations ; that, as they must destroy their boats, so they 
 must destroy the men, or be all of them destroyed themselves. In a word, 
 he showed 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 fi-om 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, AVaramokoa," 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 eflfectually to prevent any 
 of these people fi'om 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 disti-acted men ; so that, in 
 a word, oiu- men did not really know what at first to do with them. Nor did 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 3:5;} 
 
 ^_r J=;:-g , -5's-«^^%jij;^^>S^i- r^Zp^^^^^&~-' 
 
 ilie Spaniards, with all their pnulcnco, consiiier that, while they made tliose 
 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 
 ttieir cattle, and tne Indians did not find out tlieir main retreat, — I mean 
 my old castle at the hill, nor the cave in the va'loy,^yet they found out my 
 plantation at tlie bower, and pulled it all to pieces, and all the fences and 
 [)lanting about it ; trod all the corn und-jr foot, tore up the vines and grapes, 
 being just then almost ripe, and did our men an inestimnble. damage, thougli 
 *o themselves not one f;u-thini;'s worth of service. 
 
 Though our men were able to fight them upon all occasions, yet tlic} 
 Here in no condition to pursue them, or hunt tliem up and down; for, as 
 they were too nimble of foot for our men, when they found them single, no 
 our men durst not go abroad single, for fear of being surroimded with thpii 
 numbers. The best was, they had no weapons ; for, though they had bows, 
 fliey had no arrows left, nor any materials to make any ; nor had they any 
 rdicetool or weapon among them. 
 
 The extremity and disti-ess they were reduced to was great, and hidecil 
 deploralile ; but, at the same time, our men were also brought to very liaii 
 'Mrcimistances by them ; for, though their retj-eati were preserved, yet their 
 • iro\isioii was desti'oyed, and tlieii- hai'vest spoiled ; and what to do, or which 
 way to corn themselves, they knew not. The only refuge they had now was 
 ihe strcK oi cattle they had in the valley by the cave, and some little corn 
 which grp"/ tUf'-e, and the plantation of the three Englishmen, Will Atkins 
 
334 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 tem- 
 ples, 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, a hundred wolves upon the island, which would 
 devour every thing they could come at, yet could be hardly come at them- 
 selves. 
 
 When they saw what their circumstances Were, the fii-st thing they con 
 eluded was, that they would, if possible, drive them up to the farther part 
 of the island, south-west, that, if any more savages came on shore, they might 
 not find one another ; then that they would daily hunt and harass them, and 
 Idll as many of them as they could come at, till they had reduced theii* num- 
 ber ; 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 labor. 
 
 In order to this, they so followed them, and so terrified them Vfith their 
 guns, that, in a few days, if any of them fired a gun at an Indian, if he did 
 not hit him, yet he would fall down for fear ; and so dreadfully frightened they 
 were that they kept out of sight farther and farther ; till, at last, our men 
 following them, and almost every day killing or wounding some of them, 
 they kept up in the woods or hollow places so much that it reduced them 
 to the utmost misery for want of food ; and many were afterwards found 
 dead in the woods, without any hurt, absolutely starved to death. 
 
 When our men found this, it made their hearts relent, and pity moved 
 them, especially the Spaniard governor, who was the most gentleman-like, 
 generous-minded man that I ever met with in my life ; and he proposed, if 
 possible, to take one of them alive, and bring him to understand what they 
 meant, so far as to be able to act as interpreter, and go among them, and 
 see if they might be brought to some conditions that might be depended 
 upon, to save their lives and do us no harm. 
 
 It was some while before any of them could be taken ; but, being weak 
 and half-starved, one of them was at last surprised and made a prisoner. 
 He was sullen at first, and would neither eat nor drink ; but, finding himself 
 kindiy used, and victuals given to him, and no violence offered him, he at 
 last grew tractable, and came to himself. They brought old Friday to him, 
 who talked often with him, and told him how kind the others would be to 
 them all ; that they would not only save their lives, but give them part of the 
 island to live in, provided they would give satisfaction that they would keep 
 in their own bounds, and not come beyond it to injure or prejudice others ; 
 and that they should have corn given them to plant and make it grow for 
 their bread, and some bread given tliem for their present subsistence ; and 
 old Friday bade the fellow go and talk with the rest of his coimtryraen, and 
 see what they said to it, assuring them that, if they did not agree imme- 
 diately, 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, 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 33.1 
 
 Mmmj 
 
 well armed, with three Indian slaves and old Friday, inarched to the place 
 where they were. The three Indian slaves carried them a large quantity of 
 bread, some rice hoiled up to cakes and dried in the sun, and three live 
 goats ; and they were ordered to go to the side of a hill, where they sat 
 down, ate their provisions vei-y 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 
 rJiey lived when I came to tlie 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 behind them, and lying plain towards the sea before them, on the 
 Kouth-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 malie wooden spades, such as 1 made for myself, 
 and gave among them twelve hatchets and tliree or four knives ; and there 
 tjiey lived, the most subjected, innocent creatures tliat 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 
 liut that, now and then, some canoes of savages came on shore for their 
 triumphal, unnatural feasts ; but, as they were of several nations, and per- 
 haps had never lieard of those tliat came before, or the reason of it, they did 
 not make any search or inquiry after theh coiintrj'men; and, if they had, it 
 would have been very hai-d to have found them out 
 
 Thus, I think, I have, given a full account of all that happened to them till 
 
336 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 of death, any one of the Indians coming to them, because 
 they would not have their settlement betrayed again. One thing was very 
 remarkable, viz., that they taught the savages to make wicker-work, or bas- 
 kets, but they soon outdid their masters ; for they made abundance of most 
 ingenious things in wicker-work, particularly of all sorts of baskets, sieves, 
 bird cages, cupboards, &c. ; as also chairs to sit on, stools, beds, couches, and 
 abundance of other things ; being very ingenious at such work, when they 
 were once put in the way of it. 
 
 My coming was a particular relief to these people, because we furnished 
 them with knives, scissors, spades, shovels, pickaxes, and all things of that 
 kind which they could want. With the help of those tools, they were so 
 veiy handy that they came at last to build up their huts, or houses, vei'y 
 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, bul 
 was an exceeding good fence, as well against heat as against all sorts of ver- 
 min; and our men were so taken with it, that they got the wild savages to 
 come and do the like for tliem ; so that, when I came to see the two English- 
 men's colonies, they looked, at a distance, as if they all lived like bees in a 
 hive. As for Will Atkins, who was now become a very industrious, useful, 
 and sober fellow, he had made himself such a tent of "basket- work as, I be- 
 lieve, was never seen ; it was one hundred and twenty paces round on the 
 outside, as I measured by my steps ; the walls were as close worked as a 
 basket, in panels 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 sti-ong posts ; round the top of which he laid 
 strong pieces, pinned together with wooden pins, from which be 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, whicli 
 he made himself too, out of the old non 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 blo\^ 
 the fire ; he made himself charcoal for his woi-k ; and he formed out of the 
 iron crows a middling good anvil to hammer upon : in this manner he made 
 many things, but especially hooks, staples, and spikes, bolts and hinges. But 
 to return to the house : After he had pitched the roof of his innermost tent, 
 he worked it up between the rafters with basket-work, so fii-m, and thatched 
 tliat over again so ingeniously with rice straw, and over that a large leaf of a 
 tree, which covered the top, that liis house was as di-y as if it had been tiled 
 or slated. Indeed, he ovraed that 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 into six apartments, so that he had six rooms on a 
 floor, and out of every one of these there was a door ; fii-st into the entty, 
 or coming into the main tent, another door into the main tent, and another 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 339 
 
 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 wei-e thus ordered: — As soon as you were in at the 
 door of the outer cu-cle, you had a short passage straight before you to 
 the door of the inner house ; but on either side was a wicker partition, 
 and a door in it, by which you went fii-st 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 thi-ough the apartments of the inner 
 tent, and served as closets or retiring rooms to the respective chambers 
 of the inner circle ; and four large warehouses, or barns, or what you 
 please to call them, which went through one another, two on cither hand 
 of tlie passage, that led through the outer door to the inner tent. 
 
 Such a piece of basket-work, I believe, was never seen in the world, 
 nor a house or tent so neatly contrived, much less so built. In this great 
 beehive lived the three families, that is to say, Will Atkins and his com- 
 panion ; the third was killed, but hi.s wife remained, with three children, 
 for slie was, it seems, big with child wlinn he died ; and the other two 
 were not at all backward to give the widow her full share of every tiling, 
 — I mean as to their corn, milk, grapis, &c., and when they killed a kid, 
 or found a turtle on the shore ; so that tliey all li\c(l "(ill enough ; though, 
 it was true, they were not so industrious as the other two, as has been 
 observed already. 
 
 One thing, howevei', cannot be omitted, viz., that tis for rcliifion, I do 
 not know that there was any thing of that kind among tliein : they often, 
 indeed, put one another in mind that there ^vas a God, by the very com- 
 mon method of seamen, viz., swearing by his name ; nor were their jjoor, 
 ignorant, savage vives much better for ha\ini; been married to Christians, 
 as we must call them; for as they knew very little of God themselves, so 
 they were utterly incapable of entering into any discourse with their wives 
 about a God, or to talk any thing to them conrorning religion. 
 
 The utmost of all the improvement which I can say the wives had made 
 from them was, that they had taught tliem to speak English pretty well , 
 and most of their children, which were neai- twenty in all, were taught to 
 speak English too, from their fii-st 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 tliese five savage ladies 
 over; but they had all been pretty fruitful, for they had all children, more 
 or less; 1 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 anotlier, mighty observant, and subject 
 to their masters, (I cannot call them husbands,) and wanted nothing but to 
 be well instructed in the Chi-istian religion, and to be legally married; 
 both which were happily brought about afterwards by my means, or, at 
 least, in consequence of my coming among them. 
 
 Having thus given an accoimt 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. 
 
340 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 I hjid a great many discourses with them about their circumstances 
 when they were among the savages. They told me readily that they had 
 no instances to give of then- application or ingenuity in that country ; that 
 they were a poor, miserable, dejected handful of people ; that if means 
 had been put into their hands, yet they had so abandoned themselves to 
 despair, and so sunk imder tlie 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 miseiy, but always to take 
 hold of the helps which reason offered, as well for present support as for 
 future deliverance : he told me that grief was the most senseless, insig- 
 nificant passion in the world, for that it regarded only things past, which 
 were generally impossible to be recalled, or to be remedied, but had no 
 views of things to come, and had no share in any thing that looked like 
 deliverance, but rather added to the affliction thsin proposed a remedy ; 
 and upon this he repeated a Spanish proverb, which, though I cannot 
 repeat in just the same words that he spoke it in, yet I remember I made 
 it into an English proverb of my own, thus : — 
 
 In trouble to be troubled. 
 
 Is to have your trouble doubled. 
 
 He ran on then in remai-ks upon all the little improvements I had made 
 in my solitude ; my unwearied application, as he called it ; and how I had 
 made a condition, which in its circumstances was at first much worse than 
 then-s, a thousand times more happy than theirs was, even now, when they 
 were all together. He told me it was remarkable that Englishmen had a great 
 er presence of mind, in their distress, than any people that ever he met with* 
 that their unhappy nation and the Portuguese were the worst men in the 
 world to struggle with misfortunes ; 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 tbey could provide for it ; that, it was true, I had this dis- 
 advantage and discomfort, that I was alone ; but then the supplies I had 
 providentially thrown into my hands, by the unexpected di-iving 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 
 Spaniai-d, "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 caiTy 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 pro- 
 visions, though no people ; that is to say, that the Spaniards of Trinidad 
 had frequently been there, and had filled the island with goats and hogs 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 341 
 
 8it several times, where tliey had bred in such multitudes, and where 
 turtle and sea-fowls were in such plenty, that they could have been in nc 
 want of flesh, though they had found no bread ; whereas here, they were 
 only sustamed 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 ordi- 
 nary 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 to ; 
 how sometimes they wei-e 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 witli the necessaries of 
 life than they had reason to believe others were in the same part of the 
 world ; and yet they found that these savages were less ravenous and 
 voracious than those who had better supplies of food. 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 this world ; 
 which, they said, appeared in their circninstances ; 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. 
 
 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 tliey not had the disaster to lose 
 then' 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 tliat 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 neitlier bows nor arrows, nor could 
 they use those the savages gave them ; so tliey could do nothing but stand 
 still, and be wounded mth ai-rows, till they came up to the teeth of their 
 enemy ; and then, indeed, the thi-ee halberds they had were of use to them ; 
 and they would often drive a whole little army before them with those 
 halberds, and shai-pened sticks put into the muzzles of their muskets . 
 but that, for all this, they were sometimes surrounded with multitudes, 
 and in great danger from their arrows, till, at last, they found the way to 
 make themselves large targets of wood, which they covered TOth skins of 
 wild beasts, whose names they knew not; and these covered them from 
 the arrows of the savages : that, notivitlistanding these, they were some- 
 times in great danger ; and five of them were once knocked down together 
 with tlie clubs of the savages, which was the time when one of them was 
 taken prisoner, that is to say, the Spaniard whom I had relieved : that at first 
 they thought he had been killed ; but when they afterwards heard he was 
 
M2 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 taken prisoner, they were under the greatest giief imaginable, and would 
 willingly have all ventured their lives to have rescued him. 
 
 They told me tliat, when they were so knocked down, the rest of their 
 company rescued them, and stood over them, fighting, till they were come to 
 themselves, all but him whom they thought had been dead ; and then thej 
 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 victoiy over their enemies, but to their great 
 sorrow, because it was with the loss of their friend, whom the other party, 
 finding him alive, can-ied ofT, 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 kmd, viz., by wild men ; and 
 yet, how moi-e and more they were surprised with the account he gave 
 them of his errand ; and that there was a Christian in any place neai-, — 
 much more one that was able, and had humanity enough, to contribute to 
 tlieir deliverance. 
 
 They described how they were astonished at the sight of the relief I seul 
 tliem, and at the appearance of loaves of bread — things they had not seen 
 since their coming Jo 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 pilots, to cany them away to the person and place 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 343 
 
 from whence all these new comforts came ; but it was impossible to exp.-es? 
 it by words, for, their excessive joy naturally driving them to unbecoming 
 extravagances, they had no way to describe them, but by telling me they 
 bordered upon lunacy, having no way to give vent to their passions suitable to 
 the sense that was 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 faiLt This dis- 
 course extremely affected me, and called to my mind Friday's ecstasy when 
 he met his father, and the poor people's ecstasy when I took them up at 
 sea after their ship was on fu-e'; the joy of the mate of the ship «vhen he 
 found himself delivered in the place where he expected to perish ; and my 
 own joy, when, after twenty-eight years' captivity, I found a good ship ready 
 to carry tie to my own country. All these things made me more sensible of 
 •he 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, tliat 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 1 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 cany 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, 1 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 chai'ge to supply them with all 
 things necessai-y, as well for their convenience as their defence ; and that 1 
 had such and such particulai- persons with me, as well to increase and 
 recruit their number, as by the pai-ticular necessary employments which they 
 were bred to, being artificers, to assist them in those things in which at 
 present tliey were in want. 
 
 They were all together when 1 talked thus to them ; and, before 1 deUvered 
 to them the stores I had brought, I asked them, one by one, if they had 
 entirely forgot and buried the fu-st animosities that had been among them, 
 and would shake hemds with one another, and engage in a strict friendship 
 and union of interest, that so there might be no more misunderstandings 
 and jealousies. 
 
 Will Atkins, with abundance of frankness and good liumor, 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 fkr from designing any thing against tlie Spaniards, that he 
 owned they had done nothing to him but what his own mad humor made 
 necessary, and what he would have done, and perhaps worse, in then- 
 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 
 desu-ous of living in terms of entire friendship and imion -with them, and 
 would do any thing that lay in his power to convmce 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 &st, disarmed and excluded Will 
 Atkins and his two countrymen for their ill conduct, as they had let me 
 
344 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 
 had with the savages, and on sevei-al occasions since, and Jiad showed him- 
 self so faithful to, and concerned for, the general interest of them all, that 
 they had forgotten all that was passed, and thought he merited as much to 
 be trusted with arms, and supplied *ith necessaries, as any of them ; and 
 they had testified their satisfaction in him, by committing the command to 
 him. next to the governor himself; and as they had entire confidence in him 
 and all his countrymen, so they acknowledged they had merited that confi- 
 dence by all the methods that honest men could merit to be valued and 
 trusted; and they most heai-tily 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 1 
 csiused the ship's cook and his mate to come on shore and dress our dinner, 
 and the old cook's mate we had on shore assisted. We brought on shore 
 six pieces of good beef, and four pieces of pork, out of the ship's provisions, 
 with our punch bowl, and materials to fill it; and, in particular, I gave them 
 ten bottles of French claret, and ten bottles of English beer — things that 
 neither the Spaniards nor the English had tasted for many years, and which, 
 it may be supposed, they were very glad of! The Spaniards added to' our 
 feasts five whole kids, which the cooks roasted ; and three of them were 
 

 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 347 
 
 sent, co\ ered 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 men-y, I brought my 
 cargo of goods ; wherein, that there might be no dispute about dividing, 
 1 showed them that there was a sufBciency 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 sufficient to make 
 every one of them four shirts, and, at the Spaniard's 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, tliey 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 counte- 
 nances of all these poor men, when they saw the care I had taken of them, 
 and how well I had furnished tlicni. They told me I was_ a father to them; 
 and that, having such a coiTespondent as I was in so remote a part of the 
 world, it would make them forget that tliey 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 woi-k immediately, and, with my leave, made them every 
 one a shirt, the fust 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 theu' husbands, and for all the rest. 
 
 As to the carpenters, I scarce need mention how useful tliey were ; for 
 tliey took to pieces all my clumsy, unhandy things, and made them clever, 
 convenient tables, stools, bedsteads, cupboards, lockers, shelves, and every 
 thing they wanted of that kind. But to let them see how nature made 
 artificers at first, I caiTied the cai'penters to see Will Atkins's basket-house, 
 as I called it ; and tliey both oivned they never saw an instance of such 
 natural ingenuity before, nor any thing so regular and so handily built, at 
 least of its kind ; and one of them, when he saw it, after musing a good 
 while, turning about to me, " I am sure," says 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 haiTows or ploughs ; and 
 to every separate place a pickaxe, a crow, a broad-axe, and a saw ; always 
 appointing that, as often as any were broken or worn out, they should be 
 supplied, without grudging, out of the general stores that I left behind. 
 Nails, staples, hinges, hammers, chisels, knives, scissors, and all sorts of 
 iron-work, they had without tale, as they required ; 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 
 imwi-ought iron for a supply. 
 
 My magazine of powder and arms which I brought them was such, even 
 
34S 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 to profusion, tliat 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 stai-veo 
 to death, and the maid also; she was a sober, well-educated, religious 
 young woman, and behaved so inoiFensively, that every one gave her a 
 good word: she had, indeed, an unhappy life with us, thei'e being no 
 woman in the ship but herself; but she bore it with patience. After a 
 while, seeing things so well ordered, and in so fine a way of thriving upon 
 my island, and considering that they had neither business nor acquaintance 
 in the East Indies, or reason for taking so long a voyage; I say, consid- 
 ering 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, pahsadoed like Atkins's, adjoining to his plantation. 
 Their tents were contrived so that they had each of them a room apart 
 to lodge in, and a middle tent, like a great storehouse, to lay their goods 
 in, and to eat and drink in. And now the other two Englishmen removed 
 their habitation to the same place ; and so the island was divided into 
 three colonies, and no more, viz., the Spaniards, with old Friday 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 lai-ge. 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 discover 
 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, 
 thickly planted, on the top of the hill, containing above an acre, which 
 grew apace, and concealed the place firom all discovery there, with only 
 one narrow place between two trees, not easily to be discovered, to enter 
 on that side. 
 
 The only colony was that of Will Atkins, where there were four families 
 of Englishmen ; I mean those I had left there, vrith their wives and chil- 
 di-en ; three savages that were slaves ; the widow and the childi-en 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 ihera; also 
 the smith, who was a very necessary man to them, especially as a gun- 
 .smith, to take cai-e of their arms; and my other man, whom I callec 
 Jack-of-all-trades, who was in himself as good almost as twenty men ; for 
 he was not only a very ingenious fellow, but a very merry fellow; and 
 
OP ROBINSON CnuSOE. 
 
 349 
 
 before I went away we inairied him to the honest maid that came with 
 the youth in the ship I mentioned before. 
 
 And now 1 speak of mai-rying, 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 oflence to some hereafter, if I leave any thing extraor- 
 dinary upon record of a man whom, before I begin, I must (to set him 
 out in just colors) represent in terms very much to his disadvantage, in 
 the account of Protestants ; as, fii-st, that he was a Papist ; secondly, a Popish 
 priest ; and, thirdly, a French Popish priest But justice demands of me 
 to give him a due chaiacter ; and I must say, he was a grave, sober, pious, 
 and most religious person; exact in his life, extensive in his charity, and 
 exemplai-y in almost every thing he did. What, then, can any one say 
 acainst being vei-y sensible of tlie value of such a man, notwithstanding 
 his profession? though it may be my opinion, perhaps, as well as the 
 ojjinion 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 witli me to the East Indies, I found reason to delight exceedingly 
 ill his conversation; and he first began with me about religion in the most 
 obliging manner imaginable. " Su-," says he, " you have not only, under 
 God, (and at that he crossed his breast,) saved my life, but you have admit- 
 ted me to go this voyage in your ship, and, by your obliging civility, have 
 taken me into your family, giving me an opportunity of free conversation. 
 
350 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 endeavors, on all occasions, to bring all the souls 1 can to 
 the knowledge of the ti-uth, and to embrace the Catholic doctrine ; but, as 
 I am here imder your permission, and in your family, I am bound, injustice 
 to your kindness, as well as in decency and good manners, to be under 
 yom- 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 fii-st Catholic I had conversed with, without falling into 
 inconveniences, or carrying the questions to any height in debate ; that he 
 should not find himself the worse used for being of a different opinion 
 from us ; and if we did not converse without any dislike on either side, 
 it should be his fault, not ours. 
 
 He replied, that he thought all our conversation might be easily sepa- 
 rated from disputes; that it was not his business to cap principles with 
 every man he com ersed 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 oivn opinions as well as he could ; but that, without my leave, 
 he would not break in upon me with any such thing. He told me farther, 
 that he would not cease to do all that became him, in his office as a priest, 
 as well as a private Christian, to procure the good of the ship, and the 
 safety of all that was in her ; and though, perhaps, we would not join 
 with him, and he could not pray with us, he hoped he might pray for us, 
 which he would do upon all occasions. In this manner we conversed; 
 and as he was of the most obliging, gentlemanlike behavior, 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 ex- 
 traordinaiy 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 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 Martinico, and that he went on 
 board a ship bound thither at St. Malo ; but, beuig 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 thsre 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 hap- 
 pened to find a very good market for his cargo, which was corn, and, 
 therefore, resolved not to go to the Madeu'as, 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 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 351 
 
 the Banks, (so they call the place where they catch the fish,) where, meeting 
 with a French ship hound from France to Quebec, in the River of Canada, 
 and from thence to Maitinico, 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 digression into other men's stories, which have 
 no relation to my own ; I return to what concerns our affairs in the island. 
 lie came to me one morning, (for 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 mc, 
 which he hoped would not he disjilcasing to nie, liccaupe he thought it 
 might in some measure conespoud with ray general desigu, which was, 
 the prosperity of my new colony, and perhaps might put it, at least more 
 than he yet thought it was, in the way of God's blessing. 
 
 I looked a little surprised at the last ])art of his discourse, and turning 
 a little short, "How, sir," said I; "can it be said that we are not in the 
 way of God's blessing, after such visible assistances and deliverances as 
 we have seen here, and of which I have given you a large accoimt." "If 
 you had pleased, sir," said he, with a world of modesty, and yet great readi- 
 iK'ss, "to have heard me, you would have found no room to have been 
 liisiilcased, much less to think so hard of me, that I shoidd suggest that 
 yon liave 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 
 exceeding good, and will prosper; but, sir, though it were more so than is 
 oven possible to you, yet there may be sonic among you that ai'C not 
 equally right in their actions ; and you know, that in the story of the 
 cliildren of Israel, one Achan in the camp removed God's blessing from 
 tlicm, and turned his hand so against them, that six-and-thu-ty of them, 
 though not concerned in the crime, wore the objects of divine vengeance, 
 and bore the weight of that punishment." 
 
 I «as sensibly touched mth his discom-se, and told him his inference was 
 f-i) just, and the whole design seemed so sincere, and was really so religious 
 in its own nature, that I was very sorry 1 had interrupted him, and begged 
 him to go on ; and, in the mean time, because it seemed that what we had 
 i)oth to say might talte up some time, I told him I was going to the Englishmen's 
 nlantations, and asked him to go TOth me, and we might discourse of it by 
 tlie way. He told me he would the more willingly wait on me thither, 
 liccause there pardy the thing was acted which he desired to speak to me 
 about : so we walked on, and I pressed him to bo free and plain ^vith me in 
 wliat he had to say. 
 
 " Why, tlien, sir," says he, " be pleased to give me leave to lay down a few 
 propositions, as the foundation of what I have to saj', that we may not differ 
 in the general principles, though we may be of some differing opinions in 
 the practice of particulars. Firet, sir, though we differ in some of the doc- 
 
S52 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 trinal 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 princi- 
 ples 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 neglecting 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 pre- 
 sumptuous 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 Protes- 
 tants, whatever my opinion may be of such, that discharges me from being 
 concerned for their souls, and from endeavoring, if it lies before me, thai 
 they should live in as little distance from enmity with their Maker as possi- 
 ble, 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 1 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 bless- 
 ing upon your endeavors 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 1 name them ; especially because I 
 shall convince you that every one of them may, with great ease, and very 
 
UF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 353 
 
 much to your satisfaction, be remedied. First, sir," says he, " you have here 
 four Englishmen, who have fetched women fi-om among the savages, and 
 have taken them as their wives, and have had many children by them all, 
 and yet are not married to them after any stated legal manner, as the laws 
 of God and man require ; and therefore are yet, in the sense of both, no less 
 than fornicators, if not living in adultery. To this, sir, I know you will object 
 that there was no clergyman or priest of any kind, or any profession, to per- 
 form the ceremony ; nor any pen and ink, or paper, to write down a contract 
 of marriage, and have it signed between them ; and I know also, su-, 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 quarrelluig. But, 
 sir, the essence of the sacrament of matrimony (so he called it, beu g 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, miUalis mutandis, on their side. 
 Now, sir," says he, " these men may, wlien they please, or \vhen occasion 
 presents, abandon these women, disown their children, leave tliem to ])Piisli, 
 and take other women, and marry them while these are living:" and here 
 he added, witli some wai-mth, " How, sir, is God honored in this unlawful 
 libeity? and how shall a blessing succeed your entlea\ors in this place, how- 
 ever good in tliemselvcs, and however sincere in your design, while these 
 men, \vlio at present ai-e your subjectsi, under your absolute government and 
 dominion, ai'e allowed by you to live in open adultery .' " 
 
 I confess 1 was struck with the thing itself, but much more with the con- 
 vincing arguments he supported it \vith ; for it was certainly true, that though 
 they had no clergyman upon tlie spot, yet a formal contract on both sides, 
 made before witnesses, and confirmed by any token which tliey 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 occa- 
 sions, and never to abandon them or tlieir children, and the women to the 
 same witli their husbands, had been an effectual lawful mai-riage in the 
 sight of God ; and it was a great neglect that it was not done. But I thought 
 to have got off my young priest by telling him that all that part was done 
 when I was not there ; and 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. 
 
 " Sii'," says he, " asking your pardon for such freedom, you are right in 
 this, that, it being done in your absence, you could not be charged with that 
 part of the crime ; hut, 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 tlie future, will lie entirely upon you ? because it is certainly in 
 yom- 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 
 45 
 
354 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 live together any longer ; and I said to him I could not do that by any means, 
 for that would put the whole island into confusion. He seemed surprised that 
 I. should so far mistake him. « No, sir," says he, « I do not mean that you 
 hould now sepai-ate them, but legally and effectually marry them now ; apd 
 ss, 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 sincerity of zeal, 
 besides the unusual impartiality in his discourse as to his own party or 
 church, and such true warmth for preserving the people that he had no 
 knowledge of or relation to ; I say, for preserving them iiom transgressing 
 the laws of God, the like of which 1 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 to, 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 1 
 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 Imew 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 
 
 1 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 free- 
 dom 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 these women for almost seven years, had taught them 
 to speak English, and even to read it, and that they were, as he perceived, 
 women of tolerable understanding, 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 idolatry, and worshipping they 
 knew not whom, was false and absurd. This, he said, was an unaccount- 
 able 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 affec- 
 tionately 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 acknowl- 
 edge 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 prin- 
 ciples of the Christian religion ; that they might, at least, hear of God and a 
 Redeemer, and of the resurrectioii, 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 ; 1 took him in my ai-ms, and embraced him with 
 an excess of passion. " How far," said I to him, " have I been from under- 
 standing the most essential part of a Christian, viz., to love the interent of 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 355 
 
 the Christian church, and the good of other men's souls! 1 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," said 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 forwai'd 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 
 tliese poor men about it ? " " Yes, with all my heart," 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 
 dome to the great circle of Christianity, if not into the particular faith we 
 all 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 fol- 
 lowed on this account, I shall mention also again in its place. 
 
 1 now pressed him for the third article in which we were to blame. 
 " Why, really," says he, " it is of the same nature ; and I will proceed, ask- 
 ing your leave, with tlie 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 knowledge ought to be 
 propagated by all possible means, and on all possible occasions. It is on 
 tills principle that our church sends missionaries into Persia, India, and 
 China ; and that our clergy, even of the superior sort, willingly engage in 
 
356 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 tlie most Jiazardous voyages, and the most dangerous residence among 
 murderers and barbarians, to teach them the Imowledge of the true God, 
 and to bring them over to embrace the Chi-istian faith. Now, sir, you have 
 such an opportunity here to have six or seven and thirty poor savages 
 brought over from a state of idolatry to the knowledge of God, then- 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 sti-uok 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 heai-t before, and I believe should 
 not have thought of it ; for 1 looked upon these savages as slaves, and people 
 whom, 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 ail have 
 been satisfied if they had been sent to any country, so they had never seen 
 their own. But to the case, — 1 say, 1 was confounded at his discourse 
 and luiew not what answer to make him. 
 
 He looked earnestly at me, seeing me in some disorder. " Su-," says he, 
 "I shall be very sony if what 1 have said gives you any offence." "No, 
 no," said I; "1 am offended with nobody but myself; but I am peifectly 
 confounded, not only to think that I should never take any notice of this 
 before, but with reflecting what notice 1 am able to take of it now. You 
 know, sir," said I, "what circumstances I am in; I am bound to the East 
 Indies in a ship freighted by merchants, and to whom it would be an in- 
 sufferable piece of injustice to detain then- 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 1 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 miscariy 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 retwned upon him thus: "Why, sir, it is a valuable thing, 
 indeed, to be an instrument in God's hand to convert thirty-seven heathens 
 to tlie 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 under- 
 take it, than press me to do it ? " 
 
 Upon this, he faced about just before me, as he walked along, and, put- 
 ting me to a full stop, made me a very low bow. " I most heeu-tily 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 fi-om it, and desire me to 
 undertake it, 1 will most readily do it, and think it a happy reward for all 
 the hazards and difficidties 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 357 
 
 his eyes sparkled like fire, his face glowed, and his color came and wcDt, 
 as if he had been falling into fits ; in a word, he was fired with the joj 
 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 beyond the ordinary 
 rate of men, not of his profession only, but even of any profession what- 
 soever. But after I had considered it a while, I asked him seriously if he 
 was in earnest, and that he would venture, on the single consideration of 
 un attempt on those poor people, to be locked up in an implanted island 
 for perhaps his life, and at last might not know whether he should be able 
 to do them good or not. 
 
 He turned short upon me, and asked me what 1 called a venture. " Pray, 
 sir," said he, "what do you think I consented to go in your ship to the 
 East Indies for?" "Nay," said I, "that I know not; unless it was to preach 
 to the Indians." " Doubtless it was," said he ; " and do you think, if I can 
 convert these thirty-seven men to the faitli 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 were never to set my foot off' this island, or see my native countij any 
 more. But since you will honor me with putting me into tl)is work, — for 
 wliich I will pray for you all the days of my life, — I have one humble 
 petition to you besides." "What is tliat?" said I. "Why," says he, "it 
 is, that you will leave your man Friday with me, to be ray interpreter tn 
 them, and to assist me ; for, witJiout 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 tliat for many reasons: he had been the 
 companion of my travels ; he was not only faithful to me, but sincerely 
 affectionate to the last degree ; and I had resolved to do something con- 
 siderable for him if he outlived me, as it was probable he would. Then 
 I knew, that as I had bred Friday up to be a Protestant, it would quite 
 confound him to bring him to embrace another profession; and he would 
 nevei', while his eyes were open, believe that his old master was a here- 
 tic, and would be damned ; and this might, in the end, ruin the poor fel- 
 low's principles, and so turn him back again to his first idolatry. However, 
 a sudden thought relieved me in this strait; ajid it was this: I told him I 
 could not say tliat I was willing to part with Friday on any account what- 
 ever, though a work tliat to him was of more value than his life, ought to 
 be to me of much more value than tlie keeping or parting with a servant. 
 But, ou the otlier 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 con- 
 sent, without manifest injustice ; because I had promised I would never 
 put him away, and he had promised, and 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 tliey one of his. To remove this difficulty, I told him Friday's father had 
 learned Spanish, which, I found, he also understood, and he should ser\'e 
 
358 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 him as an interpreter. So he was much better satisfied, aiid nothing could 
 persuade him but he would stay and endeavor to convert them ; but Provi- 
 dence gave another very happy turn to all this. 
 
 I come back now to the fii-st part of his objections. When we came to 
 the Englishmen, I sent for them all togetner, 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 tlie notice the clergyman had 
 taken of it ; and arguing how unchi-istian and uTeligious a life it was, 1 first 
 asked themif they were married men or bachelors. They soon explained 
 their conditions to me, and showed that two of them were widowers, and 
 the other thi-ee were single men, or bachelors. I asked them <vith 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 he 
 lawfully mai-ried to them. 
 
 They all gave me the answer 1 expected, viz., that there was nobody to 
 marry them ; that they agreed before the governor to keep them as their 
 wives, and to maintain them and own them as their wives ; and they thought, 
 as things stood with them, they were as legally maiTied 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 manied 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, unless 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 thek wives as well 
 as if they had been born in their own native country, and would not leave 
 them on any account whatever ; and they did verily believe that then- wives 
 were as virtuous and as modest, and did, to the utmost of their skill, as much 
 for them and for their children as any women could possibly do ; and they 
 would not part with them on any account ; and Will Atkins, for his own 
 particular, added, that, if any man would take him away, and oflfer 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 
 mai'ried to her now with all his heai-t. 
 
 This was just as I would have it: the priest was not vrith me at that 
 moment, but was not far off: so, to try him fai-ther, I told him I had a cler- 
 gyman with me, and, if he was sincere, I would have him manied next 
 morning, and bade him consider of it, and talk with the rest. He said, as 
 for himsell^ he need not consider of it at all, for he was very ready to do it, 
 and was glad I had a minister with me, and he believed they would be all 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 359 
 
 willing also. 1 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 Protestant, ivhich 
 was, indeed, what I was afraid of; so wc parted : 1 went back to my clcr^ry- 
 man, and Will Atkins went in to talk with his companions. I desired the 
 French gentleman not to say any tiling to them till the business ^vas 
 thorough ripe ; and I told him \\ hat answer the men had given me. 
 
 Hefore I went from their quai-ter, they all came to me, and told mc 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 1 desired, and to be formally maiTied, as soon as I pleased ; 
 for they were far from desiring to part with their wives, and that they meant 
 notliing but what was very honest when they chose them. So I appointed 
 them to meet me tlie next morning ; and, in the mean time, they should let 
 their wives know the meaning of the marriage law ; and that it was not only 
 to prevent any scandal, but also to oblige them that they should not forsake 
 them, whatever might happen. 
 
 The women were easily made sensible of the meaning of the thing, and 
 Avere very well satisfied with it, — as indeed they had reason to be ; — so they 
 failed not to attend, all together, at my apartment next morning, where I 
 brought out my clergyman ; and, though he had not on a minister's gown, 
 after the manner of England, or the habit of a priest, after the manner of 
 France, yet, having a 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 seriousness of his behavior to them, and the 
 
360 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTLKES 
 
 scruples he made of marrying the woraeii, because tliey 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, 1 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 flrst talked with the 
 men, and the women too ; and though, at fij-st, 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 acquainted 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 fi-om one another, could now put an end to it; but there was a diffi- 
 culty in it too, with respect to the laws of Christian matrimony, which he 
 was not fully satisfied about, viz., that of marrying one that is a professed 
 Christian to a savage, an idolater, and a heathen, — one that is not baptized ; 
 and yet, that he did not see that there was time left to endeavor 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 fee baptized. 
 He told them he doubted they were but indifferent Christians themselves ; that 
 they had but little knowledge of God or of his ways, and, therefore, he could 
 not expect that they had said much to their wives on that head yet ; but that, 
 unless they would promise him to use their endeavors 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 Christians with savages ; nor was it con- 
 sistent 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 veiy faithfully distinguished between what] 
 said from myself, and vi^at were the clergyman's words. They told me it was 
 veiy 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 ? Whj, 
 we know nothing ourselves; and besides, sir," said he, "should we talk to 
 them of God and Jesus Christ, and heaven and hell, it would make them 
 laugh at us, and ask us what we believe ourselves. And if we should tell 
 them that we believe all the things we speak of to them, such as of good 
 people going to heaven, and wicked people to the Devil, they would ask us 
 where we intend to go ourselves, that believe all this, and are such wicked 
 fellows as we indeed are. Why, sir, 'tis enough to give them a surfeit of 
 religion at first hearing; folks must have some religion themselves before 
 they pretend to tench other people." "Will Atkins," said I to him, "though 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 361 
 
 I am afiaid 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 gi-eat Being that made all things, and that can destroy 
 all that he has made; that he rewards the good and punishes the bad; 
 and that we are to be judged by him at last for all we do here ? You 
 are not so ignorant but even nature itself will teach you that all this i>. 
 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 immediately it cannot be 
 true ? " " Not true ! " said I ; " what do you mean by that ? " " Why, sii-," 
 said he, "she will tell me it cannot be true that this God 1 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 1 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." " Wliy, truly, Atkins," said 1, 
 "I am afraid thou speakest too much truth ;" and, with that, I informed the 
 clergyman of what Atkins had said, for he was impatient to know. "O," 
 said the priest, " tell him there is one thing will make hun the best minister 
 in the world to his wife, and that is repentance ; for none teach repentance 
 like true penitents, lie wants notliing but to repent, and then he will be so 
 much the better qualified to iiistnict his wile ; he will then be able to tell her 
 that there is not only a God, and that ho is the just rewarder of good and 
 evil, but that he is a merciful Being, and %\ith 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 reser\'es 
 damnation to the general day of retiibution ; that it is a clear evidence of 
 God and of a future state, that righteous men receive not then- reward, or 
 wicked men their punisliinent, till they come into another world ; and this 
 \vill lead him to teach his wife the doctrine of the resurrection and of the 
 last judgment. Let him but repent for himself, he will be an excellent 
 preacher 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 ordinai'ily 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 impudence 
 to talk thus to my wife, when God and my conscience know, and my wife 
 will 1)0 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 re- 
 penting, alas! (and with that he fetched a deep sigh, and I could see that tlie 
 tears stood in his eyes) 't is past all tliat 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." 
 
 I told the clergyman, word for word, what he said : the poor, zealous priest 
 — t must call him so, for, be is opinion what it will, he had certainly a most 
 singidar affection for the good of other men's soids, and it would be hard to 
 think he had not the like for his own — 1 say, this affectionate man could 
 not refrain from teajs ; btit, recovering himselfj said to me, " Ask him but 
 one question : Is he oasv that it is too late ; or is he troubled, and wishes it 
 4fi 
 
362 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 were not SO?" 1 put the question fairly to Atkins; and he answered, with 
 a gi-eat 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 1 " 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 assm-e 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 tfie 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 heai", but that it is never too late for men to ask mercy ; and we, that ai-e 
 Christ's servants, are commanded to pi-each mercy at all times, in the name 
 of Jesus Christ, to all those that sincerely repent ; so that it is never too late 
 to repent" 
 
 I told Atkins all this, and he heard me with gfeat earnestness; but it 
 seemed as if he turned off the discourse to the rest, for he said to me, lie 
 would go and have some talk vrith 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 rambhng 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 endeavors to persuade them to turn Christians. 
 
 The clergyman smiled upon me when I reported what answer they gave, 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 363 
 
 but said nothing a good while ; but at last, shaking his head, " We that ai-e 
 Christ's servants," says he, " can go no farther than to exhort and instruct ; 
 and when men comply, submit to the reprooij 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 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 some- 
 times the best way of teaching ourselves. I know a man, who, having noth- 
 ing but a summary notion of religion himself, and being wicked and prof- 
 ligate to the last degi-ee in }iis life, made a thorough reformation in himself 
 by laboring to convert a Jew. If that poor Atkins begins but once to talk 
 seriously of Jesus Christ to his wife, my life for it he talks himself into a 
 thorough convert, makes himself a penitent, and who knows what may 
 follow?" 
 
 Upon this discourse, however, and their promishig, as above, to endeavor 
 to persuade their wives to embrace Christianity, he married the other two 
 couple ; but Will Atkins and his wife were not yet come in. After this, my 
 clergyman, waiting a while, was curious to know where Atkins was gone ; 
 and, turning to me, said, " I entreat you, sir, let us walk out of your laby- 
 rinth hei'e, 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 began to be of the same mind ; so we went out together, and 
 I cai-ried him a way which none knew but myself, and where the ti-ees 
 were so veiy thick that it was not easy to see through the thicket of leaves, 
 and far hai'der to see in than to see out ; when, coming to tlie edge of the 
 wood, I saw Atkins and his tawny wife sitting under the shade of a bush, 
 vei-y eager in discourse : I stopped short till my clergyman came up to me, 
 and then, having showed him where they were, we stood and looked vei-y 
 steadily at them a good while. We observed him very eai-nest with her, 
 poiutmg up to the sun, and to every quai-ter 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 the clergyman, " you see my words are made 
 good ; the man preaches to her : mark him now ; he is telling her that our 
 God has made him and her, and the heavens, the eai'th, the sea, the woods, 
 the trees, &c." " I believe he is," said I. Immediately, we perceived WUl 
 Atkins start upon his feet, fall do^vn on his laiees, and lift up both his 
 hands. We supposed he said something, but we could not hear him; it 
 was too far for that. He did not continue kneeling half a minute, but 
 comes and sits do\vn again by his TOfe, 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 clergyman's cheeks, and I could hardly for- 
 beai- myself; but it was a gi-eat affliction to us both that we were hot near 
 enough to hear any thing that passed between them. Well, however, we 
 could come no neai-er 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 with- 
 out the help of voice. He sat do^vn 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 
 
364 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 and wipe her eyes, and then kiss her again, with a kind of transport verj 
 unusual ; and after several of these things, we saw him on a sudden jump 
 up again, and lend her his hand to help hqr up, when, immediately leading 
 her hy the hand a step or two, they both kneeled down together, and contin- 
 ued 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 
 1 entreated him to withhold himself a while, 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 Christiai. hat he was 
 not able to contain hunself ; he wept several times, then, throwing up h s 
 hands and crossing his breast, said over several things ejaculatory, and by 
 way of giving God thanks for so miraculous a testimony of the success of 
 our endeavors: some he spoke softly, and I could not well hear others; 
 some in Latin,. some in French ; then two or three tunes the tears would in- 
 terrupt him, that he could not speak at all • but I begged that he would con- 
 tain 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 obseiTed he 
 stood talking stiU eagerly to hei-, 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 other postures as express the gi-eatest 
 seriousness and attention : this continued about half a quarter of an hour, 
 and then they walked away ; so we would see no more of them in that situa- 
 tion. 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, howe^'er ignorant they might 
 both be, and I hoped such a beginning would yet have a more happy end. 
 " And who knows," said I, " but these two may, in time, by instruction and 
 example, work upon some of the others ? " " Some of them .' " said he, 
 turning quick upon me — " ay, upon all of them : depend upon it, if those two 
 savages — for he has been but little better, as you relate it — should embrace 
 Jesus Christ, they will never leave it till they work upon all the rest ; for true 
 religioi^ is naturally communicative, and he that is once made a Christian 
 will never leave a pagan behind him, if he can help it" I owned it was a 
 most Christian principle to think so, and a testimony of true zeal, as well as 
 a generous heart, in him. " But, my friend," said I, « will you give me leave 
 to start one difiiculty here? I cannot tell how to object the least thing 
 against that affectionate concern which you show for the turning of the poor 
 people from their paganism to the Christian religion: but how does this 
 comfort you, while these people are, in your account, out of the pale of the 
 Cathohc church, without which you beheve 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 candor, thus : " Sir, I am a 
 Catholic of the Roman church, and a priest of the order of St. Benedict, and 
 T 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 civilitios ; I say, nevertheless, I do not look upon you 
 
My Irlend coiiUl bear it no longer, but crJee out aloud, " St. Paul ! St. Pdul ! belioW, he Dn.yeth,* 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 367 
 
 who call yourselves reformed, without some charity : I dare not say (though 
 1 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 unperceivable ; and I 
 hoi)e you have the same charity for us : 1 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, surely, you will allow it consists with 
 me, as a Roman, to distinguish far between a . Protestant and a pagan : be- 
 tween one that calls on Jesus Christ, though in a way which I do not think 
 is according to the trae faith, and a savage or a barbarian, that knows no 
 God, no Christ, no Redeemer ; and if you are not within the pale of the 
 Catholic church, we hope you are nearer being restored to it than those 
 that know nothing of God or of his church ; and I rejoice, therefore, when 1 
 see this poor man, who, you say, has been a profligate, and almost a mur- 
 derer, kneel down and pray to Jesus Christ, {.J we suppose he did, though not 
 f Villy 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, 1 can never believe that he shall 
 be cast away himself. And have 1 not reason, then, to I'ejoice, the nearer 
 any are brought to the knowledge of Clirist, 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, 1 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 1 was oppressed by the power of his reasoning ; and it presently 
 occurred to my thoughts, that if such a temper was universal, we might 
 be all Catholic Christians, whatever church or pai'ticular profession we 
 joined in ; that a spirit of charity would soon work us all up into right 
 principles ; and as he thought that the like charity would make us all Catho- 
 lics, so I told him I believed, had all the members of his church the like 
 moderation, they vifould soon all be Protestants. And there we lefl that 
 part, for we never disputed at all. 
 
 However, I talked to him anotier way, and, taking him by the hand, 
 "My friend," says I, "I wish all the clergy of the Romish church were 
 blessed with such moderation, and had an equal share of your charity. I 
 am entirely of yoiu- opinion ; but I must tell you, that, if you should preach 
 such docti-ine in Spain or Italy, they would put you into the Inquisition." 
 '• It may be so,'' said he ; "I know not what they would do in Spain or 
 Italy; but I will not say they would be the better Christians for that 
 severity ; for I am sure there is no heresy in aboimding 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 : observing this, I asked my clergyman if we 
 should discover to him that we had seen him under the bush or not ; and 
 it was his opinion we should not, but that we should talk to him first 
 
368 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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, " pr'y thee what education had you ? What was 
 your father ? " 
 
 JV. Ji. A better man than ever I shall be ; sir, my father was a cler- 
 gyman. 
 
 U. C. What education did he give you ? 
 
 W, A. He would have taught me well, sk ; but I despised all education, 
 instruction, or correction, like a beast as I was. 
 
 R. C. It is true, Solomon says, " He that despises reproof is brutish.' 
 
 W. A. Ay, sir, I was brutish indeed, for I murdered my father ; for 
 God's sake, sir, talk no more about that ; sir, I murdered my poor father. 
 
 Pr. Ha ! a mm-derer ! 
 
 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 kiU 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 ever 
 father gave, or child could receive. 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 360 
 
 R. C. Well, I did not ask you about your father to extort tliis confes- 
 Bicn ; I pray God give you repentance for it, and forgive that and all your 
 other sins ; but I asked you because I see that though you have not much 
 learning, yet you are not so ignorant as some aj'e in things that are good; 
 that you have known more of religion, a gi-eat deal, than you have practised. 
 
 }V. JL Though you, sii-, did not extort the confession that I make about 
 my father, conscience does ; and whenever we come to look back upon 
 our lives, the shis against our indulgent 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. 
 
 fV. A. You bear it, master ! 1 dare say you know nothing of it. 
 
 B. C Yes, Atkins ; every shore, every hill, nay, I may say every tree 
 HI 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 yours, by youi- 
 description ; and I murdered my father as well as you, WUl Atkins ; but 
 r think, for all that, my repentance is short of yours too, by a great deal. 
 
 I would have said more, if I could have restrained my passions ; but 1 
 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 une.Y|jected 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 wlien 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 tlie 
 island." But having a little composed myself, I renewed my discourse 
 with Will Atldns. "But, Will," said I, "how comes the sense of tliis mat- 
 ter to touch you just now ? " 
 
 W. A' Sir, you have set me about a work that lias struck a dart through 
 my very soul ; I have been talking about God and religion to my wife, m 
 order, as you directed me, to malce 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 yom- wife has preached to you; but when you- 
 were moving religious arguments to her, conscience has flung them back 
 upon you. 
 
 ff'. A. Ay, sir, witli such force as is not to be resisted. 
 
 R. C. Pray, Will, let us know what passed between you and yom- wife, 
 for I know something of it already. 
 
 IK A. Sir, it is impossible to give you a full account of it; 1 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. 
 
 01 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 nor other to break ; 
 -17 
 
370 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 that, otherwise, order and justice could not be maintained, and men woula 
 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, con- 
 sanguuiity, 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 contrai-y, 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 relationship 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 
 lier country. 
 
 R. C. But did you tell her what marriage was ? 
 
 ff. A. Ay, ay, there began our dialogue. 1 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 dovm in 
 ^vl•iting, just after he had told it me, which was as follows: — 
 
 Wife.. Appointed by your God ! Why, have you a God in your counti-y ? 
 
 W. A. Yes, my dear, God is in evei7 country. 
 
 Wifi. No your God in my country ; my country have the great old 
 Benamuckee God. 
 
 W. A. Child, I am very unfit to show you who God is ; God is in 
 heaven, and made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and all that in them is. 
 
 Wife. No makee de earth ; no you God makee all earth ; no makee 
 my country. 
 
 Will Atkins laughed a little at her expression of God not making her 
 country. 
 
 Wife,. No laugh: why laugh me.' This nothing to laugh. 
 
 He was justly reproved by his wife ; for she was more serious 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 j 
 he lives forever 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 hved 
 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 ti-ue, 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 o\vn fault 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 371 
 
 Wife. But you say me he is great, much great, have much great power 
 can makee kill when he will ; why he no raakee kill when you no serve 
 him? No say O to him, no be good mans. 
 
 JK A. That is true ; he might strike mo dead, and 1 ought to expect 
 it ; for 1 have been a wicked wretch, that is true ; but God is merciful) 
 and does not ileal with us as wo deserve. 
 
 If'ift. But then you do not tell God thankee for that, too? 
 
 /r. jL No, indeed : I have not thanked God for his mercy, any more 
 than 1 have feared God for bis 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. 
 
 If. A. What! will my wicked life hinder you from believing in God? 
 What a di-eadful creature am I ! and what a sad truth is it, that the hor- 
 rid lives of Christians hinder the conversion of heathens ! 
 
 Wife. How ine think you have gi-eat much God up there, (she points 
 up to heaven,) and yet no do well, no do good thing ? Can he tell ? Sure 
 ho no tell what you do ? 
 
 W. A. Yes, yes, he knows and sees all things ; he heai-s 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 this proves 
 
372 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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. 
 
 m/e. Merciful ! What you call that ? 
 
 JV. A. He is our Father and Maker, and he pities and spares us. 
 
 ffife. So then he never makee kill, never angry when you do wicked ; 
 then he no good himself, or no great able. 
 
 fV. A. Yes, yes, my deai- ; he is infinitely good and infinitely 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 bai-gain 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 ? 
 
 tr. A. 1 am an unthankful, ungrateful dog, that is true. 
 
 fVife. 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 have deformed 
 myself, and abused his goodness, and made myself an abominable wretch. 
 
 Wife. I wish you makee God know me ; I no makee him angiy ; I no 
 do bad wicked thing. 
 
 Here Will Atkins said his heart sunk within him, to hear a poor, un- 
 taught 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 caiTiage would make most irrational to her to believe ; 
 nay, that already she had told him that she could not believe in God, be- 
 cause 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 hun, and forgive 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 ? 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 373 
 
 W. A. My dear, I bow my knees in token of my submission 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 say you O to him for.' 
 
 W. A. I prayed to him to open your eyes and your imderstanding, that 
 you may know him, and be accepted by him. 
 
 Wifi. Can he do that, too? 
 
 W. A. Yes, he can ; he can do all things. 
 
 Wife.. But now he hear what you say .' 
 
 IV. A. Yes ; he has bid us pray to him, and promised to hear us. 
 
 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 re- 
 vealed 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 1 
 shall one time or other get it for you, and help you to read it 
 
 Here he embraced her with great affection, but with inexpressible grief 
 that he had not a Bible. 
 
 Wife. But how you makee me loiow that God teachee them to write 
 that book ? 
 
 W. A. By the same rule that we know him to be God. 
 
 Wife. Whiit 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 per- 
 fectly 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 keeel by him, and he prayed to God aloud to instruct her in the 
 knowledge of himself, by his Sphit ; 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 promise that since he con- 
 fessed his own life hai been a wicked, abominable course of provocations 
 against God, that he (vould reform it, and not make God angry any more ; 
 lest he should mak« him dead, as she rolled it, and then she would be 
 
U74 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 veiy affecting to us both, but particu- 
 larly to the young clergyman ; he was, indeed, wonderflilly surprised with 
 it, but under the greatest affliction imaginable 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 ; how- 
 ever, he turned himself to me, and told me that he believed that there 
 must be more to do with this woman than to many her. I did not under 
 stand him at first, but at length he explained himself, viz., that she ought 
 to be baptized. 1 agi-eed 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 1 must observe that Will Atkins, her 
 husband, has indeed brought her, in a wonderful manner, to be willing to 
 embrace a religious life, and has given her just ideas of the being of a 
 God ; of his power, justice, and mercy; yet I desire to know of him 
 if he has said any thing to her of Jesus Christ, and of the salvation of sin- 
 ners ; of the nature of faith in him, and redemption by him ; of the Holy 
 Spirit, the resurrection, the last judgment, 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 himself so wicked a creature, and his own 
 conscience so reproached him with his honid, 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 dis- 
 course with her, she would make it appear to my satisfaction that my labor 
 would not be lost upon her. 
 
 Accordingly, 1 called her in, and, placing myself as interpreter between 
 my religious priest and the woman, I entreated him to begin with her ; 
 but sure such a sermon was never preached by a Popish priest in these 
 latter ages of the world ; and, as I told him, I thought he had all the zeal, 
 all the knowledge, all the sincerity of a Christian, without the error of a 
 Roman Catholic ; and that 1 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 afiection, and a surprising degree of under- 
 standing, scarce to be imagined, much less to be expressed ; and, at her 
 own request, she was baptized. 
 
 When he was prepaiing to baptize her, I entreated him that he would 
 perform that ofiice with some caution, that the man might not perceive 
 lie was of the Roman church, if possible, because of other ill consequences 
 which might attend a difiference among us in that very religion which we 
 wei-e instructing the other in. He told me that, as he had no consecrated 
 chapel, nor proper things for the office, I should see he would do it in a 
 manner that I should not know by it that he was a Roman Catholic myself, 
 if I had not known it before ; and so he did ; for saying only some words 
 over to himself in Latin, which I could not understand, he poured a whole 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 S75 
 
 dishful of water upon the woman's head, pronouncing, in French, very 
 loud, " Mary," (which was the name her husband desired me to give her, for 
 I was her godfather,) " I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of 
 the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;" so that none could know any thing by 
 it what religion he was of. He gave the benediction aftersvards 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 maiTied 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 tliat good disposition he was in, but to sup- 
 port 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 Giod had honored him with being the instrument 
 of bringing his wife to the knowledge of the Chi-istian rehgion, and that he 
 should be careful he did not dishonor the grace of God ; and that if he 
 did, he would see the heathen a better Christian tlian himself; the savage 
 converted, and die instrument cast away. He said a great many good things 
 to them both ; and then, recommending them to God's goodness, gave 
 them the benediction again, I repeating every thing to them in English ; 
 and thus ended the ceremony. I think it was the most pleasant and agree- 
 able day to me tliat ever I passed in my whole hfe. 
 
 But my clergyman had not done yet ; his thoughts hung continually 
 upon the conversion of the thirty-seven savages, and fain he would have 
 staid upon the island to have imdertaken it ; but I convinced him, first, 
 
376 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 that his undertaking was impracticable in itself; and, secondly, tliat per- 
 haps I would put it into a way of being done in his absence to his 
 satisfaction ; of which by and by. 
 
 Having thus brought the affairs of the island to a narrow compass, I 
 was preparing to go on board the ship, when the young man I had taken 
 out of the famished ship's company came to me, and told me he under- 
 stood 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, 
 lor 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 circumstance. I represented to him that he had 
 some considerable substance in the world, and good friends, as I under- 
 stood 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 nof above seventeen or eighteen ; that he might very 
 probably, with my assistance, make a remove from this wilderness, and 
 come into his own countiy again ; and that then it would be a thousand 
 to one but he would repent his choice, and the dislike of that circumstance 
 might be disadvantageous to both. I was going to say more, but he inter- 
 rupted me, smiling, and told me, with a great deal of modesty, that 1 
 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 cany him quite out of the reach of all his 
 friends ; that he had nothing to desire of me, but that I would settle him 
 m some little property in the island where he was, give him a servant or 
 two, and some few necessai-ies, and he would settle hhnself here like a 
 planter, waiting the good time when, if ever I returned to England, 1 
 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 fi-iends in 
 London, to let them know how good I had been to him, and in what part 
 of the world, and what circumstances I had left him in ; and he promised 
 me that, whenever I redeemed him, the plantation, and all the improve- 
 ments he had made upon it, let the value be what it would, should be 
 wholly mine. 
 
 His discourse was veiy 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 possible assurances, that if I lived to tome 
 safe to England, I would deliver his lettei'S, and do his business eifectually; 
 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 
 jnarried ; upon which he told me it was my Jack-of-all-trades and his 
 maid Susan. 1 was most agreeably surprised when he named the match ; 
 for, indeed, I thought it very suitable. The character of that man I have 
 given ali'eady ; 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 pur 
 

 The match being proposed in this manner, we married them the same day. 
 
OF KOBINSON CRUSOE. 379 
 
 pose, alwaya witii decency and good maimers, and neither too backward 
 to speak when requisite, nor impertinently 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 bemg 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 1 gave her a jiortion ; for I appointed her and her husband a hand- 
 some large space of ground for then- 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 bounds and 
 situation of every man's plantation, and testifying that I gave them thereby 
 severally a right to the whole possession and inheritance of the respective 
 plantations or farms, with their improvements, to them and their heirs, 
 reserving all the rest of the island as my own property, and a certain rent 
 for evei-y 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 1 was not capa- 
 ble of giving them better rules than tliey were able to give themselves ; only 
 I made them promise me to live in love and good neighborhood with one 
 another ; and so I prepared to leave them. 
 
 One thing I must not omit, and that is, that being now settled in a kind 
 of commonwealth among tliemselvcs, 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, except the providing themselves 
 food, which they had difficulty enough to do, sometimes tliey had no maimer 
 of business or property to manage. I proposed, dierefore, to tlie 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 mauitained for their labor, but without 
 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 capitula- 
 tion, as it were, articles of surrender 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 thi-ee 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 maimer 
 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 
 
380 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 began, 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 of the island was left uninhabited, that if any of the 
 savages should come on shore there only for their usual customary barbaii- 
 ties, they might come and go ; if they disturbed nobody, nobody would dis- 
 turb them ; and no doubt but they were often ashore, and went away again ; 
 for I never heai-d that the planters were ever attacked or disturbed Euiy more. 
 
 It now came into my thoughts, that I had hinted to my friend the cler- 
 gyman, 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 fan- way ; for the savages being thus divided among the Chris- 
 tiai.s, ii' they would but every one of them do their part with those which 
 came under their hands, I hoped it might have a veiy good effect 
 
 He agreed presently in that, if they did their part " But how," says he, 
 •' shall we obtain that of them ? " I told him we would call them all 
 together, and leave it in chai-ge with them, or go to them one by one, which 
 he thought best ; so we divided it, he to speak to the Spaniards, who were 
 all Papists, and I to the English, who were all Protestants ; and we recom- 
 mended 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 Savior 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, (1 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 woman 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 befoi-e I went to them, that 
 amongst all the needful things I had to leave with them, I had not left them 
 a Bible, in which I showed myself less considering for them than my good 
 friend the widow was for me, when she sent me the cargo of a hundred 
 pounds from Lisbon, where she packed up three Bibles and a prayer-book 
 However, the good woman's charity had a greater extent than ever she 
 imagined, for they were reserved for the comfort and instruction of those 
 that made much better use of them than 1 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, — 1 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 recon- 
 cile 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 fi-om Heaven ; she is 
 enough to convert a whole island of savages." The young woman blushed, 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 38J 
 
 and rose up to go away, but I desired her to sit still ; 1 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 simong (hem, 
 though 1 did not ask ; but I put my hand into my pocket, and pulled out mj 
 Bible. " Here," says I to Atkins, " I have brought you an assistant that 
 perhaps you had not before." The man was so confounded that he was 
 not able to speak for some time ; but, recovering himself, he takes it with 
 both his hands, and, turning to his wife, "Here, my dear," says he ; "did not 
 I tell you our God, though he lives above, could hear what we have said ? 
 Here's the book I prayed for when you and I kneeled down under tho bush ; 
 now God has heaj-d us, and sent it." When he had said so, the man fell into 
 such transports of passionate joy, tliat between the joy of having it, and giving 
 God thanks for it, tlie teai-s 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 awai-e of; for she firmly believed God had sent the book 
 upon her husband's petition. It is true that providentially it was so, and 
 mio-ht be taken so in a consequent sense ; but I believe it would have 
 lieeu 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 talce place ; so I turned to the young woman, and told her wc 
 did not desire to impose upon the new convert, in her first and more igno- 
 rant understanding of things, and begged her to explam to her that Goo 
 may be very properly said to answer our petitions, when, in the coiu^e of 
 His providence, such things are in a particular manner brought to pass as 
 
382 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 we petitioned for ; but we did not expect returns from Heaven m a miracu 
 lous and particular manner, and it is our mercy that it is not so. 
 
 Tliis 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 sur- 
 pKse 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, 1 believe, 
 never any man was glad of a Bible from a better principle ; 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 
 Jiildren, viz., that parents should never give over to teach and instruct, nor 
 ever despair of the success of their endeavors, let the children be ever so 
 refiactory, 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 tlie 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 instruc- 
 tion of his good father that now came to his mind, was of use to him. 
 
 Among tlie 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 persons ; but he never entertained the least 
 notion of the worth of it till now, when, being to talk to heathens, savages, 
 and barbarians, he wanted the help of the ^'^Titten oracle for his assistance. 
 
 The young woman was glad of it, also, for the present occasion, though 
 she had one, and so had the youth, on boai'd our ship, among thek goods, 
 which were not yet brought on shore. And now, havuig said so many things 
 of this young woman, I cannot omit telling one stoiy more of her and my- 
 self, which has something in it very informing and remarkable. 
 
 I have related to what extremity the poor young woman was reduced ; 
 how her mistress was starved to death, and died on boai'd that unhappy ship 
 we met at sea, and how the whole ship's company was reduced to the last 
 extremity. The gentlewoman, and her son, and this maid, were first hai-dly 
 used, as to provisions, and at last totally neglected and staiTed ; that is to sayj 
 brought to the last extremity of hunger. One day, being discoursing with 
 her on the extremities they suffered, I asked her if she could describe, by 
 what she had felt, what it was to starve, and how it appeared. She told 
 me she believed she could, and she told her tale very distinctly, thus : — 
 
 " First, sir," said she, " we had for some days fared exceeding hard, and 
 suffei-ed very great hunger ; but, at last, we were wholly without food of any 
 kind, except sugar, and a little wine and water. The first day, after I had 
 received no food at all, 1 found myself towards evening, first empty and sick 
 at the stomach, and, nearer night, much inclined to yawning and sleep. 1 
 lay dovpn on the couch in the great cabin to sleep, and slept about three 
 hours, and awaked a little refreshed, having taken a glass of wine when I lay 
 dovm : after being about three hours awake, it being about five o'clock in 
 the morning, I fbimd myself empty, and my stomach sickish, and lay down 
 again, but could not sleep at all, being very faint and ill ; and thus 1 con- 
 tinued all the second day, with a strange variety, first hungry, then sick 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 383 
 
 ngain, with retchings to vomit. The second night, being obliged to go to 
 bed again without any food more than a draught of fresh water, and being 
 asleep, I dreamed 1 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 tlie extremity of famine. The last glass of 
 wine we had 1 drank, and put sugar in it, because of its having some sphit 
 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 disagi-eeable fumes from the stomach into the head ; and 1 lay, as they 
 told me, stupid and senseless, as one drunk, for some time. The third dav, 
 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 lile 
 would have been safe or not. This lasted about three hours ; during whicli 
 time I was twice raging mad as any creature in Bedlam, as my young 
 master told me, and as he can now inform you. 
 
 " In one of these fits of lunacy or distraction 1 fell down, and sti-uck my face 
 against the corner of a pallet-bed, in which my mistress lay, and, with the 
 blow, the blood gushed out of ray nose ; and the cabin-boy bringing me a 
 little basin, I sat down and bled into it a great deal ; and, as the blood came 
 from me, 1 came to myscltj and the violence of the flame or fever I was iu 
 abated, and so did the ravenous part of the hunger. Then I grew sick, and 
 retched to vomit, but could not, for I had nothing in my stomach to bring 
 up. After 1 had bled some time, I swooned, and they all believed I was 
 dead ; but 1 came to myself soon after, and then had a most dreadful pain in 
 my stomach, not to be described, not lilce the colic, but a gnawing, eager pain 
 for food ; and towards the night it went off, with a kind of earnest wshing 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 bro\ight it tdl up again ; then I took a draught of water 
 without sugai-, and that staid with me ; and I laid me down upon the bed, 
 praying most heai-tily that it would please God to take me away ; and, com- 
 posing my mind in hopes of it, I slumbered a while, and then, waking, thought 
 myself dying, being light with vapors from an empty stomach ; I recom- 
 mended 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 1 thought, expuing, but 
 bore it with much more patience than I ; gave the last bit of bread she had 
 left to her child, my young master, who would not have taken it, but she 
 obliged him to eat it ; and I believe it saved his life. 
 
 " Towai-ds the morning, I slept again ; and, when I awoke, I fell into a vio- 
 lent passion of crying, and afler that had a second fit of violent hunger: I 
 got up ravenous, and in a most dreadful condition : had my mistress been 
 dead, as much as I loved her, I am certain I should have eaten a piece of her 
 flesh with as much relish, and as unconcerned, as ever I did eat the flesh of any 
 creature appointed for food ; and once cq- twice I was going to bite my own 
 ai-m : at last I saw the basin in which was the blood 1 had bled at my nose 
 the day before ; 1 ran to it, and swallowed it with such haste, and such a 
 
3S4 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 greedy appetite, as if I wondered nobody had taken it before, and afraid i: 
 should be taken from me now. After it was down, though the thoughts of it 
 filled me with horror, yet it checked the fit of hunger, and I took another 
 draught of water, and was composed and refreshed for some hours after. 
 This was the fom-th day ; and thus I held it till towards night; when, witliin 
 the compass of three hours, I had all the several circumstances over again, 
 one after another, viz., sick, sleepy, eagerly hungry, pain in the stomach, then 
 ravenous again; then sick, then lunatic, then crying, then ravenous again ; 
 and so every quarter of an hour ; and my strength wasted exceedingly ; at 
 night, I 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 dis- 
 ease ; and I had a terrible colic and griping, by wind, instead of food, having 
 found its way into the bowels ; and in tliis condition I lay till morning, when 
 I was surprised by the cries and lamentations of my young master, who 
 called out to me that his mother was dead. I lifted myself up a little, for T 
 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 suste- 
 nance, that I cannot describe ; with such frequent throes and pangs of appe- 
 tite, that nothing but the toi'tures of death can imitate ; and in this condition 
 1 was when I heard the seamen above cry out, ' A sail! a sail !' and halloo 
 and jump about as if they were distracted. 
 
 " I was not able to get off from the bed, and my mistress much less; and 
 my young master was so sick that I thought he had been expmng ; so ^^ e 
 could not open the cabin door, or get any account what it was that occa- 
 sioned such confusion ; 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 dreadful condition we were in when you were 
 sent to save our lives ; and how you found us, sir, you know as well as I, and 
 better too." 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 385 
 
 Tliis 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. 
 1 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 
 liim at the price of her own life ; but the poor maid, though her constitution 
 being stronger than that of her 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 mistress, who 
 might be allowed to keep the last bit something longer than she parted with 
 any to relieve tlie 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 tlting 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 possibil- 
 ity 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 liad framed, and which I 
 thought of setting up among them; for I found, at least at my first Coming, 
 such seeds of division among them, that I saw plainly, had I set up the 
 sloop, and left it among them, they would, upon every 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 i.-at I liad on board, or the two quai-ter-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 invade tliem, 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 tlieir service another way, as I shall obsei-ve in 
 its place. 
 
 Having now done with the island, I left them all iii good circumstances, 
 and in a flourishing condition, and went on board my ship again on ^he 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 possibly find an oppor- 
 tunity ; 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, 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 gulf, on the land side, we were 
 driven something out of our course, and once or twice our men cried out, 
 " Land to the eastward ! " but whether it was the continent or islands we 
 could not tell by any means. But the third day, towards evening, the sea 
 smooth, and the weather calm, we saw the sea, as it were, covered towards 
 the land with something very black : not being able to discover what it was, 
 49 
 
386 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 till after some time, our chief mate, going up the main-shrouds a little way. 
 and looking at them with a perspective, cried out it was an army. I coula 
 not imagine what he meant by an army, and thwarted him a little hastily. 
 " Nay, sir," says he, « don't be angry, for 'tis an army, and a fleet too ; for l 
 believe there are a thousand canoes, and you may see them paddle along, foi 
 they are coming towards us apace." 
 
 I was a little surprised then, indeed, and so was my nephew, the captain ■ 
 for he had heard such terrible stories of them in the island, and having never 
 been in those seas before, that he could not tell what to think of it, but said 
 two or three times, we should all be devoured. I must confess, considering 
 we were becalmed, and the current set strong towai-ds the shore, 1 liked it 
 the worse; however, I bade them not be afi-aid, but bring the ship to an 
 anchor as soon as we came so near as to know that we must engage them. 
 
 The weather continued calm, and they came on apace towards us ; so I 
 gave orders to come to an anchor, and furl all our sails : as for the savages, 
 I told them they had nothing to fear but fire, and therefore they should get 
 then- boats out, and fasten them, one close by the head, and the other by the 
 stem, and man them both well, and wait the issue in that posture : this 1 
 did, that the men in the boats might be ready with sheets and buckets to put 
 out any fire these savages might endeavor 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 calculation of their number, yet, when they came 
 up, we i-eckoned 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 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 I'ound 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 oui- 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, 
 whichthey understood very well, and went back ; but, at then' retreat, about 
 fily arrows came on board us fi-om those boats, and one of our men in the 
 long-boat was very much wounded. However, I called to them not to fii-e 
 by any means ; but we handed down some deal boai'ds 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 savages that I had been used to engage with ; and, in a 
 short time more, they rowed a little fai-ther out to sea, till they came 
 directly broadside with us, and then rowed down straight upon us, till they 
 came so near that they could hear us speak : upon this, I. ordered all my 
 men to keep close, lest they should shoot any more arrows, and made all 
 our guns ready ; but, being so neai* as to be- within hearing, 1 made Fi-iday 
 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 under- 
 stood 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 nighest boat to us, turned their 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 389 
 
 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 ai'rows, and, to my inexpressible grief, 
 iilled 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 ! 
 
 1 was so enraged at the loss of my old, trusty servant and companion, 
 that 1 immediately ordered five guns to be loaded with small shot, and 
 four with great, and gave them such a broadside as they had never heard 
 in their lives before, to be sure. They were not above half a cable's leojjth 
 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 n.laniiers of turning up their bare backsides to us gave bs no 
 great offence ; neither did 1 know for certain whether that which would 
 pass for the greatest contempt among us, might be understood so by them, 
 or not ; therefore, in return, I had only resolved to have fired four or five 
 guns at them with powder only, which I knew would frighten them sufh- 
 ciently ; 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, 1 thought 
 myself not only justifiable before God and man, but would have been 
 very glad if 1 could have overset every oiiiioe there, and drowned every 
 one of them. 
 
 1 can neither tell how many wo killed nor how many we wounded at 
 this broadside ; but sure such a fright and hurry never were seen among 
 such a multitude : there were thirteen or fourteen of their canoes split 
 and overset in all, and the men all sot 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, swiitiraing 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 tJiem, 
 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 tlie Brasils. 
 
 We had a prisoner, indeed, but the creature was so sullen that he would 
 neither eat nor speak, and we all fancied he would starve himself to death ; 
 hut 1 took a way to cure him ; for 1 made them take him and turn him 
 into the long-boat, and make him believe they ^^ould 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 theu he followed them, for he swam like a cork 
 and called to them in his tongue, though they knew not one word of what 
 he said ; however, at last they took him in again, and then he began to 
 he more ti'actable ; nor did I ever design they should drown him. 
 
390 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 We were now under sail again ; but I was the most disconsolate 
 creature alive for want of my man Friday, and would have been very glad 
 to have gone back to the island, to 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 Eng- 
 lish, 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 m such a 
 hollow, odd manner, that we could never form a woi-d after him ; and wc 
 were all of opinion that they might speak that language as well if they 
 were gagged as otherwise ; nor could we perceive that they had any occa- 
 sion either for teeth, tongue, lips, or palate, but formed their words just 
 as a hunting-horn forms a tune, ivith an open throat He told us, however, 
 some time after, when we had taught him to speak a little !^nglish, that 
 they were going with their kings to light 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 makfee, takee, and the like ; nay, 1 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 afiectionate 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-easternmost land of all that part of America. We 
 kept on, S. by E., in sight of the shore four days, when we made Cape St. 
 Augustine, and in three days came to an anchor off the Bay of All Saints, 
 the old place of my deliverance, from whence came both my good and 
 evil fete. 
 
 Never ship came to this port that had less business, than I had, and yet 
 it was with great difficulty that we were admitted to hold the least cor- 
 respondence on shore : not my partner himself, who was alive, and made 
 a great figure among them, not my two merchant-trustees, not the fame 
 of my wonderful preservation in the' island, could obtain me that favor ; 
 but my partner, remembering that I had given five hundred moidores to 
 the prior of the monastery of the Augustines, and two hundred and 
 seventy-two to the poor, went to the monastery, and obliged the pHor 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 license. 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 Eng- 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 301 
 
 lish goods, such as fine broadcloths, stufis, and some lineu, which 1 liad 
 brought for a present to my partner. 
 
 lie was a very generous, open-hearted man ; though, like me, he came- 
 fVoui 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 sweetmeats, worth above thirty moidores, including some tobacco, 
 and tlu-ee or four fine medals of gold : but I was even with him in my 
 present, which, as I have said, consisted of fine broadcloth, English stuffs, 
 lace, and fine Hollands ; also, I delivered him about the value of one 
 hundred pounds sterling, in the same goods, lor other uses ; and I obliged 
 him to set up the sloop, which I had brought with me fi-om England, as 
 I have said, for the use of my colony, in order to send the refi-eshments 
 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 instruc- 
 tions as that he could not miss the place ; nor did he miss them, as I had 
 an account from my partner afterwards. I got him soon loaded with the 
 small cargo 1 sent them ; and one of our seamen, that had been on 
 shore wth me there, oflfered to go with the sloop and settle there, upon 
 
392 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 my letter to the governor Spaniard, to allot him a sufficient quantity of 
 land for a plantation, and giving him some clothes and tools for his planting 
 work, vi^hich he said he understood, having been an old planter at Mai-y- 
 land, and a buccaneer into the bai-gain. I encouraged the fellow by 
 granting all he desired ; and, as an addition, 1 gave hun the savage whom 
 we had taken prisoner of war, to be his slave, and oi'dered 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 cei-tain 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 -'f the 
 Inquisition ; " that he would be "very glad of such an opportunity to nake 
 his escape, with his wife and two daughters ; and if 1 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 assuredly burned alive 
 if he does." 
 
 I granted this presently, and joined my Englishman with them ; and we 
 concealed the man, and his wife and daughters, on board our ship, till 
 the sloop put out to go to sea ; and then, having put all their goods on 
 board some time before, we put them on board the sloop after she was 
 got out of the bay. 
 
 Our seaman was mightily pleased with this new paitner ; and their stocks, 
 indeed, were much alike, rich in tools, in preparations, and a farm ; but 
 nothing to begin with, except as above ; however, thej' 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 — under- 
 stood very well. 
 
 Among the rest of the supplies sent to my tenants in the island, I sent 
 them, by the sloop, three milch cows and five calves, about twenty-two hogs 
 among them, three sows big with pig, two mares, and a stone-horse. For 
 my Spaniards, according to my promise, I engaged thi-ee Portugal women 
 to go, and recommended it to them to marry them, and use them kindly. I 
 could have procured more women, but I remembered that the poor, prose- 
 cuted man had two daughters, and that there were but five of the Spaniai'ds 
 tliat wanted; the rest had wives of their own, though in another countiy. 
 
 All this cargo arrived safe, and, as you may easily suppose, was very 
 welcome to my 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 immediately. 
 
 I have now done with the island, Eind all manner of discourse about it ; 
 and whoever reads the rest of my memorandums, would do well to turn his 
 thoughts entirely from it, and expect to read of the follies of an old man, 
 not warned by his ovm harms, much less by those of other men, to beware 
 of the like ; not cooled by almost forty years' miseries and disappointments ; 
 not satisfied with prosperity beyond expectation, nor made cautious by afflic- 
 tions and distress beyond imitation. 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 39& 
 
 1 had no more business to go to the East Indies than a man at fiill 
 Uberty has to go to the turnkey at Newgate, and desire him to lock him up 
 auuong the prisoners there, and starve him. Had I taken a .^niall vessel 
 from England, and gone directly to the island ; had I loaded her, as I did 
 the other vessel, with all the necessaries for tUo plantation, and for my 
 people ; taken a patent from the government here to have secured ray prop- 
 erty, 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 myself there, and 
 sent the ship back laden 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 staid there myself, I had, at least, acted like a 
 man of common sense ; but I was possessed with a wandering spu'it, and 
 scorned all advantages; I pleased myself with being the patron of the 
 people 1 placed there, and doing for them in a kind of haughty, majestic 
 w:iy, 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 1 never so much 
 !.s pretended to plant in the name of any government or nation, or to ac- 
 knowledge 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 neime, but left it 
 as I found it, belonging to nobody and the people under no discipline or 
 government but ray own ; who, though I had influence over them as a father 
 and benefactor, had no authority or power to act or command one way or 
 other, farther than voluntary consent moved them to comply; yet, even 
 this, had I staid there, would have done well enough ; but, as I rambled from 
 them, and came there no more, the last letters I had from any of them 
 were by my partner's means, who afterwards sent another sloop to the place, 
 50 
 
394 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 and who sent nie word, though I had not the lener till 1 got to London, 
 several years after it was written, that they went on but poorly, were mal- 
 content with their long stay there ; that Will Atkins was dead ; that five of 
 the Spaniai'ds were come away; and, though they had not been much 
 molested by the savages, yet they had had some skirmishes with them ; and 
 that they begged of him to write to me to think of the promise I had made 
 to fetch them away, that they might see their counti^ again before they died. 
 
 But I was gone a wild-goose chase, indeed ! and they that will have any 
 more Df 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 obsei-ved; and we may see how easily Heaven can gorge us with our 
 own desires, make thie 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 ; 1 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 then' 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 veiy 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 
 fibrmly 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 gains to their church by it, it may well be admired how they came to 
 admit the Chuiese Confucius into the calendar of the Christian saints. But 
 this by the by. 
 
 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 1 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 Cnisoe ; so 1 must here leave exclaiming 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 anived at the Cape, only being limited 
 to a certain number of days for stay, by charter-party, at the several ports 
 she was to go to. This was none of my business, neither did I meddle with 
 it ; my nephew, the captain, and the supercargo, adjusting all those things 
 between them as they thought fit 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 395 
 
 We staid at the Cape no longer than \vns needful to take in fresh water, 
 btit made the best of our way for the coast of Coromandel. \\ e were, 
 indeed, informed that a French n]an-of-^^•ar, of fifty guns, and two \ay^e 
 inerchant-sliips, were gone for the Indies; and as I knew we wore at war 
 with France, I had some apprehensions of them ; but they ^^ ent tlicir o^^ n 
 way, and wc heard no more of them. 
 
 I shall not pester the reader with a tedious description of places, journali< 
 of our voyages, variations of the compass, latitudes, trade-winds, &c. ; it i> 
 enough to name the ports and places which we touched at, and what oc- 
 curred to us upon our passage from one to another. We touched first at the 
 Island of Madagascar, where, though the people are fierce and treacherous, 
 mid very well armed with lances and bows, which they use with inconceiv- 
 able dexterity, yet wc fared very well with them a while ; they treated us 
 \ ery civilly ; and, for some trifles which we gave them, such as knives, 
 scissors, &c., they brought us eleven good fat bullocks, of a middling size, 
 which we took in, partly for fresh provisions for our present spending, and 
 the rest to salt for the ship's use. 
 
 We were obliged to stay here some time after we had furnished omselves 
 \^ith provisions ; and I, who was always too curious to look into every nook 
 01 the world, ^\ herever I came, was for going on shore as oflen as I could. 
 It was on tlie east side of the island that we went on shore one evening; and 
 fho 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 u 
 distance from us ; which, it seems, is a mark, in that countiy, not only of a 
 
396 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 truce and friendship, but when it is accepted, the other side set up three 
 poles or boughs, which is a signal that they accept the truce too ; but, then, 
 this tree is a known condition of the truce, that you are not to pass beyond 
 their three poles towards them, nor they to come past your three poles, or 
 boughs, towards you ; so that you are perfectly secure within the three poles, 
 and all the space between your poles and theirs is allowed, like a market, 
 (or free converse, traffic, and commerce. When you go there, you must not 
 carry your weapons with you ; and, if they come into that space, they slick 
 up their javelins and lances all at the first poles, and come on unarmed; but, 
 \l' anj violence is offered them, and the truce thereby broken, away they run 
 to the poles, and lay hold of their weapons, and the truce is at an end. 
 
 It happened one evening, when we went on shore, that a greater nhmber 
 of their people came down than usual, bvt all very frieudly and civil ; and 
 they brought several kinds of provisions, for which we satisfied thorn with 
 such toys as we had ; 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 ol' some boughs of trees, and lay on shore all mgnt. 
 
 I know not what was the occasion, but I was not so well satisfied to he on 
 shore as the rest ; and, the boat riding at an anchor about a stone's cast from 
 the land, with two men in her to take care of her, I made one of them 
 come on shore ; &r>d, 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 men make a ter- 
 rible noise on the shore, calling out, for God'a sake, to bring the boat in, and 
 come and help them, for they ^vere all like to be murdered ; at the same 
 time, I heard the fire of five muskets, which was the number of guns they 
 had, and that three times over ; for, it seems, the natives here were not so 
 easily frightened with guns as the savages were in America, where I had to 
 do with them. All this while I knew not what was the matter, but, rousing 
 immediately from sleep with the noise, I caused the boat to be tlirust in, and 
 resolved, with three fusees we had on board, to land and assist our men. 
 
 We got the boat soon to the shore, but our men were in too much haste ; 
 for, being come to the shore, they plunged into the water, to get to the boat 
 with all the expedition they could, being pursued by between three and four 
 bundled men. Our men were but nine in all, and only five of them had 
 fusees with them ; the rest tad pistols and swords, indeed, but they were of 
 small use to them. 
 
 We took up seven of oiu- men, and with difficulty enough too, three of 
 them being very ill wounded; and that which was still worse was, that while 
 we stood in the boat to take our men in, we were in as much danger as they 
 were in on shore ; for they poured their arrows in upon us so thick that we 
 were glad to baiTicade the side of the boat up with the benches, and two or 
 three loose boards, which, to our great satisfaction, we had by mere accident 
 in the boat. And yet, had it been daylight, they are, it seems, such exact 
 marksmen, 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 
 liear, by the cries of some of them, had wounded several ; however, they 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 a97 
 
 Btood thus in batt.e array on the shore till break of day, which \vc supposea 
 was that they might see the better to take their aim at qs. 
 
 Ill this condition we lay, and could not tell how to weigh our anchor or 
 Net up o>ir 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, tliough she rode a league oft', 
 yet my nephew, the captain, hearing our firing, and by glasses perceiving the 
 posture we lay in, and that we fired towai-ds the shore, pretty well under- 
 stood us ; and weighing anchor with all speed, he stood as near the shore 
 as he durst with the ship, and then sent another boat, with ten hands in her, 
 to assist us ; but we called to them not to come too near, telling them what 
 condition we were in ; however, they stood in near to us, and one of the 
 men, taking the end of a tow-line in his hand, and keeping one boat between 
 him and the enemy, so that they could not perfectly see him, swam on boaid 
 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 barricade we had made. 
 
 As soon as we were got from between the ship and the shore, that we 
 could lay her side to the shore, she ran along just by them, and poured in a 
 broadside among them, loaded with pieces of iron and lead, small bullets, 
 and such stuff, besides the great shot, which made a ten-ible havoc among 
 them. 
 
 When we were got on board, and out of danger, we had time to exam- 
 ine into tlie occasion of this fray ; and, indeed, our supercargo, who had 
 
39S 
 
 TUB LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 been often in those parts, put me upon it ; for he said he was sure the inhab- 
 itants 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 begin- 
 ning of the attack, as he sallied out of the tent they had made : the rest came 
 off free, all but the fellow who was the occasion of all the mischief, who 
 paid dear enough for his black mistress, for we could not hear what became 
 of him for a great while. We lay upon the shore two days after, though the 
 wind presented, and made signals for him, and made our boat sail up shore 
 and down shore several leagues, but in vain ; so we were obliged to give him 
 over ; and if he alone had suffered for it, the loss had been less. 
 
 I could not satisfy myself, however, without venturing on shore once 
 more, to try if I could learn any thing of him or them : it was the third 
 
 / 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 399 
 
 niglil after the action that I had a great mind to learn, if I could by any 
 means, what mischief we had done, and how the game stood on the Indians' 
 side. I was careful to do it in the dark, lest we should be attacked again , 
 but I ought, indeed, to have been sure that the men I went with had been 
 under my command, before I engaged in a thing so hazardous and mischiev- 
 ous as 1 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. 1 
 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 1 thought, if we could surprise one or two 
 of them, perhaps vve might get our man again, by way of exchange. 
 
 We landed without any noise, and divided our men into two bodies, 
 whereof the boatswain commanded one, and I the other. We neither saw 
 nor heard any body 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 veiy dark ; till, by and by, our boatswain, who led the first party, 
 stumbled, and fell over a dead body. This made them halt a while; 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 supposed, 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 
 pai-ty sent me word that they were resolved to make a visit to the Indian 
 town, where these dogs, as they called thera, dwelt, and asked me to go 
 along with them ; and if they could find them, as they still fancied they 
 should, they did not doubt of getting a good booty ; and it might be they 
 might find Tom JefFry there : tliat 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 commanded them instantly on board, 
 knowing it was not a hazard fit for us to run, who had a ship, and 
 ship-loading in our charge, and a voyage to make wiiich depended very 
 much upon the lives of the men ; but as they sent me word they were 
 resolved to go, and only asked me and my company to go along with them, 
 I positively refused it, and rose up, for I was sitting on the ground, in order 
 to "o to tlie boat. One or two of tlie men began to importune me to go ; 
 and when I refused, began to grumble, and say they were not under my 
 command, and they would go. " Come, Jack," says one of the men, " will 
 you no with me ? Til go for one.'' Jack said he would, — and then anotlier; 
 
 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 tliird 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 ran 
 the fate of Tom Jeffiy. 
 
 They told me, like seamen, they would warrant it they would come oft 
 
400 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 intrusted with the yoyage, in some measure ; that, if they 
 miscarried, the ship might be lost for want of their help, and tliat 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 desperate, 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 •<. nned, for they 
 had eveiy-man a fusee or musket, a bayonet, and a pistol ; some of them had 
 broad cutlasses; some of them had hangers, and the boatswain and two more 
 had poleaxes; besides all which, they had among them thirteen hand gre- 
 nadoes : bolder fellows, and better provided, never went about any wickea 
 work in the world. 
 
 When they went out, their chief design was plunder, and they were in 
 mighty hopes of finding gold there ; but a circumstance, which none of 
 them were aware ofj set them on fire with revenge, and mad§ 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 con- 
 sulted, therefore, what to do, and were some time before they could resolve ; 
 for, if tliey 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 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 loolc 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 v/ar, and found a cow tied to a tree ; this, 
 the)- presently concluded, would be a good guide to them; for, they said, the 
 cow certainly belonged to the town before them, or the town behind them ; 
 and if tlicy 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 
 lier : so they cut the cord, which was made of twisted flags, and the cow 
 went on before them, directlj' to the town ; which, as they reported, consisted 
 of above t^vo hiindi'ed houses or huts, and in some of these they found 
 Mcnoral fauiilies living together. 
 
 Mere 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 
 ilo ; and, in a word, they resolved to divide themselves into three bodies; 
 and SCI set three houses on fire in three parts of the town ; and as the men 
 fame 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 ; 
 hut 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; 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE 401 
 
 but while they were animating one another to the work, three of thenij 
 wiio 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 
 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 knevi 
 lu.t their number. 
 
 The sight of their poor, mangled comrade so enraged them, as before 
 that they swore to one another they would be revenged, and that not an Indiar 
 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 ano 
 fury they wei'e 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 ; foi 
 most of the houses were low, and thatched with flags and rushes, of which 
 the countiy is full ; so they jiresently made some wildfire, as we cail 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 particularly tha\ 
 house where the Indians were not gone to bed. 
 
 As soon as the fire began to blaze, the poor, frightened creatures began ta 
 rush out to save their lives, but met with their fate in the attempt ; and espe- 
 cially at the door, whei-e they drove them back, the boatswain himself killing 
 one or two with his poleaxe. The house being large, and many in it, he did 
 not care to go in, but called for a hand grenade, 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 gre- 
 nado, 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 
 despatched all that came in their way ; but there was another apartment in 
 the house, where tlie 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 fiu-e 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, com- 
 bustible stuff', tliat they could hardly bear the street between them ; and their 
 business was to follow the fire, for tlie surer execution : as fast as the fire either 
 forced the people out of those houses which were burning, or fi-ightened 
 them out of others, our people were ready at their doors to knock them 
 on the head, still calling and hallooing one to another to remember Tom 
 Jeffi-y. 
 
 While this was doing, 1 must confess I was very uneasy, and especially 
 when I saw the flames of the town, which, it being night, seemed to be just 
 by me. My nephew, the captain, who was roused by his men, seeing such 
 a fire, was very imeasy, 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 become of us ; and, at last, though he could ill 
 51 
 
402 
 
 THE LIFE ANU ADVENTURES 
 
 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 contin- 
 ued, and the flame increased ; in short, it was next to an impossibility for 
 any men in the world to restrain their curiosity to know what had happened, 
 or their concern for the safety of the men : in a word, the captain told me 
 he would go and help his men, let what would come. I argued with him, 
 as I did before with the men, the safety of the ship, the danger of the voyage, 
 the interest of the owners and merchants, &c., and told him 1 and the tv^o 
 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 before ; he would go, he said ; and he 
 only wished he had left but ten men in the ship, for he could not think of 
 having his men lost for want of help ; 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 persuade 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 ns : so that he left only sixteen men in the ship ; for the whole 
 ship's company consisted of sixty-five men, whereof two were lost in the 
 late quarrel which brought this mischief on. 
 
 Being now on the march, you may be sm-e we felt little of the ground 
 we ti'od 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 sur- 
 prising to us before, the cries of the poor people were now quite of another 
 nature, and filled us with horror. I must confess 1 was never at the sacking 
 a city, or at the taking a town by storm.' I had heard of Oliver Cromwell 
 taking Drogheda, in Ireland, and killing man, woman, and child ; and I had 
 read of Count Tilly sacking the city of Magdebourg, and 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 heai'ing 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 consumed; 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 I'age 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 astonishment, three naked women, and crying in a most 
 dreadful manner, came flying as if they had wings, and after them sixteen 
 or seventeen men, natives, in the same terror and consternation, with three 
 of our English butchers in the rear ; who, when they could not overtake 
 them, fired in among them, and one that was killed by their shot fell down 
 
OF ROBINSON CKUSOE. 405 
 
 in our sight When the rest saw us, heheving 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 
 1 saw this : and 1 believe, had the three English 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 immediately 
 they came up to us, and kneeling down, with their hands lifted up, made 
 piteous lamentation to us to save them, which we let them know we 
 would; whereupon they crept altogether in a huddle close behind us, as 
 for protection. I left my men drawn up together, and charging them to 
 hurt nobody, but, if possible, to get at some of our people, and see what 
 devil it was possessed them, and what they intended to do, and to com- 
 mand them off; assuring them that if they staid till daylight, they 
 would have a hundred thousand men about their eai-s: I say, I left them, 
 and went among those flying people, taking only two of om* men with 
 me; and there was indeed a piteous spectacle among them; some of tliem 
 had their feet terribly burned, with trampling and running thi-ough i\w 
 fire, others their hands burned ; one of the women had fallen down in 
 the fire, and was very much burned before she could get out again ; and two 
 or three of the men had cuts in their backs and thighs, from om- 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 1 could 
 not understand one word they said ; though, by signs, 1 perceived some of 
 them knew not what was the occasion thcinselves. 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 hgllooed to them as loud as they 
 could halloo ; and, widi much ado, one of them made them hear, so that 
 they knew who we were, and came up to us. 
 
 As soon as tlie boatswain saw us, he set up a halloo 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 have not half done yet ; villanous, hell-hound dogs ! TU kill as many 
 of them as poor Tom has hau-s upon his head : we have sworn to spare 
 none of them ; we'll root out the very nation of them from the earth : " 
 and thus he ran on, out of breath too -with action, and would not give us 
 leave to speak a word. 
 
 At last, raising my voice, that 1 might silence him a little, "Barbarous 
 dog ! " said I, " what are you doing ? I won't have one creature touched 
 more, upon pain of death : 1 charge you, upon your Ufe, to stop your 
 hands, and stand still here, or you ai-e a dead man this minute." "Why 
 sir," says he, " do you know what you do, or what tliey have done ? If 
 you want a reason for what we have done, come hither ; " and with that 
 he showed me the poor fellow Iianging, with his throat cut 
 
106 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 1 confess 1 was ui-ged then myself) and at another time would have 
 been foi^ward enough ; but I thought they had carried their I'age too fai', 
 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 1 carried with 
 me saw the sight, as I had done, 1 had as much to do to restrain them, 
 as I should have had with the others; nay, my nephew himself fell in 
 with them, and told me, in then- hearing, that he was only concerned for 
 fear of the men being ovei"powered ; and as to the people, he thought not 
 one of them ought to live ; for they had all glutted themselves with the 
 murder or the poor man, and that they ought to be used like murderers. 
 Upon these words, away ran eight of my men, with the boatswejn 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 1 could not 
 bear the sight, much less the horrible noise and cries of the poor wretches 
 that fell into their hands. 
 
 1 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, a^one ; for, as it began now 
 to be almost day, and the alai-m had run over the countiy, 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 accid^t 1 
 missed the place, and came directly to the sea-side ; and by the time ] 
 got to the sea-side, it was broad day : immediately 1 took the pinnace 
 and went on board, and sent her back to assist the men in what might 
 happen. 
 
 1 obsen'ed, about the time that I came to the boat-side, that the fire 
 
fte sliuwcd me the poor feltcv li.i;ii;i:ig, u itli }iis tiimat c;:t. 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 409 
 
 was pretty well out, and the noise abated ; but in about half an hour after 
 1 got on board, I heard a volley of our men's fire-arms, and saw a great 
 smoke ; this, as 1 understood afterwards, was our men falling upon the 
 men, who, as 1 said, stood at the few houses on the way, of whom they 
 [tilled 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 ofi". But the dread of then: was 
 upon the whole country ; and the men were surprised, and so frightened, 
 that I believe a hundred of them would have fled at the sight of but 
 five of our men ; nor in all this terrible action was there a man that 
 made any considerable defence ; they v*re so surprised between the 
 terror of the fire and the sudden attack of our men in the dark, that 
 they knew not which way to turn themselves ; 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 ray nephew, the captain, and, indeed, with all 
 the men, in my mind, but with him in particular, as well for his acting so 
 out of his duty, as commander of the ship, and having the charge of the 
 voyage upon him, as in his prompting, rather than cooling, the rage of 
 his bUnd men, in so bloody and cruel an enterprise. My nephew answered 
 me very respectfully, but told me that when he saw the body of the 
 poor seaman whom they had murdered in so cruel and barbarous a man- 
 ner, he was not master of himself, neither could he govern his passion ; 
 ne owned he should not have done so, as he was commander of the ship ; 
 but as he was a man, and nature moved him, he could not bear it As 
 for the rest of the men, they were not subject to me at all, and they 
 knew it well enough ; so they took no notice of my dislike. 
 
 The next day we set sail ; so we never heard any more of it Our 
 men differed in the account of the number they had killed ; but, according 
 to the best of their accounts, put all together, tliey killed or destroyed 
 about one hundi-ed and fifty people, men, women, and children, and left 
 not a house standing in the town. As for the poor fellow, Tom Jefiiy, 
 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 hanging by one hand. 
 
 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 Jeffiy, yet Jefiiy was the ag- 
 gressor, had broken the truce, and had violated or debauched a young wo- 
 man of theirs, who came down to them innocently, and on the faith of 
 tlie public capitulation. 
 
 The boatswain defended this quarrel when we were afterwards on board. 
 
 He snii 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 om* men without any just provocation : 
 
 52 
 
41U THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 extraoi-dinary 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 tlie laws of God allowed lo 
 be done to murderers. 
 
 One would think this should have been enough to have warned us against 
 going on shore amongst heathens and barbarians ; but it is impossible to 
 make mankind wise but at then- own expense ; and their experienfce seems 
 to be always of most use to them when it is dearest bought 
 
 We were now bound to the Gulf of Persia, and from thence to the coast 
 of Coromandel, only to touch at Surat ; but the chief of the supercargo's 
 design lay at the Bay of Bengal ; where, if he missed his business out- 
 ward-bound, he was to go up to China, and return to the coast as he came 
 home. 
 
 The first disaster that befell us was in tlie Gulf of Persia, where five of 
 om- men, ventuiing on shore on the Arabian side of the gulf, were sur- 
 rounded 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 reti-i- 
 bution of Heaven Jn this case ; but the boatswain very warmly told me, 
 he thought I went farther in my censures than 1 could show any wanaiit 
 for in Scripture, and referred to Luke xiii. 4, where om* Savior intimates 
 that those men on whom the Tower of Siloam fell were not sinners above 
 all the Galileans; but that which put nie to silence in the case was, that 
 not one of these five men who were now lost were of those who went on 
 shore to the massacre of Madagascar ; so I always called it, though our 
 men could not beai- to hear the word massacre with any patience. 
 
 But my frequent preaching to them on this subject had worse conse- 
 quences 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 1 made unjust refiec- 
 tions upon it, and had used the men very ill on that account, and himself 
 in particular ; that as I was but a passenger, and had no command in the 
 ship, or concern in the voyage, they were not obliged to bear it ; that they 
 did not Icnow 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, 
 therefoi'e, unless I would resolve to have done with it, and also not to 
 concern myself any fiirther with him, or any of his afiiiirs, he ^vould 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 massacre of Madagascar, and that 
 I had, on all occasions, spoken my mind freely about it, though not mort' 
 upon him than any of the rest ; that, as to having no command in the ship, 
 that was ti'ue ; nor did 1 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 con- 
 siderable owner in the ship ; in that claim I conceived 1 had a right to 
 speak even f£u-ther 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 alTair had been ove)\ We 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 411 
 
 rt'ei'c at^his time in the road at Bengal ; and, being -vrilling to see the place, 
 I went on shore with the supercargo, in the ship's boat, to divert myself; 
 and lOAN'.irds evening was prepai'ing to go on board, when one of the men 
 came to me, and told me he would not have me trouble myself to come 
 (iown to the boat, for they had orders not to cany me on board any more. 
 Any one may guess what a surprise I was in at so insolent a message ; 
 ami I asked the man who bade him deliver that message to me. He told 
 1110, the coxswain. I said no more to the fellow, but bade him let them 
 -now he had delivered his message, and that 1 had given him no answer 
 to ir. 
 
 1 nnniediately went and found out the supercai'go, and told him the story, 
 adding, what I presently ibrcsa^^", that there would be a mutiny in the ship ; 
 and entreated him to go immediately on boai'd tlie ship in an Indian boat, 
 and acquaint the captain of it. But I might have spai'ed this inteUigence, 
 for, before I had spoken to him on shore, tlie matter was effected on board. 
 The boatswain, the gunner, the Cai'penter, and all the inferior officers, i.s 
 snoii as I was gone off in the boat, came up, and desired to speak with the 
 cajitain ; and there the boatswain, making a long hai-angue, and repeating ai; 
 lie had said to me, told the captain, in a few words, that as I was now gone 
 [leaceably on shore, they were loath to use any violence with me, which, if 1 
 bad not gone on shore, they would otherwise have done, to oblige me to have 
 j{one ; they therefore thought fit to tell him, that, as they shipped themselves 
 to serve in the ship tinder his command, they would perform it well and 
 faithfully ; but if I would not quit the ship, or the captain oblige me to qui' 
 it. they would all leave the ship, and sail no farther with him; and at tliai 
 
412 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 word all, he turned his face toward the mainmast, which was, it seems, the 
 signal Eigreed 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 consider 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 more on board the ship. 
 
 This was a hard ai-ticle upon him, who knew his obligation to me, and did 
 not know how 1 might take it: so he began to talk smartly to them; told 
 them that 1 was a very considerable owner of the ship, and that, in justice, 
 he could not put me out of my own house ; that this was next door to 
 serving me as the famous pirate Kidd had done, who made a mutiny in the 
 ship, set the captain on shore on an uninhabited isliind, and ran away with 
 the ship ; that, let tliem 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 
 boatswam to go with him, and perhaps they might accommodate the matter 
 vnth me. But they all rejected the proposal, and said they would have 
 nothing 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 acoount, a 
 little after the message had been brought to me fi-om the coxswain. 
 
 I was veiy glad to see my nephew, I must confess ; for I was not without 
 apprehensions that they would contine 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 to 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 pai-t of the world, as I think 1 ma;- 
 call it, for I was near three thousand leagues, by sea, failher off from Eng- 
 land, 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 fi-om thence to Bassora 
 by sea, up th? Gulf of Persia, and take the way of the caravans, over the 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 413 
 
 Desert of Arabia, to Aleppo and Scanderoon ; from thence, by sea again, to 
 Italy, and so, overland, into France ; and this, put together, might, at least, be 
 a full diameter of the globe, or 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 
 ijct passage on board them for England. 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 license, unless with great favor of the captains ot 
 tlie 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 treat- 
 ment, I think, a man in my circumstances scarce ever met with, except fronr. 
 pirates running away with a 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 pm'ser, whom he engaged to go with 
 ine, 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 staid here above nine months, considering what cotose to 
 take, and how to manage myself! I had some EngUsh 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 originally intended, 
 
414 
 
 THE LIFE AXD AIJVENTUEES 
 
 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 Eng- 
 land, but none falling out to my mind, the Enghsh merchant who lodged 
 with me, and whom I had contracted an intimate acquaintance with, came to 
 ine one morning : " Countryman," says he, " I have a project to communicate 
 to you, which, as it suits with my thoughts, may, for aught I know, suit with 
 yours also, when you shall have thoroughly considered it Here we are 
 posted, you by accident, and I by my own choice, in a part of the world 
 very remote from our own country ; but it is in a countiy where, by us who 
 understand ti-ade and business, a. great deal of money is to be got. If you 
 will put one thousand pounds to my one thousand pounds, we will hire a 
 ship here, the first we can get to our minds ; you shall be captain, I'll be 
 merchant, and we'll go a trading voyage to China; for what should we 
 stand still for ? The whole world is in motion, rolling round and round ; all 
 the creatm-es of God, heavenly bodies and earthly, are busy and diligent; 
 why should we be idle ? There are no drones in the world but men ; why 
 should we be of that number? " 
 
 I liked this proposal very well ; and the more because it seemed to be ex- 
 pressed with so much good-will, and in so friendly a manner. I will not 
 say but that I might, by my loose, unhinged circumstances, be the fitter to 
 embrace a proposal for trade, or, indeed, any thing else ; whereas, otherwise, 
 trade was none of my element However, I might, perhaps, say with some 
 truth, that if ti'ade 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 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 415 
 
 It was, however, some time before we could get a ship to our miiids, and 
 when we had got a vessel, it was not easy to get English sailors; that is to 
 say, so many as were necessai-y to govern the vgyage and manage the sailors 
 which we should pick up there. After some time, we got a mate, a boat- 
 swain, and a gunner, English ; a Dutch carpenter, and three foremast men. 
 With these, we found we could do well enough, having Indian seamen, such 
 as they were, to make up. 
 
 There are so many travellers who have wrote a 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 1 leave to others, and refer the reader to those jom-nals and 
 travels of Englishmen, of which many, I find, ai-e published, and more 
 promised eveiy day ; it is enough for me to tell you, that we made this 
 voyage to Achin, in the Island of Sumati'a, and from thence to Siam, where 
 we exchanged some of our wares for opium and some arrack ; the first a 
 commodity which beai's 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, wei'e eight months out, and retunied to Bengal ; and 1 
 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 faither 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 con- 
 sider that, at those places and ports wliere 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 tf>e returns, as well as a market abroad for the 
 goods carried out 
 
 In short, we made a veiy good voyage, and I got so much money by my 
 first adventure, and such an insight into the method of getting more, that, 
 had I been twenty years younger, I should have been tempted to have staid 
 here, and sought no fai'ther for making any fortune ; but what was all this 
 to a man upwards of thi-eescore, that was rich enough, and came abi-oad 
 more in obedience to a restless desu"e 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 imder- 
 takings ; hence I thought that, by this voyage, I had made no progi-ess at all, 
 because I was come buck, as I might call it, to the place from whence 1 
 came, as to a home ; whereas my eye, 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 1 had seen all 
 the world that was worth seeing. 
 
 But my fellow-traveller and I had difierent notions : I do not name this 
 to insist on my own, for I acknowledge his were the most just, and the most 
 
416 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 suited to the end of a merchant's life ; who, when he is abroad upon ad 
 ventures, it is his wisdom to stick to that, as the best thing for him, which 
 he is like to get the mosfmoney by. My new friend kept himself to the, 
 nature of the thing, and would have been content to have gone, like a car- 
 rier's horse, always to the same inn, backward and forward, provided ht 
 could, as he called it, find his account in iL On the other hand, mine was 
 the notion of a mad, rambling boy, that never cares to see a thing twice 
 over. But this weis not all: 1 had a kind of impatience upon me to bo 
 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 belong- 
 ing partly 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 ; tlie chief difficulty was 
 in bringing me to come into it: however, at last, nothing else offering, 
 and findhig that really stimng about and trading, the profit being so great, 
 and, as I may say, certain, had more jJeasure 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 
 cloved, and some nutmegs, to the Persian merchants, who carried them 
 away to the gulf; and, making near five of one, we really got a great deal 
 of money. 
 
 My friend, when we made up this account, smiled at me. " Well, now," 
 said he, with a sort of agi-eeable insult upon my indolent temper, " is not 
 this better than walking about here, like a man of nothing to do, and spend- 
 ing 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 merchandising; but I must tell you," said I, "by the 
 way, you do not know what I am doing ; for if I once conquer my back- 
 wardness, and embark heartily, as old as I am, I shall harass you up and 
 down the world till I tire you ; for I shall pursue it so eagerly, I shall never 
 let you lie still." 
 
 But, to be short with my speculations, a litrte while after this there came 
 in a Dutch ship from Batavia ; she was a coaster, not a European trader, 
 of about two hundred tons' burden ; 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 
 [ had a great mind to buy it ; so I went to him, and told him of it. He 
 considered a while, 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." Ac- 
 cordingly, 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 417 
 
 tfleir share of the money, as we afterwards learned, not one of them waa 
 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 Sural, and go by the sea to the 
 Gulf of Persia. 
 
 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 homeward too ; but I was mu, Ji better satisfied a few 
 days after, when I came to know what sort of feilows 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 
 had been attacked on shore by some of the Malays, who had killed the 
 captain and thi-ee 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 honestly by hei 
 as we thought, though we did not, I confess, examine into things so exactly 
 as we ought ; for we never inquired any thing of the seamen, who would 
 certainly have faltered in their account, contradicted one another, and 
 perhaps 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 Clostershovcn, or some such name, — for I suppose 
 it was all a forgery, — and called himself by that name, 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 lierc after tliis, 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 vvliut is to 
 come is so remarkable, I spent, from first to last, six }eai's in this country 
 trading from port to port, backwai-d and forward, and with very good suc- 
 cess, 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 Molacca, and among the islands, we were no 
 sooner got cleai- of those difficult seas than we found our ship had sprung 
 a leak, and we were not able, by all our industiy, to find out where it was. 
 This forced us to make some port, and my partner, who knew the country 
 better than I did, directed the captain to put into the River of Cambodia ; 
 for I had made the English mate, oue Mr. 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 gulf 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, at or near the 
 city of Cambodia ; what brought him either we knew not ; but he comes 
 to me, and speaking English, "Sir," say be, "you are a stranger to me, 
 Si 
 
418 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 and 1 to you, but I have something to tell you that very nearly con- 
 cerns you." 
 
 I looked steadfastly at him a good while, and thought at first I had 
 known him, but I did not. "If it very nearly concerns me," said I, "and 
 not yourself, what moves you to tell it to me ?" "I am moved," says he, 
 "by the imminent danger you are in, and, for aught 1 see, you have no 
 knowledge of it" "I know no danger I am in," says I, "but that my ship 
 is leaky, and 1 cannot find it out ; but 1 intend to lay her aground to-mor- 
 row, to see if 1 can find it" "But, su-," 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 .' 1 suppose you do not think you are a match for them ? '' 
 1 was amused veiy much at his discourse, but not amazed at it, for I could 
 not conceive what he mcEUit ; 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 inter- 
 loper ; what can they have to say to me ? " He looked like a man half 
 angi-y and half pleased, and, pausing a while, but smiling, " Well, sii-," 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 particulars be examined afterwards. I thought, 
 sir," added he, "I should have met with a better reception than this, for 
 doing you a piece of service of such importance." " I can never be un- 
 grateful," said I, "for any service, or to any matt 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 hoard this minute, and put to sea immediately, if my men can stop 
 the leak, or if we can swim without stopping it ; but, sir," said I, " shall 
 I go away ignorant of the cause of all this ? Can you give me no further 
 light into it ? " " I can tell you but part of the story, sir," says he ; " but 
 I have a Dutch seaman here with me, and 1 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 pait of which, I suppose, you know well enough, viz., that 
 you was with this ship at Sumatra ; that there your captain was miu'dered by 
 the Malays, with three of his men ; and that you, or some of those thai 
 >7ere on board with you, ran away with the ship, and are since turned 
 pirates. This is the sum of tlie story, and you will all be seized as pirates, 
 I can assure you, and executed with very little ceremony; for you know 
 merchant-ships show but little law to pirates, if they get them into their 
 power." " Now you speak plain English," said I, " and I thank you ; and 
 though I know nothing that we have done like what you talk of, — for I am 
 sure we came honestly and fairly by the ship, — yet, seeing such a wofk is 
 doing, as you say, and that you seein to mean honestly, I will be upon my 
 
OF KOBINSON CKUSOE. 419 
 
 guard." « 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 follow 
 you far out to sea, especially if it blows." " Well," said I, " you have been 
 very kind in this ; what shall 1 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 convinced of the truth of it : I will make an offer to you ; 1 
 
 have nineteen months' pay due to me on board the ship , which 1 
 
 came out of England in ; and the Dutchman that is vrith me has seven 
 months' pay due to him ; if you will make good our pay to us, we will 
 go along with you ; if you find nothing more in it, we will desii-e no more ; 
 but if we do convince you that we have saved your lives, aud 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 paitner, 
 who was on board, came out on the quarter-deck, aud called to me with 
 a great deal of joy, — "O ho! O ho ! we have stojiped the leak; we have 
 stopped the leak ! " " Say you so ? " said I ; " tlmiik God ! but weigh anchor, 
 then, immediately." " Weigh ! " says he ; " wliat do you mean by tliat .' 
 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 1 called him into the cabin, and told 
 him the story ; and we called in the men, and they told us the rest of it ; 
 but as it took up a great deal of time, before we had done, a seaman 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 tliere 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 if they would stand by us, 
 and by one another; the men answered cheerfully, one and alj, that they 
 would live and die with us. Then I asked the captain what way he 
 thought best for us to manage a fight witli them ; for resist them I was 
 resolved we would, and that to the last di-op. He said readily, that the way 
 was to keep them off with our great shot as long as we could, and then 
 to fii'e at tliem witli our small ai-ms, to keep them from boEirding us ; but 
 ^vllen neither of tliese would do any longer, we should rethe to our close 
 quarters ; perhaps they had not materials to break open our bulk-heads, or 
 get in upon us. 
 
 The gunner had, in the mean time, ordei-s to bring two guns to hear 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, fbllovring us with all the sail they could make. 
 
420 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Two of those boats (which by our glasses we couid see were English 
 outsailed the rest, were near two leagues a-head of them, and gained upon 
 us considerably, so that we found they would come up with us; upon 
 which we fired a gun without ball to intimate that they should bilng to : 
 and we put out a flag of truce, as a signal for parley: but they came 
 crowding after us, till they came within shot, when we took in our white 
 flag, they having made no answer to it, and hung out a red flag, and fired 
 at them with a shot. Notwithstanding this, they came on till they were 
 near enough to call to them with a speaking trumpet, which we had on 
 board ; so we called to them, and bade them keep oflT, at their peril. 
 
 It was all one ; they crowded after us, and endeavored to come under 
 our stem, 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 caj-ry away the stem of the hrndermost boat, and bring them 
 to the necessity of taking down their sail, and running all to the head of 
 the boat, to keep her from sinking ; so she lay by, and had enough of 
 it ; but, seeing the foremost boat crowd on after us, we made ready to fire 
 at her in particular. While this was doing, one of the three boats that 
 was behind, 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 ; 
 
OF ROBINSON CUUSOE. AMI 
 
 we called again to the foremost boat, and ofiered u truce, to pai-ley again, 
 and to know what her business was with us; but had no answer, — only 
 she crowded close under our stem. Upon this, our gunner, who was a 
 vei-y dexterous fellow, ran out his two chase-guns, and fired again at her . 
 but, the shot missing, the men in the boat shouted, waved their caps, and 
 came on ; but the gunner, getting quickly ready again, fired among them 
 a second time, one shot of which, though it missed the boat itself, yet fell 
 in among the men, and, we could easily see, had done a great deal of mis- 
 chief among them ; but we took no notice of that, wore the ship again, and 
 brought our quarter to bear upon them; and, firing three guns moie, we 
 found the boat was almost split to pieces; in particular, her rudder, and 
 a piece of her stem, was shot quite away ; so they handed her sail im- 
 mediatelyVTind were in great disordei-. 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, 
 if they could, and save them from drowning, and immediately come on 
 boai'd the ship with them, because we saw the rest of the boats began to 
 come up. Our men in the pinnace followed theii- orders, and took up 
 three men, one of whom was just drowning, and it was a good while be- 
 fore 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 u. danger, which, though I knew not the rea- 
 son of it, yet seemed to be much greater than I apprehended, I resolved 
 that we should change our course, and not let any one knovir 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 comnjerce 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 tlie Dutchman let us 
 into the secret at once, telling us that the fellow that sold us the ship, as 
 wc.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 ti-eacherously murdered by the natives on 
 the coast of Malacca, with three of his men ; and that he, this Dutchman, 
 and four more, got into tlie woods, where they wandered about a great 
 while, till at length he, in particular, in a miraculous manner, made his 
 escape, and swam ofl^ 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 pait 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. 
 
 lie then told us that he went to Batavia, where two of the seamen be- 
 longing to the ship arrived, having deserted the rest in thek 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-cruising in her ; and that 
 they had ah-eady taken an English ship and two Dutch ships, very richly 
 ladeii. 
 
422 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 This latter part we found to concern us directly, though we knew it to be 
 false ; yet, as my partner said, very justly, if we had fallen into their han Is, 
 and they had had such a prepossession against us beforehand, it had been in 
 vain for us to have defended ourselves, or to hope for any good quarter at 
 their hands; and, especially, considering that our accusers had been our 
 judges, and that we could have expected nothing from them but what rage 
 would have dictated, and an imgoverned 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 
 m, 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 wayla;',! 
 on every side, as well by the Dutch at Batavia as the English elsewhere ; that, 
 if we should be taken, as it were, running away, we should even condemn 
 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 certainly be taken. This danger a little startled my partner, and 
 all the ship's company, and we immediately resolved to go away to the coast 
 of Tonquin, and so on to the coast of China ; and, pursuing the first design as 
 to trade, find some way or other to dispose of the ship, and come back in some 
 of the vessels of the country, such as we could get This was approved of 
 as the best method for our security; and, accordingly, we steered away 
 N. N. E., keeping above fifty leagues off" from the usual course to the 
 eastwai'd. 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 
 pi-ovided 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 vigor. 
 
 I must confess I was now very uneasy, and thought myself^ including the 
 late escape from the long-boats, to have been in the most dangerous condi- 
 tion that ever I was in through my past life ; for, whatever ill circumstances 
 I had been in, I was never pursued for a thief before ; nor had 1 ever 
 done any thing that merited the name of dishonest or fi-audulent, much 
 less thievish; I had chiefly been my own enemy, or, as 1 may rightly 
 say, I had been nobody's enemy but my own; but now I was em- 
 barassed in the worst condition imaginable; for, though I was pei-fectly 
 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 pai'tner, seeing me 
 thus dejected, though he was the most concerned at first, began to en- 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 423 
 
 courage 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, in- 
 tending afterwards to go to Macao, a town once in possession of the Por- 
 tuguese, and where still a great many European families resided ; and par 
 ticularly the missionaiy 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 veiy early in the morning ; and upon reflection on 
 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 ; foi-, 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 colors 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 
 no were in was wild and barbarous ; the people thieves, even by occupa- 
 tion 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 fi'om being 
 insulted by them several ways. We were in a small river of this country, 
 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 Ton- 
 quin ; and it was in this beating up along the shore that we discovered 
 we were surrounded with enemies. The people we were among were 
 the most barbarous of all the inhabitants of tlie coast, having no corre- 
 spondence witn any other nation, and dealing only in fish and oil, and such 
 gross commodities; and it may be pai'ticulai'ly seen that theyai-e the most bar- 
 barous 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, tiiey presently 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: 
 
 1 have observed above, that our ship sprung a leak at sea, and that 
 wc 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 shi[) so perfectly tight and sound as we desired, we resolved, while we 
 weve at this place, to lay her on shore, and take out what hea^T^ things 
 we had on board, and clean her bottom ; and, if possible, to find out where 
 the lealis were. Accordingly, having lightened the ship, and brought all 
 our guns and other moveables to one side, we ti-ied 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 he down on 
 one side in such a manner, and heeling in towards the shore, and not 
 
424 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 seeing our men, who were at work on her bottom witn stages, and with 
 their boats on the off side, they presently concluded that the ship was east 
 away, and lay so fast on the ground. On this supposition, they all came 
 aboiJt us in two or three hours' time, with ten or twelve large boats, having 
 sonic of them eight, some ten men in a boat, mtending, no doubt, to have come 
 on boai-d and plundered the ship ; and, if they had found us there, to have 
 (tarried 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 dis 
 covered us all hard at work on the outside of the ship's bottom and side, 
 washing, and graving, and stopping, as evei-y seafaring man knows how 
 They stood for a while, gazing at us, and we, who svere 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 others to hand 
 down arms and ammunition to those tliat were at work to defend themselves 
 with, if there should be occasion : 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 endeavoi'ing to 
 save her, or to save our lives by the help of our boats ; and when we 
 handed our arms into the boat, they concluded, by that motion, that we 
 were endeavoring 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 postm-e to fight, and cried out to us to know what they should 
 do. I immediately called to the men that worked upon the stsiges, to slip 
 them down, and get up the side into the ship ; and bade those in the boat 
 
 t-j^fujr-r. cr 
 
Sjj!5\1'"A.\ 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 427 
 
 to row round, and come on board; ami those few who were on board 
 worked with all the strength and hands we had, to bring the ship to 
 rights ; but, however, neither the men upon the stages nor those in the boats 
 could do as they were ordered, before the Cochin Chinese were upon them ; 
 and two of then: boats boarded our long-boat, and began to lay hold of the 
 men as their prisoners. 
 
 Tlie 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 
 busmess better than I could teach him; for he gi-appled the pagan, and 
 dragged him by main force out of their lioat 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 meantime, 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 o^them who attempted to enter the boat But this was 
 doing little towards resisting thirty or forty men, who, fearless, because ig- 
 norant of their danger, began to throw themselves into the long-boat, where 
 we had but five men in all to defend it ; but the foUowng accident, which 
 deserved our laughter, gave our men a complete victory. 
 
 Our carpenter, being prepared to grave the outside of the ship, as well 
 as to pay the seams where he had calked her to stop the leaks, had got two 
 kettles just let down into the boat, one filled with boiling pitch, and the 
 other with rosin, tallow, and oil, and such stuff" as the shipwrights use for 
 that work ; and the man that attended the carpenter had a great iron ladle in 
 his hand, with which ho 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 tlicm 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 
 tliem 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 tliat escaped being scalded and burned with it, in a most frightful, 
 pitiful manner, and made such a howling and crying, that 1 never heard a 
 worse noise ; f"or it is worth observing, that, though pain naturally makes all 
 people cry out, yet eveiy nation has a pai'ticular way of exclamation, and 
 makes noises aS diff"erent 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 
 I" jise 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 tills 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 necessary wickedness in nature,) yet I thought it was a sad 
 life, when we must be always obliged to be killing our fellow-creatures to 
 
428 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 presei-ve ourselves ; and, indeed, I think so still ; and I vi^ould even now 
 suffer a great deal, rather than I vifould take away the life even of the 
 worst person injuring me ; and, 1 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, ray paitner 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 thek places 
 again, the gunner called to me to bid our boat get out of the way, for he 
 would let fly among them. I called back again to him, and bid him not 
 offer to fire, for the carpenter would do the work without him; but bid 
 him heat another pitch-kettle, which our cook, who was on board, took 
 care of; but the enemy was so terrified with what thijy ;. ad met with in their 
 fii-st attack, that they would not come on again ; and some of them who were 
 farthest off, seeing the ship swim, as it were, upright, t|Bgan, as we suppose, 
 to see their mistake, and give over the enterprise, finding it was not as they 
 expected. Thus we got clear of this meiry 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 surrounded the next day witu 
 vogues enough, perhaps more than our f)itch-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 postui'e, 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 lealis, we set sail. We would have gone 
 into the Bay of Tonquin, for we wanted to inform ourselves of what was to 
 be known concerning the Dutch ships tl:at had 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 auy of the European ships ; and then we steered 
 north, till we came to the latitude of 22 degrees 30 minutes, by which means 
 we made the Island Formosa dkectly, where we came to an anchor, in 
 order to get water and fresh provisions, which the people there, who are 
 very courteous and civil in their manners, supplied us with willingly, and 
 dealt veiy fauly 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 mis- 
 sionary of Protestants, and is a testimony of what I have often observed, 
 viz., that the Christian religion always civilizes the people and reforms 
 their manners, where it is received, whether 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 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 429 
 
 into any of their liands, especially in tljis counti-y; where, as our cu-cuin- 
 stances were, we could not fail of being entirely ruined. 
 
 Being now come to the latitude of 30 degrees, we resolved to put into 
 the first trading port we should come at; and, standing in for the shore, a 
 boat came off two leagues to us with an old Portuguese pilot on board, who, 
 knowing us to be a European ship, came to offer his service, which, indeed, 
 we were glad of, and took him on board ; upon which, without asking us 
 whither we would go, he dismissed the boat he cam&in, and sent it back. 
 
 I thought it was now so much iu our choice to make the old mas carry 
 us whither we would, that I began to talk to him about carrying us to the 
 Gulf of Nanquin, which is the most northern part of the coast of China. 
 The old man said he knew the Gulf of Nanquin very well; but, smiling, 
 asked us wliat wc would do there ? I told liim we would sell our cargo, 
 ai.J 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 put iu at Maciio, where we could not have failed of a market for 
 our opium to our satijsfaction, and niijiht, for our money, huvv purchased all 
 sorts of China goods as cheap as \vi' could at' .\anquin. 
 
 Not being able to |)ut the old man out of his talk, of which he was very 
 opinionated or conceited, I told liiin we ^\■cru fjontlemcn tis well as mer- 
 chants, and that wo had a mind to 1:0 and see the gi-cat city of Pekin, and 
 the famous court of the monarch of China. "Why, then," says the old man, 
 "you should go to Ningpo, vvheic, by the ri\or which runs into the sea there, 
 you may go up within five leagtios of tlie great canal. This canal is a 
 navigable stream, which goes through the heart of that \ust enqiire of China, 
 crosses all the rivers, passes some ccpiisiderable hills by tlie help of sluices 
 and gates, and goes up to the city of I'rkin, being iu length near two hun- 
 dred and seventy leagues." 
 
 " Well," said I, " Seignior Portuguese, but that is not our business now : 
 the great question is, if you can carry us up to the cit)' of Nanquin, from 
 whence we can ti-avel to Pekin afterwards." He said he could do so veri 
 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 fright- 
 ful a figure ; and we depended upon it that a Dutch ship would be our 
 destruction, for wc were in no condition to fight them; all the ships they 
 trade with into those parts being of great burden, and of much greater force 
 than we were. 
 
 The old man found me a little confused, and mider some concern, when 
 he named a Dutch ship; and said to me, "Sir, you need be under no 
 apprehensions of the Dutch ; I suppose they are not now at war with your 
 nation." " No," said I, " that's true ; but I know not what liberties men 
 may talie when they are out of tlie reach of the laws of their o^vii countiy." 
 "Why," says he, "you are no pkates ; what need you fear? They %vill not 
 meddle with peaceable merchants, sure." 
 
 If 1 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 imagina- 
 ble ; nor was it possible for me to conceal it so but the old man easily 
 perceived it. 
 
 " Sir," says he, " I find you are in some disorder in your thoughts at my 
 
430 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 1 am a 
 little unsettled in my resolution at this time, whither to go in particular ; and 
 I am something more so for what you said about pirates. I hope thei-e are 
 no pirates in these seas ; we are but in an ill condition to meet with themi 
 for you see we have but a small force, and are but very weakly manned." 
 " O, sir," says he, "don't be concerned ; I do not know that there have been 
 any pirates in these seas these fifteen years, except one, vvhicli was seen, 
 as I hear, in the Bay of Siam, about a month since ; but you may be assured 
 she is gone to the southward ; nor was she a ship of any great force, or fit 
 for the work : she was not built for a privateer, but was run away with by 
 a reprobate crew that was on board, after the captain and some of liis men 
 had been murdered by the Malayans, at or near the Island of Suma- 
 tra." " What," said I, seeming to know nothing of the matter, " did they 
 murder the captain ? " "No," said he, "1 don't understand that tliey mur- 
 dered him ; but, as they afterwards ran away with the ship, it is generally 
 believed that they betrayed him into the hands of the Malayans, who did 
 murder him, and perhaps they procured them to do it." " Why, then," said 
 I, "they deserve death as much as if they had done it themselves." "Nay," 
 says the old man, " they do deserve it ; and they will certainly have it, if they 
 light upon any English or Dutch ship; for they have all agreed together, 
 that, if they meet that rogue, they'll give him no quarter." " But," said I to 
 him, " you say the pu-ate 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 43J 
 
 as I tell you, in the Bay of Siam, in the River Cambodia, and was discovered 
 there by some Dutchmen who belonged to the ship, and who were left on 
 shore when they ran away with her; 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 ceitaiuly 
 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 find her, they have vcwed to give no 
 quarter, either to the captain or seamen, but to hang tliem all up . t tlie yard- 
 arm." " What ! " said 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 tlieni lie 
 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 noliaiiii, 
 so that I turned short upon him: "Well, now, seignior," said I, "tliis is ii.e 
 very reason why I would have jou carry us up to Nanquin, and not jm t 
 back to Macao, or to any other part of the country where the English i^.- 
 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 laelongs to justice, or how to behave themselves as 
 the laws of God and nature direct ; but, being proud of their offices, and not 
 understanding 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 inquii-y : and perhaps I may live to bring some of them to 
 account for it, when they may be taught how justice is to be executed; and 
 that no man ought to be treated as a criminal till some evidence may be had 
 of the crime, and that he is the man." 
 
 With this, 1 told him that this was the very ship they attacked, and gave 
 liira a full account of the skirmish we had with their boats, and how foolishly 
 and cowardly they behaved. I told him all the story of our buying the ship, 
 and how the Dutchman served us. I told him the reasons I had to believe 
 the story of killing the master by tlie 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 sm-e it was so, 
 before they had ventured to attack us h\ surprise, and oblige us to resist 
 them ; adding, that they would have the blood of those men, ^vhom we killed 
 there in just defence, to answer for. 
 
 The old man was auiazed at this lelation, and told us we were vei-y 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 coimtiy ; "and," said he, "though you ^vill not get so good a 
 ship, yet YOU may get one able enough to cai-ry you and all your goods back 
 again to Bengal, or anywhere else." I told him I would take his advice when 
 I came to any port where I could find a ship for my turn, or get any customer 
 to buy this. 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 
 otlier. " Well, but, seignior," said I, "as you say they know the ship so well, 
 I may iterhaps, if I follow your measures, be instrumental to bring some 
 
432 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 honest, innocent men into a terrible broil, and perhaps to be mui-dered in 
 cold blood ; for, wherever they find the ship, they vsfill prove the guilt upon 
 the men, by proving this was the ship ; and so innocent men may probably 
 be overpowered and murdered." " Why," says the old man, " TU find out a 
 way to prevent that also ; for, as 1 know all those commanders you speak of 
 vei7 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 inno- 
 cently bought her for their trade; and I am persuaded they will so far believe 
 me, as at least to act more cautiously for the time to come." 
 
 While these things were passing between us, by way of discourse, we 
 went forward directly for Nanquin, and in about thirteen days' sail, came to 
 an anchor, at the south-west point of the great Gulf of 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. 1 con- 
 sulted my partner again in this exigency, and he was as much at a loss as I 
 was, and would vei-y gladly have been safe on shore almost anywhere: how- 
 ever, I was not in such perplexity neither, but I asked the old pUot if there 
 was no creek or harbor 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 1 
 would sail to the southward about forty-two leagues, there was a little port 
 called Ciuinchang, where the fathers of the mission usually landed from 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 433 
 
 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, 1 
 might consider what farther course to take when I was on shore. He con- 
 fessed, he said, it was not a place for merchants, except that at some certain 
 times they had a kind of a fair there, when the merchants from Japan came 
 over thither to buy Chinese merchandises. 
 
 We all agreed to go back to this place ; the name of the port, as he jailed 
 it, 1 may perhaps spell viTong, for I do not particularly remember it, having 
 lost this, together with the names of many other places set dowTi in a little 
 pocket-book, which was spoiled by the water by an accident ; but this I re- 
 meml:«r, that the Chinese or Japanese merchants we corresponded with, 
 called it by a different name fi-om that which our Portuguese pilot gave il, 
 and pronounced it, as above, (iuinchang. 
 
 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 
 u?, and brought us abundance of things to sell to us, — 1 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 thank- 
 ful, when 1 set my foot on shore, resolving, and my partner too, that if it 
 was possible to dispose of ourselves and effects any other way, though not 
 every way to our satisfaction, we would never set one foot on board that 
 unhappy vessel more ; and, indeed, I must acknowledge, diat, 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. AVell 
 does the Scripture say, "The fear of man brings a suare;" it is a life of 
 death, and the mind is so entu-ely oppressed 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 distinguishing between honest men and 
 rogues; or between a story calculated for our own turn, made out of 
 nothing, on purpose to deceive, and a true, genuine account of our whole 
 voyage, progress, and design ; for we might, many ways, have convinced 
 any reasonable creatures that we were not pirates ; the goods we had on 
 board, the course we steered, our frankly showing ourselves, and entering 
 into such and such ports ; and even our very manner, the force we had, 
 the number of men, tlie few arms, the little ammimition, short provisions; 
 all these would have served to convince any men that we were no pu^tes. 
 The opium and other goods we had on board would make it appear the 
 ship had been at Bengal. The Dutchmen, who, it was said, had the names 
 of all the men that were in the ship, might easily see that we were a 
 mixture of English, Portuguese, and Indians, and but two Dutchmen on 
 boai-d. These, and many other particular circumstances, might have made 
 it evident to tlie understanding of any commander, whose hands we might 
 fall into, that we were no pu-ates. But fear, that blind, useless passion 
 worked another way, and threw us into the vapors; 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 Dut ■ 
 55 
 
434 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ships, but especially the Dutch, were so enraged at the name of a pirate, 
 and especially at our beating off their boats and escaping, that they would 
 not give themselves leave to inquire whether we were pirates or no, but 
 would execute us off hand, as we call it, without giving us any -oom 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, and that some of the seamen among 
 them knew her, and had been on board her ; and, secondly, that when we 
 had inteUigence 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 contrai-y ; and, as 1 often said, 1 know not but I should have been 
 apt to have taken those circumstances for evidence, if the tables were 
 . turned, and my case was theirs ; and have made no scruple of cutting all 
 the crew to pieces, without believing, or perhaps considering, what they 
 might have to offer in their defence. 
 
 Bat let that be how it will, these were our apprehensions ; and both my 
 partner and I scarce slept a night without dreaming of hahers and yard- 
 arms, that is to say, gibbets ; of fighting, and being taken ; of killing, and 
 being killed : and one night I was in such a fuiy in my dream, fancying 
 the Dutchmen had boarded us, and I was knocking one of their seamen 
 down, that 1 struck my double fist against the side of the cabin 1 lay in 
 with such a force as wounded my hand giievously, 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 viith 
 from them if we fell into their hands : then the story of Amboyna came 
 into ray head, and how the Dutch might perhaps torture us, as they did 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 435 
 
 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 as 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, 
 I)ut 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 
 ii" we had surrendered prisoners to them, they could not answer the de- 
 stroying 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 mur- 
 dered, 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 in a life of continual diflSculties, 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 upon 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 
 I ife were most obvious to nie, and for which Providence might justly inflict 
 this punishment as a retribution ; and that I ought to submit to this, just 
 as 1 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 1 
 would be talking myself up to vigorous resolutions ; that I would not be 
 taken to be bai-barously used by a parcel of merciless wTetches in cold 
 blood ; that it were much better to have fallen into the hands of the sav- 
 ages, though 1 was sure they would feast upon me when they had taken 
 me, than those who would perhaps glut their rage upon me by inhuman 
 tortures and barbarities ; that in the case of the savages, I always resolved 
 to die fighting to the last gasp, and why should 1 not do so now, seeing it 
 was much more dreadful, to me at least, to think of falling into these 
 men's hands, than ever it was to think of being eaten by men ? for the 
 savages, give them their due, would not eat a man till he was kiUed and 
 dead, but that these men had many arts beyond the cruelty of death. 
 Whenever these thoughts prevailed, 1 was sure to put myself into a kind 
 of fever with the agitation of a supposed fight ; my blood would boil, and 
 my eyes spai-kle, as if 1 was engaged, and I always resolved to take no 
 quai-ter at their hands; but, even at last, if I could resist no longer, 1 
 would blow up the ship and all that was in her, aid leave them but little 
 booty to boast of 
 
436 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 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 longer under it ; but that 
 the Portuguese pilot came and took it off his back, and the hill disappeared, 
 the ground before him appearing all smooth and plain : and truly it was 
 so , chey were all hke 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 
 loujjer to beai- ; and, as I said above, we resolved to go no more to sea in 
 thai ship. When we came on shore, the old pilot, who was now our 
 irie.ifl, got us a lodging and a warehouse for our goods, which, by the 
 v,iij, was much the same: it was a little house, or hut, with a larger house 
 adjiiining to it, all built with canes, and palisadoed round with large canes, 
 iK K-iep out pilfering thieves, of which, it seems, there were not a few in 
 that country: however, the magistrates allowed us a little guard, and we 
 hait a soldier with a kind of halberd, or half-pike, who stood sentinel at 
 r/ur door; to whom we allowed a pint of rice, and a little piece of money, 
 dliout 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 Japanners, — I mean ships from Japan, — with goods which they had 
 bought in China, and wore not gone away, having some Japanese mer- 
 chants on shore. 
 
 The &st thing our old Portuguese pilot did for us was, to get us 
 acquainted with three missionaiy Romish priests who were in the town, 
 and who had been there some time converting the people to Christianity; 
 but we thought they made but poor work of it, and made them but sony 
 Christians when they had done ; however, that was none of our business. 
 One of these was a Frenchman, whom they called Father Simon; anotlier 
 was a Portuguese ; and the third a Genoese ; but Father Simon was 
 coiu'teous, easy in his manner, and veij agreeable company ; the other 
 two were more reserved, seemed rigid and austere, and applied seriously 
 to the work tliey came about, viz., to talk with, and insinuate them- 
 selves among the inhabitants, wherever they had opportunity. We often 
 ate and drank with those men ; and though, I must confess, the coiir 
 version, 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, and that they are the 
 instruments of it ; and, on this account, they undergo not only the fatigue 
 of the voyage, and the hazards of living in such places, but oftentimes 
 death itself, and the most violent tortures, for the sake of this work. 
 
 But to return to my story : This French priest. Father Simon, was 
 appointed, it seems, by order of the chief of the mission, to go up to Pekin, 
 the royal seat of the Chinese emperor, and waited only for another priest, 
 who was ordered to come to him from Macao, to go along with him ; and 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 437 
 
 we scarce ever met together but he was inviting me to go ♦hat journey ; 
 telling me how he would show me all the glorious things of that mighty 
 empire, and, among the rest, the greatest city in the world; "a city," said 
 he, " that your London and our Paris put together cannot be equal to." 
 This was the city of Pekin, which, I confess, is very great, and infinitely 
 full of people ; but as I looked on those things with different eyes from 
 other men, so I shall give my opinion of them in a few words, when i 
 come, in the course of my travels, to speak more particularly of them. 
 
 Hut, fii'st, 1 come to my friar or missionary. Dining with him one day, 
 and being very merry together, 1 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 pei-haps be good Catholics in time ; my business here is to 
 
 I. i\ert heathens, and who knows but I may convert you too?" "Very 
 w.JI, father," said I; "so you will preach to us all the way?" "I will 
 [lOi. be troublesome to you," says he ; " our religion does not divest us of 
 ifoud manners ; besides, we are here like countiymen ; and so we are, 
 compared to tlie place we are in ; and if you are Huguenots, and I a Cath- 
 olic, we may all be Christians at last ; at least, we are all gentlemen, and 
 we may converse so, without being uueasy to one another." I liked this 
 part of his discourse very well, and it began to put me in mind of my 
 prif sr that I had left in the Brasils ; but this Father Simon did not come 
 
438 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 up to his character by a great deal ; for, though Father Simon had nc 
 appeai-ance of a criminal 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, nor soliciting us to 
 go with him, — we had something else before us at first, for we had all 
 this while our ship and our merchandise to dispose of, and we began to 
 be very doubtful what we should do, for we were now in a place of very 
 little business; and once I was about to venture to sail for the river of 
 Kilam, and the city of Nanquin ; but Providence seemed now more visibly, 
 as 1 thought, than ever, to concern itself in our affairs ; and I was encour- 
 aged, 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, paying us in gold by weight, 
 some in small pieces of theu- own coin, and some in small wedges, of 
 about ten or twelve ounces each. While we were dealing with him for 
 our opium, it came into my head that he might perhaps deal for the ship 
 too, and I ordered the interpreter to propose it to him : he shrunk up his 
 shoulders at it, when it was first proposed to him ; but in a few days 
 after he came to me, with one of the missionary priests for his intei-preter, 
 and told me he had a proposal to muTce to me, which was this : — he had 
 bought a great quantity of goods of us, when he had no thoughts of pro- 
 posals 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 1 could 
 not but begin to entertain a notion of going myself with him, and so to 
 set sail from the Philippine Islands away to the South Seas ; accordingly, 
 I asked the Japanese merchant if he would not hjre 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 discharge us in 
 Japan, at the ship's return. Well, still I was for taking him at that pi'O- 
 posal, and going myself; but my partner, wiser than myself, persuaded me 
 from it, representing the dangers, as well of the seas as of the Japanese, 
 who ai-e a false, cruel, and treacherous people ; likewise those of the 
 Spaniards at the Phihppines, 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 wth the captain of the ship, and with his men, 
 and know if they were willing to go to Japan : and while 1 was doing this, 
 the young man whom my nephew had left with me as my companion for 
 my travels, came to me, and told me that he thought that voyage promised 
 very fair, and that there was a great prospect of advantage, and he would 
 be veiy glad if I imdertook 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 439 
 
 ever lie came to England, and I was there and alive, he would rendei 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 advan- 
 tage, which really was considerable, 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 1 told him 
 I would consult my partner, and give him an answer the next day. My 
 partner and I discoursed about it, and my i)artner made a most generous 
 oifer : " You know it has been an unlucky ship," said he, " and we both re- 
 solve not to go to sea in it again : if your steward (so he called my man) 
 will venture the voyage, 1 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 pai-tner, 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 vei-y punctual, 
 honest man to him ; protected him at Japan, and got him a license to come 
 on shore, which the Europeans in general have not lately obtained ; paid him 
 his freight very punctually ; sent him to tlie Philippines, loaded with Japan 
 and China wares, and a supercargo of their own, who, trafficking with the 
 Spaniards, brought back European goods again, and a great quantity of 
 cloves and otlier spices ; and there he was not only paid his freight very 
 well, and at & very good price, but not being willing to sell the ship then, the 
 merchant furnished him goods on his own accoimt ; and with some money 
 and some spices of his own which he brought with him, he went back to 
 the Manillas to the Spaniards, where he sold his cargo very well. Here, 
 
440 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 having got a good acquaintance at Manilla, he got his ship made a free ship ; 
 and the governor of Manilla hired htrh to go to Acapulco, in America, on 
 the coast of Mexico, and gave him a license to land there, and to travel to 
 Mexico, and to pass in any Spanish ship to Europe, with all his men. He 
 made the voyage to Acapulco very happily, and there he sold his ship ; and 
 havmg 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 ; ia the mean time, I return to our particular affairs. 
 
 Being now to pait with the ship and ship's company, it came before us, of 
 comse, to consider what recompense we should give to the two men that 
 gave us such timely notice of the design against us ia 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, wliich contented them very well ; then I made the English- 
 man 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 pi-oved very serviceable, being both able seamen, and very stout 
 fellows. 
 
 We were now on shore in China : if I thought myself banished and re- 
 mote 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 man- 
 ner of prospect of return ? All we had for it was this, that in about four 
 months' time there was to be another fair at the place where we were, and 
 then we might be able to purchase all sorts of the manufactures of the 
 country, and withal might possibly 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 opportunity to load our goods, and 
 get passage to some other place in India nearer home. Upon these hopes, 
 we resolved to continue here; but, to divert ourselves, we took two or three 
 journeys into the country. 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 theu- glory, as some call it, I must confess that 1 scal'cely 
 think it worth my while to mention them hei'e. 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 441 
 
 that it is to be wondered at, or, indeed, ju the least to be regai'ded, but 
 because, having a true notion of the barbarity of those countries, the rude- 
 ness and the ignorance that prevail there, we do not expect to find any such 
 thing so far off. Otherwise, what are their buildings to the palaces and 
 royal buildings of Europe .-■ What their trade to the universal commerce 
 of England, Holland, France, and Spain ? What are their cities to oui-s, 
 for wealth, strength, gayety 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 eighty guns, would be able to fight almost all the 
 shipping belonging to China : but the greatness of then- wealth, their trade, 
 the power of their government, and the strength of their armies, may be a 
 little surprising to us, because, as 1 have said, considering them as a barba- 
 rous nation of pagans, little better than savages, we did not expect sucli 
 things among them : and tliis, indeed, is the advantage with which all their 
 greatness and power is i-epresented to us ; otlierwise, 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, tliough tlicy were to bring two mil- 
 lions of men into the field togetlier, would be able to dcj nothing but ruin 
 the countiy, and starve themselves, if they were to besiuge a strong town in 
 Flanders, or to fight a disciplined army; one good line of German cuu-as- 
 siers, or of French cavalry, might withstand all the horse of China; a mil- 
 lion of their foot could not stand before one embattled body of our infantry, 
 posted so as not to be surrounded, though they were not to be one to twenty 
 i]i number ; nay, 1 do not boast, if I say, that thirty thousand German or 
 English foot, and ten thousand horse, well managed, coidd defeat all the 
 forces of China; and so of our fortilieil towns, and of the art of our engi- 
 neers in assaulting and defending towns ; there is not a fortified town in China 
 i!0uld hold out one month against the batteries and attacks of a Em-opean 
 army ; and, at the same time, all the armies of Cliina 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 aw kward and unceitain 
 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, 
 thcrefori', I must confess, it seemed sti'ange to me, when I came home, and 
 heard our people say such fine things of the power, glory, magnificence, 
 and trade of the Chinese ; because, as far as I saw, they appeared to be a con- 
 temptible herd or crowd of ignorant, sordid slaves, subjected to a govern- 
 ment qualified only to rule such a people ; and were not its distance incon- 
 ceivably great from Muscovy, and tlie Muscovite empire in a manner as rude, 
 mipotent, and ill-governed as they, the czar of jMuscovy might with ease 
 drive them all out of tlieir country, and conquer them in one campaign ; and 
 had the czar (who is now a growing prince) fallen this way, instead of 
 attacking the wai'like .Swedes, and equally improved himself in the art of 
 nar, as they say he has done ; and if none of the powers of Europe had 
 envied or interrupted him, he might by this time have been emperor of 
 China, 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 husbandry, are very imperfect, compared 
 o tlie same things in Europe ; also, in then- knowledge, their learning, and 
 56 
 
442 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 in their skill in the sciences, they ai'e either very awkward or defective, though 
 they have globes or spheres, and a smattering of the mathematics, and think 
 they know more than all the world besides ; but they know little of the mo- 
 tions of the heavenly bodies ; and so grossly and absurdly ignorant ai-e their 
 common people, that, when the sun is eclipsed, they think a great dragon 
 has assaulted it, and is going to run away with it ; and they fell 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 1 have made in all the 
 accounts I have given of my travels, so 1 shall make no more such ; it is 
 none of my business, nor any pai't of my design ; but to give an account of 
 my own adventures through a life of inimitable wanderingp, and a Jong 
 variety of changes, which, perhaps, few that come after me will have heard 
 the like of: 1 shall, therefore, say very little of all the mighty places, desert 
 countries, and numerous people 1 have yet to pass through, more than relates 
 to my own story, and which my concern among them make necessaiy. 
 
 I was now, as near as I can compute, in the heait 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 Pekin, which I had heard so much of, and Father 
 Simon importuned me daily to do it. At length his time of going away 
 being set, and the other missionary, who was to go with him, being arrived from 
 Macao, it was necessaiy that we should resolve either to go or not ; so I re- 
 ferred it wholly to my partner, and left it wholly to his choice, who at length 
 resolved it in the affirmative, and we prepai-ed for our journey. We set out 
 
OF ROBINSON CKUSOB. 443 
 
 with very good advantage, as to finding the way ; for we got leave to travel 
 in the retinue of one of their mandarine, a kind of viceroy or principal ma 
 gistrate in the province where they reside, and who take great state upon 
 them, travelling with great attendance and with great homage from the 
 people, who are sometimes greatly impoverished by them ; being obUged to 
 furnish provisions for them and all their attendants in their journeys. That 
 which I particularly observed, as to our travelling with his baggeige, was this, 
 that, though we received sufficient provisions both for ourselves and our 
 horses from the country, as belonging to the mandarin, yet we were obliged 
 to pay for every thing we had, after the market price of the country, and the 
 mandarin's steward collected it duly from us ; so that our travelling in tlie 
 retinue of the mandarin, though it was a very great kindness to us, was not 
 such a mighty favor in him, but was a great advantage to him, considei- 
 iug there were above thirty other people travelled in the same manner besides 
 us, under the protection of his retinue ; for the coiontry furnished all the pro- 
 visions for nothing to him, and yet he took our money for them. 
 
 We were twenty-five days travelling to Pekin, 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 Amer- 
 ica 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 beggai-s and drudges ; their ostenta- 
 tion is inexpressible ; and, if they can, they love to keep multitudes of ser- 
 vants or slaves, which is to the last degree ridiculous, as well as the contempt 
 of all the world but themselves. 
 
 1 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 convenient for travellers ; but nothing was 
 more awkward to me than to see such a haughty, imperious, insolent people, 
 in the midst of the grossest simplicity and ignorance ; and my friend Father 
 Simon and I used to be very merry upon these occasions, to see the beggarly 
 pride of these people : for example, coming by the house of a country 
 gentleman, as Father Simon called him, about ten leagues oiF the city of 
 Ndtiquin, we had, first of all, the honor to ride with the master of the 
 house, about two miles ; the state he rode in was a perfect Don Qulxoteism, 
 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 honor must be a most 
 esqaisite 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 belabored the beast as fast about the head as 
 his slaves did about the 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 gentleman rode away 
 before us ; and as we stopped at a village about an hour to refresh us, when 
 we came by the country-seat of tliis great man, we saw him in a little place 
 
144 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 y.sr. cP!. 
 
 before his door, eating a repast. It was a kind of a gai-den, but he was easy 
 to be seen ; and we were given to understand that the more we looked at him 
 the better he would be pleased. He sat under a tree, something like the 
 palmetto, which effectually shaded him over the head, and on the south side ; 
 but under the tree was placed a large umbrella, which made that part look 
 well enough • he sat lolling back in a great elbow-chair, being a heavy, cor- 
 pulent man. and had his meat brought him by two women slaves ; he had 
 two more, one of which fed the squu-e with a spoon, and the other held the 
 dish with one hand, and scraped off what he let fall upon his worship's 
 beard and taffety vest. 
 
 Thus leaving the poor viretch 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 counti-y justice had to feed on in all his state, 
 which he had the honor to taste ofj and which was, I think, a mess of boiled 
 rice, with a great piece of garlic in it, and a little bag filled with gi'een 
 pepper, and another plant which they have there, something like oiu- 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 respected as a king, 
 surrounded always with his gentlemen, and attended in all his appearances 
 with such pomp, that I saw little of him but at a distance ; but this I ob- 
 
ilo sat loUino back in a groat elbow chair, and had his meat brought to him bv two women slaves. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 447 
 
 Berved, that there was not a norse in his retinue but that our cairiers' 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, trapjMngs, 
 &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 1 have 
 given an account of being over, I had no anxious thoughts about me, which 
 made this journey the pleasaiiter to me ; nor had I any ill accident attended 
 me, only in passing 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. 1 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 I'otted, and the words were never after to be read, to my great loss 
 as to the names of some of the places I touched at in this journey. 
 
 At length, we arrived at Pekin ; 1 had nobody with me but the youth 
 whom my nephew, the captain, had given me to attend me as a servant, and 
 who proved veiy trusty and diligent ; and my partner had nobody with him 
 but one servant, 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 Pekin, when he came, laughing, — "All, Seignior Inglese," says he, 
 " I have something to tell will make jour heart glad." " My heart glad," 
 says I ; " what can that be ? 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, " >vill 
 it make you sorry ? " " Because," said he, " you have brought me here 
 twenty-five days' journey, and will leave me to go back alone ; and which 
 way shall I get to my port afterwards without a ship, without a horse, 
 without joecune ? " — so he called money, being his broken Latin, of which 
 he had abundance to make us meny with. Li short, he told us there 
 was a great caravan of Muscovite and Polish merchants in the city, pre- 
 paring to set out on their journey by laud 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 spealc to him for some time ; but at last I tm-ned to him. " How 
 do you know this ? " said I : " ai-e you sure it is true ? " " Yes," says he ; " ) 
 met this morning, in the street, an old acquamtance of mine, an Armenian, 
 who is among them ; he came last from Astracan, and was designing to go 
 to Tonquin, where I formerly knew him, but has altered his mind, and is 
 now resolved to go with the caravan to Moscow, and so down the River Wolga 
 to Astracan." "Well, seignior," 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 to- 
 gether 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 afiairs. He told me 
 he would do just as I would ; for he had settled all his afiairs so well at 
 Bengal, and left his eflfects in such good hands, that, as we had made a good 
 
148 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 voyage here, if he could vest it in Chma silks, wrought and raw, such as 
 might be worth the carriage, he would be content to go to England, and 
 then make his voyage back to Bengal by the Company's ships. 
 
 Having resolved upon this, we agreed that if our Portuguese pilot would 
 go with us, we would bear his charges to Moscow, or to England, if he 
 pleased ; nor, indeed, were we to be esteemed over generous in that neither, 
 if we had not rewarded him farther, the service he had done us being really 
 worth more than that ; for he had not only been a pilot to us at sea, but 
 he had been like a broker for us on shore ; and his procuring for us the 
 Japan merchant was some hundreds of pounds in our pockets. So we con- 
 sulted 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 necessai-y man on all occasions, we agreed to give him a quantity of 
 coined gold, which, as I compute it, came to about one hundi'ed and seventy- 
 five pounds sterling, between us, and to bear all his charges, both for himself 
 and horse, except only a horse to carry his goods. Having settled this between 
 ourselves, we called him to let him know what we had resolved. 1 told him 
 he had complained of our being willing to let him go hack alone, and I was 
 now about 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 joui-ney, and he had no pecune to cany him thither, 
 or to subsist himself when he came there. We told him we believed it was 
 so, and therefore we had resolved to do something for him that should let him 
 see how sensible we were of the service he had done us, and also how 
 agreeable he was to us ; 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 cheirges, 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 prepai-ed for our journey. However, as it 
 was with us, so it was with the other merchants ; they had many things to 
 do ; and, instead of being ready in five weeks, it was four months and some 
 days before all things were got together. 
 
 It was the beginning of February, our style, when we set out from Pekin. 
 My partner and the old pilot had gone express back to the port where we 
 had first put in, to dispose of some goods which we had left there ; and I, 
 with a Chinese merchant, whom I had some knowledge of at Nanquin, and 
 who came to Pekin 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 
 Pekin against my partner's retui-n; besides this, we bought a very large 
 quantity of raw silk, and some other goods, our cargo amounting, in these 
 goods only, to about three thousand five hundred pounds sterling; which, 
 together with tea, and some fine calicoes, and three camels' loads of nutmegs 
 and cloves, loaded in all eighteen camels for our share, besides those we rode 
 upon ; which, ■with two or three spare horses, and two horses loaded with 
 provisions, made us, in short, twenty-six camels and horses in our retinue. 
 
 The company was very great, and, as near as I can remember, made 
 between three and four hundred horse, and upwards of one hundred and 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 449 
 
 twenty men, very well armed, and provided for all events ; for, as the Eastern 
 caravans are subject to be attacked by the Arabs, so are these by the Tartars ; 
 but they are 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 Livoniahs ; and, to our particular satisfaction, five of them were 
 Scots, who appeared also to be men of great experience in business, and 
 of vei-y 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 necessary expense of l)iijing 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 com- 
 mand, in case of an attack, and give evei-y one their turn of command ; 
 nor was this forming us into order any more than what we found needful 
 on llie 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 meiTy, came, sneering, to 
 me, and told me he would show me the greatest rarity in all the country, 
 and that I should have this to say of China, after all the ill-humored things 
 that I had said of it, that I had seen one thing ^^ hich 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 Chhia ware. 
 "Well," says 1, "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, tliere is a family of thirty people lives m it" 
 
 I was then ciu'ious, 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 eai'th that makes China ware. 
 The outside, which the sun shone hot upon, was glazed, and looked very 
 well, perfectly white, and painted with blue figures, as the large China ware 
 in England is j)ainted, imd hard as if it had been burned. As to the inside, 
 all the walls, instead of wainscot, were lined with hardened and painted 
 tiles, like the little square tiles we call galley tiles in England, all made of 
 the finest China, and the figures exceeding fine, indeed, with extraordinary 
 vai-iety of colors, 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 btmied and 
 57 
 
450 
 
 THK LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 painted, except some smaller rooms, like closets, which were all, as it were 
 paved with the same tile ; the ceiling, and all the plastering work in the 
 whole house, were of the same earth ; and, after all, the roof was covered 
 with tiles of the same, but of a deep, shining black. This was a China 
 ware house, 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 par- 
 ticulars 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, entii-ely 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 veiy sure they excel in their accounts of it; for thev 
 told me such incredible things of their performance in crockery-ware, icV 
 such it is, that I care not to relate, as knowing it could not be true. Thej' 
 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 mighr 
 have said something to it indeed; but, as it was, I knew the whole of the 
 Btory, which was, in short, asking pardon for the word, that the fellow lied : 
 so I smiled, anc said nothing to it. 
 
 This odd sight kept me two hours behind the caravan, for which the 
 

 In two dny^ more wo passeJ tho grc:.l China will. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 453 
 
 leader of it for the day fined me about the value of three shillings ; and told 
 me if it had been three days' journey 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 neces- 
 sary 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 
 m 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 dio, 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 walls bounds, without measuring the windings and turnings it takes ; it 
 is about four fathoms high, and as many thick in some places. 
 
 I stood still an hour or thereabouts, without trespassing our orders, (for so 
 long the caravan was in passing the gate,) to look at it on every side, near 
 and far off, — I mean 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 excellent thing to keeji 
 out the Tartars ; which he happened not to understand as I meant it, and 
 so took it for a compUment ; but the old pilot laughed : " O, Seignior 
 Inglese," says he, " you speak in colors." " In colors ! " 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 
 Tartai's. 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 companies 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 lefl?" 
 " Ay, ay," says he, " I know that" The Chinese wanted mightily to know 
 what I said, and I gave him leave to tell him a. few days after, for we were 
 then almost out of their country, and he was to leave us 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 great- 
 ness while he staid. 
 
 After we passed this mighty nothing, called a wall, something like the 
 Picts' wall, so famous in Northumberland, built by the Romans, we began to 
 find the countj-y 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 gi-eat armies, and therefore are not to be resisted 
 by the naked inhabitants of an open country. And here I began to find the 
 necessity of keeping together in a caravan as we travelled, for we saw seve- 
 ral 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 con- 
 temptible 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 fcund 
 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 
 
454 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 a-hunting, as they call it ; and what was this but hunting of sheep ! How 
 ever, it may be called hunting too, for the creatures are the wildest and 
 swiftest of foot that ever I saw of their kind ; only they will not run a great 
 way, and you are sure of sport when you begin the chase, for they appear 
 generally thirty or forty in a flock, and, like trae sheep, always keep together 
 when they fly. 
 
 In pursuit of this odd sort of game, it was our hap to meet with about 
 forty Tartars : whether they were hunting mutton, as we wei-e, or whether 
 they looked for another kind of prey, we know 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 thek friends about them, and so it 
 was ; for, in less than ten minutes, a troop of forty or fifl;y 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 heai-d the horn, he told us that we had nothing to do but to charge 
 tliem 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 towm'ds them. They stood gazing at us hke 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 httle short of us, but with so true an aim, that had we 
 been about twenty yards nearer, we must have had several men wounded, if 
 not killed. 
 
 Immediately we halted : and though it was at a great distance, we fired, 
 and sent them leaden bullets for wooden arrows, following our shot full 
 gallop, to fall in among them sword in hand, for so our bold Scot that led ua 
 directed. He was, indeed, but a merchant, but he behaved with that vigor 
 and bravei-y on this occasion, and yet with such cool corn-age too, that I never 
 saw any man in action fitter for command. As soon as vi^e came up to them, 
 we fii-ed our pistols in their faces, and then drew; but they fled in the great- 
 est confusion imaginable. The only stand any of them made was on oui 
 right, whei'e three of them stood, and, by signs, called the rest to come back 
 to them, having a kind of cimeter 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 oiF his 
 horse, killed the second with his pistol, and the thu-d ran away ; and thus 
 ended our fight : but we had this misfortune attending it, that all our mutton 
 we had in chase got away. We had not a man killed or hurt ; but as for the 
 Tartars, there were about five of them killed , how many were wounded we 
 knew not ; 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 
 encamp all night, just as I have heard they do in the desert of Arabia. 
 
 I asked our guides whose dominion this was in ; and they told me this 
 was a kind of border, that might be called no man's land, being a part of 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 457 
 
 Great Karakathy, or Grand Tartary ; 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, u 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 reai-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, which wounded 
 a horse, so that it disabled him, and we left hira 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 arrows or Tartars that time. 
 
 We travelled neai- a month after this, the ways not being so good as at 
 first, though still in the dominions of the emperor of China, but lay for the 
 most part in the villages, some of which were fortified, because of the incur- 
 sions of the Tartars. When we were come to one of these towns, (it was 
 about two days and a half's journey before we were 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 also, such as they are, because, so many cara- 
 vans 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 guai'd. 
 
 I walked it on foot, with my old pilot and a Chinese, being very desirous 
 of a little variety. When we came to tlie 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 guai-d of Chinese soldiers at the door. 
 Having bought a. camel, and agreed for the price, 1 came away, and the 
 Chinese man that went with me led the camel, when on a sudden came up 
 five Tartars on horseback ; two of them seized the fellow, and took the camel 
 from him, while the other three stepped up to me and my old pilot, seeing 
 us, as it 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 ft'iort upon my drawing my sword, for they are arrant cowards ; but 
 a second, coming upon my left, gave me a blow on the head, which I never 
 felt till afterwards, and wondered, when I came to myself, 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 deliver- 
 ances 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 always boldest when tJiere 
 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 dowa by main force a little towards him with the other 
 shot him in the head, and laid him dead upon the spot. He then imme- 
 .58 
 
458 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Jiately stepped up to him who had stopped us, as 1 said, and before he could 
 come forward again, made a blow at him with a cimeter, which he always 
 wore, but, missing 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 quhe out of the pilot's reach ; and at some distance rising upon his hmd 
 legs, threw down the Tai-tar, and fell upon him. 
 
 In this interval, the poor Chinese came in who had lost the camel, but 
 he had no weapon : however, seeing the Tartar down, and his horse fallen 
 upon him, away he runs to him, and, seizuig upon an ugly, ill-favored 
 weapon he had by his side, something like a poleaxe, but not a poleaxe 
 neither, 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 
 stUl ; and, seeing lie did not fly as he expected, nor come on to fight him. 
 as he ■ipprehended, but stood stock still, the old man stood still too, and 
 fell to work with his tackle to charge his pistol again ; but as soon as the 
 Tartar saw the pistol, away he scoured, and left my pilot — my champion ] 
 called him afterwards — a complete victory. 
 
 By this tune I was a little recovered ; for I thought, when I first began 
 to wake, that I had been in a sweet sleep; b'jt, as 1 said above, 1 won- 
 dered where 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 1 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, memoi-y retm'ned, and 
 every thing was present to me again. I jumped upon my feet instantly, 
 end got hold of my sword, but no enemies in view: I found a Tartar lie 
 dead, ;ind his horse standing very quietly by him ; and, looking farther, 1 
 saw my cliampion and deliverer, who had been to see what the Chinese 
 l;ii(l done, coming back with his banger in his hand : the old man, seemg 
 Hi!' on ujy feet, came running to me, and embraced me with a great deal 
 

OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 461 
 
 of joy, being afraid before that 1 had been killed ; and, seeing me bloody, 
 would see how I was'^urt ; but it was not much, only what we call u 
 broken head- neither did I afterwards find any great inconvenience from 
 the blow, for t 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 remarkable, when we came back 
 to the village, the man demanded to be paid for the camel ; I disputed it, 
 and it was brought to a hearing before the Chinese judge of the place. 
 To give him his due, he acted with a great deal of prudence and impar- 
 tiality; and, having heard both sides, he gravely asked the Chinese man 
 tliat went with me to buy the camel, whose servant he was. "I am no 
 seiTant," 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 
 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 consequence, and an accurate 
 sU..ing 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 forti- 
 fied, and so it is, as fortifications go there ; for this I will venture to affirm, 
 that all the Tartars in Karakathay, which, I believe, are some millions, 
 could not batter down the walls with their bows and arrows ; but to call 
 it strong, if it were attacked with cannon, would be to make those who 
 understand it, laugh at you. 
 
 We wanted, as I have said, above two days' journey of this city, when 
 messengers were sent express to every part of the road to tell all travel- 
 lers and caravans to halt till they had a guard sent for them ; for thai an 
 unusual body of Tartars, making ten thousand in all, had appeared in tne 
 way, about thirty miles beyond the city. 
 
 This was very bad news to travellers ; however, it was carefully done 
 of tiie governor, and we were very glad to hear we should have a guard. 
 Accordingly, two days after, we had two hundred soldiers sent us fi-om 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 mai-ched in our front, the two hundi-ed in our rear, and our 
 men on each side of our camels, with our baggage, and the whole caravan 
 in the centre ; in this order, and well prepared for battle, we thought 
 ourselves a match for the whole ten thousarid Mogid 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. 
 
462 THE LIFE AND ADVENTUKES 
 
 The Chinese, our guard in the front, who had talked so big the day 
 before, began to stagger ; and the soldiers frequently looked behind them, 
 which is a certain sign in a soldier that he is just ready to run away. 
 My old pilot was of my mind ; and, being near me, called out, « Seignior 
 Inglese," says he, " those fellows must be encouraged, or they will ruin us 
 all ; for if the Tartars come on, they will never stand it." "1 am of your 
 mind," said 1; "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 bi-ave 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 accordingly 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 a hundred men to assist the last fifty. 
 
 In a word, the Tartars came on, and an innumerable company they were : 
 how many we could not tell, but ten thousand, we thought, was the least; 
 a party of them came on first, and viewed our posture, traversing the 
 ground in the front of our line ; and, as we found them within gunshot, 
 our leader ordered the two wings to advance swiftly, and give them a 
 salvo on each wing with their shot, which was done ; but they went off, 
 and I suppose bacli, to give an account of the reception they were like to 
 meet with ; and, indeed, that salute cloyed their stomachs, for they imme- 
 diately halted, stood awhile 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 vidth such a number. 
 
 Two days after, we came to the city of Naun, or Naum ; we thanked 
 the governor for his care of us, and collected to the value of a hundred 
 crowns, or thereabouts, which we gave to the soldiers sent to guard us ; 
 and here we rested one day. This is a garrison indeed, and there were 
 nine hundred soldiers kept here ; but tlie reason of it was, that formerly 
 the Muscovite 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 mUes to Muscovy, prop- 
 erly so called. 
 
 After this, we passed several gi'eat 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 dominions. I think the first town or foiti'essi 
 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 travels tlie 
 world as I have done, and who had any power of reflection, what a bless- 
 ing it is to be brought into the world where the name of God and a 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 463 
 
 Redeemer is kiiowu, adored, and worshipped; and not where the people, 
 given up by Heaven to strong delusions, worship the devU, and prostrate 
 themselves to stocks and stones; worship monsters, elements, horrid- shaped 
 animals, and statues or images of monsters. Not a to^vn or city we passed 
 through but had their pagods, their idols, and then' temples, and ignorant 
 people worshipping even the works of their own hands. Now, we came 
 where, at least, a liice of the Christian worship appeared ; where the knee 
 was bowed to Jesus ; and whether ignoranlly or not, yet the Christian reli- 
 gion 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 hiLu by the hand, 1 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 lor 
 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," sa}s 
 lie, " except the Russian soldiers in the gai-risous, and a few of tlie inhab- 
 itants of the cities upon the road, all the rest of this country, for above a 
 tliousand 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 under- 
 stand any thing of the surface of the globe, that is to be found in any 
 part of the world; we had, at least, twelve thousand miles to the sea, 
 eastward ; two thousand to the bottom of the Baltic Sea, westward ; and 
 above three thousand, if we left that sea, and went on west, to the British 
 and French Channels ; we had full five thousand miles to the Indian or 
 Persian Sea, south ; and about eight hundred to the Frozen Sea, nortli. 
 Nay, if some people may be believed, there might be no sea north-east till 
 we came round the pole, and consequently into the noith-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 IMuscovite dominions a good while before ^^l' 
 came to any considerable towns, we had nothing to observe there but this; 
 first, that all the rivers run to the east : as I understood by the charts, which 
 some in our caravan had with them, it was plain all those rivers ran into the 
 great River Yamour, or Garaour ; which river, by the natural course of it, 
 must run into the East Sea, or Chinese Ocean. The story they tell us, that 
 the mouth of this river is choked up with bulrushes of a monstrous growth, 
 viz., three feet about, and twenty or thirty feet high, I must be allowed to 
 say, I believe nothing of it ; but, as its navigation is of no use, because there 
 is no ti-ade that way, the Tartai's, to whom it alone belongs, dealing in noth- 
 ing 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 fai- as I can find ; but this is certain, that this river, running 
 east, in tlie latitude of about fifty degrees, carries a vast concourse of rivers 
 along with it, and finds ar 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 
 5re all foimd to join their waters with the great River Tartarus, named so 
 
464 THE LIFE AND ADVElVTirRES 
 
 from the northernmost nations of the Mogul Tartai-s ; 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 northwai-d, as well as all the other rivers I am yet to speak of, make it 
 evident that the Northern Ocean bounds the lands also on that side ; so that 
 it does not seem rational in the least to think that the land can extend itself 
 to join with America on that side, or that there is not a communication 
 between the northern and eastern ocean : but of this 1 shall say no more ; it 
 was my obsei-vation at that time, and therefore I take notice of it in this place. 
 
 We now advanced from the River Arguna by easy and moderate journeys, 
 and were very visibly obliged to the care the czar of Muscovy has taken to 
 have cities and towns built in as many places as it is possible to place them, 
 where his soldiers keep garrison, something like the stationary soldiers placed 
 by the Romans in the remotest countries of their empire ; some of which 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, thougii 
 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 so, 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 to- 
 gether, called Noi'tziousky, in which is a continued desert or forest, which 
 .;ost 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 brutisli 
 and unsuflferable : they had, 1 suppose, a great sacrifice that day; for t)iei-e 
 otood out, upon an old stump of a tree, an idol made of wood, frightful as the 
 devjl ; 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 
 bead, with two horns growing through it ; it was about eight feet high, yet 
 had no feet or legs, nor any other proportion of parts. 
 
 This sfcai-ecrow 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 made no distinction by their habits, all lying flat 
 upon the ground round this formidable block of shapeless wood ; I saw no 
 motion among them any more than if they had been all logs of wood, like 
 ihe idol, and, at first, I really thought they had been so ; but, when 1 can)e a 
 little nearer, they started up upon their feet, and raised a howling ciy, as if it 
 had been so many deep-mouthed hounds, and walked away, as if they were 
 displeased at our disturbing them. A little way off from the idol, and at tne 
 door of a tent or hut, made all of sheep-skins and cow-skins dried, stood three 
 butchers, — I thought they were such ; when I came nearer to them, 1 found 
 they had long knives in their hands ; and in the middle of the tent appeared 
 three sheep killed, and one young bullock or steer. These, it seems, were 
 
There stood laji, upon nn old 9tuinp ota tree, an idol «iado of wot«? 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 467 
 
 sacrifices to that sensaless 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 prayers to that stock. 
 
 1 confess I was more moved at their stupidity and brutish worship of a 
 liobgoblin than ever 1 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 
 joul, and that soul adorned with faculties and capacities adapted both to 
 honor his Maker and be honored 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 their 
 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 him- 
 self; 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! 
 
 Put 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 monster, — 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 hvmdred 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 desei-t : so we had some leisure here to put my design in execu- 
 tion. I communicated my design to the Scots merchant of Moscow, of 
 whose courage I had sufficient testimony : I told him what I had seen, and 
 with what indignation I had since thought that human nature could be so de- 
 generate ; 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, abominable 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 offei-ed sacri- 
 fices 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 honor of 
 God, which is insulted by this devil-worship." " But how will it vindicate 
 the honor 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 tjiey will fight you, and beat you too, Pll assure you ; for they are des- 
 perate 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 h&; " 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, 1 
 have a great mind to do it ; perhaps nature may draw inferences from it to 
 thorn, to let them see how brutish they are to worship such horrid things." 
 
408 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 " Look you, sir," said he ; "if your zeal prompts you to it so warmly, yon 
 must do it; but, in the next place, I would have you consider, these wild 
 nations of people ai-e 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 Tartai-s in the country." 
 
 This, I confess, put new thoughts into my head for a while; but 1 h'arped 
 upon the same string still ; emd all that day I was uneasy to put my project in 
 execution. Towards the evening, the Scots merchant met me by accident in 
 our walk about the town, and desu-ed to speak with me. " I believe," said he> 
 " I have put you off your good design ; 1 have been a little concerned about it 
 since ; for I abhor idolatry as much as you can do." " Truly," said I, ' you 
 have put it off a little as to the execution of it, but yoH have not put it out of 
 my thoughts, and I believe I shall do it before I quit this place, though 1 were 
 to be delivered up to them for satisfaction." " No, no," said he, " God for- 
 bid they should deliver you up to such a crew of monsters ! they shall not do 
 that neither ; that would be murdering you indeed." " Why," said I, " how 
 would they use me ? " " Use you ! " said he, " I'll tell you how they served 
 a poor Russian who affronted them in their worship just as you did, and 
 whom they took prisoner after they had lamed him with an arrow, that he 
 could not run away ; they took him and stripped him stark naked, and set 
 him upon the top of the idol-monster, and stood all round him, and shot as 
 many arrows into him as would stick over his whole body ; and then they 
 burned him and all the aiTOWs sticking in him, as a sacrifice to the idol." 
 " And was this the same idol ? " said I. " Yes," said he, " the very same.'' 
 " Well," said 1, " 1 will tell you a story." So 1 related the story of om- men 
 at Madagascar, and how they burned and sacked the village there, and killed 
 man, woman, and child, for their murdering one of our men, just as it is related 
 before ; and I added, that 1 thought we ought to do so to this village. 
 
01 ROBINSaN CRUSOE. 469 
 
 He listened veiy attentively to the storj' : but when I talked of doing so to 
 that village, said he, " You mistake very much ; it was not this village ; it was 
 almost a hundred miles from this place ; but it was the same idol, for tliey 
 carry him about in procession all over the country." " Well," said I, " then 
 that idol ought to be punished for it ; and it shall," said I, « if I live this 
 night out." 
 
 In a word, finding me resolute, he liked the design, and told me I should 
 not go alone, but he would go with me, but he would go first and bring a 
 stout fellow, one of his countrymen, to go also witli us ; " and one," said 
 he, " as famous for his zeal as you can desire any one to be against such 
 devilish things as these." In a word, he brought me 'is comrade, a Scots- 
 man, whom he called Captain Richardson ; and I gave liim a full account of 
 what I had seen, and also what I intended ; and he told me readily, he would 
 go with me if it cost him his life. So we agreed to go — only we three. I had, 
 indeed, proposed it to my partner, but he declined it. He said he was ready 
 to assist me to the utmost, and upon all occasions, for my defence ; but this 
 was an adventure quite out of his way ; so, I say, we resolved upon our 
 work, oidy we three and my man-servant, and to put it in execution that night 
 about midnight, with all the secrecy iinaginable. 
 
 However, upon second thoughts, we were willing to delay it till the next 
 night, because the caravan being to set forward in the morning, we sup- 
 posed the governor could not pretend to give them any satisfaction upon 
 us when we were out of his power. The Scots merchant, as steady in his 
 resolution for the enterprise as bold in executing, brought me a Tartar's 
 robe or gown of sheep-skins, and a bonnet, with a bow and arrows, and 
 had provided the same for himself and his counti-iimcn, that tlie people, 
 if they saw us, should not determine who we were. 
 
 All the first night we spent in mixing up some combustible matter widi 
 aqua vitse, gunpowder, and such other materials as we could get ; and, 
 having a good quantity of tar in a little pot, about an hour after night we 
 set out upon our expedition. 
 
 We came to the place about eleven o'clock at night, and found that the 
 people had not the least jealousy of danger attending their idol. The night 
 was cloudy ; yet the moon gave us light enough to see that the idol stood 
 just in the same posture and place that it did before. The people seemed 
 to be all at their rest ; only that, in the great hut, or tent, as we called it, 
 where we saw the three priests whom we mistook for butchers, we saw 
 a light, and going up close to the door, we heard people talking as if there 
 were five or six of tlieni ; we concluded, therefore, that, if we set wildfire 
 to the idol, these men would come out immediately, and run up to the 
 place to rescue it from the destruction that we intended for it; and what 
 to do with them we knew not. Once we thought of cai-rying it awav, 
 and setting fire to it at a distance, but when we came to handle it, we 
 foimd it too bulky for our carriage ; so we were at a loss again. The 
 second Scotsman was for setting fu-e to the tent or hut, and knocking the 
 creatm-es that were there on the head, when they came out ; but I could 
 not join with that ; I was against killing them, if it were possible to avoid 
 it. " Well, then," said the Scots merchant, " 1 will tell you what we will 
 do: we will try to make them prisoners, tie their bands, and make tliem 
 stand and see their idol destroyed." 
 As it happened, we bad twine or pack-thread enough about us, which we 
 
470 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 used to tie our firelocks together with ; so we resolved to attack these people 
 first, and with as little noise as we could. The first thing we did,' we 
 knocked at the door, when one of the priests coming to it, we immediately 
 seized upon him, stopped his mouth, and tied his hands behind him, and led 
 him to the idol, where we gagged him, that he might not make a noise, tied 
 his feet also together, and left him on the ground. 
 
 Two of us then waited at the door, expecting that another would come 
 out to see what the matter was; but we waited so long till the third man 
 came back to us ; and then nobody coming out, we knocked again gently, 
 and immediately out came two more, and we served them just in the same 
 manner, but were oMiged to go all with them, and lay them down by the idol 
 some distance from one another; when, going back, we found two more 
 were come out to the door, and a third stood behind them within the door. 
 We seized the two, and immediately tied them, when the third stepping back 
 and crying out, my Scots merchant went in after him, and taking out a com- 
 position we had made that would only smoke and stink, he set fire to it, and 
 threw it in among them : by that time, the other Scotsman and my man, 
 taking chai-ge of the two men already bound, and tied together also by the 
 arm, led them away to the idol, and left them there to see if their idol would 
 relieve them, making haste back to us. 
 
 When the fui-ze we had thrown in had filled the hut with so much smoke 
 that they were almost suffocated, we then threw in a small leather bag of 
 another kind, which flamed like a candle, and following it in, we found there 
 were but four people, "and, as we supposed, had been about some of their 
 diabolic sacrifices. They appeared, in short, frightened to death, at least so 
 as to sit trembling and stupid, and not able to speak neither for the smoke. 
 
 In a word, we took them, bound them as we had done the other, and all 
 without any noise. I should have said we brought them out of the house or 
 hut first ; for indeed we were not able to bear the smoke any more than tliey 
 were. When we had done this, we carried them all together to the idol : 
 when we came there, we fell to work with him ; and first we daubed him all 
 over, and his robes also, with tar, and such other stuff' as we had, which was 
 tallow mixed with brimstone ; then we stopped his eyes, and ears, and mouth 
 full of gunpowder ; then we wrapped up a great piece of wildfire in his 
 bonnet ; and then, sticldng all the combustibles we had brought with us upon 
 him, we looked about to see if we could find any thing else to help to burn 
 him ; when my Scotsman remembered that by the tent or hut, where the 
 men were, there lay a heap of dry forage, whether straw or rushes I do not 
 remember ; away he and the other Scotsman ran, and fetched their arras full 
 of that When we had done this, we took all our prisoners, and brought 
 them, having untied their feet and ungagged their mouths, and made them 
 stand up, and set them before their monstrous idol, and then set fire to 
 the whole. 
 
 We staid by it a quarter of an hour, or thereabouts, till the powder in the 
 eyes, and mouth, and ears, of the idol blew up, and, as we could perceive, had 
 split and deformed the shape of it ; and, in a word, till we saw it burned into 
 a mere block or log of wood ; and setting dry forage to it, we found it would 
 be soon quite consumed ; so we began to think of going away ; but the 
 Scotsman said, "No, we must not go, for these poor, deluded wretches will 
 all throw themselves into the fire, and burn themselves with the idol." So 
 we resolved to stay till the forage was burned down too, and then came away 
 and left them. 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 471 
 
 After the feat was performed, we appeared in the morning among our fel- 
 low-travellers, exceedingly husy 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 demand- 
 ed satisfaction of the Russian governor for the insulting their priests, and 
 burnmg 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 mortal 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. 
 
472 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 The governor, still patient, and unwilling to make a breach, or to have any 
 cause of war alleged to be given by him, the czar having strictly charged 
 him to treat the conquered country with gentleness and civility, gave them 
 still all the good words he could. At last, he told them there was a caravan 
 gone towards Russia that morning, and perhaps it was some of them who 
 had done them this injury ; and that if they would be satisfied with that, he 
 would send after them to inquu-e into it. This seemed to appease them a 
 little ; and accordingly the governor sent after us, and gave us a particular 
 account how the thmg 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 matter ; and as for us that 
 were guilty, we were least of all suspected. However, the captain of the 
 cai-avan 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 ejqiected 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 entered a great des- 
 ert, and had passed by a great lake called Schaks Oser, when we perceived 
 a very great body of horse appear on the other side of the lake, to the north, 
 we travelling west. We observed tfiey went away west, as we did, but had 
 supposed we would have taken that side of the lake, whereas we very hap- 
 pily 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 Cdda, a very great river when it passes farther north, but when we came 
 to it, we found it narrow and fordable. 
 
 The third day they had either found their mistake, or had intelligence of 
 us, and came pouring in upon us towards the dusk of the evening. 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 rob- 
 bers ; 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 be- 
 fore 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 fi-ont as strong as we 
 could, by placing our packsy with our camels" and horses, all in a line, on the 
 inside of the riv«r, and felling some trees in our rear. 
 
 In this posture we encamped for the night ; but the enemy was upon us 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 475 
 
 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 bum them with fire ; and upon this, 
 they said, they would go away, and do us no further harm ; otherwise, they 
 would destroy us all. Our men looked very blank at this message, and be- 
 gan to stare at one another, to see who looked with the most guilt in their 
 faces ; but nobody was the wofd ; 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, travelling on our business ; that we had 
 done no harm to them, or to any one else ; and that, therefore, they must 
 look farther for their enemies who had injured them, for we were not the 
 people ; so desired them not to disturb us, for, if they did, we should defend 
 ourselves. 
 
 They were far from being satisfied with this for an answer , and a great 
 crowd of .hem came running down in the morning, by break of day, to our 
 camp ; but, seeing us in such an unaccountable situation, they durst come no 
 farther than the brook in our front, where they stood, and showed us such a 
 number, that, indeed, terrified us very much ; for those that spoke least of 
 them, Epoke often tliousand. Here they stood and looked at us a while, and 
 then, Eetting up a gi-eat howl, they let fly a crowd 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 tlie 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 ; afler this, he takes a great circuit about, and 
 comes directly on the army of the Tartars, as if he had been sent express to 
 tell them a long story, that the people who had burned the Cham Chi-Thaun- 
 gu, were gone to Siheilka, with a caravan of miscreants, as he called them, — 
 that is to say, Christians, — and that they had resolved to burn the god Schal- 
 Isar, belonging to the Tongueses. 
 
 As this fellow was himself a mere Tartar, and perfectly spoke their lan- 
 guage, he counterfeited so well that they all took it from him, and away they 
 drove in a most violent hurry 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 heai-d any more of them, nor whether they went 
 to Siheilka or no. So we passed away safely on to Jai-awena, where there 
 was a gau'rison 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 frightfiil desert, which held us twenty-three days' 
 march. We furnished ourselves with some tents here, for the better accom- 
 modating ourselves in the night; and the leader of the caravan procured 
 sixteen carriages, or wagons of the country, for carrying our water or provis- 
 ions; and these carriages were our defence, every night, round our little 
 camp ; so that, had the Tartars appeared, unless they had been very numer- 
 ous mdeed, they would not have been able to hurt us. 
 
476 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 We may well be supposed to want rest again after this long journey ; for 
 in this desert we' neither saw house nor tree, and scarce a bush ; though v/f 
 saw abundance of the sable hunters, who are all Tailars of the Mogul Tar- 
 taiy, 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 in- 
 iiabited ; that is to say, we found towns and castles, settled by the czar of 
 Muscovy, with garrisons of stationary soldiersf to protect the caravans and 
 defend the country against the Tartars, who would otherwise make it very 
 dangerous travelling ; and his czai'ish majesty has given such strict orders for 
 the well guarding the caravans and merchants, that, if there are any Tartars 
 heard of in the country, detachments of the garrisons are always sent to see 
 the travellers safe from station to station. And thus the governor of Adin- 
 skoy, 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 Em-ope, 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 idolatry, 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 rug- 
 gedness of their countenances nor 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 comitrj', 
 these had idols in every hut and evei-y cave ; besides, they worship the stars, 
 the sun, the water, the snow, and, in a word, every thing they do not under- 
 stand, 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 1 reckon was, from the desert I spoke of 
 last, at least four hundred miles, half of it being another desert, vyhieh took 
 us up twelve days' severe travelling, without house or tree ; and we 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 obsei-ved ignorance and paganism still prevailed, except 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 aught I know, in Asia or America. I also 
 found, (which I observed to the Muscovite governors whom I had an oppor- 
 tunity to converse with,) that the poor pagans are not much wiser, or nearei 
 Christianity, for being under the Muscovite government, which they ac- 
 knowledged was true enough; but that, as they said, was none of their 
 business ; that if the czar expected to convert his Siberian, Tonguese, cr 
 Tartar subjects, it should be done by sending clergymen among them, not 
 soldiers ; and they added, with more sincerity than I expected, that they 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 477 
 
 found it was not so much the concern of their monarch to make the people 
 Christians as it was to make them subjects. 
 
 From this river to the great River Oby, we crossed a wild, uncultivated 
 ounti-y barren of people and good management ; otherwise it is, in itself, a 
 most pleasant, fruitful, and agreeable country. What inhabitants we found 
 in it are all pagans, except such as are sent among them fi'om Russia ; for 
 this is the country — I mean on both sides the River Oby — whither the Mus- 
 covite 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 To- 
 bolsk!, the capital city of Siberia, where I continued 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 
 pai'ticular affairs, in which we found it proper, as Tve were bound for Eng- 
 land, and not for Moscow, to consider how to dispose of ourselves. They 
 told us of sledges and reindeer to carry us over the snow in the winter time ; 
 and, indeed, they have such things that it would be incredible to relate the 
 particulars of, by which means the Russians travel more in the winter than 
 
 iliey can in summer, as in these sledges they are able to run night and day ; 
 tlie snow, being frozen, is one universal covering to nature, by which the hills, 
 val s, rivers, and lakes, are all smooth and hard as a stone, and they run upon 
 tlie 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 IMoscow, 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 Gulf of Finland, and so to Dantzic, where I might possibly 
 sell my China cargo to good advantage ; or 1 must leave the caravan at a little 
 
478 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 town on the Dwina, from whence 1 had but six days by water to Aichangei, 
 and from thence might be sure of shipping either to England, Holland, or 
 Hambui-gh. 
 
 Now, to go any of these journeys in the winter, would have been prepos- 
 terous ; 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 Tailars ; likewise, to go to Archangel in October, all the 
 ships would be gone from thence, and even the merchants who dwell there 
 in summer retire south to Moscow in the winter, when the ships are gone ; 
 so that I could have notiiing but extremity of cold to encounter, with a scarci- 
 ty of provisions, and must lie in an empty tcwn 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 60 degi'ees, 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 1 never 
 felt cold, except when I had my ague : on the contrary, I had much to do to 
 beai- 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 
 o£ making fires in every room in the house in open chimneys, which, when 
 the fij-e 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 centre of six several rooms, like a stove ; the funnel 
 to cany the smoke went up one way, the door to come at the fire went in 
 another, and all the rooms were kejit 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 tiling of all was, that it should be possible to meet 
 with good company here, in a country so barbarous as that of the most 
 northerly parts of Europe, near the Frozen Ocean, within but a very few 
 degi'ees of Nova Zembla. But this being the country where the state crimi- 
 nals of Muscovy, us I observed before, are all banished, this city was full of 
 Hoblemen, gentlemen, soldiers, and courtiers of Muscovy. Here was the 
 famous Prince Galitzen, the old General Robostiski, and several other persons 
 of note, and some ladies. By means of my Scots merchant, whom, never- 
 lluless, I pajted with here, 1 made an acquaintance with several of these 
 yentlemen ; 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 banished ministers 
 
 of state belonging to the czar of Muscovy, that the discourse of my particu- 
 lar case began. He had been telling me abundance of fine things of the 
 greatness, the magnificence, the dominions, and the absolute power of the 
 eniperor of the Russians. I interrupted him, and told him I was a greater 
 and more powerful prince than even the czar of Muscovy was, though my 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 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 ex- 
 plained myself. Fu'st, I told him I had absolute disposal of the lives and 
 fortunes of all my subjects ; that, notwithstanding my absolute power, I had 
 not one pereon disaffected to my government, or to my person, in all my 
 dominions. He shook his head at that, and said, there, indeed, I outdid the 
 czar of Muscovy. I told him that all the lands in my kingdom were my own. 
 and all my subjects were not only my tenants, but tenants at will ; that they 
 would all fight for me to the last drop ; and that never tyrant — for such I 
 acknowledge 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 
 [ 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 czai- of Muscovy ; and that he found more felicity 
 in tlie 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 
 
480 THE LIFE AND ADVBNTCRES 
 
 height of human wisdom was to bring our tempos down to our circum- 
 stances, and to make a calm within, imder the weight of the greatest storms 
 without When he came fii-st hither, he said he used to tear the hair from 
 his head, and the clothes from his back, as others had done before him ; but 
 a little time and consideration had made him look into himself, as well as 
 round him, to things without ; that he found the mind of man, if it was but 
 once brought to reflect upon the state of universal life, and how little this 
 world was concerned in its true felicity, was perfectly capable of making s 
 felicity for itself, fully satisfying to itself; and suitable to its own best ends 
 and desires, with but veiy little assistance from the world ; the air to breathe 
 in, food to sustain life, clothes for warmth, and liberty for exercise, in order 
 to health, completed, in his opinion, all thatthe world could do for us ; and, 
 though the gi-eatness, the authority, the riches, and the pleasures which some 
 enjoyed in the world, had much in them that was agreeable to us, yet all 
 those things chiefly gratified the coarsest of our affections, such as our am- 
 bition, our particular pride, avarice, vanity, and sensuality ; all which, being 
 tlie mere product of the worst pai-t of man, were in themselves crimes, 
 and had in them the seeds of all manner of crimes; but neither were 
 related to, nor concerned with, any of those virtues, that constituted us 
 wise men, or of those graces that distintuished 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 convinced that 
 virtue only makes a man tculy wise, rich, and great, and preserves him in the 
 way to a superior happiness in a future state ; and in this, he said, they were 
 more happy in their banishment than all their enemies were, who had the 
 full possession of all the wealth and power they had left behind them. " Nor, 
 sir," says hfe, " do I bring my mind to this politically, by the necessity of my 
 circumstances, which some call miserable ; but, if I know any thing of my- 
 self; 1 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 glorious state beyond life, would come back 
 to the gaol of flesh and blood it is now enclosed 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 sincerity. I told him I once thought myself 
 a kind of monarch in my old station, of which I had given hini an account ; 
 but that I thought he was not only a monarch, but a gi'eat conqueror ; for lie 
 that has got a victory over his own exorbitant desires, and the absolute do- 
 minion over himself, whose reason entirely governs his will, is certainly 
 greater than he that conquers a city. " But, my lord," said I, " shall I tsike 
 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 talie hold of it to 
 deliver you from this exile .' " " Hold," said he ; ■ " your question is subtile, 
 and requires some serious, just distinctions to give it a sincere answer; and 
 I will give it you from the bottom of my heart. Nothing that I know of it 
 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 protest to you, that to go back to the pomp of the 
 
OF BOBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 481 
 
 »!i)urt, the glory, the power, the hurry of a minister of state ; the wealth, the 
 gayety, and the pleasures of a courtier ; if my master should send me word 
 this moment that he restores me to all he banished me from, I protest, if I 
 know myself at all, I would not leave this wilderness, these deserts, and these 
 frozen lalies; 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 ordinary demands of life." " Ay," 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 con- 
 sider me only as a man, a human creature, not at all distinguished from 
 another ; and so I can suffer no want, unless I should be visited with sickness 
 and distempers. However, to put the question out of dispute, you see our 
 manner; we ai-e, in this place, five persons of rank; we live perfectly retired, 
 iis suited to a state of banishment ; we have something rescued from the 
 shipwreck of our fortunes, which keeps us from the mere necessity of hunt- 
 ing 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 
 labor 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 knowledge of things, so supported by religion, as 
 well as by a vast share of wisdom, that his contempt of the world was really 
 as much as he had expressed, and that he was always the same to the last, as 
 will appeal- 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, and two for sight : the little daylight we had was, as we reckoned, 
 for three months, not above five hours a day, and six at most ; only that the 
 61 
 
482 
 
 THE MFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 snow lying on the ground continually, and the weather clear, it was never 
 quite dark. Om- 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 £ind fall offl 
 
 It is true vnthin doors we were warm, the houses heing close, the walls 
 thick, the hghts small, and the glass all douhle. Our food was chiefly the 
 flesh of deer, dried and cured in the season ; bread good enough, but baked 
 as biscuits ; di-ied fish of several sorts, and some flesh of mutton, and of tlic 
 buflidoes, 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-vitse 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 bears' 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 veiy 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 Ai-changel, and not for Muscovy or the Baltic,! 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 be- 
 ginning 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 tlie 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 thek shops ; 
 also others went on the same errand to Archangel ; but then they all, being 
 to come back again above eight hundi-ed miles, went all out before me. 
 
 In tlie 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 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, sec- 
 ondly, the condition we aie in ; especially the generality of the people who 
 are banished hither. We are surrounded with stronger things than bars or 
 bolts ; on the north side, an unnavigable ocean, where ship never sailed, and 
 boat never swam ; every other way, we have above a thousand miles to pass 
 through the czar's own dominions and by ways utterly impassable, except 
 by the roads made by the government, and through the towns garrisoned by 
 his ti-oops ; so that we could neither pass undiscovered by the road, nor sub- 
 sist any other way ; so that it is in vain to attempt it." 
 
 I was silenced, indeed, at once, and foimd that they were in a prison everj 
 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 pro 
 cure the escape of this excellent person ; and that, whatever hazard I ran, 1 
 would certainly try if I could carry him oft; Upon this, I took an occasion, 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 4g3 
 
 one evening, to tell him my thoughts. 1 represented to him that it was very 
 easy for me to caiTy him away, there being no guard over him in the country ; 
 and, as I was not going to Moscow, but to Archangel, and that 1 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 sub- 
 sistence 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 J 
 spoke ; nay, I could see in his very face that what I said put his spirits into an 
 exceeding ferment; his color frequently changed, his eyes looked red, and his 
 heart fluttered, 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, and is so calculated for my advan- 
 tage, that 1 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 iny con- 
 tempt of the world ? Did you believe I spoke my very soul to you, and that 
 I had really obtained that degree of felicity here that had placed me above 
 all that the world could give me ? Did you believe I was sincere when 1 
 told you I would not go back, if I was recalled even to be all that I once was 
 in the court, with the favor 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 hyp- 
 ocrite ? " Here he stopped, as if he would hear what I would say ; but, in- 
 deed, I soon after perceived that he stopped because his spirits were in mo- 
 tion;, his great heart was full of struggles, and he could not go on. I was, 1 
 confess, astonished at the thing as well as at the man, and I used some argu- 
 ments with him to urge him to set himself free ; that he ought to look upon 
 this as a door opened by Heaven for his deliverance, and a summons by Prov- 
 idence, 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, representing, in allm-ing colore, to me the show of 
 felicity as a deliverance, which may in itself be my snare, and tend directly to 
 my ruiu ? 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, aoi- 
 bition, avarice, and luxui-y, 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 pur- 
 chase a show of freedom at the expense of the liberty of my reason, and at 
 ■-he 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 ! " 
 
484 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVKNTURES 
 
 If I was surprised before, 1 was quite dumb now, and stood silent, looking 
 at him, and, indeed, admiring what I saw. The struggle in his soul was so 
 great that, though the weather was extremely cold, it put him into a most vio- 
 lent 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 come in. " My 
 dear friend," says he, " you had almost overset me, but I am recovered. Do 
 not take it ill that I do not close with your offer ; I assure you it is not for want 
 of sense of the kindness of it in you ; and I came to make tlie most sincere 
 acknowledgment of it to you ; but I hope I have got the victory over myself." 
 " My lord," said I, " J 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 1 hope, and am 
 fully satisfied, that it is from Heaven that I decline it; and I have infinite satis- 
 faction 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 ac 
 knowledge it ; and with that he offered me a very fine present of sables, — 
 too much, indeed, for me to accept fi-om a man in his ckcumstances. and ] 
 would have avoided them, but he would not he 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 goldi 
 which did not all weigh above six ounces or thereabouts, but were far short 
 of the value of his sables, which, when 1 came to England, I found worth near 
 two hundred pounds. He accepted the tea, and one piece of the damask, and 
 one of the pieces of gold, which had a fine stamp upon it, of the Japan coin- 
 age, 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 1 had 
 made such a generous offer to him, he asked me if 1 had kindness enough to 
 offer the same to another person that he would name to me, in whom he had 
 a great share of concern. I told him that I could not say I inclined to do so 
 much for any but himselfj for whom I had a particular value, and should have 
 been glad to have been the instrument of his deliverance ; however, if he 
 would please to name the person to me, I would give him my answer. He 
 told me it was his only son ; who, though I had not seen him, yet 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. 1 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, biinging 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 
 
OP ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 485 
 
 incognito into our apartment, and his (iither presented him to irie ; and, in 
 short, we concerted the manner of our tiiivehiu", mid men thuii: proper for 
 the journey. 
 
 I had bought a considerable quantity of sables, blaclv lijx-skins, fine ermines, 
 and such other furs as are very rich in that city, in excbaiiire for some of the 
 goods I had brought from China ; in j)articular 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 .Tune when 1 left this remote place ; a city, I be- 
 lieve, little heard of in the world ; and, indeed, it is so far out of the road of 
 commerce, that I know not how it should be much talked of. 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 natm^l 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 in- 
 quu-e. 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, and that 
 
486 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 they never came on this side the River Oby, or at least but very seldom ; but 
 we found k 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 upon travellers, and 
 searching lest any of the banished persons of note should make their escape 
 that way into Muscovy ; but, by this means, as we were kept out of the cities, 
 so our whole journey was a ijesert, and we were obliged to encamp and he 
 in our tents, when we might have had very good accommodation in the cities 
 on the way : this the young lord was so sensible of, that he v^ould not allow 
 us to lie abroad when we came to several cities on the way, but lay abroad 
 himself, with his servant, in the woods, and met us always at the appointed 
 places. 
 
 We were just entered Europe, having passed the River Kama, which' in 
 these parts is the boundary between Kurope and Asia, and the first city on the 
 Kiu:opean 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 alter- 
 ation 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 horri- 
 ble 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,.! am 
 yet at a loss to know, but they wei-e all on horseback, carried bows and 
 arrows, and were at first about forty-five in number: they came so near to us 
 as to be within two mUsket-shots, and, asking no questions, surrounded us 
 with their horses, and looked very earnestly upon us twice ; at length, they 
 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 apprehensive that they were a Siberian troop sent out after 
 him. The man came up nearer them with a flag of truce, and called to them ; 
 but though he spoke several of their languages, or dialects of leinguages rather, 
 he could not understand a word they said ; however, after some signs to him 
 not to come near them at his peril, the fellow came back no wiser than he 
 went ; only that by their dress, he said, he believed them to be some Taitara 
 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 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 487 
 
 ready to face them, they went off again ; and vie resolved not to stir for 
 that night. 
 
 This was small comfort to us ; however, we had no remedy : there was, on 
 our left hand, at about a quarter of a mile distance, a little grove, and very 
 near the road; I immediately resolved we should advance to those trees, and 
 fortify ourselves as well as we could there ; for, first, I considered that the 
 trees would in a great measure cover us from their arrows ; and, in the next 
 place, they could not come to charge us in a body ; it was, indeed, my old 
 Portuguese pilot who proposed it, and who had this excellency attending him, 
 that he was always readiest and most apt to direct and encourage us in cases 
 of the most danger. We advanced immediately, with what speed we could, 
 and gained that little wood ; the Tartars, or thieves, — for we knew not what 
 to call them, — keeping their stand, and not attempting to hinder us. When wc 
 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, 
 very large, and stood pretty thick, so that, as soon as we got in, we saw our- 
 selves perfectly safe from the enemy, unless they attacked us on foot. 
 
 While we staid here waiting the motion of the enemy some hours, with- 
 out perceiving they made any rhovement, our Portuguese, with some help, 
 cut several arms of trees half off, and laid them hanging across from one 
 tree to another, and in a manner fenced us in. About two hours before 
 night, they came down directly upon us ; and, though we had not perceived 
 it, we found they had been joined by some more 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 
 
488 THE LIPB ANB ADVENTUUES 
 
 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 
 I'urj' up to the wood side, not imagining we were so ban-icaded that they 
 could not easily break in. Our old pilot was our captain, as well as our en- 
 gineer, 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 )f us when we 
 let fly. We aimed so true that we killed fourteen of them, and wounded sev- 
 eral 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 teri-ibly sui-prised with our fire, and reti-eated immediately about 
 one liundred 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 o. 
 their horses, whose riders we supposed were killed ; and coming up to the 
 dead, ^ve judged they were Taitars, but knew not how they came to make an 
 excursion such an unusual length. 
 
 We siept 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 waited for daylight, and, when it came, it 
 gave us a very unwelcome discovery indeed ; (or the enemy, who, we thought, 
 were discouraged with the reception they met with, were now greatly in- 
 creased, and had set up eleven or twelve huts or tents, as if they %yort! ro 
 solved to besiege us ; and this little camp they had pitched upon the 0))iii 
 jjlain, about three quarters of a mile from us. We were, indeed, surprised ai 
 this discovery ; and now, I confess, I gave myself over for lost, and all that 1 
 had. The loss of my effects did not lie so near me, though very considera- 
 ble, as the thoughts of falling into the hands of such barbarians, at tlie latter 
 end of my journey, after so many difficulties and hazards as I had gone 
 through, and even in sight of our port, where we expected safety and deliv- 
 erance. As to my partner, he was raging, and declared, that to lose his 
 goods would be his ruin, and that he would rather die than be starved, and 
 he was for fighting to the last drop. 
 
 The young lord, a gallant youth, 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, towards evening, we found that the number of our enemies still 
 increased, and we did not know but, by the morning, they might still be a 
 greater number ; so I began to inquire of those people we had brought fi-onj 
 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 desei-t. The Siberian, who was sei-vant to the young lord, told us, if we 
 designed to avoid them, and not fight, he would engage to cany 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 tlie 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 
 eeventeen or eighteen men to fight five hundred, unless an unavoidable ne- 
 
i'\ 
 
OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 491 
 
 cessity forced uiem 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 per- 
 foi-m it ; we soon brought his lord to give that order, though privately, and 
 we immediately prepared for the putting it in practice. 
 
 And first, as soon as it began to be dark, we kindled a fii-e in our little 
 camp, which we kept burning, and prepared so as to make it bum all night, 
 lliat 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 oegan to be lighter still ; 
 not that it was 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 Kennazinskoy, where we rested ; 
 and heard nothing of the Kalmuck Tartars that day. About two hom-s be- 
 fore night, we set out again, and travelled till eight the next morning, though 
 not quite so hard as before ; and, about seven o'clock, we 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 i*est, we staid five days ; and my 
 partner and I agreed to give the honest Siberian, 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 tliere, very happily, near the end of our 
 travels by land, — that river being navigable, in seven days' passage, to Arch- 
 angel. From hence, we came to Lawrenskoy, the 3d of July ; and, providing 
 ourselves with two luggage boats, and a barge for our own convenience, we 
 embarked the 7th, £tnd ai'rived all safe at Archangel the 18th ; having been a 
 year, five months, and three days on the journey, including our stay of eight 
 months at Tobolski. We were obliged to stay at this place six weeks, for 
 the arrival of the ships; and must have tan-ied longer, had/not a Hamburghti- 
 come in above a month sooner than any of the English ships ; when, after 
 some consideration that tlie city of Hamburgh might happen to be as good 
 a market for our goods as London, we all took freight with him ; and, having 
 put our goods on board, it was most natural for me to put my steward on 
 board to take CEU'e of them ; by wliich means, my young lord had a sufiicieiit 
 opportunity to conceal himself, — never coming on shore again all the time 
 we staid tliere ; and this he did that he might not be seen in the city, where 
 some of the Moscow merchants would certainly have seen and discov- 
 ered him. 
 
 We then set sail fi-om Archangel, the 20th of August, the same year ; 
 and, after no extraordinary bad voyage, arrived safe in the Elbe, the 18tli 
 of September. Here my partner and I found a very good sale for oar 
 goods, as well those of China, as the sables, &c., of Siberia; and, dividing 
 the produce, my share amounted lo £3,475 17». 3d., including about six 
 hunied poimds' worth of diamonds, which I purchased at Bengal, 
 
492 
 
 THE LIFE AND ADVKNTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 Here the young lord took liis leave of us, and went up the Elbe, in order 
 to go to the court of Vienna, where he resolved to seek protection, ana 
 could correspond with those of his father's friends who were left alive. He 
 did not part without testimonies of gi-atitude for the service 1 had done him. 
 and his sense of my kindness to the prince his father. 
 
 To conclude : having staid 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 Janumy, 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, and leai-ned sufficiently to know the value of retirement, and the 
 li!(;.=sjng of ending our days in peace.