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it but my own imagination; but I could not persuade
myself fully of this till I should go down to the shore
again, and see this print of a foot, and measure it by
my own, and see if there was any similitude or fitness,
that I might be assured it was my own foot: but when
I came to the place-first, it appeared evidently to me,
that when I laid up my boat, I could not possibly be
on shore anywhere thereabouts: secondly, when I came
to measure the mark with my own foot, I found my
foot not so large by a great deal. Both these things
filled my head with new imaginations, and gave me
the vapours again to the highest degree, so that I
shook with cold like one in an ague; and I went home
again, filled with the belief that some man or men had
been on shore there; or, in short, that the island was
inhabited, and I might be surprised before I was aware;
and what course to take for my security I knew

not.

of the ship; these I planted like my cannon, and fitted a repentance on a sick bed; for these discomposures them into frames, that held them like a carriage, so affect the mind, as the others do the body; and the that I could fire all the seven guns in two minutes' discomposure of the mind must necessarily be as great time: this wall I was many a weary month in a disability as that of the body, and much greater; of the body. finishing, and yet never thought myself safe till it praying to God being properly an act of the mind, not But to go on after I had thus secured one part of was done. When this was done, I stuck all the ground without my wall, for a great length every way, as full with stakes my little living stock, I went about the whole island or sticks of the osier-like wood, which I found so apt to searching for another private place to make such grow, as they could well stand; insomuch, that I believe another deposit; when, wandering more to the wes I might set in near twenty thousand of them, leaving point of the island than I had ever done yet, and looking a pretty large space between them and my wall, that I out to sea, I thought I saw a boat upon the sea, at a might have room to see an enemy, and they might have great distance. I had found à perspective glass or two ship, but I had it not about me; and this was so remote no shelter from the young trees, if they attempted to in one of the seamen's chests, which I saved out of our approach my outer wall. Thus, in two years' time, I had a thick grove; and in that I could not tell what to make of it, though I five or six years' time I had a wood before my dwelling, looked at it till my eyes were not able to hold to look growing so monstrously thick and strong that it was any longer: whether it was a boat or not, I do not know, O what ridiculous resolutions men take when pos-indeed perfectly impassable: and no men, of what kind but as I descended from the hill I could see no more of sessed with fear! It deprives them of the use of those soever, could ever imagine that there was anything it, so I gave it over; only I resolved to go no more out means which reason offers for their relief. The first beyond it, much less a habitation. As for the way without a perspective glass in my pocket. When I was thing I proposed to myself was, to throw down my which I proposed to myself to go in and out (for I left come down the hill to the end of the island, where. inclosures, and turn all my tame cattle wild into the no avenue), it was by setting two ladders, one to a part indeed, I had never been before, I was presently conwoods, lest the enemy should find them, and then of the rock which was low, and then broke in, and left vinced that the seeing the print of a man's foot was not frequent the island in prospect of the same or the like room to place another ladder upon that; so when the such a strange thing in the island as I imagined; and booty: then the simple thing of digging up my two two ladders were taken down, no man living could come but that it was a special providence that corn-fields, lest they should find such a grain there, and down to me without doing himself mischief; and if they upon the side of the island where the savages never more frequent than for the canoes from the main, when still be prompted to frequent the island: then to de- had come down, they were still on the outside of my came, I should easily have known that nothing was molish my bower and tent, that they might not see any outer wall. Thus I took all the measures human prudence could they happened to be a little too far out at sea, to shoot vestiges of habitation, and be prompted to look farther, suggest for my own preservation; and it will be seen, at over to that side of the island for harbour: likewise, 28 in order to find out the persons inhabiting. length, that they were not altogether without just they often met and fought in their canoes, the victor, this shore, where, according to their dreadful customs, reason; though I foresaw nothing at that time more having taken any prisoners, would bring them over to than my mere fear suggested to me. being all cannibals, they would kill and eat them; of which hereafter.

These were the subject of the first night's cogitations after was come home again, while the apprehensions which had so overrun my mind were fresh upon me, and my head was full of vapours. Thus, fear of danger is ten thousand times more terrifying than danger itself, when apparent to the eyes; and we find the burden of anxiety greater, by much, than the evil which we are anxious about: and what was worse than all this, I had not that relief in this trouble that, from the resignation I used to practise, I hoped to have. I looked, I thought. like Saul, who complained not only that the Philistines were upon him, but that God had forsaken him; for I did not now take due ways to compose my mind, by crying to God in my distress, and resting upon His providence, as had done before, for my defence and deliverance; which, if I had done, I had at least been more cheerfully supported under this new surprise, and perhaps carried through it with more resolution.

This confusion of my thoughts kept me awake all night; but in the morning I fell asleep; and having, by the amusement of my mind, been, as it were, tired, and my spirits exhausted, I slept very soundly, and waked much better composed than I had ever been before. And now I began to think sedately; and, upon debate with myself, I concluded that this island (which was so exceedingly pleasant, fruitful, and no farther from the main land than as I had seca) was not so entirely abandoned as I might imagine; that although there were no stated inhabitants who lived on the spot, yet that there might sometimes come boats off from the shore, who, either with design, or perhaps never but when they were driven by cross winds, might come to this place; that I had lived here fifteen years now, and had not met with the least shadow or figure of any people yet; and that, if at any time they should be driven here, it was probable they went away again as soon as ever they could, seeing they had never thought fit to fix here upon any occasion; that the most I could suggest any danger from was, from any casual accidental landing of straggling people from the main, who, as it was likely, if they were driven hither, were here against their wills, so they made no stay here, but went off again with all possible speed; seldom staying one night on shore, lest they should not have the help of the tides and daylight back again; and that, therefore, I had nothing to do but to consider of some safe retreat, in case I should see any savages land upon the spot.

Now I began 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 where my fortification joined to the rock: upon maturely considering this, therefore, I resolved to draw me a second fortification, in the manner of a semicircle, at a distance from my wall, just where I had planted a double row of trees about twelve years before, of which I made mention: these trees having been planted so thick before, they wanted but few piles to be driven between them, that they might be thicker and strenger, and my wall would be soon finished. So that I had now a double wall; and my outer wall was thickened with pieces of timber, old cables, and everything I could think of, to make it strong; having in it seven little holes, about as big as In the inside of this, I I might put my arm out at. 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 contrived to plant the muskets, of which I took notice that I had got seven on shore out

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 under ground, and to drive them into it every night; and the other was to enclose two or three little bits of land, remote from one another, and as much concealed as I could, where I might keep about half a dozen young goats in each place; so that if any disaster happened to the flock in general, I might be able to raise them again with little trouble and time: and this, though it would require a good deal of time and labour, I thought was the most rational design.

Accordingly, I spent some time to find out the most retired parts of the island; and I pitched upon one, which was as private, indeed, as my heart could wish: it was a little damp piece of ground, in the middle of the hollow and thick woods, where, as is observed, I almost lost myself once before, endeavouring 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 inclosure by nature; at least, it did not want near so much labour to make it so, as the other piece of ground I had worked so hard at.

was cast

When I was come down the hill to the shore, as I said above, being the S.W. point of the island, I was perfectly confounded and amazed; nor is it possible for me to express the horror of my mind, at seeing the human bodies; and particularly, I observed a place shore spread with skulls, hands, feet, and other bones ci where there had been a fire made, and a circle dug in the carth, like a cockpit, where I supposed the savage wretches had sat down to their inhuman feastings upon the bodics of their fellow-creatures.

I was so astonished with the sight of these things. that I entertained no notions of any danger to myself from it for a long while: all my apprehensions were buried in the thoughts of such a pitch of inhuman. hellish brutality, and the horror of the degeneracy of human nature, which, though I had heard of it often, yet away my face from the horrid spectacle; my stomach I never had so ncar a view of before; in short, I turned grew sick, and I was just at the point of fainting, when nature discharged the disorder from my stomach; and having vomited with uncommon violence, I was a little relieved, but could not bear to stay in the place a moment; so I got up the hill again with all the speed When I came a little out of that part of the island, I I could, and walked on towards my own habitation. stood still a while, as amazed, and then, recovering myself, I looked up with the utmost affection of my soul, and, with a flood of tears in my eyes, gave Go where I was distinguished from such dreadful creatures thanks, that had cast my first lot in a part of the world 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.

I immediately went to work with this piece of ground; and, in less than a month's time, I had so fenced it round that my flock, or herd, call it which you please, which were not so wild now as at first they might be supposed to be, were well enough secured in it: so, without any further delay, I removed ten young she-goats, and two hc-goats, to this picce; and, when they were there, I continued to perfect the fence, till I had made it as In this frame of thankfulness, I went home to my secure as the other; which, however, I did at more leisure, and it took me up more time by a great deal. All this labour I was at the expense of, purely from my castle, and began to be much easier now, as to the apprehensions on account of the print of a man's foot; safety of my circumstances, than ever I was before: for for, as yet, I had never seen any human creature come I observed that these wretches never came to this island near the island; and I had now lived two years under in search of what they could get; perhaps not seeking, this uneasiness, which, indeed, made my life much less not wanting, or not expecting, anything here; and comfortable than it was before, as may be well imagined having often, no doubt, been up the covered, woody part And this I must observe, with I had been here now almost eighteen years, and never by any who know what it is to live in the constant snare of it, without finding anything to their purpose. I knew of the fear of man. grief, too, that the discomposure of my mind had great saw the least footsteps of human creature there before; impression also upon the religious part of my thoughts; and I might be eighteen years more as entirely concealed for the dread and terror of falling into the hands of as I was now, if I did not discover myself to them, which savages and cannibals lay so upon my spirits, that II had no manner of occasion to do; it being my only Yet I entertained such seldom found myself in a due temper for application business to keep myself entirely concealed where I was, to my Maker; at least, not with the sedate calmness unless I found a better sort of creatures than cannibals and resignation of soul which I was wont to do: I rather to make myself known to. prayed to God as under great affliction and pressure of an abhorrence of the savage wretches that I have been mind, surrounded with danger, and in expectation every speaking of, and of the wretched inhuman custom of night of being murdered and devoured before morning; their devouring and eating one another up, that I conand I must testify, from my experience, that a temper tinued pensive and sad, and kept close within my own of peace, thankfulness, love, and affection, is much the circle, for almost two years after this: when I say my more proper frame for prayer than that of terror and own circle, I mean by it my three plantations, viz. my discomposure; and that under the dread of mischief castle, my country-seat (which I called my bower), and impending, a man is no more fit for a comforting per- my inclosure in the woods: nor did I look after this for formance of the duty of praying to God, than he is for any other use than as an inclosure for my goats; for

the aversion which nature gave me to these hellish wretches was such, that I was as fearful of seeing them cs of seeing the devil himself. I did not so much as go to look after my boat all this time, but began rather to think of making 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 case if I had happened to have fallen into their hands, I knew what would have been my lot.

Time, however, and the satisfaction I had that I was in no danger of being discovered by these people, began to wear off my uneasiness about them; and I began to live just in the same composed manner as before, only with this difference, that I used more caution, and kept my eyes more about me than I did before, lest I should happen to be seen by any of them; and particularly, I was more cautious of firing my gun, lest any of them, being on the island, should happen to hear it. It was, therefore, a very good providence to me that I had furnished myself with a tame breed of goats, and that I had no need to hunt any more about the woods, or shoot at them; and if I did catch any of them after this, it was by traps and snares, as I had done before; so that for two years after this, I believe I never fired my gun once off, though I never went out without it; and what was more, as I had saved three pistols out of the ship, I always carried them out with me, or at least two of them, sticking them in my 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 hang it on also; so that I was now a most formidable fellow to look at when I went abroad, if you add to the former description of myself, the particular of two pistols, and a great broadsword hanging at my side in a belt, but without a scabbard.

Things going on thus, as I have said, for some time, I seemed, excepting these cautions, to be reduced to my former calm, 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 particulars of life, which it might have pleased God to have made my lot. It put me upon reflecting how little repining there would be among mankind at any condition of life, if people would rather compare their condition with those that were worse, in order to be thankful, than be always comparing them with those which are better, to assist their murmurings and complainings.

As in my present condition there were not really many things which I wanted, so, indeed, I thought that the frights I had been in about these savage wretches, and the concern I had been in for my own preservation, had taken off the edge of my invention for my own conveniences; and I had dropped a good design, which I had once bent my thoughts upon, and that was to try if I could not make some of my barley into malt, and then try to brew myself some beer. This was really a whimsical thought, and I reproved myself often for the simplicity of it: for I presently saw there would be the want of several things necessary to the making my beer, that it would be impossible for me to supply; as, first, casks to preserve it in, which was a thing that, as I have observed already, I could never compass: no, though I spent not only many days, but weeks, nay months,

night and day, I could think of nothing but how I might destroy some of these monsters in their cruel, bloody entertainment; and, if possible, save the victim they should bring hither to destroy. It would take up a larger volume than this whole work is intended to be, to set down all the contrivances I hatched, or rather brooded upon, in my thoughts, for the destroying these creatures, or at least frightening them so as to prevent their coming hither any more: but all this was abortive; nothing could be possible to take effect, unless I was to be there to do it myself: and what could one man do among them, when perhaps there might be twenty or thirty of them together with their darts, or their bows and arrows, with which they could shoot as true to a mark as I could with my gun.

Sometimes I thought of digging a hole under the place where they made their fire, and putting in five or six pounds of gunpowder, which, when they kindled their fire, would consequently take fire, and blow up all that was near it: but as, in the first place, I should be unwilling to waste so much powder upon them, my store being now within the quantity of one barrel, so neither could I be sure of its going off at any certain time, when it might surprise them; and, at best, that it would do little more than just blow the fire about their ears and fright them, but not sufficient to make them forsake the place: so I laid it aside; and then proposed that I would place myself in ambush in some convenient place, with my three guns all double loaded, and in the middle of their bloody ceremony let fly at them, when I should be sure to kill or wound perhaps two or three at every shot; and then falling in upon them with my three pistols and my sword, I made no doubt but that, if there were twenty, I should kill them all. This fancy pleased my thoughts for some weeks, and I was so full of it that I often dreamed of it, and sometimes, that I was just going to let fly at them in my sleep. I went so far with it in my imagination, that I employed myself several days to find out proper places to put myself in ambuscade, as I said, to watch for them, and I went frequently to the place itself, which was now grown more familiar to me: but while my mind was thus filled with thoughts of revenge and a bloody putting twenty or thirty of them to the sword, as I may call it, the horror I had at the place, and at the signals of the barbarous wretches devouring one another, abetted my malice. Well, at length I found a place in the side of the hill, where I was satisfied I might securely wait till I saw any of their boats coming; and might then, even before they would be ready to come on shore, convey myself unseen into some thickets of trees, in one of which there was a hollow large enough to conceal me entirely; and there I might sit and observe all their bloody doings, and take my full áim 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 wounding three or four of them at the first shot. In this place, then, I resolved to fulfil my design; and accordingly, I prepared two muskets and my ordinary fowling-piece. The two muskets I loaded with a brace of slugs each, and four or five smaller bullets, about the size of pistol bullets; and the fowling piece I loaded with near a handful of swan-shot of the largest size; I also loaded my pistols with about four bullets each; and, in this posture, well provided with ammu

CRUSOE FLEES TO HIS FORTIFICATION.

in attempting it, but to no purpose. In the next place, I had no hops to make it keep, no yeast to make it work, no copper or kettle to make it boil; and yet with all these things wanting, I verily believe, had not the frights and terrors I was in about the savages intervened, I had undertaken it, and perhaps brought it to pass too; for I seldom gave anything over without accomplishing it, when once I had it in my head to begin it. But my invention now ran quite another way; for,

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

After I had thus laid the scheme of my design, and in my imagination put it in practice, I continually made my tour every morning to the top of the hill, which was from my castle, as I called it, about three miles, or more, to see if I could observe any boats upon the sea, coming near the island, or standing over towards it; but I began to tire of this hard duty, after I had for two or

three months constantly kept my watch, but came always back without any discovery; there having not, in all that time, been the least appearance, not only on or near the shore, but on the whole ocean, so far as my eyes or glass could reach every way.

As long as I kept my daily tour to the hill to look out, so long also I kept up the vigour of my design, and my spirits seemed to be all the while in a suitable frame for

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

When I considered this a little, it followed necessarily that I was certainly in the wrong; that these people were not murderers, in the sense that I had before condemned them in my thoughts, any more than those Christians were murderers who often put to death the prisoners taken in battle; or more frequently, upon many occasions, put whole troops of men to the sword, without giving quarter, though they threw down their

arms, and submitted. In the next place, it occurred to except upon my constant employment, to milk my she- now to Providence), I was cutting down some thick me, that although the usage they gave one another was goats, and manage my little flock in the wood, which, as branches of trees to make charcoal; and before I go on thus brutish and inhuman, yet it was really nothing to it was quite on the other part of the island, was out of I must observe the reason of my making this charcoal, me: these people had done me no injury: that if they danger; for certain it is that these savage people, who which was thus: I was afraid of making a smoke about attempted, or I saw it necessary, for my immediate pre-sometimes haunted this island, never came with any my habitation, as I said before; and yet I could not live servation, to fall upon them, something might be said thoughts of finding anything here, and consequently there without baking my bread, cooking my meat, &c.; for it but that I was yet out of their power, and they never wandered off from the coast, and I doubt not but so I contrived to burn some wood here, as I had seen really had no knowledge of me, and consequently no they might have been several times on shore after my done in England, under turf, till it became chark or dry design upon me; and, therefore it could not be just for apprehensions of them had made me cautious, as well coal: and then putting the fire out, I preserved the coal me to fall upon them; that this would justify the con- as before. Indeed, I looked back with some horror to carry home, and perform the other services for which duct of the Spaniards in all their barbarities practised upon the thoughts of what my condition would have fire was wanting, without danger of smoke. But this is in America, where they destroyed millions of these been, if I had chopped upon them and been discovered by the bye. While I was cutting down some wood here, people; who, however they were idolaters and bar-before that; when, naked, and unarmed, except with I perceived that, behind a very thick branch of low barians, and had several bloody and barbarous rites in one gun, and that loaded often only with small shot, I brushwood or underwood, there was a kind of hollow their customs, such as sacrificing human bodies to their walked everywhere, peeping and peering about the place: I was curious to look in it; and getting with idols, were yet, as to the Spaniards, very innocent island to see what I could get; what a surprise should difficulty into the mouth of it, I found it was pretty people; and that the rooting them out of the country I have been in, if, when I discovered the print of a man's large, that is to say, sufficient for me to stand upright in is spoken of with the utmost abhorrence and detestation foot, I had, instead of that, seen fifteen or twenty it, and perhaps another with me: but I must confess to by even the Spaniards themselves, at this time, and by savages, and found them pursuing me, and, by the you that I made more haste out than I did in, when all other Christian nations of Europe, as a mere butchery, swiftness of their running, no possibility of my escaping looking farther into the place, and which was perfectly a bloody and unnatural piece of cruelty, unjustifiable them! The thoughts of this sometimes sunk my very dark, I saw two broad shining eyes of some creature, either to God or man; and for which the very name of soul within me, and distressed my mind so much that I whether devil or man I knew not, which twinkled like a Spaniard is reckoned to be frightful and terrible to all could not soon recover it, to think what I should have two stars; the dim light from the cave's mouth shining people of humanity or of Christian compassion; as if done, and how I should not only have been unable to directly in, and making the reflection. However, after the kingdom of Spain were particularly eminent for resist them, but even should not have had presence of some pause, I recovered myself, and began to call myself the produce of a race of men, who were without prin- mind enough to do what I might have done; much less a thousand fools, and to think that he that was afraid to ciples of tenderness, or the common bowels of pity to what now, after so much consideration and preparation, see the devil, was not fit to live twenty years in an island the miserable, which is reckoned to be a mark of gener- I might be able to do. Indeed, after serious thinking all alone; and that I might well think there was nothing ous temper in the mind. of these things, I would be very melancholy, and, some-in this cave that was more frightful than myself. Upon These considerations really put me to a pause, and to times, it would last a great while; but I resolved it all, this, plucking up my courage, I took up a firebrand, and a kind of a full stop; and I began, by little and little, at last, into thankfulness to that Providence which had in I rushed again, with the stick flaming in my hand: I to be off my design, and to conclude I had taken wrong delivered me from so many unseen dangers, and had had not gone three steps in, before I was almost as mach measures in my resolution to attack the savages; and kept me from those mischiefs which I could have no frightened as before; for I heard a very loud sigh, like that it was not my business to meddle with them, unless way been the agent in delivering myself from, because that of a man in some pain, and it was followed by a they first attacked me; and this it was my business, if I had not the least notion of any such thing depending, broken noise, as of words half expressed, and then a possible, to prevent: but that, if I were discovered and or the least supposition of its being possible. This re- deep sigh again. I stepped back, and was indeed struck attacked by them, I knew my duty. On the other hand, newed a contemplation which often had come into my with such a surprise that it put me into a cold sweat, I argued with myself, that this really was the way not thoughts in former times, when first I began to see and if I had had a hat on my head, I will not answer to deliver myself, but entirely to ruin and destroy my- the merciful dispositions of Heaven, in the dangers we for it that my hair might not have lifted it off. But self; for, unless I was sure to kill every one that not run through in this life; how wonderfully we are still plucking up my spirits as well as I could, and enonly should be on shore at that time, but that should delivered when we know nothing of it; how, when we couraging myself a little with considering that the ever come on shore afterwards, if but one of them are in a quandary (as we call it), a doubt or hesitation power and presence of God was everywhere, and was escaped to tell their country people what had happened, whether to go this way or that way, a secret hint shall able to protect me, I stepped forward again, and by the they would come over again by thousands to revenge direct us this way when we intended to go that way: light of the firebrand, holding it up a little over my the death of their fellows, and I should only bring upon nay, when sense, our own inclination, and perhaps busi- head, I saw lying on the ground a monstrous, frightful, myself a certain destruction, which, at present, I had no ness, has called us to go the other way, yet a strange old he-goat, just making his will, as we say, and gasping manner of occasion for. Upon the whole, I concluded impression upon the mind, from we know not what for life, and dying, indeed, of mere old age. I stirred that I ought, neither in principle nor in policy, one way springs, and by we know not what power, shall overrule him a little to see if I could get him out, and he essayed or other, to concern myself in this affair: that my busi- us to go this way; and it shall afterwards appear, that to get up, but was not able to raise himself; and I ness was, by all possible means, to conceal myself from had we gone that way which we should have gone, and thought with myself he might even lie there,-for if he them, and not to leave the least sign for them to guess even to our imagination ought to have gone, we should had frightened me, so he would certainly fright any of by that there were any living creatures upon the island- have been ruined and lost. Upon these, and many like the savages, if any of them should be so hardy as to I mean of human shape. Religion joined in with this reflections, I afterwards made it a certain rule with me come in there while he had any life in him. prudential resolution; and I was convinced now, many that whenever I found those secret hints or pressings of ways, that I was perfectly out of my duty when I was mind, to doing or not doing anything that presented, or laying all my bloody schemes for the destruction of going this way or that way, I never failed to obey the innocent creatures-I mean innocent as to me. As to secret dictate; though. I knew no other reason for it the crimes they were guilty of towards one another, I than such a pressure, or such a hint, hung upon my had nothing to do with them; they were national, and mind. I could give many examples of the success of I ought to leave them to the justice of God, who is the this conduct in the course of my life, but more especially Governor of nations, and knows how, by national punish-in the latter part of my inhabiting this unhappy island; ments, to make a just retribution for national offences, besides many occasions which it is very likely I might and to bring public judgments upon those who offend have taken notice, if I had seen with the same eyes in a public manner, by such ways as best please Him. then that I see with now. But it is never too late to This appeared so clear to me now, that nothing was a be wise; and I cannot but advise all considering men, greater satisfaction to me than that I had not been whose lives are attended with such extraordinary incisuffered to do a thing which I now saw so much reason dents as mine, or even though not so extraordinary, not to believe would have been no less a sin than that of to slight such secret intimations of Providence, let them wilful murder, if I had committed it; and I gave most come from what invisible intelligence they will. That humble thanks, on my knees, to God, that He had thus I shall not discuss, and perhaps cannot account for; but delivered me from bloodguiltiness; beseeching Him to certainly they are a proof of the converse of spirits, and grant me the protection of His providence, that I might a secret communication between those embodied and not fall into the hands of the barbarians, or that I might those unembodied, and such a proof as can never be not lay my hands upon them, unless I had a more clear withstood; of which I shall have occasion to give call from Heaven to do it, in defence of my own life. some very remarkable instances in the remainder of In this disposition I continued for near a year after my solitary residence in this dismal place. this; and so far was I from desiring an occasion for I believe the reader of this will not think it strange, falling upon these wretches, that in all that time I never if I confess that these anxieties, these constant dangers once went up the hill to see whether there were any of I lived in, and the concern that was now upon me, put them in sight, or to know whether any of them had an end to all invention, and to all the contrivances that been on shore there or not, that I might not he tempted I had laid for my future accommodations and conveni-lights to me from my two candles. What it was in the to renew any of my contrivances against them, or be ences. I had the care of my safety more now upon my rock-whether diamonds or any other precious stones, provoked by any advantage that might present itself, hands than that of my food. I cared not to drive a or gold-which I rather supposed it to be--I knew not. to fall upon them: only this I did; I went and removed nail, or chop a stick of wood now, for fear the noise I The place I was in was a most delightful cavity, or my boat, which I had on the other side of the island, might make should be heard: much less would I fire a grotto, though perfectly dark; the floor was dry and and carried it down to the east end of the whole island, gun for the same reason: and, above all, I was intoler-level, and had a sort of a small loose gravel upon it, so where I ran it into a little cove, which I found under ably uneasy at making any fire, lest the smoke, which is some high rocks, and where I knew, by reason of the visible at a great distance in the day, should betray me. currents, the savages durst not, at least would not, come For this reason, I removed that part of my business with their boats upon any account whatever. With my which required fire, such as burning of pots and pipes, boat I carried away everything that I had left there be- &c., into my new apartment in the woods; where, after longing to her, though not necessary for the bare going I had been some time, I found to my unspeakable couthither, viz., a mast and sail which I had made for her, solation a mere natural cave in the earth, which went in and a thing like an anchor, but which indeed could not a vast way, and where, I dare say, no savage, had he be called either anchor or grapnel; however it was the been at the mouth of it, would be so hardy as to venture best I could make of its kind: all these I removed, that in; nor, indeed, would any man else, but one who, like there might not be the least shadow for discovery, or me, wanted nothing so much as a safe retreat. 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

The mouth of this hollow was at the bottom of a great rock, where, by mere accident (I would say, if I did not see abundant reason to ascribe all such things

I was now recovered from my surprise, and began to look round me, when I found the cave was but very small, that is to say, it might be about twelve feet over, but in no manner of shape, neither round nor square, no 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 60 low that it required me to creep upon my hands and knees to go into it, and whither it went I knew not; so, having no candle, I gave it over for that time, but resolved to go again the next day provided with candles and a tinder-box, which I had made of the lock of one of the muskets, with some wildfire in the pan.

Accordingly, the next day I came provided with six large candles of my own making (for I made very good candles now of goat's tallow, but was hard set for candlewick, using sometimes rags or rope-yarn, and sometimes the dried rind of a weed-like nettles); and going into this low place I was obliged to creep upon all-fours, as I 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 glorious sight seen in the island, I dare say, as it was to look round the sides and roof of this vault or cave the wall reflected a hundred thousand

that there was no nauseous or venomous creature to be seen, neither was there any damp or wet on the sides or roof. The only difficulty in it was the entrance-which, however, as it was a place of security, and such a retreat as I wanted, I thought was a convenience: so that I was really rejoiced at discovery, and resolved, without any delay, to bring some of those things which I was most anxious about to this place; particularly, I resolved to bring hither my magazine of powder, and all my spare arms, viz. two fowling-pieces-for I had threo in all-and three muskets-for of them I had eight in all; so I kept in my castle only five, which stood ready mounted like pieces of cannon on my outmost fence, and were ready also to take out upon any expedition.

Upon this occasion of removing my ammunition I happened to open the barrel of powder which I took up out of the sea, and which had been wet, and I found that the water had penetrated about three or four inches into the powder on every side, which caking and growing hard, had preserved the inside like a kernal in the shell, so that I had near sixty pounds of very good powder in the centre of the cask. This was a very agreeable discovery to me at that time; so I carried all away thither, never keeping above two or three pounds of powder with me in my castle, for fear of a surprise of any kind; I also carried thither all the lead I had left for bullets.

I fancied myself now like one of the ancient giants

But it was otherwise directed; and it may not be amiss over for the main. This was a dreadful sight to me
for all people who shall meet with my story to make especially as, going down to the shore, I could see the
this just observation from it:-How frequently, in the marks of horror which the dismal work they had been
course of our lives, the evil which in itself we seek most about had left behind it, viz. the blood, the bones, and
to shun, and which, when we are fallen into, is the most part of the flesh of human bodies eaten and devoured
dreadful to us, is oftentimes the very means or door of by those wretches with merriment and sport. I was so
our deliverance, by which alone we can be raised again filled with indignation at the sight, that I now began to
from the affliction we are fallen into. I could give premediate the destruction of the next that I saw
many examples of this in the course of my unaccount- there, let them be whom or how many soever. It
able life; but in nothing was it more particularly seemed evident to me that the visits which they made
remarkable than in the circumstances of my last years thus to this island were not very frequent, for it was
of solitary residence in this island.
above fifteen months before any more of them came on
It was now the month of December, as I said above, shore there again,-that is to say, I neither saw them
in my twenty-third year; and this, being the southern nor any footsteps or signals of them in all that time;
solstice (for winter I cannot call it), was the for as to the rainy seasons, then they are sure not to
particular time of my harvest, and required come abroad, at least not so far. Yet all this while I
me to be pretty much abroad in the fields, lived uncomfortably, by reason of the constant appre-
when, going out early in the morning, even hensions of their coming upon me by surprise: from
before it was thorough daylight, I was sur- whence I observe, that the expectation of evil is more
prised with seeing a light of some fire upon bitter than the suffering, especially if there is no
the shore, at a distance from me of about two room to shake off that expectation, or those appre-
miles, toward that part of the island where I hensions.
had observed some savages had been, as before, During all this time I was in the murdering humour,
and not on the other side,-but, to my great and spent most of my hours, which should have been
affliction, it was on my side of the island. better employed, in contriving how to circumvent and
I was indeed terribly surprised at the sight, fall upon them the very next time I should see them,-
and stopped short within my grove, not daring especially if they should be divided, as they were the
to go out, lest I might be surprised; and yet last time, into two parties; nor did I consider at all
I had no more peace within, from the appre- that if I killed one party-suppose ten or a dozen-I
hensions I had that if these savages, in ram- was still the next day, or week, or month, to kill
bling over the island, should find my corn another, and so another, even ad infinitum, till I should
standing or cnt, or any of my works or im- be, at length, no less a murderer than they were in being
provements, they would immediately conclude man-eaters and perhaps much more so. I spent my
that there were people in the place, and days now in great perplexity and anxiety of mind,
would then never rest till they had found expecting that I should one day or other fall into the
me out. In this extremity I went back hands of these merciless creatures; and if I did at any
directly to my castle, pulled up the ladder time venture abroad, it was not without looking around
after me, and made all things without look
as wild and natural as I could.

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who were said to live in caves and holes in the rocks, | to pray to God to deliver me out of the hands of
where none could como at them; for I persuaded myself, the barbarians. I continued in this posture about
while I was here, that if five hundred savages were to
hunt me, they could never find me out-or if they did,
they would not venture to attack me here. The old
goat whom I found expiring died in the mouth of the
cave the next day after I made this discovery; and I
found it much easier to dig a great hole there, and
throw him in and cover him with earth, than to drag
him out; so I interred him there, to prevent offence to
my nose.

I was now in the twenty-third year of my residence in this island, and was so naturalized to the place and the manner of living, that, could I but have enjoyed the certainty that no savages would come to the place to disturb me, I could have been content to have capitulated for spending the rest of my time there, even to the last moment, till I had laid me down and died, like the old goat in the cave. I had also arrived to some little diversions and amusements, which made the time pass a great deal more pleasantly with me than it did before;-first, I had taught my Poll, as I named before, to speak; and he did it so familiarly, and talked so articulately and plain, that it was very pleasant to me; and he lived with me no less than six-and-twenty years. How long he might have lived afterwards I know not, though I know they have a notion in the Brazils 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 then died of mere old age. As for my cats, they multiplied, as I have observed, to that degree, that I was obliged to shoot several of them at first, to keep them from devouring me and all I had; but, at length, when the two old ones I brought with me were gone, and after some time continually driving them from me, and letting them have no provision with me, they all ran wild into the woods, except two or three favourites, which I kept tame, and whose young, when they had any, I always drowned; and these were part of my family. Besides these I always kept two or three household kids about me, whom I taught to feed out of my hand; and I had two more parrots, which talked pretty well, and would all call "Robin Crusoe," but none like my first; nor, indeed, did I take the pains with any of them that I had done with him. I had also several tame sea-fowls, whose name I knew not, that I caught upon the shore, and cut their wings; and the little stakes which I had planted before my castle-wall being now grown up to a good thick grove, these fowls all lived among these low trees, and bred there, which was very agreeable to me; so that, as I said above, I began to be very well contented with the life I led, if I could have been secured from the dread of the savages.

two hours, and began to be impatient for intelli-
gence abroad, for I had no spies to send out. After
sitting a while longer, and musing what I should do
in this case, I was not able to bear sitting in ignor-
ance longer; so setting up my ladder to the side
of the hill, where there was a flat place, as I ob-
served 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 there were no less than nine naked
savages, sitting round a small fire they had made,
not to warm them, for they had no need of that,
the weather being extremely hot, but, as I supposed,
to dress some of their barbarous diet of human flesh
which they had brought with them, whether alive or
dead I could not tell.

They had two canoes with them, which they had
hauled up upon the shore; and as it was then ebb of
tide, they seemed to me to wait for the return of the
flood to go away again. It is not easy to imagine what
confusion this sight put me into, especially seeing them
come on my side of the island, and so near to me; but
when I considered their coming must be always with the
current of the ebb, I began afterwards to be more sedate
in my mind, being satisfied that I might go abroad with
safety all the time of the flood of tide, if they were
not on shore before: and having made this observation,
I went abroad about my harvest work with the more
composure.

As I expected, so it proved; for, as soon as the tide made to the westward, I saw them all take boat and row (or paddle as we call it) away. I should have observed, that for an hour or more before they went off they were dancing, and I could easily discern their postures and gestures by my glass. I could 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.

CRUSOE TEACHES HIS PARROT TO TALK.

me with the greatest care and caution imaginable. And now I found, to my great comfort, how happy it was that I had provided a tame flock or herd of goats, for I durst not upon any account fire my gun, especially near As soon as I saw them shipped and gone, I took two that side of the island where they usually came, lest I guns upon my shoulders, and two pistols in my girdle, should alarm the savages; and if they had fled from and my great sword by my side without a scabbard, and me now, I was sure to have them come again with with all the speed I was able to make went away to the perhaps two or three hundred canoes with them in a hill where I had discovered the first appearance of all; few days, and then I knew what to expect. However, and as soon as I got thither, which was not in less than I wore out a year and three months more before I ever two hours (for I could not go quickly, being so loaded saw any more of the savages, and then I found them with arms as I was), I perceived there had been three again, as I shall soon observe. It is true they might canoes more of the savages at that place; and looking have been there once or twice; but either they made ne out farther, I saw they were all at sea together, making 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-as might be the case many ways; particularly, by the twentieth year, I had a very strange encounter with breaking of the sea upon their ship, which many times them; of which in its place. 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 distress they made, had taken them up, and carried them off. Other times, I fancied they were all gone off to sea in their boat, and being hurried away by the current that I had been formerly in, were carried out into the great ocean, where there was nothing but misery and 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, I could do no more than look on upon the misery of the poor men, and pity them; which had still this good effect upon my side, that it gave me more and more cause to give thanks to God, who had

The perturbation of my mind, during this fifteen or sixteen months' interval was very great; I slept unquietly, dreamed always frightful dreams, and often started out of my sleep in the night. In the day, great troubles overwhelmed my mind; and in the night, I dreamed often of killing the savages, and of the reasons why I might justify doing 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 pon the post still; I say, it was on the sixteenth of May that it blew a very great storm of wind all day, with a great deal of lightning and thunder, and a very foul night it was after it. I knew not what was the particular occasion of it; but as I was reading in the Bible, and taken up with very serious thoughts about ny present condition, I was surprised with the noise of a gun, as I thought fired at sea. This was, to be sure, a surprise quite of a different nature from any I had met with before; for the notions this put into my thoughts were quite of another kind. I started up in the greatest haste imaginable; and, in a trice, 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 helf a minute, I heard; and by the sound, knew that it was from that part of the sea where I was driven down the current in my boat. I immediately considered that this must be some ship in distress, and that they had some comrade, or some other ship in company, and fired these for signals of distress, and to obtain help. I had the presence of mind, at that minute, to think, that though I could not help them, it might be they might help me; so I brought together all the dry wood I could get at hand, and, making a good handsome pile, I set it on fire upon the hill. The wood was dry, and blazed freely; and, though the wind blew very hard, yet it burned fairly 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 nother gun, and after that several others, all from the same quarter. I plied my fire all night long, till daybreak and when it was broad day, and the air cleared up, I saw something at a great distance at sea, full east of the island, whether a sail or a hull I could not dis-one soul, saved out of this ship, to have escaped to me, 'inguish-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.

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CRUSOE SEES A LIGHT ON THE SHORE IN THE EARLY MORNING.

so happily and comfortably provided for me in my desolate condition; and that of two ships' companies, who were now cast away upon this part of the world, not one life should be spared but mine. I learned here again to observe, that it is very rare that the providence of God casts us into any condition so low, or any misery so great, but we may see something or other to be thankful for, and may see others in worse circumstances than our own. Such certainly was the case of these men, of whom I could not so much as see room to suppose any were saved; nothing could make it rational so much as to wish or expect that they did not all perish there, except the possibility only of their being taken up by another ship in company; and this was but mere possibility indeed, for I saw not the least sign or appearance of any such thing. I cannot explain, by any possible energy of words, what a strange longing I felt in my soul upon this sight, breaking out sometimes thus:-"O that there had been but one or two, nay, but

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

I looked frequently at it all that day, and soon perceived that it did not move; so I presently concluded that it was a ship at anchor; and being eager, you may There are some secret springs in the affections, which, be sure, to be satisfied, I took my gun in my hand, and when they are set a-going by some object in view, cr, ron towards the south side of the island, to the rocks though not in view, yet rendered present to the mind where I had formerly been carried away by the current; by the power of imagination, that motion carries out and getting up there, the weather by this time being the soul, by its impetuosity, to such violent, eager emperfectly clear, I could plainly see, to my great sorrow, bracings of the object, that the absence of it is insupthe wreck of a ship, cast away in the night upon those portable. Such were these earnest wishings that but Concealed rocks which I found when I was out in my one man had been saved. I believe I repeated the Foat; and which rocks, as they checked the violence of words, "O that it had been but one!" a thousand times; the stream, and made a kind of counter-stream, or eddy, and my desires were so moved by it, that when I spoke were the occasion of my recovering from the most the words my hands would clinch together, and my desperate, hopeless condition that ever I had been in in fingers would press the palms of my hands, so that if I all my life. Thus, what is one man's safety is another had had any soft thing in my hand, I should have man's destruction; for it seems these men, whoever crushed it involuntarily; and the teeth in my head they were, being out of their knowledge, and the rocks would strike together, and set against one another so being wholly under water, had been driven upon them strong, that for some time I could not part them again. in the night, the wind blowing hard at E.N.E. Had Let the naturalists explain these things, and the reason they seen the island, as I must necessarily suppose they and manner of them. All I can do is, to describe the did not, they must, as I thought, have endeavoured to fact, which was even surprising to me when I found it, have saved themselves on shore by the help of their though I knew not from whence it proceeded; it was boat; but their firing off guns for help, especially when doubtless the effect of ardent wishes, and of strong they saw, as I imagined, my fire, filled me with many ideas formed in my mind, realizing the comfort which thoughts. First, I imagined that upon seeing my light, the conversation of one of my fellow Christi ns would they might have put themselves into their boat, and have been to me. But it was not to be; either their endeavoured to make the shore; but that the sea run-fate or mine, or both, forbade it; for till the last year of ning very high, they have been cast away. Other times my being on this island, I never knew whether any were I imagined that they might have lost their boat before, saved out of that ship or no; and had only the afflic

tion, some 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 of open-kneed linen drawers, and a blue linen shirt; but nothing to direct me so much as to guess what nation he was of. He had nothing in his pockets but two pieces of eight and a tobacco-pipe-the last was to me of ten times more value than the first.

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

Under the power of this impression, I hastened back to my castle, prepared everything for my voyage, took a quantity of bread, a great pot of fresh water, a compass to steer by, a bottle of rum (for I had still a great deal of that left), and a basket of raisins; and thus, loading myself with everything necessary, I went down to my boat, got the water out of her, got her afloat, loaded all my cargo in her, and then went home again for more. My second cargo was a great bag of rice, the umbrella to set up over my head for a shade, another large pot of fresh water, and about two dozen of small loaves, or barley cakes, more than before, with a bottle of goat's-milk, and a cheese; all which with great 1:bour and sweat I carried to my boat; and praying to God to direct my voyage, I put out, and rowing or peddling the canoe along the shore, came at last to the utmost point of the island on the north-east side. And now I was to launch out into the ocean, and either to venture or not to venture. I looked on the rapid currents which ran constantly on both sides of the island at a distance, and which were very terrible to me, from the remembrance of the hazard I had been in before, and my heart began to, fail me; for I foresaw that if I was driven into either of those currents, I should be carried a great way out to sea, and perhaps out of my reach, or sight of the island again; and that then, as my boat was but small, if any little gale of wind should rise, I should be inevitably lost.

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CRUSOE GETS A VIEW OF THE WRECK.

These thoughts so oppressed my mind, that I began to give over my enterprise; and having hauled my boat into a little creek on the shore, I stepped out, and sat down upon a rising bit of ground, very pensive and anxious, between fear and desire, about my voyage; when, as I was musing, I could perceive that the tide

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