The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
to do with myself at night I knew not, nor indeed where to rest, for I
was afraid to lie down on the ground, not knowing but some wild beast
might devour me, though, as I afterwards found, there was really no
need for those fears.
However, as well as I could, I barricaded myself round with the chest
and boards that I had brought on shore, and made a kind of hut for that
night’s lodging. As for food, I yet saw not which way to supply myself,
except that I had seen two or three creatures like hares run out of the
wood where I shot the fowl.
I now began to consider that I might yet get a great many things out of
the ship which would be useful to me, and particularly some of the
rigging and sails, and such other things as might come to land; and I
resolved to make another voyage on board the vessel, if possible. And
as I knew that the first storm that blew must necessarily break her all
in pieces, I resolved to set all other things apart till I had got
everything out of the ship that I could get. Then I called a
council—that is to say in my thoughts—whether I should take back the
raft; but this appeared impracticable: so I resolved to go as before,
when the tide was down; and I did so, only that I stripped before I
went from my hut, having nothing on but my chequered shirt, a pair of
linen drawers, and a pair of pumps on my feet.
I got on board the ship as before, and prepared a second raft; and,
having had experience of the first, I neither made this so unwieldy,
nor loaded it so hard, but yet I brought away several things very
useful to me; as first, in the carpenters stores I found two or three
bags full of nails and spikes, a great screw-jack, a dozen or two of
hatchets, and, above all, that most useful thing called a grindstone.
All these I secured, together with several things belonging to the
gunner, particularly two or three iron crows, and two barrels of musket
bullets, seven muskets, another fowling-piece, with some small quantity
of powder more; a large bagful of small shot, and a great roll of
sheet-lead; but this last was so heavy, I could not hoist it up to get
it over the ship’s side.
Besides these things, I took all the men’s clothes that I could find,
and a spare fore-topsail, a hammock, and some bedding; and with this I
loaded my second raft, and brought them all safe on shore, to my very
great comfort.
I was under some apprehension, during my absence from the land, that at
least my provisions might be devoured on shore: but when I came back I
found no sign of any visitor; only there sat a creature like a wild cat
upon one of the chests, which, when I came towards it, ran away a
little distance, and then stood still. She sat very composed and
unconcerned, and looked full in my face, as if she had a mind to be
acquainted with me. I presented my gun at her, but, as she did not
understand it, she was perfectly unconcerned at it, nor did she offer
to stir away; upon which I tossed her a bit of biscuit, though by the
way, I was not very free of it, for my store was not great: however, I
spared her a bit, I say, and she went to it, smelled at it, and ate it,
and looked (as if pleased) for more; but I thanked her, and could spare
no more: so she marched off.
Having got my second cargo on shore—though I was fain to open the
barrels of powder, and bring them by parcels, for they were too heavy,
being large casks—I went to work to make me a little tent with the sail
and some poles which I cut for that purpose: and into this tent I
brought everything that I knew would spoil either with rain or sun; and
I piled all the empty chests and casks up in a circle round the tent,
to fortify it from any sudden attempt, either from man or beast.
When I had done this, I blocked up the door of the tent with some
boards within, and an empty chest set up on end without; and spreading
one of the beds upon the ground, laying my two pistols just at my head,
and my gun at length by me, I went to bed for the first time, and slept
very quietly all night, for I was very weary and heavy; for the night
before I had slept little, and had laboured very hard all day to fetch
all those things from the ship, and to get them on shore.
I had the biggest magazine of all kinds now that ever was laid up, I
believe, for one man: but I was not satisfied still, for while the ship
sat upright in that posture, I thought I ought to get everything out of
her that I could; so every day at low water I went on board, and
brought away something or other; but particularly the third time I went
I brought away as much of the rigging as I could, as also all the small
ropes and rope-twine I could get, with a piece of spare canvas, which
was to mend the sails upon occasion, and the barrel of wet gunpowder.
In a word, I brought away all the sails, first and last; only that I
was fain to cut them in pieces, and bring as much at a time as I could,
for they were no more useful to be sails, but as mere canvas only.
But that which comforted me more still, was, that last of all, after I
had made five or six such voyages as these, and thought I had nothing
more to expect from the ship that was worth my meddling with—I say,
after all this, I found a great hogshead of bread, three large runlets
of rum, or spirits, a box of sugar, and a barrel of fine flour; this
was surprising to me, because I had given over expecting any more
provisions, except what was spoiled by the water. I soon emptied the
hogshead of the bread, and wrapped it up, parcel by parcel, in pieces
of the sails, which I cut out; and, in a word, I got all this safe on
shore also.
The next day I made another voyage, and now, having plundered the ship
of what was portable and fit to hand out, I began with the cables.
Cutting the great cable into pieces, such as I could move, I got two
cables and a hawser on shore, with all the ironwork I could get; and
having cut down the spritsail-yard, and the mizzen-yard, and everything
I could, to make a large raft, I loaded it with all these 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 had 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 great use to
me; however, when the tide was out, I got most of the pieces of the
cable ashore, and some of the iron, though with infinite labour; for I
was fain to dip for it into the water, a work which fatigued me very
much. After this, I went every day on board, and brought away what I
could get.
I had been now thirteen days on shore, and had been eleven times on
board the ship, in which time I had brought away all that one pair of
hands could well be supposed capable to bring; though I believe verily,
had the calm weather held, I should have brought away the whole ship,
piece by piece. But preparing the twelfth time to go on board, I found
the wind began to rise: however, at low water I went on board, and
though I thought I had rummaged the cabin so effectually 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
I found about thirty-six pounds value in money—some European coin, some
Brazil, some pieces of eight, some gold, and some silver.
I smiled to myself at the sight of this money: “O drug!” said I, aloud,
“what art thou good for? Thou art not worth to me—no, not the taking
off the ground; one of those knives is worth all this heap; I have no
manner of use for thee—e’en remain where thou art, and go to the bottom
as a creature whose life is not worth saving.” However, upon second
thoughts I took it away; and wrapping all this in a piece of canvas, I
began to think of making another raft; but while I was 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
offshore; and that it was my business to be gone before the tide of
flood began, otherwise I might not be able to reach the shore at all.
Accordingly, I let myself down into the water, and swam across the
channel, which lay between the ship and the sands, and even that with
difficulty enough, partly with the weight of the things I had about me,
and partly the roughness of the water; for the wind rose very hastily,
and before it was quite high water it blew a storm.
But I had got home to my little tent, where I lay, with all my wealth
about me, very secure. It blew very hard all night, and in the morning,
when I looked out, behold, no more ship was to be seen! I was a little
surprised, but recovered myself with the satisfactory reflection that I
had lost no time, nor abated any diligence, to get everything out of
her that could be useful to me; and that, indeed, there was little left
in her that I was able to bring away, if I had had more time.
I now gave over any more thoughts of the ship, or of anything out of
her, except what might drive on shore from her wreck; as, indeed,
divers pieces of her afterwards did; but those things were of small use
to me.
My thoughts were now wholly employed about securing myself against
either savages, if any should appear, or wild beasts, if any were in
the island; and I had many thoughts of the method how to do this, and
what kind of dwelling to make—whether I should make me a cave in the
earth, or a tent upon the earth; and, in short, I resolved upon both;
the manner and description of which, it may not be improper to give an
account of.
I soon found the place I was in was not fit for my settlement, because
it was upon a low, moorish ground, near the sea, and I believed it
would not be wholesome, and more particularly because there was no
fresh water near it; so I resolved to find a more healthy and more
convenient spot of ground.
I consulted several things in my situation, which I found would be
proper for me: 1st, health and fresh water, I just now mentioned;
2ndly, shelter from the heat of the sun; 3rdly, security from ravenous
creatures, whether man or beast; 4thly, a view to the sea, that if God
sent any ship in sight, I might not lose any advantage for my
deliverance, of which I was not willing to banish all my expectation
yet.
In search 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 that nothing could come down upon me from the top.
On the one side of the rock there was a hollow place, worn a little way
in, like the entrance or door of a cave but there was not really any
cave or way into the rock at all.
On the flat of the green, just before this hollow place, I resolved to
pitch my tent. This plain was not above a hundred yards broad, and
about twice as long, and lay like a green before my door; and, at the
end of it, descended irregularly every way down into the low ground by
the seaside. 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 I set up my tent I drew a half-circle before the hollow place,
which took in about ten yards in its semi-diameter from the rock, and
twenty yards in its diameter from its beginning and ending.
In this half-circle I pitched two rows of strong stakes, driving them