The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
fine cover to my habitation, and afterwards served for a defence also,
as I shall observe in its order.
I found now that the seasons of the year might generally be divided,
not into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into the rainy seasons
and the dry seasons, which were generally thus:—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 April, the whole of May, June, and July, and the half of
August—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, the 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, I took care to furnish myself with provisions beforehand, that I
might not be obliged to go out, and I sat within doors as much as
possible during the wet months. This time I found much employment, and
very suitable also to the time, for I found great occasion for many
things which I had no way to furnish myself with but by hard labour and
constant application; particularly I tried many ways 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 in which they worked those
things, and sometimes lending a hand, I had by these means full
knowledge of the methods of it, and I wanted nothing but the materials,
when it came into my mind that the twigs of that tree from whence I cut
my stakes that grew might possibly be as tough as the sallows, willows,
and osiers in England, and I resolved to try. Accordingly, the next day
I went to my country house, as I called it, and cutting some of the
smaller twigs, I found them to my purpose as much as I could desire;
whereupon I came the next time prepared with a hatchet to cut down a
quantity, which I soon found, for there was great plenty of them. These
I set up to dry within my circle or hedge, and when they were fit for
use I carried them to my cave; and here, during the next season, I
employed myself in making, as well as I could, a great many baskets,
both to carry earth or to carry or lay up anything, as I had occasion;
and though I did not finish them very handsomely, yet I made them
sufficiently serviceable for my purpose; thus, afterwards, I took care
never to be without them; and as my wicker-ware decayed, I made more,
especially strong, deep baskets to place my corn in, instead of sacks,
when I should come to have any quantity of it.
Having mastered this difficulty, and employed a world of time about it,
I bestirred myself to see, if possible, how to supply two wants. I had
no vessels to hold anything that was liquid, except two runlets, which
were almost full of rum, and some glass bottles—some of the common
size, and others which were case bottles, square, for the holding of
water, spirits, &c. I had not so much as a pot to boil anything, except
a great kettle, which I saved out of the ship, and which was too big
for such as I desired it—viz. to make broth, and stew a bit of meat by
itself. The second thing I fain would have had was a tobacco-pipe, but
it was impossible to me to make one; however, I found a contrivance for
that, too, at last. I employed myself in planting my second rows of
stakes or piles, and in this wicker-working all the summer or dry
season, when another business took me up more time than it could be
imagined I could spare.
CHAPTER VIII. SURVEYS HIS POSITION
I mentioned before that I had a great mind to see the whole island, and
that I had travelled up the brook, and so on to where I built my bower,
and where I had an opening quite to the sea, on the other side of the
island. I now resolved to travel quite across to the sea-shore on that
side; so, taking my gun, a hatchet, and my dog, and a larger quantity
of powder and shot than usual, with two biscuit-cakes and a great bunch
of raisins in my pouch for my store, I began my journey. When I had
passed the vale where my bower stood, as above, I came within view of
the sea to the west, and it being a very clear day, I fairly descried
land—whether an island or a continent I could not tell; but it lay very
high, extending from the W. to the W.S.W. at a very great distance; by
my guess it could not be less than fifteen or twenty leagues off.
I could not tell what part of the world this might be, otherwise than
that I knew it must be part of America, and, as I concluded by all my
observations, must be near the Spanish dominions, and perhaps was all
inhabited by savages, where, if I had landed, I had been in a worse
condition than I was now; and therefore I acquiesced in the
dispositions of Providence, which I began now to own and to believe
ordered everything for the best; I say I quieted my mind with this, and
left off afflicting myself with fruitless wishes of being there.
Besides, after some thought upon this affair, I considered that if this
land was the Spanish coast, I should certainly, one time or other, see
some vessel pass or repass one way or other; but if not, then it was
the savage coast between the Spanish country and Brazils, where are
found the worst of savages; for they are cannibals or men-eaters, and
fail not to murder and devour 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 savannah fields sweet, adorned with flowers and grass, and full
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, after some painstaking, 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 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. I found in the low
grounds hares (as I thought them to be) and foxes; but they differed
greatly from all the other kinds I had met with, nor could I satisfy
myself to eat them, though I killed several. But I had no need to be
venturous, for I had no want of food, and of that which was very good
too, especially these three sorts, viz. goats, pigeons, and turtle, or
tortoise, 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
thereabouts; but I took so many turns and re-turns to see what
discoveries I could make, that I came weary enough to the place where I
resolved to sit down all night; and then I either reposed myself in a
tree, or surrounded myself with a row of stakes set upright in the
ground, either from one tree to another, or so as no wild creature
could come at me without waking me.
As soon as I came to the sea-shore, I was surprised to see that I had
taken up my lot on the worst side of the island, for here, indeed, the
shore was covered with innumerable turtles, whereas on the other side I
had found but three in a year and a half. Here was also an infinite
number of fowls of many kinds, some which I had seen, and some which I
had not seen before, and many of them very good meat, but such as I
knew not the names of, except those called 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 with much more
difficulty that I could come near them, the country being flat and
even, and they saw me much sooner than when I was on the hills.
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 natural to me, and I seemed all the while I was
here to be as it were upon a journey, and from home. However, I
travelled along the shore of the sea towards the east, 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 that the next journey I
took should be on the other side of the island east from my dwelling,
and so round till I came to my post again.
I took another way to come back than that I 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 the
seaside, look for my post, and come back the same way I went: and then,
by easy journeys, I turned homeward, the weather being exceeding hot,
and my gun, ammunition, hatchet, and other things very heavy.
In this journey my dog surprised a young kid, and seized upon it; and
I, running in to take hold of it, caught it, and saved it alive from
the dog. I had a great mind to bring it home if I could, for I had
often been musing whether it might not be possible to get a kid or two,
and so raise a breed of tame goats, which might supply me when my
powder and shot should be all spent. I made a collar for this little
creature, and with a string, which I made of some rope-yarn, which I
always carried about me, I led him along, though with some difficulty,
till I came to my bower, and there I enclosed him and left him, for I
was very impatient to be at home, from whence I had been absent above a
month.
I cannot express what a satisfaction it was to me to come into my old
hutch, and lie down in my hammock-bed. This little wandering journey,
without 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 everything about me so comfortable,
that I resolved I would never go a great way from it again while it
should be my lot to stay on the island.
I reposed myself here a week, to rest and regale myself after my long
journey; during which most of the time was taken up in the weighty
affair of making a cage for my Poll, who began now to be a mere
domestic, and to be well acquainted with me. Then I began to think of
the poor kid which I 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,