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Title: The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe

Author: Daniel Defoe

Release date: May 1, 1996 [eBook #521]
Most recently updated: September 7, 2025

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/521

Credits: David Price

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE AND
ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE ***

The
Life and Adventures
of
Robinson Crusoe

By
Daniel Defoe

With Illustrations by H. M. Brock
London
Seeley, Service & Co. Limited
38 Great Russell Street

Contents

CHAPTER I—START IN LIFE
CHAPTER II—SLAVERY AND ESCAPE
CHAPTER III—WRECKED ON A DESERT ISLAND
CHAPTER IV—FIRST WEEKS ON THE ISLAND
CHAPTER V—BUILDS A HOUSE—THE JOURNAL
CHAPTER VI—ILL AND CONSCIENCE-STRICKEN
CHAPTER VII—AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE
CHAPTER VIII—SURVEYS HIS POSITION
CHAPTER IX—A BOAT
CHAPTER X—TAMES GOATS
CHAPTER XI—FINDS PRINT OF MAN’S FOOT ON THE SAND
CHAPTER XII—A CAVE RETREAT
CHAPTER XIII—WRECK OF A SPANISH SHIP
CHAPTER XIV—A DREAM REALISED
CHAPTER XV—FRIDAY’S EDUCATION
CHAPTER XVI—RESCUE OF PRISONERS FROM CANNIBALS
CHAPTER XVII—VISIT OF MUTINEERS
CHAPTER XVIII—THE SHIP RECOVERED
CHAPTER XIX—RETURN TO ENGLAND
CHAPTER XX—FIGHT BETWEEN FRIDAY AND A BEAR

CHAPTER I.
START IN LIFE

I was born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good family, though
not of that country, my father being a foreigner of Bremen, who settled first
at Hull. He got a good estate by merchandise, and leaving off his trade,
lived afterwards at York, from whence he had married my mother, whose
relations were named Robinson, a very good family in that country, and
from whom I was called Robinson Kreutznaer; but, by the usual corruption
of words in England, we are now called—nay, we call ourselves and write
our name—Crusoe; and so my companions always called me.
I had two elder brothers, one of whom was lieutenant-colonel to an
English regiment of foot in Flanders, formerly commanded by the famous
Colonel Lockhart, and was killed at the battle near Dunkirk against the
Spaniards. What became of my second brother I never knew, any more than
my father or mother knew what became of me.
Being the third son of the family and not bred to any trade, my head
began to be filled very early with rambling thoughts. My father, who was
very ancient, had given me a competent share of learning, as far as house-
education and a country free school generally go, and designed me for the
law; but I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea; and my
inclination to this led me so strongly against the will, nay, the commands of
my father, and against all the entreaties and persuasions of my mother and
other friends, that there seemed to be something fatal in that propensity 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
chamber, where he was confined by the gout, and expostulated very warmly
with me upon this subject. He asked me what reasons, more than a mere
wandering inclination, I had for leaving father’s house and my native

country, where I might be well introduced, and had a prospect of raising my
fortune 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, 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 labour and sufferings of the mechanic part
of mankind, and not embarrassed with the pride, luxury, ambition, and envy
of the upper part of mankind. He told me I might judge of the happiness of
this state by this one thing—viz. that this was the state of life which all
other people envied; that kings have frequently lamented the miserable
consequence of being born to great things, and wished they had been placed
in the middle of the two extremes, between the mean and the great; that the
wise man gave his testimony to this, as the standard of 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 mankind, but that the
middle station had the fewest disasters, and was not exposed to so many
vicissitudes as the higher or lower part of mankind; nay, they were not
subjected to so many distempers and uneasinesses, either of body or mind,
as those were who, by vicious living, luxury, and extravagances on the one
hand, or by hard labour, want of necessaries, and mean or insufficient diet
on the other hand, bring distemper upon themselves by the natural
consequences of their way of living; that the middle station of life was
calculated for all kind of virtue and all kind of enjoyments; that peace and
plenty were the handmaids of a middle fortune; that temperance,
moderation, quietness, health, society, all agreeable diversions, and all
desirable pleasures, were the blessings attending the middle station of life;
that this way men went silently and smoothly through the world, and
comfortably out of it, not embarrassed with the labours of the hands or of
the head, not sold to a life of slavery for daily bread, nor harassed with
perplexed circumstances, which rob the soul of peace and the body of rest,
nor enraged with the passion of envy, or the secret burning lust of ambition
for great things; but, in easy circumstances, sliding gently through the

world, and sensibly tasting the sweets of living, without the bitter; feeling
that they are happy, and learning by every day’s experience to know it more
sensibly.
After this he pressed me earnestly, and in the most affectionate manner,
not to play the young man, nor to precipitate myself into miseries which
nature, and the station of life I was born in, seemed to have provided
against; that I was under no necessity of seeking my bread; that he would
do well for me, and endeavour to enter me fairly into the station of life
which he had just been recommending to me; and that if I was not very easy
and happy in the world, it must be my mere fate or fault that must hinder it;
and that he should have nothing to answer for, having thus discharged his
duty in warning me against measures which he knew would be to my hurt;
in a word, that as he would do very kind things for me if I would stay and
settle at home as he directed, so he would not have so much hand in my
misfortunes as to give me any encouragement to go away; and to close all,
he told me I had my elder brother for an example, to whom he had used the
same earnest persuasions to keep him from going into the Low Country
wars, but could not prevail, his young desires prompting him to run into the
army, where he was killed; and though he said he would not cease to pray
for me, yet he would venture to say to me, that if I did take this foolish step,
God would not bless me, and I should have leisure hereafter to reflect upon
having neglected his counsel when there might be none to assist in my
recovery.
I observed in this last part of his discourse, which was truly prophetic,
though I suppose my father did not know it to be so himself—I say, I
observed the tears run down his face very plentifully, especially when he
spoke of my brother who was killed: and that when he spoke of my having
leisure to repent, and none to assist me, he was so moved that he broke off
the discourse, and told me his heart was so full he could say no more to me.
I was sincerely affected with this discourse, and, indeed, who could be
otherwise? and I resolved not to think of going abroad any more, but to
settle at home according to my father’s desire. But alas! a few days wore it
all off; and, in short, to prevent any of my father’s further importunities, in
a few weeks after I resolved to run quite away from him. However, I did not
act quite so hastily as the first heat of my resolution prompted; but I took
my mother at a time when I thought her a little more pleasant than ordinary,

and told her that my thoughts were so entirely bent upon seeing the world
that I should never settle to anything with resolution enough to go through
with it, and my father had better give me his consent than force me to go
without it; that I was now eighteen years old, which was too late to go
apprentice to a trade or clerk to an attorney; that I was sure if I did I should
never serve out my time, but I should certainly run away from my master
before my time was out, and go to sea; and if she would speak to my father
to let me 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 purpose to speak to my father upon any such subject; that he knew
too well what was my interest to give his consent to anything so much for
my hurt; and that she wondered how I could think of any such thing after
the discourse I 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 great concern at it, said to her, with a sigh, “That boy might
be happy if he would stay at home; but if he goes abroad, he will be the
most 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
meantime, I continued obstinately deaf to all proposals of settling to
business, and frequently expostulated with my father and mother about their
being so positively determined against what they knew my inclinations
prompted me to. But being one day at Hull, where I went casually, and
without any purpose of making an elopement at that time; but, I say, being
there, and one of my companions being about to sail to London in his
father’s ship, and prompting me to go with them with the common
allurement of seafaring men, that it should cost me nothing for my passage,
I consulted neither father nor mother any more, nor so much as sent them
word of it; but 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, I went on board a ship bound for London. Never any young
adventurer’s misfortunes, I believe, began sooner, or continued longer than
mine. The ship was no sooner out of the Humber than the wind began to
blow and the sea to rise in a most frightful manner; and, as I had never been
at sea before, I was most inexpressibly sick in body and terrified in mind. I
began now seriously to reflect upon what I had done, and how justly I was
overtaken by the judgment of Heaven for 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 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 I saw a few
days after; but it was enough to affect me then, who was but a young sailor,
and had never known anything of the matter. I 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 spare my life in this one voyage, if ever I got once my foot upon dry
land again, I would go directly home to my father, and never set it into a
ship again while I lived; that I would take his advice, and never run myself
into such miseries as these any more. Now I saw plainly the goodness of his
observations 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 I resolved that I would, like a true repenting prodigal,
go home to my father.
These wise 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, I was very grave
for all that day, being also a little sea-sick still; but towards night the
weather cleared up, the wind was quite over, and a charming fine evening
followed; the sun went down perfectly clear, and rose so the next morning;
and having little or no wind, and a smooth sea, the sun shining upon it, the
sight was, as I thought, the most delightful that ever I saw.

I had slept well in the night, and was now no more sea-sick, but very
cheerful, looking with wonder upon the sea that was so rough and terrible
the day before, and could be so calm and so pleasant in so little a time after.
And now, lest my good resolutions should continue, my companion, who
had enticed me away, comes to me; “Well, Bob,” says he, clapping me upon
the shoulder, “how do you do after it? I warrant you were frighted, wer’n’t
you, 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 nothing at all; give us but a good ship and
sea-room, and we think nothing of such a squall of wind as that; but you’re
but a fresh-water sailor, Bob. Come, let us make a bowl of punch, and we’ll
forget all that; d’ye see what charming weather ’tis now?” To make short
this sad part of my story, we went the way of all sailors; the punch was
made and I was made 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
former desires returned, I entirely forgot the vows and promises that I made
in my distress. I found, indeed, some intervals of reflection; and the serious
thoughts did, as it were, endeavour to return again sometimes; but I shook
them off, and roused myself from them as it were from a distemper, and
applying myself to drinking and company, soon mastered the return of those
fits—for so I called them; and I had in five or six days got as complete a
victory over conscience as any young fellow that resolved not to be
troubled with it could desire. But I was to have another trial for it still; and
Providence, as in such cases generally it does, resolved to leave me entirely
without excuse; for if I would not take this for a deliverance, the next was
to be such a one as the worst and most hardened wretch among us would
confess both the danger and the mercy of.
The sixth day of our being at sea we came into Yarmouth Roads; the
wind having been contrary and the weather calm, we had made but little
way since the storm. Here we 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 harbour where the ships might wait for a
wind for the river.
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
harbour, the anchorage good, and our ground-tackle very strong, our men
were unconcerned, and not in the least apprehensive of danger, but spent the
time in rest and mirth, after the manner of the sea; but the eighth day, in the
morning, the wind increased, and we had all hands at work to strike our
topmasts, and make everything snug and close, that the ship might ride as
easy as possible. By noon the sea went very high indeed, and our ship rode
forecastle in, shipped several seas, and we thought once or twice our anchor
had come home; upon which our master ordered out the sheet-anchor, so
that we rode with two anchors ahead, and the cables veered out to the bitter
end.
By this time it blew a terrible storm indeed; and now I began to see terror
and amazement in the faces even of the seamen themselves. The master,
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 be all undone!” and
the like. During these first hurries I was stupid, lying still in my cabin,
which was in the steerage, and cannot describe my temper: I could ill
resume the first penitence which I had so apparently trampled upon and
hardened myself against: I thought the bitterness of death had been past,
and that this would be nothing like the first; but when the master himself
came by me, as I said just now, and said we should be all lost, I was
dreadfully frighted. I got up out of my cabin and looked out; but such a
dismal sight I never saw: the sea ran mountains high, and broke upon us
every three or four minutes; when I could look about, I could see nothing
but distress round us; two ships that rode near us, we found, had cut their
masts by the board, being deep laden; and our men cried out that a ship
which rode 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 with not a mast standing. The light ships fared the best,
as not so much labouring in the sea; but two or three of them drove, and
came close by us, 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 fore-mast, 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 fore-mast, the main-mast stood
so loose, and shook the ship so much, they were obliged to cut that away
also, and make a clear deck.
Any one may judge what a condition I must be in at all this, who was but
a young sailor, and who had been in such a fright before at but a little. But if
I can express at this distance the thoughts I had about me at that time, I was
in tenfold more horror of mind upon account of my former convictions, and
the having returned from them to the resolutions I had wickedly taken at
first, than I was at death itself; and these, added to the terror of the storm,
put me into such a condition that I can by no words describe it. But the
worst was not come yet; the storm continued with such fury that the seamen
themselves acknowledged they had never seen a worse. We had a good
ship, but she was deep laden, and wallowed in the sea, so that the seamen
every now and then cried out she would founder. It was my advantage in
one respect, that I did not know what they meant by founder till I 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 their
prayers, and expecting every moment when the ship would go to the
bottom. In the middle of the night, and under all the rest of our distresses,
one of the men that had been down 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 word, my heart, as I thought, died within me:
and I fell backwards upon the side of my bed where I 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 stirred up
and went to the pump, and worked very heartily. While this was doing, the
master, seeing some light colliers, who, not able to ride out the storm were
obliged to slip and run away to sea, and would come near us, ordered to fire
a gun as a signal of distress. I, who knew nothing what they meant, thought
the ship had broken, or some dreadful thing happened. In a word, I was so
surprised that I fell down in a swoon. As this was a time when everybody
had his own life 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
I 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 it
was not possible she could swim till we might run into any port; so the
master continued firing 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 board,
or for the boat to lie near the ship’s side, till at last the men rowing very
heartily, and venturing their lives to save ours, our men cast them a rope
over the stern with a buoy to it, and then veered it out a great length, which
they, after much labour and hazard, took hold of, and we hauled them close
under our stern, and got all into their boat. It was to no purpose for them or
us, after we were in the boat, to think of reaching their own ship; so all
agreed to let her drive, and only to pull her in towards shore as much as we
could; and our master promised them, that if the boat was staved upon
shore, he would make it good to their master: so partly rowing and partly
driving, our boat went away to the northward, sloping towards the shore
almost as far as Winterton Ness.
We were not much more than a quarter of an hour out of our ship till we
saw her sink, and then I understood for the first time what was meant by a
ship foundering in the sea. I must acknowledge I had hardly eyes to look up
when the seamen told me she was sinking; for from the moment that 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 labouring at the oar to
bring the boat near the shore—we could see (when, our boat mounting the
waves, we were able to see the shore) a great many people running along
the strand to assist us when we should come near; but we made but slow
way towards the shore; nor were we able to reach the shore till, being past
the lighthouse at Winterton, the shore falls off to the westward towards
Cromer, and so the land broke off a little the violence of the wind. Here we
got in, and though not without much difficulty, got all safe on shore, and
walked afterwards on foot to Yarmouth, where, as unfortunate men, we
were used with great humanity, as well by the magistrates of the town, who

assigned us good quarters, as by particular merchants and owners of ships,
and had money given us sufficient to carry us either to London or back to
Hull as we thought fit.
Had I now had the sense to have gone back to Hull, and have gone home,
I had been happy, and my father, as in our blessed Saviour’s parable, had
even killed the fatted calf for me; for hearing the ship I went away in was
cast away in Yarmouth Roads, it was a great while before he had any
assurances that I was not drowned.
But my ill fate pushed me on now with an obstinacy that nothing could
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 know
not what to call this, nor will I urge that it is a secret overruling decree, that
hurries us on to be the instruments of our own destruction, even though it be
before us, and that we rush upon it with our eyes open. Certainly, nothing
but some such decreed unavoidable misery, which it was impossible for me
to escape, could have pushed me forward against the calm reasonings and
persuasions of my most retired thoughts, and against two such visible
instructions as I had met with in my first attempt.
My comrade, who had helped to harden me before, and who was the
master’s son, was now less forward than I. The first time he spoke to me
after we were at Yarmouth, which was not till two or three days, for we
were separated in the town to several quarters; I say, the first time he saw
me, it appeared his tone was altered; and, looking very melancholy, and
shaking his head, he asked me how I did, and telling his father who I was,
and how I had come this voyage only for a trial, in order to go further
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 seafaring
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 on trial, you see what a taste Heaven has given you of what you are
to expect if you persist. Perhaps this has all befallen us on your account,
like Jonah in the ship of Tarshish. Pray,” continues he, “what are you; and
on what account did you go to sea?” Upon that I told him some of my story;
at the end of which he burst out into a strange kind of passion: “What 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 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,
telling me I might see a visible hand of Heaven against me. “And, young
man,” said he, “depend upon it, if you do not go back, wherever you go,
you will meet with nothing but disasters and disappointments, till your
father’s words are fulfilled upon you.”
We parted soon after; for I made him little answer, and I saw him no
more; which way he went I knew 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 to sea.
As to going home, shame opposed the best motions that offered to my
thoughts, and it immediately occurred to me how I should be laughed at
among the neighbours, and should be ashamed to see, not my father and
mother only, but even everybody else; from 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 in such
cases—viz. that they are not ashamed to sin, and yet are ashamed to repent;
not ashamed of the action for which they ought justly to be esteemed fools,
but are ashamed of the returning, which only can make them be esteemed
wise men.
In this state of life, however, I remained some time, uncertain what
measures to take, and what course of life to lead. An irresistible reluctance
continued to going home; and as I stayed away a while, the remembrance of
the 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.

CHAPTER II.
SLAVERY AND ESCAPE

That evil influence which carried me first away from my father’s house
—which hurried me into the wild and indigested notion of raising my
fortune, and that impressed those conceits so forcibly upon me as to make
me deaf to all good advice, and to the 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 vulgarly called it, a voyage to
Guinea.
It was my great misfortune that in all these adventures I did not ship
myself as a sailor; when, though I might indeed have worked a little harder
than ordinary, yet at the same time I should have learnt the duty and office
of a fore-mast 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 learned to do any.
It was my lot first of all to fall into pretty good company in London,
which does not always happen to such loose and misguided young fellows
as I then was; the devil generally not omitting to lay some snare for them
very early; but it was not so with me. I first got 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 carry anything with me, I should have all the

advantage of it that the trade would admit; and perhaps I might meet with
some encouragement.
I embraced the offer; and entering into a strict friendship with this
captain, who was an honest, plain-dealing man, I went the voyage with him,
and carried a small adventure with me, which, by the disinterested honesty
of my friend the captain, I increased very considerably; for I carried about
£40 in such toys and trifles as the captain directed me to buy. These £40 I
had mustered together by the assistance of some of my relations whom I
corresponded 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, 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
course, take an observation, and, in short, to understand some things that
were needful to be understood by a sailor; for, as he took delight to instruct
me, I took delight to learn; and, in a word, this voyage made me both a
sailor and a merchant; for I brought home 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; particularly, that I was
continually sick, being thrown into a violent calenture by the excessive heat
of the climate; our principal trading being upon the coast, from latitude of
15 degrees north even to the line itself.
I was now set up for a Guinea trader; and my friend, to my great
misfortune, dying soon after his arrival, I resolved to go the same voyage
again, and I embarked in the same vessel with one who was his mate in the
former voyage, and had now got the command of the ship. This was the
unhappiest voyage that ever man made; for though I did not carry quite
£100 of my new-gained wealth, so that I had £200 left, which I had lodged
with my friend’s widow, who was very just to me, yet I fell into terrible
misfortunes. The first was this: our ship making her course towards the
Canary Islands, or rather between those islands and the African shore, was
surprised in the grey of the morning by a Turkish rover of Sallee, who gave
chase to us with all the sail she could make. We crowded also as much

canvas as our yards would spread, or our masts carry, to get clear; but
finding the pirate gained upon us, and would certainly come up with us in a
few hours, we prepared to fight; our ship having twelve guns, and the rogue
eighteen. About three in the afternoon he came up with us, and bringing to,
by mistake, just athwart our quarter, instead of athwart our stern, as he
intended, we brought eight of our guns to bear on that side, and poured in a
broadside upon him, which made him sheer off again, after returning our
fire, and pouring in also his small shot from near 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 board the next time upon our other quarter, he entered sixty
men upon our decks, who immediately fell to cutting and hacking the sails
and rigging. We plied them with small shot, half-pikes, powder-chests, and
such like, and cleared our deck of them twice. However, to cut short this
melancholy part of our story, our ship being disabled, and three of our men
killed, and eight wounded, we were obliged to yield, and were carried all
prisoners into Sallee, a port belonging to the Moors.
The usage I had there was not so dreadful as at first I apprehended; nor
was I carried up the country to the emperor’s court, as the rest of our men
were, but was kept by the captain of the rover as his proper prize, and made
his slave, being young and nimble, and fit for his business. At this
surprising change of my circumstances, from a merchant to a miserable
slave, I was perfectly overwhelmed; and now I looked back upon my
father’s prophetic discourse to me, that I should be miserable and have none
to relieve me, which I thought was now so effectually brought to pass that I
could not be worse; for now the hand of Heaven had overtaken me, and I
was undone without redemption; but, alas! this was but a taste of the misery
I was to go through, as will appear in the sequel of this story.
As my new patron, or master, had taken me home to his house, so I was
in hopes that he would take me with him when he went to sea again,
believing that it would some time or other be his fate to be taken by a
Spanish or Portugal man-of-war; and that then I should be set at liberty. But
this hope of mine was soon taken away; for when he went to sea, he left me
on shore to look after his little garden, and do the common drudgery of
slaves about his house; and when he came home again from his cruise, he
ordered me to lie in the cabin to look after the ship.

Here I meditated nothing but my escape, and what method I might take to
effect it, but found no way that had the least probability in it; nothing
presented to make the supposition of it rational; for I had nobody to
communicate it to that would embark with me—no fellow-slave, no
Englishman, Irishman, or Scotchman there but myself; so that for two
years, though I often pleased myself with the imagination, yet I never had
the least encouraging prospect of putting it in practice.
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 young
Maresco with him to row the boat, we made him very merry, and I proved
very dexterous in catching fish; insomuch that sometimes he would send me
with a Moor, one of his kinsmen, and the youth—the Maresco, as they
called him—to catch a dish of fish for him.
It happened one time, that going a-fishing in a calm morning, a fog rose
so thick that, though we were not half a league from the shore, we lost sight
of it; and rowing we knew not whither or which way, we laboured all day,
and all the next night; and when the morning came we found we had pulled
off to sea instead of pulling in for the shore; and that we were at least two
leagues from the shore. However, we got well in again, though with a great
deal of labour and some danger; for the wind began to blow pretty fresh in
the morning; but we were all very hungry.
But our patron, warned by this disaster, resolved to take more care of
himself for the future; and having lying by him the longboat of our English
ship that 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; the 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 jibed over the top of the cabin, which lay very
snug and low, and had in it room for him to lie, with a slave or two, and a

table to eat on, with some small lockers to put in some bottles of such liquor
as he thought fit to drink; and 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 extraordinarily, and had, therefore, sent on board the boat
overnight a larger store of provisions than ordinary; and had ordered me to
get ready three fusees with powder and shot, which were on board his ship,
for that they designed some sport of fowling as well as fishing.
I got all things ready as he had directed, and waited the next morning
with the boat washed clean, her ancient and pendants out, and everything to
accommodate his guests; when by-and-by my patron came on board alone,
and told me his guests had put off going from some business that fell out,
and ordered me, with the man and boy, as usual, to go out with the boat and
catch them some fish, for that his friends were to sup at his house, and
commanded that as soon as I 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 likely to have a little ship at my command; and my
master being gone, I prepared to furnish myself, not for fishing business,
but for a voyage; though I knew not, neither did I so much as consider,
whither I should steer—anywhere to get out of that place was my desire.
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, and three jars of fresh water, into the boat. I knew
where my patron’s case of bottles stood, which it was evident, by the make,
were taken out of some English prize, and I conveyed them into the boat
while the Moor was on shore, as if they had been there before for our
master. I conveyed also a great lump of beeswax into the boat, which
weighed about 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
afterwards, especially the wax, to make candles. Another trick I tried upon
him, which he innocently came into also: his name was Ismael, which they
call Muley, or Moely; so I called to him—“Moely,” said I, “our patron’s

guns are on board the boat; can you not get a little powder and shot? It may
be we may kill some alcamies (a fowl like our curlews) for ourselves, for I
know he keeps the gunner’s stores in the ship.” “Yes,” says he, “I’ll bring
some;” and accordingly he brought a great leather pouch, which held 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 I filled one of the large bottles in the case, which was almost empty,
pouring what was in it into another; and thus furnished with everything
needful, we sailed out of the port to fish. The castle, which is at the entrance
of the port, knew who we were, and took no notice of us; and we were not
above a mile out of the port before we hauled in our sail and set us down to
fish. The wind blew from the N.N.E., which was contrary to my desire, for
had it blown southerly I had been sure to have made the coast of Spain, and
at 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 caught nothing—for when I had fish
on my hook I would not pull them up, that he might not see them—I said to
the Moor, “This will not do; our master will not be thus served; we must
stand farther off.” He, thinking no harm, agreed, and being in the head of
the boat, set the sails; and, as I had the helm, I ran 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
waist, and tossed him clear overboard into the sea. He rose immediately, for
he swam like a cork, and called to me, begged to be taken in, 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 cabin, and fetching one of the fowling-pieces, I
presented it at him, and told him I had done him no hurt, and if he would be
quiet I would do him none. “But,” said I, “you swim well enough to reach
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 I’ll shoot you through
the head, for I am resolved to have my liberty;” so he turned himself about,
and swam for the shore, and I make no doubt but he reached it with ease,
for he was an excellent swimmer.

I could have been content to have taken this Moor with me, and have
drowned the boy, but there was no venturing to trust him. When he was
gone, I turned to the boy, whom they called Xury, and said to him, “Xury, if
you will be faithful to me, I’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—“I must throw you into the sea too.” The boy smiled in my
face, and spoke so innocently that I could not distrust him, and swore to be
faithful to me, and go all over the world with me.
While I was in view of the Moor that was swimming, I stood out directly
to sea with the boat, rather stretching to windward, that they might think me
gone towards the Straits’ 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 not go on shore but we should be devoured by savage
beasts, or more merciless savages of human kind.
But as soon as it grew dusk in the evening, I changed my course, and
steered directly south and by east, bending my course a little 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 I first made the land, I could not
be less than one hundred and fifty miles south of Sallee; quite beyond the
Emperor of Morocco’s dominions, or indeed of any other king thereabouts,
for we saw no people.
Yet such was the fright I had taken of the Moors, and the dreadful
apprehensions I had of falling into their hands, that I would not stop, or go
on shore, or come to an anchor; the wind continuing fair till I had sailed in
that manner five days; and then the wind shifting to the southward, I
concluded also that if any of our vessels were in chase of me, they also
would now give over; so I ventured to make to the coast, and came to an
anchor in the mouth of a little river, I knew not what, nor where, neither
what latitude, what country, what nation, or what river. I neither saw, nor
desired to see any people; the principal thing I wanted was fresh water. We
came into this creek in the evening, resolving to swim on shore as soon as it
was dark, and discover the country; but as soon as it was quite dark, we
heard such dreadful noises of the barking, roaring, and howling of wild

creatures, of we knew not what kinds, that the poor boy was ready to die
with fear, and begged of me not to go on shore till day. “Well, Xury,” said I,
“then I won’t; but it may be that 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 we 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 washing
themselves for the pleasure of cooling themselves; and they made such
hideous howlings and yellings, that I never indeed heard the like.
Xury was dreadfully frighted, and indeed so was I too; but we were both
more frighted when we heard one of these mighty creatures come
swimming towards our boat; we could not see him, but we might hear him
by his blowing to be a monstrous huge and furious beast. Xury said it was a
lion, and it might be so for aught I know; but poor Xury cried to me to
weigh the anchor and row away; “No,” says I, “Xury; we can slip our cable,
with the buoy to it, and go off to sea; they cannot follow us far.” I had no
sooner said so, but I perceived the creature (whatever it was) within two
oars’ length, which something surprised me; however, I immediately
stepped to the cabin door, and taking up my gun, fired at him; upon which
he immediately turned about and swam towards the shore again.
But it is impossible to describe the horrid noises, and hideous cries and
howlings that were raised, as well upon the edge of the shore as higher
within the country, upon the noise or report of the gun, a thing I have some
reason to believe those creatures had never heard 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 the 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 and where to get to 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 as made me love him ever after. Says he,
“If wild mans come, they eat me, you go wey.” “Well, Xury,” 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 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, fearing the coming of canoes
with savages down the river; but the boy seeing a low place about a mile up
the country, rambled to it, and by-and-by I saw him come running towards
me. I thought he was pursued by some savage, or frighted with some wild
beast, and I ran forward towards him to help him; but when I came nearer to
him I saw something hanging over his shoulders, which was a creature that
he had shot, like a hare, but different in colour, and longer legs; however,
we were very glad of it, and it was very good meat; but the great joy that
poor Xury came with, was to tell me he had found good water and seen no
wild mans.
But we found afterwards that we need not take such pains for water, for a
little higher up the creek where we were we found the water fresh when the
tide was out, which flowed but a little way up; so we filled our jars, and
feasted on the hare he had killed, and prepared to go on our way, having
seen no footsteps of any human creature in that part of the country.
As I had been one voyage to this coast before, I knew very well that the
islands of the Canaries, and the Cape de Verde 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 towards them; otherwise I might now easily have found
some of these islands. But my hope was, that if I stood along this coast till I
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 in.
By the best of my calculation, that place where I now was must be that
country which, lying between the Emperor of Morocco’s dominions 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 because of the prodigious number of tigers, lions,
leopards, and other furious creatures which harbour there; so that the Moors
use it for their hunting only, where they go like an army, two or three
thousand 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 howlings 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 tried twice, I was
forced in again by contrary winds, the sea also going too high for my little
vessel; so, I resolved to pursue my first design, and keep along the shore.
Several times I was obliged to land for fresh water, after we had left this
place; and once in particular, being early in morning, we came to an anchor
under a little point of land, which was pretty high; and the tide beginning to
flow, we lay still to go farther in. Xury, whose eyes were more about him
than it seems mine were, calls softly to me, and tells me that we had best go
farther off the shore; “For,” says he, “look, yonder lies a dreadful monster
on the side of that hillock, fast asleep.” I looked where he pointed, and saw
a dreadful monster indeed, for it was a terrible, great lion that lay on the
side of the shore, under the shade of a piece of the hill that hung as it were a
little over him. “Xury,” 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, I said no more to the boy, but bade him lie
still, and I took our biggest gun, which was almost musket-bore, and loaded
it with a good charge of powder, and with two slugs, and laid it down; then
I loaded another gun with two bullets; and 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, growling at first, but finding his leg broken, fell down
again; and then got upon three legs, and gave the most hideous roar that
ever I heard. I was a little surprised that I had not hit him on the head;
however, I took up the second piece immediately, and though he began to
move off, fired again, and shot him in the head, and had the pleasure to see
him drop and make but little noise, but lie struggling for life. Then Xury

took heart, and would have me let him go on shore. “Well, go,” said I: so
the boy jumped into the water and taking a little gun in one hand, swam to
shore with the other hand, and coming close to the creature, put the muzzle
of the piece to his ear, and shot him in the head again, which 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, Xury said he would have some of him; so he comes
on board, and asked me to give him the hatchet. “For what, Xury?” said I.
“Me cut off his head,” said he. However, Xury could not cut off his head,
but he cut off a foot, and brought it with him, and it was a monstrous great
one.
I bethought myself, however, that, perhaps the skin of him might, one
way or other, be of some value to us; and I resolved to take off his skin if I
could. So Xury and I went to work with him; but Xury was much the better
workman at it, for I knew very ill how to do it. Indeed, it took us both up
the whole day, but at last we got off the hide of him, and spreading it on the
top of our cabin, the sun effectually dried it in two days’ time, and it
afterwards served me to lie upon.

CHAPTER III.
WRECKED ON A DESERT ISLAND

After this stop, we made on to the southward continually for ten or
twelve days, living very sparingly on our provisions, which began to abate
very much, and going no oftener to 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 anywhere about the Cape de Verde, where I was in hopes to
meet with some European ship; and if I did not, I knew not what course I
had to take, but to seek for the islands, or perish there among the negroes. I
knew that all the ships from Europe, which sailed either to the coast of
Guinea or to Brazil, or to the East Indies, made this cape, or those islands;
and, in a word, I put the whole of my fortune upon this single point, either
that I must meet with some ship or must perish.
When I had pursued this resolution about ten days longer, as I have said,
I began to see that the land was inhabited; and in two or three places, as we
sailed by, we saw people stand upon the shore to look at us; we could also
perceive they were quite black and naked. I was once inclined to have gone
on shore to them; but Xury 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 hand, except one, who had a long slender stick, which
Xury said was a lance, and that they could throw them a great way with
good aim; so I 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-an-hour came back, and brought with them
two pieces of dried 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
would not venture on shore to them, and they were as much afraid of us; but
they took a safe way for us all, for they brought it to the shore and laid it
down, and went and stood a great way off till we fetched it on board, and
then came close to us again.
We made signs of thanks to them, for we had nothing to make them
amends; but an opportunity offered that very instant to oblige them
wonderfully; for while we were lying by the shore came two mighty
creatures, one pursuing the other (as we took it) with great fury from the
mountains 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 found the people terribly frighted,
especially the women. The man that had the lance or dart did not fly from
them, but the rest did; however, as the two creatures ran directly into the
water, they did not offer to fall upon any of the negroes, but plunged
themselves into the sea, and swam about, as if they had come for their
diversion; at last one of them began to come nearer our boat than at first I
expected; but I lay ready for him, for I had loaded my gun with all possible
expedition, and bade Xury load both the others. As soon as he came fairly
within my reach, I fired, and shot him directly in the head; immediately he
sank down into the water, but rose instantly, and plunged up and down, as if
he were 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 creature dead,
and sunk in the water, and that I made signs to them to come to the shore,
they took heart and came, 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 negroes to haul, they dragged him on shore, and
found that it was a most curious leopard, spotted, and fine to an admirable
degree; and the negroes held up their hands with admiration, to think what
it was I had killed him with.

The other creature, 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. I found quickly the
negroes wished to eat the flesh of this creature, so I was willing to have
them take it as a favour from me; which, when I made signs to them that
they might take him, they were very thankful for. Immediately they fell to
work with him; and though they had no knife, yet, with a sharpened piece
of wood, they took off his skin as readily, and much more readily, than we
could have done with a knife. They offered me some of the flesh, which I
declined, pointing out that I would give it them; but made signs for the skin,
which they gave me very freely, and brought me a great deal more of their
provisions, which, though I did not understand, yet I accepted. I then made
signs to them for some water, and held out one of my jars to them, turning it
bottom upward, to show that it was empty, and that I wanted to have it
filled. They called immediately to some of their friends, and there came two
women, and brought a great vessel made of earth, and burnt, as I 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 naked as the
men.
I was now furnished with roots and corn, such as it was, and water; and
leaving my friendly negroes, I made forward for about eleven days more,
without offering to go near the shore, till I saw the land run out a great
length into the sea, at about the distance of four or five leagues before me;
and the sea being very calm, I kept a large offing to make this point. At
length, doubling the point, at about two leagues from the land, I saw plainly
land on the other side, to seaward; then I concluded, as it was most certain
indeed, that this was the Cape de Verde, and those the islands called, from
thence, Cape de Verde 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 very pensive, I stepped into the cabin and sat
down, Xury having the helm; when, 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, but I knew we were far enough out of their reach. I jumped out of the
cabin, and immediately saw, not only the ship, but 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.
With all the sail I could make, I found I should not be able to come in
their way, but that they would be gone by before I could make any signal to
them: but after I had crowded to the utmost, and began to despair, they, it
seems, saw by the help of their glasses that it was some European boat,
which they supposed must belong to some ship that was lost; so they
shortened sail to let me come up. I was encouraged with this, and as I had
my patron’s 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 gun. Upon these signals they very
kindly brought to, and lay by for me; and in about three hours’ time I came
up with them.
They asked me what I was, in Portuguese, and in Spanish, and in French,
but I understood none of them; but at last a Scotch sailor, who was on
board, called to me: and I answered him, and told him I was an Englishman,
that I had made my escape out of slavery from the Moors, at Sallee; they
then bade me come on board, and very kindly took me in, and all my goods.
It was an inexpressible joy to me, which any one will believe, that I was
thus delivered, as I esteemed it, from such a miserable and almost hopeless
condition as I was in; and I immediately offered all I had to the captain of
the ship, as a return for my deliverance; but he generously told me he would
take nothing from me, but that all I had should be delivered safe to me
when I came to the Brazils. “For,” says he, “I have saved your life on no
other terms than I would be glad to be saved myself: and it may, one time or
other, be my lot to be taken up in the same condition. Besides,” said he,
“when I carry you to the Brazils, so great a way from your own country, if I
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 touch anything that I
had: then he took everything into his own possession, and gave me back an

exact inventory of them, that I might have them, even to 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 his ship’s use; and asked me what I would have for
it? I told him he had been so generous to me in everything 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 Brazil; and when it came there, if any one offered to give
more, he would make it up. He offered me also sixty pieces of eight more
for my boy Xury, which I was loth to take; not that I was unwilling to let
the captain have him, but I was very loth to sell the poor boy’s liberty, who
had assisted me so faithfully in procuring my own. 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 Brazils, and I arrived in the Bay de
Todos los Santos, or All Saints’ Bay, in about twenty-two days after. And
now I was once more delivered from the most miserable of all conditions of
life; and what to do next with myself I was to consider.
The generous treatment the captain gave me I can never enough
remember: he would take nothing of me for my passage, gave me twenty
ducats for the leopard’s skin, and forty for the lion’s skin, which I had in my
boat, and caused everything 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, I made about two hundred and twenty
pieces of eight of all my cargo; and with this stock I went on shore in the
Brazils.
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 licence to settle there, I would turn planter among
them: resolving in the meantime to find out some way to get my money,

which I had left in London, remitted to me. To this purpose, getting a kind
of letter of naturalisation, I purchased as much land that was uncured as my
money would reach, and formed a plan for my plantation and settlement;
such a one as might be suitable to the stock which I proposed to myself to
receive from England.
I had a neighbour, a Portuguese, of Lisbon, but born of English parents,
whose name was Wells, and in much such circumstances as I was. I call him
my neighbour, because his plantation lay next to mine, and we went on very
sociably together. My stock was but low, as well as his; and we rather
planted for food than anything else, for about two years. However, we
began to increase, and our land began to come into order; so that the third
year we planted some tobacco, and made each of us a large piece of ground
ready for planting canes in the year to come. But we both wanted help; and
now I found, more than before, I had done wrong in parting with my boy
Xury.
But, alas! for me to do wrong that never did right, was no great wonder. I
had no remedy but to go on: I had got into an employment quite remote to
my genius, and directly contrary to the life I delighted in, and for which I
forsook my father’s house, and broke through all his good advice. Nay, I
was coming into the very middle station, or upper degree of low life, which
my father advised me to before, and which, if I resolved to go on with, I
might as well have stayed at home, and never have fatigued myself in the
world as I had done; and I used often to say to myself, I could have done
this as well in England, among my friends, as have gone five thousand
miles off to do it among strangers and savages, in a wilderness, and at such
a distance as never to hear from any part of the world that had the least
knowledge of me.
In this manner I used to look upon my condition with the utmost regret. I
had nobody to converse with, but now and then this neighbour; no work to
be done, but by the labour of my hands; and I used to say, I lived just like a
man cast away upon some desolate island, that had nobody there but
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 by their experience—I say, how just has it been, that the
truly solitary life I reflected on, in an island of mere desolation, should be

my lot, who had so often unjustly compared it with the life which I then led,
in which, had I continued, I had in all probability been exceeding
prosperous and rich.
I was in some degree settled in my measures for carrying on the
plantation before my kind friend, the captain of the ship that took me up at
sea, went back—for the ship remained there, in providing his lading and
preparing for his voyage, nearly 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 in form to me, with orders to the
person who has your money in London to send your effects to Lisbon, to
such persons as I shall direct, and in such goods as are proper for this
country, I will bring you the produce of them, God willing, at my return;
but, since human affairs are all subject to changes and disasters, I would
have you give orders 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 rest the same way, and, if it miscarry, you may have
the other half to have recourse to for your supply.”
This was so wholesome advice, and looked so friendly, that I could not
but be convinced it was the best course I could take; so I accordingly
prepared letters to the gentlewoman with whom I had left my money, and a
procuration to the Portuguese captain, as he desired.
I wrote the English captain’s widow a full account of all my adventures
—my slavery, escape, and how I had met with the Portuguese captain at
sea, the humanity of his behaviour, and what condition I was now in, with
all other necessary 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
in London, who represented it effectually to her; whereupon she not only
delivered the money, but out of her 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 written for, sent them directly to him at Lisbon, and
he brought them all safe to me to the Brazils; among which, without my
direction (for I was too young in my business to think of them), he had

taken care to have all sorts of tools, ironwork, and utensils necessary for my
plantation, and which were of great use to me.
When this cargo arrived I thought my fortune made, for I was surprised
with the joy of it; and my good steward, the captain, had laid out the five
pounds, which my friend had sent him for a present for himself, to purchase
and bring me over a servant, under bond for six years’ service, and would
not accept of any consideration, except a little tobacco, which I would have
him accept, being of my own produce.
Neither was this all; for my goods being all English manufacture, such as
cloths, stuffs, baize, and things particularly valuable and desirable in the
country, I found means to sell them to a very great advantage; so that I
might say I had more than four times the value of my first cargo, and was
now infinitely beyond my poor neighbour—I mean in the advancement of
my plantation; for the first thing I did, I bought me a negro slave, and an
European servant also—I mean another besides that which the captain
brought me from Lisbon.
But as abused prosperity is oftentimes made the very means of our
greatest adversity, so it was 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 neighbours;
and these fifty rolls, being each of above a hundredweight, were well cured,
and laid by against the return of the fleet from Lisbon: and now increasing
in business and wealth, my head began to be full of projects and
undertakings beyond my reach; such as are, indeed, often the ruin of the
best heads in business. Had I continued in the station I was now in, I had
room for all the happy things to have yet befallen me for which my father
so earnestly recommended a quiet, retired life, and of which he had so
sensibly described the middle station of life to be full of; but other things
attended me, and I was still to be the wilful agent of all my own miseries;
and particularly, to increase my fault, and double the reflections upon
myself, which in my future sorrows I should have leisure to make, all these
miscarriages 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 from my parents, so I
could not be content now, but I must go and leave the happy view I had of
being a rich and thriving man in my new plantation, only to pursue a rash
and immoderate desire of rising faster than the nature of the thing admitted;
and thus I cast myself down again into the deepest 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 of my
story. You may suppose, that having now lived almost four years in the
Brazils, 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 with 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 Brazils, in great
numbers.
They listened always very attentively to my discourses on these heads,
but especially to that part which related to the buying of 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 assientos, or permission of the kings of Spain and
Portugal, and engrossed in the public stock: so that few negroes were
bought, and these excessively dear.
It happened, being in company with some merchants and planters of my
acquaintance, and talking of those things very earnestly, three of them came
to me next morning, and told me they had been musing very much upon
what I had discoursed with them of the last night, and they came to make a
secret proposal to me; and, after enjoining me to secrecy, they told me that
they had a mind to fit out a ship to go to Guinea; that they had all
plantations as well as I, and were straitened for nothing so much as
servants; that as it was a trade that could not be carried on, because they
could not publicly sell the negroes when they came home, so they desired to
make but one voyage, to bring the negroes on shore privately, and divide
them among their own plantations; and, 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 I should have my equal
share of the negroes, without providing any part of the stock.
This was a fair proposal, it must be confessed, had it been made to any
one that had not had a settlement and a 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 to go on as I had begun, for three or four years more, and
to have sent for the other hundred pounds from England; and who in that
time, and with that little addition, could scarce have failed of being worth
three or four thousand pounds 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 born to be my own destroyer, could no more resist the
offer than I could restrain my first rambling designs when my father’s good
counsel was lost upon me. In a word, I told them I would go with all my
heart, if they would undertake to look after my plantation in my absence,
and would dispose of it to such as I should direct, if I miscarried. This they
all engaged to do, and entered into writings or covenants to do so; and I
made a formal will, disposing of my plantation and effects in case of my
death, making the captain of the ship that had saved my life, as before, my
universal heir, but obliging him to dispose of my effects as I had directed in
my will; one half of the produce being to himself, and the other to be
shipped to England.
In short, I took all possible caution to preserve my effects and to keep up
my plantation. Had I used half as much 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
undertaking, leaving all the probable views of a thriving circumstance, and
gone upon a voyage to sea, attended with all its common hazards, to say
nothing of the reasons I had to expect particular misfortunes to myself.
But I was hurried on, and obeyed blindly the dictates of my fancy rather
than my reason; and, accordingly, the ship being fitted out, and the cargo
furnished, and all things done, as by agreement, by my partners in the
voyage, I went on board in an evil hour, the 1st September 1659, being the

same day eight years 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 interests.
Our ship was about one hundred and twenty tons burden, carried six guns
and fourteen men, besides the master, his boy, and myself. We had on board
no large cargo of goods, except of such toys as were fit for our 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 our own coast, with design to stretch over for the African
coast when we came about ten or twelve degrees of northern latitude,
which, it seems, was the manner of course in those days. We had very good
weather, only excessively hot, all the way upon our own coast, till we came
to the height of Cape St. Augustino; from whence, keeping further off at
sea, we lost sight of land, and steered as if we were bound for the isle
Fernando de Noronha, holding our course N.E. by N., and leaving those
isles on the east. In this course we passed the line in about twelve days’
time, and were, by our last observation, in seven degrees twenty-two
minutes northern latitude, when a violent tornado, or hurricane, took us
quite out of our knowledge. It began from the south-east, came about to the
north-west, and then settled in the north-east; from whence it blew in such a
terrible manner, that for twelve days together we could do nothing but
drive, and, scudding away before it, let it carry us whither fate and the fury
of the winds directed; and, during these twelve days, I need not say that I
expected every day to be swallowed up; nor, indeed, did any in the ship
expect to save their lives.
In this distress we had, besides the terror of the storm, one of our men 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 eleven degrees north
latitude, but that he was twenty-two degrees of longitude difference west
from Cape St. Augustino; so that he found he was upon the coast of Guiana,
or the north part of Brazil, beyond the river Amazon, toward that of the
river Orinoco, commonly called the Great River; and began to consult with
me what course he should take, for the ship was leaky, and very much
disabled, and he was going directly back to the coast of Brazil.

I was positively against that; and looking over the charts of the sea-coast
of America with him, we concluded there was no inhabited country for us to
have recourse to till we came within the circle of the Caribbee Islands, and
therefore resolved to stand away for Barbadoes; which, by keeping off at
sea, to avoid the indraft 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 ourselves.
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 twelve
degrees eighteen 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 returning to
our own country.
In this distress, the wind still blowing very hard, one of our men early in
the morning cried out, “Land!” and we had no sooner run out of the cabin to
look out, in hopes of seeing whereabouts in the world we were, than 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. As the
rage of the wind was still great, though rather less than at first, we could not
so much as hope to have the ship hold many minutes without breaking into
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, accordingly, preparing for another world;
for there was little or nothing more for us to do in this. That which was our
present comfort, and all the comfort we had, was that, contrary to our
expectation, the ship did not break yet, and that the master said the wind
began to abate.

Now, though we thought that the wind did a little abate, yet the ship
having thus struck upon the sand, and sticking too fast for us to expect her
getting off, we were in a dreadful condition indeed, and had nothing to do
but to think of saving our lives as well as we could. We had a boat at our
stern just before the storm, but she was first staved by dashing against the
ship’s rudder, and in the next place she broke away, and either sunk or was
driven off to sea; so there was no hope from her. We had another boat on
board, but how to get her off into the sea was a doubtful thing. However,
there was no time to debate, for we fancied that the ship would break in
pieces every minute, and some told us she was actually broken already.
In this distress the mate of our vessel laid hold of the boat, and with the
help of the rest of the men 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 considerably, yet
the sea ran dreadfully high upon the shore, and might be well called den
wild zee, as the Dutch call the sea in a storm.
And now our case was very dismal indeed; for we all saw plainly that the
sea went so high that the boat could not live, and that we should be
inevitably drowned. As to making sail, we had none, nor if we had could we
have done anything with it; so we worked at the oar towards the land,
though with heavy hearts, like men going to execution; for we all knew that
when the boat came near 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 with our own hands, pulling as well as we could
towards land.
What the shore was, whether rock or sand, whether steep or shoal, we
knew not. The only hope that could rationally give us the least shadow of
expectation was, if we might find some bay or gulf, or the mouth of some
river, where by great chance we might have run our boat in, or got under the
lee of the land, and perhaps made smooth water. But there was nothing like
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 driven 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 grâce. 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 no time 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 sank
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 carried 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 I took in. I had so much presence of mind, as well as breath left, that
seeing myself nearer the mainland than I expected, I got upon my feet, and
endeavoured to make on towards the land as fast as I could before another
wave should return and take me up again; but I soon found it was
impossible to avoid it; for I saw the sea come after me as high as a great
hill, and as furious as an enemy, which I had no means or strength to
contend with: my business was to hold my breath, and raise myself upon
the water if I could; and so, by swimming, to preserve my breathing, and
pilot myself 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 buried me at once twenty or thirty
feet deep in its own body, and I could feel myself carried with a mighty
force and swiftness towards the shore—a very great way; but I held my
breath, and assisted myself to swim still forward with all my might. I was
ready to burst with holding my breath, when, as I felt myself rising up, so,
to my immediate relief, I found my head and hands shoot out above the
surface of the water; and though it was not two seconds of time that I could
keep myself so, yet it relieved me greatly, gave me breath, and new
courage. I was covered again with water a good while, but not so long but I
held it out; and finding the water had spent itself, and began to return, I
struck forward against the return of the waves, and felt ground again with
my feet. I stood still a few moments to recover breath, and till the waters
went from me, and then took to my heels and ran with what strength I had
further towards the shore. But neither would this deliver me from the fury
of the sea, which came pouring in after me again; and twice more I was
lifted up by the waves and carried forward 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 rock, and that with such force, that it left me senseless, and
indeed helpless, as to my own deliverance; for the blow taking my side and
breast, beat the breath as it were quite out of my body; and had it returned
again immediately, I must have been strangled in the water; but I recovered
a little before the return of the waves, and seeing I should be covered 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 near the shore that the
next wave, though it went over me, yet did not so swallow me up as to carry
me away; and the next run I took, I got to the mainland, 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 very grave: and I do not wonder now at the custom,
when a malefactor, who has the halter about his neck, is tied up, and just
going to be turned off, and has a reprieve brought to him—I say, I do not
wonder that they bring a surgeon with it, to let him blood that very moment
they tell him of it, that the surprise may not drive the animal spirits from the
heart and overwhelm him.

“For sudden joys, like griefs, confound at first.”

I walked about on the shore lifting up my hands, and my whole being, as
I may say, wrapped up in a contemplation of my deliverance; making a
thousand gestures and motions, which I cannot describe; reflecting upon all
my comrades that were drowned, and that there should not be one soul
saved but myself; for, as for them, I never saw them afterwards, or any sign
of them, except three of their hats, one cap, and two shoes that were not
fellows.
I cast my eye to the stranded vessel, when, the breach and froth of the sea
being so big, I could hardly see it, it lay so far off; and considered, Lord!

how was it possible I could get on shore?
After I had solaced my mind with the comfortable part of my condition, I
began to look round me, to see what kind of place I was in, and what was
next to be done; and I soon found my comforts abate, and that, in a word, I
had a dreadful deliverance; for I was wet, had no clothes to shift me, nor
anything either to eat or drink to comfort me; neither did I see any prospect
before me but that of perishing with hunger or being devoured by wild
beasts; and that which was particularly afflicting to me was, that I had no
weapon, either to hunt and kill any creature for my sustenance, or to defend
myself against any other creature that might desire to kill me for theirs. In a
word, I had nothing about me but a knife, a tobacco-pipe, and a little
tobacco in a box. This was all my provisions; and this threw me into such
terrible agonies of mind, that for a while I ran about like a madman. Night
coming upon me, I began with a heavy heart to consider what would be my
lot if there were any ravenous beasts in that country, as at night they always
come abroad for their prey.
All the remedy that offered to my thoughts at that time was to get up into
a thick bushy tree like a fir, but thorny, which grew near me, and where I
resolved to sit all night, and consider the next day what death I should die,
for as yet I saw no prospect of life. I walked about a furlong from the shore,
to see if I could find any fresh water to drink, which I did, to my great joy;
and having drank, and put a little tobacco into my mouth to prevent hunger,
I went to the tree, and getting up into it, endeavoured to place myself so that
if I should sleep I might not fall. And having cut me a short stick, like a
truncheon, for my defence, I took up my lodging; and having been
excessively fatigued, I fell fast asleep, and slept as comfortably as, I
believe, few could have done in my condition, and found myself more
refreshed with it than, I think, I ever was on such an occasion.

CHAPTER IV.
FIRST WEEKS ON THE ISLAND

When I waked it was broad day, the weather clear, and the storm 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 still, I wished myself on board, that at
least I might save some necessary things for my use.
When I came down from my apartment in the tree, I looked about me
again, and the first thing I found was the boat, which lay, as the wind and
the sea had tossed her up, upon the land, about two miles on my right hand.
I walked as far as I could upon the shore to have got to her; but found a
neck or inlet of water between me and the boat which was about half a mile
broad; so I came back for the present, being more intent upon getting at the
ship, where I hoped to find something for my present subsistence.
A little after noon I found the sea very calm, and the tide ebbed so far out
that I could come within a quarter of a mile of the ship. And here I found a
fresh renewing of my grief; for I saw evidently that if we had kept on board
we had been all safe—that is to say, we had all got safe on shore, and I had
not been so miserable as to be left entirely destitute of all comfort and
company as I now was. This forced tears to my eyes again; but as there was
little relief in that, I resolved, if possible, to get to the ship; so I pulled off
my clothes—for the weather was hot to extremity—and took the water. But
when I came to the ship my difficulty was still greater to know how to get
on board; for, as she lay aground, and high out of the water, there was
nothing within my reach to lay hold of. I swam round her twice, and the
second time I spied a small piece of rope, which I wondered I did not see at

first, hung down by the fore-chains so low, as that with great difficulty I got
hold of it, and by the help of that rope I 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 stern lay lifted up upon the bank, and her head low, almost to
the water. By this means all her quarter was free, and all that was in that
part was dry; for you may be sure my first work was to search, and to see
what was spoiled and what was free. And, first, I found that all the ship’s
provisions were dry and untouched by the water, and being very well
disposed to eat, I went to the bread room and filled my pockets with biscuit,
and ate it as I went about other things, for I had no time to lose. I also found
some rum in the great cabin, of which I took a large dram, and which I had,
indeed, need enough of to spirit me for what was before me. Now I wanted
nothing but a boat to furnish myself with many things which I foresaw
would be very necessary to me.
It was in vain to sit still and wish for what was not to be had; and this
extremity roused my application. We had several spare yards, and two or
three large spars of wood, and a spare topmast or two in the ship; I resolved
to fall to work with these, and I flung as many of them overboard as I could
manage for their weight, tying every one with a rope, that they might not
drive away. When this was done I went down the ship’s side, and pulling
them to me, I tied four of them 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 a carpenter’s saw I cut a spare topmast into three lengths, and added
them to my raft, with a great deal of labour and pains. But the hope of
furnishing myself with necessaries encouraged me to go beyond what I
should have been able to have done upon another occasion.
My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable weight. My next
care was what to load it with, and how to preserve what I laid upon it from
the surf of the sea; but I was not long considering this. I first laid all the
planks or boards upon it that I could get, and having considered well what I
most wanted, I got three of the seamen’s chests, which I had broken open,
and emptied, and lowered them down upon my raft; the first of these I filled
with provisions—viz. bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried
goat’s 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 barley 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 bottles
belonging to our skipper, in which were some cordial waters; and, in all,
about five or six gallons of rack. These I stowed by themselves, there being
no need to put them into the chest, nor any room for them. While I was
doing this, I found the tide begin to flow, though very calm; and I had the
mortification to see my coat, shirt, and waistcoat, which I had left on the
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 set me on rummaging for clothes, of which I found enough,
but took no more than I wanted for present use, for I had other things which
my eye was more upon—as, first, tools to work with on shore. And it was
after long searching that I found out the carpenter’s chest, which was,
indeed, a very useful prize to me, and much more valuable than a shipload
of gold would have been at that time. I got it down to my raft, whole as it
was, without losing time to look into it, for I knew in general what it
contained.
My next care was for some ammunition and arms. There were two very
good fowling-pieces in the great cabin, and two pistols. These I secured
first, with some powder-horns and a small bag of shot, and two old rusty
swords. I knew there were three barrels of powder in the ship, but knew not
where our gunner had stowed them; but with much search I found them,
two of them dry and good, the third had taken water. Those two I got to my
raft with the arms. And now I thought myself pretty well freighted, and
began to think how I should get to shore with them, having neither sail, oar,
nor rudder; and the least capful of wind would have overset all my
navigation.
I had three encouragements—1st, a smooth, calm sea; 2ndly, the tide
rising, and setting in to the shore; 3rdly, what little wind there was blew me
towards the land. And thus, having found two or three broken oars
belonging to the boat—and, besides the tools which were in the chest, I
found two saws, an axe, and a hammer; with this cargo I put to sea. For a
mile or thereabouts my raft went very well, only that I found it drive a little
distant from the place where I had landed before; by which I perceived that
there was some indraft of the water, and consequently I hoped to find some

creek or river there, which I might make use of as a port to get to land with
my cargo.
As I imagined, so it was. There appeared before me a little opening of the
land, and I found a strong current of the tide set into it; so I guided my raft
as well as I could, to keep in the middle of the stream.
But here I had like to have suffered a second shipwreck, which, if I had, I
think verily would have broken my heart; for, knowing nothing of the coast,
my raft ran aground at one end of it upon a shoal, and not being aground at
the other end, it wanted but a little that all my cargo had slipped off towards
the end that was afloat, and so fallen into the water. I did my utmost, by
setting my back against the chests, to keep them in their places, but could
not thrust off the raft with all my strength; neither durst I stir from the
posture I was in; but holding up the chests with all my might, I stood in that
manner near half-an-hour, in which time the rising of the water brought me
a little more upon a level; and a little after, the water still-rising, my raft
floated again, and I thrust her off with the oar I had into the channel, and
then driving up higher, I at length found myself in the mouth of a little river,
with land on both sides, and a strong current of 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 ships 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 that,
reaching ground with my oar, I could thrust her directly in. But here I had
like to have dipped all my cargo into the sea again; for that shore lying
pretty steep—that is to say sloping—there was no place to land, but where
one end of my float, if it ran on shore, would lie so high, and the other sink
lower, as before, that it would endanger my cargo again. All that I could do
was to wait till the tide was at the highest, keeping the raft with my oar like
an anchor, to hold the side of it fast to the shore, near a flat piece of ground,
which I expected the water would flow over; and so it did. As soon as I
found water enough—for my raft drew about a foot of water—I thrust her
upon that flat piece of ground, and there fastened or moored her, by sticking
my two broken oars into the ground, one on one side near one end, and one
on the other side near the other end; and thus I lay till the water ebbed away,
and left my raft and all my cargo safe on shore.

My next work was to view the country, and seek a proper place for my
habitation, and where to stow my goods to secure them from whatever
might happen. Where I was, I yet knew not; whether on the continent or on
an island; whether inhabited or not inhabited; whether in danger of wild
beasts or not. There was a hill not above a mile from me, which rose up
very steep and high, and which seemed to overtop some other hills, which
lay as in a ridge from it northward. I took out one of the fowling-pieces, and
one of the pistols, and a horn of powder; and thus armed, I travelled for
discovery up to the top of that hill, where, after I had with great labour and
difficulty got to the top, I saw my fate, to my great affliction—viz. that I
was in an island environed every way with the sea: no land to be seen
except some rocks, which lay a great way off; and two small islands, less
than this, which lay about three leagues to the west.
I found also that the island I was in was barren, and, as I saw good reason
to believe, uninhabited except by wild beasts, of whom, however, I saw
none. Yet I saw abundance of fowls, but knew not their kinds; neither when
I killed them could I tell what was fit for food, and what not. At my coming
back, 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. I had no sooner fired, than from all parts of the wood
there arose an innumerable number of fowls, of many sorts, making a
confused screaming and crying, and 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 hawk, its colour and beak resembling it, but it had no
talons or claws more than common. Its flesh was carrion, and fit for
nothing.
Contented with this discovery, I came back to my raft, and fell to work to
bring my cargo on shore, which took me up the rest of that day. What to do
with myself at night I knew not, nor indeed where to rest, for I was afraid to
lie down on the ground, not knowing but some wild beast might devour me,
though, as I afterwards found, there was really no need for those fears.
However, as well as I could, I 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 into
the ground till they stood very firm like piles, the biggest end being out of
the ground above 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
stakes, up to the top, placing other stakes in 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 labour, especially to cut the piles in the
woods, bring them to the place, and drive them into the earth.
The entrance into this place I made to be, not by a door, but by a short
ladder to go over the top; which ladder, when I was in, I lifted over after
me; and so I was completely fenced in and fortified, as I thought, from all
the world, and 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 labour, I carried all my riches, all
my provisions, ammunition, and stores, of which you have the account
above; and I made a large tent, which to preserve me from the rains that in
one part of the year are very violent there, I made double—one smaller tent
within, and one larger tent above it; and covered the uppermost with a large
tarpaulin, which I had saved among the sails.

And now I lay no more for a while in the bed which I had brought on
shore, but in a hammock, which was indeed a very good one, and belonged
to the mate of the ship.
Into this tent I brought all my provisions, and everything that would spoil
by the wet; and having thus enclosed all my goods, I made up the entrance,
which till now I had left open, and so passed and repassed, as I said, by a
short ladder.
When I had done this, I began to work my way into the rock, and
bringing all the earth and stones that I dug down out through my tent, I laid
them up within my fence, in the nature of a terrace, so that it raised the
ground within about a foot and a half; and thus I made me a cave, just
behind my tent, which served me like a cellar to my house.
It cost me much labour and many days before all these things were
brought to perfection; and therefore I must go back to some other things
which took up some of my thoughts. At the same time it happened, after I
had laid my scheme for the setting up my tent, and making the cave, that a
storm of rain falling from a thick, dark cloud, a sudden flash of lightning
happened, and after that a great clap of thunder, as is naturally the effect of
it. I was not so much surprised with the lightning as I was with the thought
which darted into my mind as swift as the lightning itself—Oh, my powder!
My very heart sank within me when I thought that, at one blast, all my
powder might be destroyed; on which, not my defence only, but the
providing my food, as I thought, entirely depended. I was nothing near so
anxious about my own danger, though, had the powder took fire, I should
never have known who had hurt me.
Such impression did this make upon me, that after the storm was over I
laid aside all my works, my building and fortifying, and applied myself to
make bags and boxes, to separate the powder, and to keep it a little and a
little in a parcel, in the hope that, whatever might come, it might not all take
fire at once; and to keep it so apart that it should not be possible to make
one part fire another. I finished this work in about a fortnight; and I think
my powder, which in all was about two hundred and forty pounds weight,
was divided in not less than a hundred parcels. As to the barrel that had
been wet, I did not apprehend any danger from that; so I placed it in my
new cave, which, in my fancy, I called my kitchen; and the rest I hid up and

down in holes among the rocks, so that no wet might come to it, marking
very carefully where I laid it.
In the interval of time while this was doing, I went out once at least every
day with my gun, as well to divert myself as to see if I could kill anything
fit for food; and, as near as I could, to acquaint myself with what the island
produced. The first time I went out, I presently discovered that there were
goats in the island, which was a great satisfaction to me; but then it was
attended with this misfortune to me—viz. that they were so shy, so subtle,
and so swift of foot, that it was the most difficult thing in the world to come
at them; but I was not discouraged at this, not doubting but I might now and
then shoot one, as it soon happened; for after I had found their haunts a
little, I laid wait in this manner for them: I observed if they saw me in the
valleys, though they were upon the rocks, they would run away, as in a
terrible fright; but if they were feeding in the valleys, and I was upon the
rocks, they took no notice of me; from whence I concluded that, by the
position of their optics, their sight was so directed downward that they did
not readily see objects that were above them; so afterwards I took this
method—I always climbed the rocks first, to get above them, and then had
frequently a fair mark.
The first shot I made among these creatures, I killed a she-goat, which
had a little kid by her, which she gave suck to, which grieved me heartily;
for when the old one fell, the kid stood stock still by her, till I came and
took her up; and not only so, but when I carried the old one with me, upon
my shoulders, the kid followed me quite to my enclosure; upon which I laid
down the dam, and took the kid in my arms, and carried it over my pale, in
hopes to have bred it up tame; but it would not eat; so I was forced to kill it
and eat it myself. These two supplied me with flesh a great while, for I ate
sparingly, and 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,
and 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 I was not cast away upon
that island without being driven, as is said, by a violent storm, quite out of
the course of our intended voyage, and a great way, viz. some hundreds of
leagues, out of the ordinary course of the trade of mankind, I had great
reason to consider it as a determination of Heaven, that in this desolate
place, and in this desolate manner, I should end my life. The tears would
run plentifully down my face when I made these reflections; and sometimes
I would expostulate with myself why Providence should thus completely
ruin His creatures, and render them so absolutely miserable; so without
help, abandoned, so entirely depressed, that it could hardly be rational to be
thankful for such a life.
But something always returned swift upon me to check these thoughts,
and to reprove me; and particularly one day, walking with my gun in my
hand by the seaside, I was very pensive upon the subject of my present
condition, when reason, as it were, expostulated with me the other way,
thus: “Well, you are in a desolate condition, it is true; but, pray remember,
where are the rest of you? Did not you come, eleven of you in the boat?
Where are the ten? Why were they not saved, and you lost? Why were you
singled out? Is it better to be here or there?” And then I pointed to the sea.
All evils are to be considered with the good that is in them, and with what
worse attends them.
Then it occurred to me again, how well I was furnished for my
subsistence, and what would have been my case if it had not happened
(which was a hundred thousand to one) that the ship floated from the place
where she first struck, and was driven so near to the shore that I had time to
get all these things out of her; what would have been my case, if I had been
forced to have lived in the condition in which I at first came on shore,
without necessaries of life, or necessaries to supply and procure them?
“Particularly,” said I, aloud (though to myself), “what should I have done
without a gun, without ammunition, without any tools to make anything, or
to work with, without clothes, bedding, a tent, or any manner of covering?”
and that now I had all these to 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 I lived; for I 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
destroyed at one blast—I mean my powder being blown up by lightning;
and this made the thoughts of it so surprising to me, when it lightened and
thundered, as I observed just now.
And now being about to enter into a melancholy relation of a scene of
silent life, such, perhaps, as was never heard of in the world before, I shall
take it from its beginning, and continue it in its order. It was by my account
the 30th of September, when, in the manner as above said, I first set foot
upon this horrid island; when the sun, being to us in its autumnal equinox,
was almost over my head; for I reckoned myself, by observation, to be in
the latitude of nine degrees twenty-two 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; but to prevent this, I cut with my
knife upon a large post, in capital letters—and making it into a great cross, I
set it up on the shore where I first landed—“I came on shore here on the
30th September 1659.”
Upon the sides of this square post I cut every day a notch with my knife,
and every seventh notch was as long again as the rest, and every first day of
the month as long again as that long one; and thus I kept my 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, I
made to it, I got several things of less value, but not at all less useful to me,
which I omitted setting down before; as, in particular, pens, ink, and paper,
several parcels in the captain’s, mate’s, gunner’s and carpenter’s keeping;
three or four compasses, some mathematical instruments, dials,
perspectives, charts, and books of navigation, all which I huddled together,
whether I might want them or no; also, I found three very good Bibles,
which came to me in my cargo from England, and which I had packed up
among my things; some Portuguese books also; and among them two or
three Popish prayer-books, and several other books, all which I carefully
secured. And I must not forget that we had in the ship a dog and two cats, of
whose eminent history I may have occasion to say something in its place;

for I carried 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; I
only wanted to have him talk to me, but that would not do. As I observed
before, I found pens, ink, and paper, and I husbanded them to the utmost;
and I shall show that while my ink lasted, I kept things very exact, but after
that was gone I could not, for I could not make any ink by any means that I
could devise.
And this put me in mind that I wanted many things notwithstanding all
that I had amassed together; and of these, ink was one; as also a spade,
pickaxe, and shovel, to dig or remove the earth; needles, pins, and thread; as
for linen, I soon learned to want that without much difficulty.
This want of tools made every work I did go on heavily; and it was near a
whole year before I had entirely finished my little pale, or surrounded 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 I spent sometimes two days in cutting and bringing
home one of those posts, and a third day in driving it into the ground; for
which purpose I got a heavy piece of wood at first, but at last bethought
myself of one of the iron crows; which, however, though I found it, made
driving those posts or piles very laborious and tedious work.
But what need I have been concerned at the tediousness of anything I had
to do, seeing I had time enough to do it in? nor had I any other employment,
if that had been over, at least that I could foresee, except the ranging the
island to seek for food, which I did, more or less, every day.
I now began to consider seriously my condition, and the circumstances I
was reduced to; and I drew up the state of my affairs in writing, not so
much to leave them to any that were to come after me—for I was likely to
have but few heirs—as to deliver my thoughts from daily poring over them,
and afflicting my mind; and as my reason began now to master my
despondency, I began to comfort myself as well as I could, and to set the
good against the evil, that I might have something to distinguish my case
from worse; and I stated very impartially, like debtor and creditor, the
comforts I enjoyed against the miseries I suffered, thus:—

Evil. Good.
I am cast upon a But I am alive; and not drowned, as all my
horrible, desolate ship’s company were.
island, void of all hope
of recovery.
I am singled out and But I am singled out, too, from all the ship’s
separated, as it were, crew, to be spared from death; and He that
from all the world, to miraculously saved me from death can deliver
be miserable. me from this condition.
I am divided from But I am not starved, and perishing on a
mankind—a solitaire; barren place, affording no sustenance.
one banished from
human society.
I have no clothes to But I am in a hot climate, where, if I had
cover me. clothes, I could hardly wear them.
I am without any But I am cast on an island where I see no wild
defence, or means to beasts to hurt me, as I saw on the coast of Africa;
resist any violence of and what if I had been shipwrecked there?
man or beast.
I have no soul to But God wonderfully sent the ship in near
speak to or relieve me. enough to the shore, that I have got out as many
necessary things as will either supply my wants
or enable me to supply myself, even as long as I
live.
Upon the whole, here was an undoubted testimony that there was scarce
any condition in the world so miserable but there was something negative
or something positive to be thankful for in it; and let this stand as a
direction from the experience of the most miserable of all conditions in this
world: that we may always find in it something to comfort ourselves from,
and to set, in the description of good and evil, on the credit side of the
account.
Having now brought my mind a little to relish my condition, and given
over looking out to sea, to see if I could spy a ship—I say, giving over these

things, I began to apply myself to arrange my way of living, and to make
things as easy to me as I could.
I have already described my habitation, which was a tent under the side
of a rock, surrounded with a strong pale of posts and cables: but I might
now rather call it a wall, for I raised a kind of wall up against it of turfs,
about two feet thick on the outside; and after some time (I think it was a
year and a half) I raised rafters from it, leaning to the rock, and thatched or
covered it with boughs of trees, and such things as I could get, to keep out
the rain; which I found at some times of the year very violent.
I have already observed how I brought all my goods into this pale, and
into the cave which I had made behind me. But I must observe, too, that at
first this was a confused heap of goods, which, as they lay in no order, so
they took up all my place; I had no room to turn myself: so I set myself to
enlarge my cave, and work farther into the earth; for it was a loose sandy
rock, which yielded easily to the labour I bestowed on it: and so when I
found I was pretty safe as to beasts of prey, I worked sideways, to the right
hand, into the rock; and then, turning to the right again, worked quite out,
and made me a door to come out 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 I
found I most wanted, particularly a chair and a table; for without these I
was not able to enjoy the few comforts I had in the world; I could not write
or eat, or do several things, with so much pleasure without a table: so I went
to work. And here I must needs observe, that as reason is the substance and
origin of the mathematics, so by stating and squaring everything by reason,
and by making the most rational judgment of things, every man may be, in
time, master of every mechanic art. I had never handled a tool in my life;
and yet, in time, by labour, application, and contrivance, I found at last that
I wanted nothing but I could have made 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 labour. For example, if I wanted a
board, I had no other way but to cut down a tree, set it on an edge before
me, and hew it flat on either side with my axe, till I 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 I had no remedy for
but patience, any more than I had for the prodigious deal of time and labour
which it took me up to make a plank or board: but my time or labour was
little worth, and so it was as well employed one way as another.
However, I made me a table and a chair, as I observed above, in the first
place; and this I did out of the short pieces of boards that I brought on my
raft from the ship. But when I had wrought out some boards as above, I
made large shelves, of the breadth of a foot and a half, one over another all
along one side of my cave, to lay all my tools, nails and ironwork on; and,
in a word, to separate everything at large into 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 had everything
so ready at my hand, that it was a great pleasure to me to see all my goods
in such order, and especially to find my stock of all necessaries so great.
And now it was that I began to keep a journal of every day’s
employment; for, indeed, at first I was in too much hurry, and not only
hurry as to labour, but in too much discomposure of mind; and my journal
would have been full of many dull things; for example, I must have said
thus: “30th.—After I had got to shore, and escaped drowning, instead of
being thankful to God for my deliverance, having first vomited, with the
great quantity of salt water which had got into my stomach, and recovering
myself a little, I ran about the shore wringing my hands and beating my
head and face, exclaiming at my misery, and crying out, ‘I was undone,
undone!’ till, tired and faint, I was forced to lie down on the ground to
repose, but durst not sleep for fear of being devoured.”
Some days after this, and after I had been on board the ship, and got all
that I could out of her, yet I 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 I was almost blind, lose it quite, and sit down and weep
like a child, and thus increase my misery by my folly.
But having gotten over these things in some measure, and having settled
my household staff and habitation, made me a table and a chair, and all as
handsome about me as I could, I began to keep my journal; of which I shall
here give you the copy (though in it will be told all these particulars over

again) as long as it lasted; for having no more ink, I was forced to leave it
off.

CHAPTER V.
BUILDS A HOUSE—THE JOURNAL

September 30, 1659.—I, poor miserable Robinson Crusoe, being
shipwrecked during a dreadful storm 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 drowned, and myself almost dead.
All the rest of the day I spent in afflicting myself at the dismal
circumstances I was brought to—viz. I had neither food, house, clothes,
weapon, nor place to fly to; and in despair of any relief, saw nothing but
death before me—either that I 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 I saw, to my great surprise, the ship had
floated with the high tide, and was driven on shore again much nearer the
island; which, as it was some comfort, on one hand—for, seeing her set
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 stayed 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 carried us to some other part of the world. I spent great
part of this day in perplexing myself on these things; but at length, seeing
the ship almost dry, I went upon the sand as near as I could, and then swam
on board. This day also it continued raining, though with no wind at all.
From the 1st of October to the 24th.—All these days entirely spent in
many several voyages to get all I could out of the ship, which I brought on

shore every tide of flood upon rafts. Much rain also in the days, though with
some intervals of fair weather; but it seems this was the rainy season.
Oct. 20.—I overset my raft, and all the goods I had got upon it; but, being
in shoal water, and the things being chiefly heavy, I recovered many of
them when the tide was out.
Oct. 25.—It rained all night and all day, with some gusts of wind; during
which time the ship broke in pieces, the wind blowing a little harder than
before, and was no more to be seen, except the wreck of her, and that only
at low water. I spent this day in covering and securing the goods which I
had saved, that the rain might not spoil them.
Oct. 26.—I walked about the shore almost all day, to find out a place to
fix my habitation, greatly concerned to secure myself from any attack in the
night, either from wild beasts or men. Towards night, I fixed upon a proper
place, under a rock, and marked out a semicircle for my encampment;
which I resolved to strengthen with a work, wall, or fortification, made of
double piles, lined within with cables, and without with turf.
From the 26th to the 30th I worked very hard in carrying all my goods to
my new habitation, though some part of the time it rained exceedingly hard.
The 31st, in the morning, I went out into the island with my gun, to seek
for some food, and discover the country; when I killed a she-goat, and her
kid followed me home, which I afterwards killed also, because it would not
feed.
November 1.—I set up my tent under a rock, and lay there for the first
night; making it as large as I could, with stakes driven in to swing my
hammock upon.
Nov. 2.—I set up all my chests and boards, and the pieces of timber
which made my rafts, and with them formed a fence round me, a little
within the place I had marked out for my fortification.
Nov. 3.—I went out with my gun, and killed two fowls like ducks, which
were very good food. In the afternoon went to work to make me a table.
Nov. 4.—This morning I began to order my times of work, of going out
with my gun, time of sleep, and time of diversion—viz. every morning I
walked out with my gun for two or three hours, if it did not rain; then
employed myself to work till about eleven o’clock; then eat what I had to
live on; and from twelve to two I lay down to sleep, the weather being

excessively hot; 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 sorry workman, though time and necessity made me a
complete natural mechanic soon after, as I believe they would do any one
else.
Nov. 5.—This day went abroad with my gun and my dog, and killed a
wild cat; her skin pretty soft, but her flesh good for nothing; every creature
that I killed I took of 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 frightened, with two or three seals, which, while I
was gazing at, not well knowing what they were, got into the sea, and
escaped me for that time.
Nov. 6.—After my morning walk I went to work with my table again, and
finished it, though not to my liking; nor was it long before I learned to
mend it.
Nov. 7.—Now it began to be settled fair weather. The 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th,
and part of the 12th (for the 11th was Sunday) I took wholly up to make me
a chair, and with much ado brought it to a tolerable shape, but never to
please me; and even in the making I pulled it in pieces several times.
Note.—I soon neglected my keeping Sundays; for, omitting my mark for
them on my post, I forgot which was which.
Nov. 13.—This day it rained, which refreshed me exceedingly, and
cooled the earth; but it was accompanied with terrible thunder and
lightning, which frightened me 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.
Nov. 14, 15, 16.—These three days I spent in making little square chests,
or boxes, which might hold about a pound, or two pounds at most, of
powder; and so, putting the powder in, I stowed it in places as secure and
remote from one another as possible. On one of these three days I killed a
large bird that was good to eat, but I knew not what to call it.
Nov. 17.—This day I began to dig behind my tent into the rock, to make
room for my further conveniency.
Note.—Three things I wanted exceedingly for this work—viz. a pickaxe,
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
the pickaxe, I made use of the iron crows, which were proper enough,
though heavy; but the next thing was a shovel or spade; this was so
absolutely necessary, that, indeed, I could do nothing effectually without it;
but what kind of one to make I knew not.
Nov. 18.—The next day, in searching the woods, I found a tree of that
wood, or like it, which in the Brazils they call the iron-tree, for its
exceeding hardness. Of this, with great labour, and almost spoiling my axe,
I cut a piece, and brought it home, too, with difficulty enough, for it was
exceeding heavy. The excessive hardness of the wood, and my having no
other way, made me a long while upon this machine, for I worked it
effectually by little and little into the form of a shovel or spade; the handle
exactly shaped like ours in 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 in making.
I was still deficient, for I wanted a basket or a wheelbarrow. 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
wheelbarrow, I fancied I could make all but the wheel; but that I had no
notion of; neither did I know how to go about it; besides, I had no possible
way to make 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 labourers 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 wheelbarrow, took me up no less than four days—I
mean always excepting my morning walk with my gun, which I seldom
failed, and very seldom failed also bringing home something fit to eat.
Nov. 23.—My other work having now stood still, because of my making
these tools, when they were finished I went on, and working every day, as
my strength and time allowed, I spent eighteen days entirely in widening
and deepening my cave, that it might hold my goods commodiously.
Note.—During all this time I worked to make this room or cave spacious
enough to accommodate me as a warehouse or magazine, a kitchen, a
dining-room, and a cellar. As for my lodging, I kept to the tent; except that

sometimes, in the wet season of the year, it rained so hard that I could not
keep myself dry, which caused me afterwards to cover all my place within
my pale with long poles, in the form of rafters, leaning against the rock, and
load them with flags and large leaves of trees, like a thatch.
December 10.—I began now to think my cave or vault finished, when on
a sudden (it seems I had made it too large) a great quantity of earth fell
down from the top on one side; so much that, in short, it frighted me, and
not without reason, too, for if I had been under it, I had never wanted a
gravedigger. I had now a great deal of work to do over again, for I had the
loose earth to carry out; and, which was of more importance, I had the
ceiling to prop up, so that I 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
boards, in about a week more I had the roof secured, and the posts, standing
in rows, served me for partitions to part off the house.
Dec. 17.—From this day to the 20th I placed shelves, and knocked up
nails on the posts, to hang everything up that could be hung up; and now I
began to be in some order within doors.
Dec. 20.—Now I carried everything into the cave, and began to furnish
my house, and set up some pieces of boards like a dresser, to order my
victuals upon; but boards began to be very scarce with me; also, I made me
another table.
Dec. 24.—Much rain all night and all day. No stirring out.
Dec. 25.—Rain all day.
Dec. 26.—No rain, and the earth much cooler than before, and pleasanter.
Dec. 27.—Killed a young goat, and lamed another, so that I caught it and
led it home in a string; when I had it at home, I bound and splintered up its
leg, which was broke.
N.B.—I took such care of it that it lived, and the leg grew well and as
strong as ever; but, by 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 I might have
food when my powder and shot was all spent.

Dec. 28, 29, 30.—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 exceedingly 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.—I 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 sufficient to observe, that I was no less time than from
the 2nd 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 place, about eight
yards from it, the door of the cave being in the centre behind it.
All this time I worked very hard, the rains hindering me many days, nay,
sometimes weeks together; but I thought I should never be perfectly secure
till this wall was finished; and it is scarce credible what inexpressible labour
everything 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 perceived myself that if any people were to
come on shore there, they would not perceive anything like a habitation;
and it was very well I did so, as may be observed hereafter, upon a very
remarkable occasion.
During this time I made my rounds in the woods for game every day
when the rain permitted me, and made frequent discoveries in these walks
of something or other to my advantage; particularly, I found a kind of wild
pigeons, which build, not as wood-pigeons in a tree, but rather as house-
pigeons, in the holes of the rocks; and taking some young ones, I
endeavoured to breed them up tame, and did so; but when they grew older

they flew away, which perhaps was at first for want of feeding them, for I
had nothing to give them; however, I frequently found their nests, and got
their young ones, which were very good meat. And now, in the managing
my household affairs, I found myself wanting in many things, which I
thought at first it was impossible for me to make; as, indeed, with some of
them 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 at the
capacity of making one by them, though I spent many weeks about it; I
could neither put in the heads, or join the staves so true to one another as to
make them hold water; so I gave that also over. In the next place, I was at a
great loss for candles; so that as soon as ever it was dark, which was
generally by seven o’clock, I was obliged to go to bed. I remembered the
lump of beeswax with which I made candles in my African adventure; but I
had none of that now; the only remedy I had was, that when I had killed a
goat I saved the tallow, and with a little dish made of clay, which I baked in
the sun, to which I added a wick of some oakum, I made me a lamp; and
this gave me light, though not a clear, steady light, like a candle. In the
middle of all my labours it happened that, rummaging my things, I found a
little bag which, as I hinted before, had been filled with corn for the feeding
of poultry—not for this voyage, but before, as I suppose, when the ship
came from Lisbon. The little remainder of corn that had been in the bag was
all devoured by the rats, and I saw nothing in the bag but husks and dust;
and being willing to have the bag for some other use (I think it was to put
powder in, when I divided it for fear of the lightning, or some such use), I
shook the husks of corn out of it on one side of my fortification, under the
rock.
It was a little before the great rains just now mentioned that I threw this
stuff away, taking no notice, and not so much as remembering that I had
thrown anything there, when, about a month after, or thereabouts, I saw
some few stalks of something green shooting out of the ground, which I
fancied might be some plant I had not seen; but I was surprised, and
perfectly astonished, when, after a little longer time, I saw about ten or
twelve ears come out, which were perfect green barley, of the same kind as
our European—nay, as our English barley.
It is impossible to express the astonishment and confusion of my
thoughts on this occasion. I had hitherto acted upon no religious foundation
at all; indeed, I had very few notions of religion in my head, nor had

entertained any sense of anything that had befallen me otherwise than as
chance, or, as we lightly say, what pleases God, without so much as
inquiring into the end of Providence in these things, or His order in
governing events for the world. But after I saw barley grow there, in a
climate which I knew was not proper for corn, and especially that I knew
not how it came there, 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 I
began to bless myself that such a prodigy of nature should happen upon my
account; and this was the more strange to me, because I saw near it still, all
along by the side of the rock, some other straggling stalks, which proved to
be stalks of rice, and which I knew, because I had seen it grow in Africa
when I was ashore there.
I not only thought these the pure productions of Providence for my
support, but not doubting that there was more in the place, I went all over
that part of the island, where I had been before, peering in every corner, 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 shook a bag of chickens’ meat out in that
place; and then the wonder began to cease; and I must confess my religious
thankfulness to God’s providence began to abate, too, upon the discovering
that all this was nothing but what was common; though I ought to have
been as thankful for so strange and unforeseen a providence as if it had
been miraculous; for it was really the work of Providence 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 from
heaven; as also, that I should throw it out in that particular place, where, it
being in the shade of a high rock, it sprang up immediately; whereas, if I
had thrown it anywhere 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
supply 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 I

shall say afterwards, in its order; for I 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.
Besides this barley, there were, as above, twenty or thirty stalks of rice,
which I preserved with the same care and for the same use, or to the same
purpose—to make me bread, or rather food; for I found ways to cook it
without baking, though I did that also after some time.
But to return to my Journal.
I 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 of
my habitation.
April 16.—I finished the ladder; so I went up the ladder to the top, and
then pulled it up after me, and let it down in the inside. This was a complete
enclosure to me; for within I had room enough, and nothing could come at
me from without, unless it could first mount my wall.
The very next day after this wall was finished I had almost had all my
labour overthrown at once, and myself killed. The case was thus: As I was
busy in the inside, behind my tent, just at the entrance into my cave, I was
terribly frighted with a most dreadful, surprising thing indeed; for all on a
sudden I found the earth come crumbling down from the roof of my cave,
and from the edge of the hill over my head, and two of the posts I had set up
in the cave cracked in a frightful manner. I was heartily scared; but thought
nothing of what 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 I should be buried
in it I ran forward to my ladder, and not thinking myself safe there neither, I
got over my wall for fear of the pieces of the hill, which I expected might
roll down upon me. I had no sooner stepped down upon the firm ground,
than I plainly saw it was a terrible earthquake, for the ground I 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 great piece of the top of a rock which stood
about half a mile from me next the sea fell down with such a terrible noise
as I never heard in all my life. I perceived also 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 I was like one dead or stupefied; and
the motion of the earth made my stomach sick, like one that was tossed at
sea; but the noise of the falling of the rock awakened me, as it were, and
rousing me from the stupefied condition I was in, filled me with horror; and
I thought of nothing then but the hill falling upon my tent and all my
household goods, and burying all at once; and this sunk my very soul within
me a second time.
After the third shock was over, and I felt no more for some time, I began
to take courage; and yet I had not heart enough to go over my wall again,
for fear of being buried alive, but sat still upon the ground greatly cast down
and disconsolate, not knowing what to do. All this while I had not the least
serious religious thought; nothing but the common “Lord have mercy upon
me!” and when it was over that went away too.
While I sat thus, I found the air overcast and grow cloudy, as if it would
rain. Soon after that the wind arose by little and little, so that in less than
half-an-hour it blew a most dreadful hurricane; the sea was all on a sudden
covered over with foam and froth; the shore was covered with the breach 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 quite calm, and began to rain very hard. All this while I sat upon the
ground very much terrified and dejected; when on a sudden it came into my
thoughts, that these winds and rain being the consequences of the
earthquake, the earthquake itself was spent and over, and I might venture
into my cave again. With this thought my spirits began to revive; and the
rain also helping to persuade me, I went in and sat down in my tent. But the
rain was so violent that my tent was ready to be beaten down with it; and I
was forced to 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 flooded my cave. After I had been in my cave
for some time, and found still no more shocks of the earthquake follow, I
began to be more composed. And now, to support my spirits, which indeed
wanted it very much, I went to my little store, and took a small sup of rum;

which, however, I did then and always very sparingly, knowing I could have
no more when that was gone. It continued raining all that night and great
part of the next day, so that I could not stir abroad; but my mind being more
composed, I began to think of what I had best do; concluding that if the
island was subject to these earthquakes, there would be no living for me in a
cave, but I must consider of building a little hut in an open place which I
might surround with a wall, as I had done here, and so make myself secure
from wild beasts or men; for I concluded, if I stayed where I was, I should
certainly one time or other be buried alive.
With these thoughts, I resolved to remove my tent from the place where it
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 I never slept in quiet; and yet the apprehension of lying abroad
without any fence was almost equal to it; but still, when I looked about, and
saw how everything was put in order, how pleasantly concealed I was, and
how safe from danger, it made me very loath to remove. In the meantime, 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 venture where I was, till I had formed 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 I would go to
work with all speed to build me a wall with piles and cables, &c., in a
circle, as before, and set my tent up in it when it was finished; but that I
would venture to stay where I was till it was finished, and fit to remove.
This was the 21st.
April 22.—The next morning I begin 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 carried 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 I might have both my hands at liberty.
Note.—I had never seen any such thing in England, or at least, not to take
notice how it was done, though since I have observed, it is very common

there; besides that, my grindstone was very large and heavy. This machine
cost me a full week’s work to bring it to perfection.
April 28, 29.—These two whole days I took up in grinding my tools, my
machine for turning my grindstone performing very well.
April 30.—Having perceived my bread had been low a great while, now I
took a survey of it, and reduced myself to one biscuit cake a day, which
made my heart very heavy.
May 1.—In the morning, looking towards the sea side, the tide being low,
I saw something lie on the shore bigger than ordinary, and it looked like a
cask; when I came to it, I found a small barrel, and two or three pieces of
the wreck of the ship, which were driven on shore by the late hurricane; and
looking towards the wreck itself, I thought it seemed to lie higher out of the
water than it used to do. I examined the barrel which was driven on shore,
and soon found it was a barrel of gunpowder; but it had taken water, and the
powder was caked as hard as a stone; however, I rolled it farther on shore
for the present, and went on upon the sands, as near as I could to the wreck
of the ship, to look for more.

CHAPTER VI.
ILL AND CONSCIENCE-STRICKEN

When I came down to the ship I found it strangely removed. The
forecastle, which lay before buried in sand, was heaved up at least six feet,
and the stern, which was broke in pieces and parted from the rest by the
force of the sea, soon after I had left rummaging her, was tossed as it were
up, and cast on one side; and the sand was thrown so high on that side next
her stern, that 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 I
could now walk quite up to her when the tide was out. I was surprised with
this at first, but soon concluded it must be done by the earthquake; and as
by this violence the ship was more broke open than formerly, so many
things came daily on shore, which the sea had loosened, and which the
winds and water rolled by degrees to the land.
This wholly diverted my thoughts from the design of removing my
habitation, and I busied myself mightily, that day especially, in searching
whether I could make any way into the ship; but I found nothing was to be
expected of that kind, for all the inside of the ship was choked up with sand.
However, as I had learned not to despair of anything, I resolved to pull
everything to pieces that I could of the ship, concluding that everything I
could get from her would be of some use or other to me.
May 3.—I began with my saw, and cut a piece of a beam through, which
I thought held some of the upper part or quarter-deck together, and when I
had cut it through, I cleared away the sand as well as I could from the side
which lay highest; but the tide coming in, I was obliged to give over for that
time.
May 4.—I went a-fishing, but caught not one fish that I durst eat of, till I
was weary of my sport; when, just going to leave off, I caught a young
dolphin. I had made me a long line of some rope-yarn, but I had no hooks;

yet I frequently caught fish enough, as much as I cared to eat; all which I
dried in the sun, and ate them dry.
May 5.—Worked on the wreck; cut another beam asunder, and brought
three great fir planks off from the decks, which I tied together, and made to
float on shore when the tide of flood came on.
May 6.—Worked on the wreck; got several iron bolts out of her and other
pieces of ironwork. Worked very hard, and came home very much tired, and
had thoughts of giving it over.
May 7.—Went to the wreck again, 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 it was almost full of water and sand.
May 8.—Went to the wreck, and carried an iron crow to wrench up the
deck, which lay now quite clear of the water 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. I felt also a roll of English lead, and could stir it,
but it was too heavy to remove.
May 10–14.—Went every day to the wreck; and got a great many pieces
of timber, and boards, or plank, and two or three hundredweight of iron.
May 15.—I carried two hatchets, to try if I could not cut a piece off the
roll of lead by placing the edge of one hatchet and driving it with the other;
but as it lay about a foot and a half in the water, I could not make any blow
to drive the hatchet.
May 16.—It had blown hard in the night, and the wreck appeared more
broken by the force of the water; but I stayed so long in the woods, to get
pigeons for food, that the tide prevented my going to the wreck that day.
May 17.—I saw some pieces of the wreck blown on shore, at a great
distance, 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 the wreck; and with hard
labour I loosened some things so much with the crow, that the first flowing
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 Brazil pork in it; but the salt water and the
sand had spoiled it. I continued this work every day to the 15th of June,
except the time necessary to get food, which I always appointed, during this
part of my employment, to be when the tide was up, that I might be ready
when it was ebbed out; and by this time I had got timber and plank and
ironwork enough to have built a good boat, if I had known how; and also I
got, at several times and in several pieces, near one hundredweight of the
sheet lead.
June 16.—Going down to the seaside, I found a large tortoise or turtle.
This was the first I had seen, which, it seems, was only my misfortune, not
any defect of the place, or scarcity; for had I happened to be on the other
side of the island, I might have had hundreds of them every day, as I found
afterwards; but perhaps had paid dear enough for them.
June 17.—I spent in cooking the turtle. I found in her three-score eggs;
and her flesh was to me, at that time, the most savoury and pleasant that
ever I tasted in my life, having had no flesh, but of goats and fowls, since I
landed in this horrid place.
June 18.—Rained all day, and I stayed within. I thought at this time the
rain felt cold, and I was something chilly; which I knew was not usual in
that latitude.
June 19.—Very ill, and shivering, as if the weather had been cold.
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 Hull, but scarce knew what I said, or why, my thoughts
being all confused.
June 22.—A little better; but under dreadful apprehensions of sickness.
June 23.—Very 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 ate, I would fain have stewed it, and
made some broth, but had no pot.
June 27.—The ague again so violent that I lay a-bed all day, and neither
ate nor drank. I was ready to perish for thirst; but so weak, I had not
strength to stand up, or to get myself any water to drink. Prayed to God
again, but was light-headed; and when I was not, I was so ignorant that I
knew not what to say; only 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 wearing off, I fell asleep, and did not wake till far in
the night. When I awoke, I found myself much refreshed, but weak, and
exceeding thirsty. However, as I had no water in my habitation, I was forced
to lie till morning, and went to sleep again. In this second sleep I had this
terrible dream: I thought that I was sitting on the ground, on the outside of
my wall, where I sat when the storm blew after the earthquake, and that I
saw a man descend from a great black cloud, in a bright flame of fire, and
light upon the ground. He was all over as bright as a flame, so that I could
but just bear to look towards him; his countenance was most inexpressibly
dreadful, impossible for words to describe. When he stepped upon the
ground with his feet, I thought the earth trembled, just as it had done before
in the earthquake, and all the air looked, to my apprehension, as if it had
been filled with flashes of fire. He was no sooner landed upon the earth, but
he moved forward towards me, with a long spear or weapon in his hand, to
kill me; and when he came to a rising ground, at some distance, he spoke to
me—or I heard a voice so terrible that it is impossible to express the terror
of it. All that I can say I understood was this: “Seeing all these things have
not brought thee to repentance, now thou shalt die;” at which words, I
thought he lifted up the spear that was in his hand to kill me.
No one that shall ever read this account will expect that I should be able
to describe the horrors of my soul at this terrible vision. I mean, that even
while it was a dream, I even dreamed of those horrors. Nor is it any more
possible to describe the impression that remained upon my mind when I
awaked, and found it was but a dream.
I had, alas! no divine knowledge. What I had received by the good
instruction of my father was then worn out by an uninterrupted series, for
eight years, of seafaring wickedness, and a constant conversation with none
but such as were, like myself, wicked and profane to the last degree. I do

not remember that I had, in all that time, one thought that so much as tended
either to looking 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 I 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 I shall add, that through all the variety of miseries that
had to this day befallen me, I never had so much as one thought of it being
the hand of God, or that it was a just punishment for my sin—my rebellious
behaviour 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
apparently 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 honourably with,
as well as charitably, I had not the least thankfulness in my thoughts. When,
again, I 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
drowned and myself spared, I was surprised with a kind of ecstasy, and
some transports of soul, which, had the grace of God assisted, might have
come up to true thankfulness; but it ended where it began, in a mere
common flight of joy, or, as I may say, being glad I was alive, without the
least reflection upon the 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, after
they are got safe ashore from a shipwreck, which they drown all in the next
bowl of punch, and forget almost as soon as it is over; and all the rest of my

life was like it. Even when I was afterwards, on due consideration, made
sensible of my condition, how I was cast on this dreadful place, out of the
reach of human kind, out of all hope of relief, or prospect of redemption, as
soon as I saw but a prospect of living and that I should not starve and perish
for hunger, all the sense of my affliction wore off; and I began to be very
easy, applied myself to the works proper for my preservation and supply,
and was far enough from being afflicted at my condition, as a 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 affect me with seriousness, as long as
I thought it had something miraculous in it; but as soon as ever that part of
the thought was removed, all the impression that was raised from it wore off
also, as I have noted already. Even the earthquake, though nothing could be
more terrible in its nature, or more immediately directing to the invisible
Power which alone directs such things, yet no sooner was the first fright
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 vapours into my head
with the mere apprehensions; and in these hurries 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 me!” Then the tears burst out

of my eyes, and I could say no more for a good while. In this interval the
good advice of my father came to my mind, and presently his prediction,
which I mentioned at the beginning of this story—viz. that if I did take this
foolish step, God would not bless me, and I would have leisure hereafter to
reflect upon having neglected his counsel when there might be none to
assist in my recovery. “Now,” said I, aloud, “my dear father’s words are
come to pass; God’s justice has overtaken me, and I have none to help or
hear me. I rejected the voice of Providence, which had mercifully put me in
a posture or station of life wherein I might have been happy and easy; but I
would neither see it myself nor learn to know the blessing of it from my
parents. I left them to mourn over my folly, and now I am left to mourn
under the consequences of it. I abused their help and assistance, who would
have lifted me in the world, and would have made everything 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 great distress.” This was the first prayer,
if I may call it so, that I had made for many years.
But to return to my Journal.
June 28.—Having been somewhat refreshed with the sleep I had had, and
the fit being entirely off, I got up; and though the fright and terror of my
dream was very great, yet I 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 I 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
under a sense of my miserable condition, dreading, the return of my
distemper the next day. At night I made my supper of three of the turtle’s
eggs, which I roasted in the ashes, and ate, as we call it, in the shell, and
this was the first bit of meat I had ever asked God’s blessing to, that I could
remember, in my whole life. After I had eaten I tried to walk, but found
myself so weak that I could hardly carry a gun, for I never went out without
that; so I went but a little way, and sat down upon the ground, looking out
upon the sea, which was just before me, and very calm and smooth. As I sat
here some such thoughts as these occurred to me: What is this earth and sea,

of which I have seen so much? Whence is it produced? And what am I, and
all the other creatures wild and tame, human and brutal? Whence are we?
Sure we are all made by some secret Power, who formed the earth and sea,
the air and sky. And who is that? Then it followed most naturally, it is God
that has made all. Well, but then it came on strangely, if God has made all
these things, He guides and governs them all, and all things that concern
them; for the Power that could make all things must certainly have power to
guide and direct them. If so, nothing can happen in the great circuit of His
works, either without His knowledge or appointment.
And if nothing happens without His knowledge, He knows that I am
here, and am in this dreadful condition; and if nothing happens without His
appointment, He has appointed all this to befall me. Nothing occurred to my
thought to contradict any of these conclusions, and therefore it rested upon
me with the greater force, that it must needs be that God had appointed all
this to befall me; that I was brought into this miserable circumstance by His
direction, He having the sole power, not of me only, but of everything that
happened in the world. Immediately it followed: Why has God done this to
me? What have I done to be thus used? My conscience presently checked
me in that inquiry, as if I had blasphemed, and methought it spoke to me
like a voice: “Wretch! dost thou ask what thou hast done? Look back upon a
dreadful misspent life, and ask thyself what thou hast not done? Ask, why is
it that thou wert not long ago destroyed? Why wert thou not drowned in
Yarmouth Roads; killed in the fight when the ship was taken by the Sallee
man-of-war; devoured by the wild beasts on the coast of Africa; or drowned
here, when all the crew perished but thyself? Dost thou ask, what have I
done?” I 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 I had no
inclination to sleep; so I sat down in my chair, and lighted my lamp, for it
began to be dark. Now, as the apprehension of the return of my distemper
terrified me very much, it occurred to my thought that the Brazilians take
no physic but their tobacco for almost all distempers, and I had a piece of a
roll of tobacco in one of the chests, which was quite cured, and some also
that was green, and not quite cured.
I went, directed by Heaven no doubt; for in this chest I found a cure both
for soul and body. I opened the chest, and found what I looked for, the

tobacco; and as the few books I had saved lay there too, I took out one of
the Bibles which I mentioned before, and which to this time I had not found
leisure or 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, in 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 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, I burnt some upon a pan of coals, and held my nose close over the
smoke of it as long as I could bear it, as well for the heat as almost for
suffocation. In the interval of this operation I took up the Bible and began to
read; but my head was too much disturbed with the tobacco to bear reading,
at least at that time; only, having opened the book casually, the first words
that occurred to me were these, “Call on Me in the day of trouble, and I will
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 children
of Israel did when they were promised flesh to eat, “Can God spread a table
in the wilderness?” so I 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 very often upon my thoughts; but, however, the words made a
great impression upon me, and I mused upon them very 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 the cave, lest I should want anything
in the night, and went to bed. But before I lay down, I did what I never had
done in all my life—I kneeled down, and prayed to God to fulfil the
promise to me, that if I called upon Him in the day of trouble, He would
deliver me. After my broken and 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 I could scarcely get it down; immediately upon this I 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
three o’clock in the afternoon the next day—nay, to this hour I am partly of

opinion that I slept all the next day and night, and till almost three the day
after; for otherwise I know not how I should lose a day out of my reckoning
in the days of the week, as it appeared some years after I had done; for if I
had lost it by crossing and recrossing the line, I should have lost more than
one day; but certainly I lost a day in my account, and never knew which
way. Be that, however, one way or the other, when I awaked I found myself
exceedingly refreshed, and my spirits lively and cheerful; when I got up I
was stronger than I was the day before, and my stomach better, for I was
hungry; and, in short, I had no fit the next day, but continued much altered
for the better. This was the 29th.
The 30th was my well day, of course, and I went abroad with my gun, but
did not care to travel too far. I killed a sea-fowl or two, something like a
brandgoose, and brought them home, but was not very forward to eat them;
so I ate some more of the turtle’s eggs, which were very good. This evening
I renewed the medicine, which I had supposed did me good the day before
—the tobacco steeped in rum; only I did not take so much as before, nor did
I chew any of the leaf, or hold my head over the smoke; however, I was not
so well the next day, which was the first of July, as I hoped I should have
been; for I had a little 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 first, and doubled the quantity which I drank.
July 3.—I missed the fit for good and all, though I did not recover my
full strength for some weeks after. While I was thus gathering strength, my
thoughts ran exceedingly upon this Scripture, “I will deliver thee”; and the
impossibility of my deliverance lay much upon my mind, in bar of my ever
expecting it; but as I was discouraging myself with such thoughts, it
occurred to my mind that I pored so much upon my deliverance from the
main affliction, that I disregarded the deliverance I had received, and I was
as it were made to ask myself such questions as these—viz. Have I not been
delivered, and wonderfully too, from sickness—from the most distressed
condition that could be, and that was so frightful to me? and what notice
had I taken of it? Had I done my part? God had delivered me, but I had not
glorified Him—that is to say, I had not owned and been thankful for that as
a deliverance; and how could I expect greater deliverance? This touched my
heart very much; and immediately I 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, I began seriously to read it, and imposed upon myself to read a
while every morning and every night; not tying myself to the number of
chapters, but long as my thoughts should engage me. It was not long after I
set seriously to this work till I found my heart more deeply and sincerely
affected with the wickedness of my past life. The impression of my dream
revived; and the words, “All these things have not brought thee to
repentance,” ran seriously through my thoughts. I was earnestly begging of
God to give me repentance, when it happened providentially, the very day,
that, reading the Scripture, I came to these words: “He is exalted a Prince
and a Saviour, to give repentance and to give remission.” I threw down the
book; and with my heart as well as my hands lifted up to heaven, in a kind
of ecstasy of joy, I cried out aloud, “Jesus, thou son of David! Jesus, thou
exalted Prince and Saviour! give me repentance!” This was the first time I
could say, in the true sense of the words, that I prayed in all my life; for
now I prayed with a sense of my condition, and 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 hope that God would hear me.
Now I began to construe the words mentioned above, “Call on Me, and I
will deliver thee,” in a different sense from what I had ever done before; for
then I had no notion of anything being called deliverance, but my being
delivered 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 worse
sense in the world. But now I learned to take it in another sense: now I
looked back upon my past life with such horror, and my sins appeared so
dreadful, that my soul sought nothing of God but deliverance from the load
of guilt that bore down all my comfort. As for my solitary life, it was
nothing. I did not so much as pray to be delivered from it or think of it; it
was all of no consideration in comparison to this. And I add this part here,
to hint to whoever shall read it, that whenever they come to a true sense of
things, they will find deliverance from sin a much greater blessing than
deliverance from affliction.
But, leaving this part, I return to my Journal.
My condition began now to be, though not less miserable as to my way
of living, yet much easier to my mind: and my thoughts being directed, by a
constant reading the Scripture and praying to God, to things of a higher

nature, I had a great deal of comfort within, which till now I knew nothing
of; also, my health and strength returned, I bestirred myself to furnish
myself with everything that I wanted, and make my way of living as regular
as I could.
From the 4th of July to the 14th I was chiefly employed in walking about
with my gun in my hand, a little and a little at a time, as a man that was
gathering up his strength after a fit of sickness; for it is hardly to be
imagined how low I was, and to what weakness I was reduced. The
application which I made use of was perfectly new, and perhaps which had
never cured an ague before; neither can I recommend it to any to practise,
by this experiment: and though it did carry off the fit, yet it rather
contributed to weakening me; for I had frequent convulsions in my nerves
and limbs for some time. I learned from it also this, in particular, that being
abroad in the rainy season was the most pernicious thing to my health that
could be, especially in those rains which came attended with storms and
hurricanes of wind; for as the rain which came in the dry season was almost
always accompanied with such storms, so I found that rain was much more
dangerous than the rain which fell in September and October.

CHAPTER VII.
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE

I had now been in this unhappy island above ten months. All possibility
of deliverance from this condition seemed to be entirely taken from me; and
I firmly believe 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 discovery 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 island itself. I went up the creek first, where, as I hinted, I brought my
rafts on shore. I found after I came about two miles up, that the tide did not
flow any higher, and that it was no more than a little brook of running
water, very fresh and good; but this being the dry season, there was hardly
any water in some parts of it—at least not enough to run in any stream, so
as it could be perceived. On the banks of this brook I found many pleasant
savannahs or meadows, plain, smooth, and covered with grass; and on the
rising parts of them, next to the higher grounds, where the water, as might
be supposed, never overflowed, I found a great deal of tobacco, green, and
growing to a great and very strong stalk. There were divers other plants,
which I had no notion of or understanding about, that 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 large plants of aloes, but did not understand them. I saw
several sugar-canes, but wild, and, for want of cultivation, imperfect. I
contented myself with these discoveries for this time, and came back,
musing with myself what course I might take to know the virtue and
goodness of any of the fruits or plants which I should discover, but could
bring it to no conclusion; for, in short, I had made so little observation while

I was in the Brazils, that I knew little of the plants in the field; at least, very
little that might serve to any purpose now in my distress.
The next day, the sixteenth, I went up the same way again; and after
going something further than I had gone the day before, I found the brook
and the savannahs cease, and the country become more woody than before.
In this part I found different fruits, and particularly I found melons upon the
ground, in great abundance, and grapes upon the trees. The vines had
spread, 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 I thought would be, as indeed they were,
wholesome and agreeable to eat when no grapes could 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 in 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 country seemed to descend to the
west; and a little spring of fresh water, which issued out of the side of the
hill by me, ran the other way, that is, due east; and the country appeared so
fresh, so green, so flourishing, everything being in a constant verdure or
flourish of spring that it looked like a planted garden. I descended a little on
the side of that delicious vale, surveying it with a secret kind of pleasure,
though mixed with my other afflicting thoughts, to think that this was all
my own; that I was king and lord of all this country indefensibly, and had a
right of possession; and if I could convey it, I might have it in inheritance as
completely as any lord of a manor in England. I saw here abundance of
cocoa trees, orange, and lemon, and citron trees; but all wild, and very few
bearing any fruit, at least not then. However, the green limes that I gathered
were not only pleasant to eat, but very wholesome; and I mixed their juice
afterwards with water, which made it very wholesome, and very cool and
refreshing. I found now I had business enough to gather and carry home;

and I resolved to lay up a store as well of grapes as limes and lemons, to
furnish myself for the wet season, which I knew was approaching. In order
to do this, I gathered a great heap of grapes in one place, a lesser heap in
another place, and a great parcel of limes and lemons in another place; and
taking a few of each with me, I travelled homewards; resolving to come
again, and bring a bag or sack, or what I could make, to carry the rest home.
Accordingly, having spent three days in this journey, I came home (so I
must now call my tent and my cave); but before I got thither the grapes
were spoiled; the richness of the fruit and the weight of the juice having
broken them and bruised them, they were good for little or nothing; as to
the limes, they were good, but I could bring but a few.
The next day, being the nineteenth, I went back, having made me two
small bags to bring home my harvest; but I was surprised, when coming to
my heap of grapes, which were so rich and fine when I gathered them, to
find them all spread about, trod to pieces, and dragged about, some here,
some there, and abundance eaten and devoured. By this I concluded there
were some wild creatures thereabouts, which had done this; but what they
were I knew not. However, as I found there was no laying them up on
heaps, and no carrying them away in a sack, but that one way they would be
destroyed, and the other way they would be crushed with their own weight,
I took another course; for I gathered a large quantity of the grapes, and hung
upon the out-branches of the trees, that they might cure and dry in the sun;
and as for the limes and lemons, I carried as many back as I could well
stand under.
When I came home from this journey, I contemplated with great pleasure
the fruitfulness of that valley, and the pleasantness of the situation; the
security from storms on that side of the water, and the wood: and concluded
that I 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
habitation, and looking out for a place equally safe as where now I 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
some 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 seaside, where it was at
least possible that something might happen to my advantage, and, by the
same ill fate that brought me hither might bring some other unhappy

wretches to the same place; and though it was scarce probable that any such
thing should ever happen, yet to enclose myself among the hills and woods
in the centre of the island was to anticipate my bondage, and to render such
an affair not only improbable, but impossible; and that therefore I ought not
by any means to remove. However, I was so enamoured of this place, that I
spent much of my time there for the whole of the remaining part of the
month of July; and though upon second thoughts, I resolved 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 brushwood; and here I lay very secure, sometimes
two or three nights together; always going over it with a ladder; so that I
fancied now I 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 labour, 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, I had finished my bower, and
began to enjoy myself. The 3rd of August, I found the grapes I had hung up
perfectly dried, and, indeed, were excellent good raisins of the sun; so I
began to take them down from the trees, and it was very happy that I did so,
for the rains which followed would have spoiled them, and I had lost the
best part of my winter food; for I had above two hundred large bunches of
them. No sooner had I taken them all down, and carried the most of them
home to my cave, than 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 family; I had
been concerned for the loss of one of my cats, who ran away from me, or, as
I thought, had been dead, and I heard no more tidings of her till, 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 wild cat, as
I called it, with my gun, yet I thought it was quite a different kind from our
European cats; but the young cats were the same kind of house-breed as 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 was
forced to kill them like vermin or wild beasts, and to drive them from my
house as much as possible.
From the 14th of August to the 26th, incessant rain, so that I could not
stir, and was now very careful not to be much 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,
which was a treat to me, and my food was regulated thus: I ate a bunch of
raisins for my breakfast; a piece of the goat’s flesh, or of the turtle, for my
dinner, broiled—for, to my great misfortune, I had no vessel to boil or stew
anything; and two or three of the turtle’s eggs for my supper.
During this confinement in my cover by the rain, I worked daily two or
three hours at enlarging my cave, and by degrees worked it on towards one
side, till I came to the outside of the hill, and made a door or way out,
which came beyond my fence or wall; and so I came in and out this way.
But I was not perfectly easy at lying so open; for, as I had managed myself
before, I was in a perfect enclosure; whereas now I thought I lay exposed,
and open for anything to come in upon me; and yet I could not perceive that
there was any living thing to fear, the biggest creature that I had yet seen
upon the island being a goat.
Sept. 30.—I was now come to the unhappy anniversary of my landing. I
cast up the notches on my post, and found I had been on shore three
hundred and sixty-five days. I kept this day as a solemn fast, setting it apart
for religious exercise, prostrating myself on the ground with the most
serious humiliation, confessing my sins to God, acknowledging His
righteous judgments upon me, and praying to Him to have mercy on me
through Jesus Christ; and not having tasted the least refreshment for twelve
hours, even till the going down of the sun, I then ate a biscuit-cake and a
bunch of grapes, and went to bed, finishing the day as I began it. I had all
this time observed no Sabbath day; for as at first I had no sense of religion
upon my mind, I had, after some time, omitted to distinguish the weeks, by
making a longer notch than ordinary for the Sabbath day, and so did not
really know what any of the days were; but now, having cast up the days as
above, I found I had been there a year; so I divided it into weeks, and set
apart every seventh day for a Sabbath; though I found at the end of my
account I had lost a day or two in my reckoning. A little after this, my ink

began to fail me, 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 I
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.
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
believe there were about thirty stalks of rice, and about twenty of barley;
and now I thought it a proper time to sow it, after the rains, the sun being in
its southern position, going from me. Accordingly, I dug 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 handful 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 anything: 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 grew 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 ground to make another trial in, and
I dug up a piece of ground near my new bower, and sowed the rest of my
seed in February, a little before the vernal equinox; and this having the
rainy months of March and April to 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, I had but a small quantity at last, my whole crop
not amounting to above half a peck of each kind. But by this experiment I
was made master of my business, and knew exactly when the proper season
was to sow, and that I might expect two seed-times and two harvests every
year.
While this corn was growing I made a little discovery, which was of use
to me afterwards. As soon as the rains were over, and the weather began to
settle, which was about the month of November, I made a visit up the
country to my bower, where, though I had not been some months, yet I

found all things just as I left them. The circle or double hedge that I had
made was not only firm and entire, but the stakes which I had cut out of
some trees that grew thereabouts were all shot out and grown with long
branches, as much as a willow-tree usually shoots the first year after
lopping its head. I could not tell what tree to call it that these stakes were
cut from. I was surprised, and yet very well pleased, to see the young trees
grow; and I pruned them, and led them up to grow as much alike as I could;
and it is scarce credible how beautiful a figure they grew into in three years;
so that though the hedge made a circle of about twenty-five yards in
diameter, yet the trees, for such I might now call them, soon covered it, and
it was a complete shade, sufficient to lodge under all the dry season. This
made me resolve to cut some more stakes, and make me a hedge like this, in
a semi-circle round my wall (I mean that of my first dwelling), which I did;
and placing the trees or stakes in a double row, at about eight yards distance
from my first fence, they grew presently, and were at first a fine cover to
my habitation, and afterwards served for a defence also, as I shall observe
in its order.
I found now that the seasons of the year might generally be divided, not
into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into the rainy seasons and the dry
seasons, which were generally thus:—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, but was almost starved for want of food. I went
and cut boughs of trees, and branches of such shrubs as I could find, and
threw it over, and having fed it, I tied it as I did before, to lead it away; but
it was so tame with being hungry, that I had no need to have tied it, for it
followed me like a dog: and as I continually fed it, the creature became so
loving, so gentle, and so fond, that it became from that time one of my
domestics also, and would never leave me afterwards.
The rainy season of the autumnal equinox was now come, and I kept the
30th of September in the same solemn manner as before, being the
anniversary of my landing on the island, having now 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
wonderful mercies which my solitary condition was attended with, and
without which it might have been infinitely more miserable. I gave humble
and hearty thanks that God had been pleased to discover to me that it was
possible I might be more happy in this solitary condition than I should have
been in the liberty of society, and in all the pleasures of the world; that He
could fully make up to me the deficiencies of my solitary state, and the
want of human society, by His presence and the communications of His
grace to my soul; 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 I
now led was, with all its miserable circumstances, than the wicked, cursed,

abominable life I led all the past part of my days; and now I changed both
my sorrows and my joys; my very desires altered, my affections changed
their 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
country, the anguish of my soul at my condition would break out upon me
on a sudden, and my very heart would die within me, to think of the woods,
the mountains, the deserts I was in, and how I was a prisoner, locked up
with the eternal bars and bolts of the ocean, in an uninhabited wilderness,
without redemption. In the midst of the greatest composure of my mind,
this would break out upon me like a storm, and make me wring my hands
and weep like a child. Sometimes it would take me in the middle of my
work, and I would immediately sit down 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.
But now I began to exercise myself with new thoughts: I daily read the
word of God, and applied all the comforts of it to my present state. One
morning, being very sad, I opened the Bible upon these words, “I will
never, never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Immediately it occurred that
these words were to me; why else should they be directed in such a manner,
just at the moment when I was mourning over my condition, as one
forsaken of God and man? “Well, then,” said I, “if God does not forsake
me, of what ill consequence can it be, or what matters it, though the world
should all forsake me, seeing on the other hand, if I had all the world, and
should lose the favour and blessing of God, there would be no comparison
in the loss?”
From this moment I began to conclude in my mind that it was possible
for me to be more happy in this forsaken, solitary condition than it was
probable I should ever have been in any other particular state in the world;
and with this thought I was going to give thanks to God for bringing me to
this place. I know not what it was, but something shocked my mind at that
thought, and I durst not speak the words. “How canst thou become such a
hypocrite,” said I, even audibly, “to pretend to be thankful for a condition
which, however thou mayest endeavour to be contented with, thou wouldst
rather pray heartily to be delivered from?” So I stopped there; but though I

could not say I thanked God for being there, yet I sincerely gave thanks to
God for opening my eyes, by whatever afflicting providences, to see the
former condition of my life, and to mourn for my wickedness, and repent. I
never opened the Bible, or shut it, but my very soul within me blessed God
for directing my friend in England, without any order of mine, to pack it up
among my goods, and for assisting me afterwards to save it out of the wreck
of the ship.
Thus, and in this disposition of mind, I began my third year; and though I
have not given the reader the trouble of so particular an account of my
works this year as the first, yet in general it may be observed that I was very
seldom idle, but having regularly divided my time according to the several
daily employments that were before me, such as: first, my duty to God, and
the reading the Scriptures, which I constantly set apart some time for thrice
every day; secondly, the going abroad with my gun for food, which
generally 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
caught 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 hunting and working, and
went to work in the morning, and abroad with my gun in the afternoon.
To this short time allowed for labour I desire may be added the exceeding
laboriousness of my work; the many hours which, for want of tools, want of
help, and want of skill, everything I did took up out of my time. For
example, I was full two and forty days in making 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. This tree I was three days in
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 board from end to
end; then, turning that side downward, cut the other side til I brought the
plank to be about three inches thick, and smooth on both sides. Any one

may judge the labour of my hands in such a piece of work; but labour and
patience carried me through that, and many other things. I only observe this
in particular, to show the reason why so much of my time went away with
so little work—viz. that what might be a little to be done with help and
tools, was a vast labour and required a prodigious time to do alone, and by
hand. But notwithstanding this, with patience and labour I got through
everything 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 barley and rice. The ground I had manured and 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 found I was in danger of
losing it all again by enemies of several sorts, which it was scarcely
possible to keep from it; as, first, the goats, and wild creatures which I
called hares, who, tasting the sweetness of the blade, lay in it night and day,
as soon as it came up, and 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 gate, where he would stand and bark all night
long; so in a little time the enemies forsook the place, and the corn grew
very strong and well, and began to ripen apace.
But as the beasts ruined me before, while my corn was in the blade, so
the birds were as likely to ruin me now, when it was in the ear; for, going
along by the place to see how it throve, I saw my little crop surrounded with
fowls, 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 corn, if possible, though I should watch it night and day. In the first
place, I went among it to see what damage was already done, and found
they had spoiled a good deal of it; but that as it was yet too green for them,
the loss was not so great but that the remainder was likely to be a good crop
if it could be saved.
I stayed 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 off, as if I
was gone, I was no sooner out of their sight than they dropped down one by
one into the corn again. I was so provoked, that I could not have patience to
stay till more came on, knowing that every grain that they ate 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
England—hanged them in chains, for a terror to others. It is impossible to
imagine that this should have such an effect as it had, for the fowls 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 scarecrows
hung there. This I was very glad of, you may be sure, and about the latter
end of December, which was our second harvest of the year, I reaped my
corn.
I was sadly put to it for a scythe or sickle to cut it down, and all I could
do was to make one, as well as I could, out of one of the broadswords, or
cutlasses, which I saved among the arms out of the ship. However, as my
first crop was but small, I had no great difficulty to cut it down; in short, I
reaped it in my way, for I cut nothing off but the ears, and carried it away in
a great basket which I had made, and so rubbed it out with my hands; and at
the end of all my harvesting, I found that out of my half-peck of seed I had
near two bushels of rice, and about 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 I foresaw that, in
time, it would please God to supply me with bread. And yet here I was
perplexed again, for I neither knew how to grind or make meal of my corn,
or indeed how to clean it and part it; nor, if made into meal, how to make
bread of it; and if how to make it, yet I knew not how to bake it. These
things being added to my desire of having a good quantity for store, and to

secure a constant supply, I resolved not to taste any of this crop but to
preserve it all for seed against the next season; and in the meantime to
employ all my study and hours of working to accomplish this great work of
providing myself with corn and bread.
It might be truly said, that now I worked for my bread. I believe few
people have thought much upon the strange multitude of little things
necessary in the providing, producing, curing, 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 I
had got the first handful of seed-corn, which, as I have said, came up
unexpectedly, and indeed to a surprise.
First, I had no plough to turn up the earth—no spade or shovel to dig it.
Well, this I conquered by making 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 soon, but
made my work the harder, and made it be performed much worse. However,
this I bore with, and was content to work it out with patience, and bear with
the badness of the performance. When the corn was 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, and an oven to bake it; but all
these things I did without, as shall be observed; and yet the corn was an
inestimable comfort and advantage to me too. All this, as I said, made
everything laborious and tedious to me; but that there was no help for.
Neither was my time so much loss to me, because, as I had divided it, a
certain part of it was every day appointed to these works; and as I 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 labour and invention,
to furnish myself with utensils proper for the performing all the operations
necessary for making the corn, when I had it, fit for my use.

CHAPTER IX.
A BOAT

But first I 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 sorry one indeed, and
very heavy, and required double labour to work with it. However, I got
through that, and sowed my seed in two large flat pieces of ground, as near
my house as I could find them to my mind, and fenced them in with a good
hedge, the stakes of which were all cut off that wood which I had set before,
and knew it would grow; so that, in a year’s time, I knew I should have a
quick or living hedge, that would want but little repair. This work did not
take me up less than three months, because a great part of that time was the
wet season, when I could not go abroad. Within-doors, that is when it rained
and I could not go out, I found employment in the following occupations—
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 taught 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 assistance to my work; for
now, as I said, I had a great employment upon my hands, as follows: I had
long studied to make, 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 clay, I might make some pots that might, being dried in the sun, be hard
enough and strong enough to bear handling, and to hold anything that was
dry, and required to be kept so; and as this was necessary in the preparing
corn, meal, &c., which was the thing I was doing, I resolved to make some
as large as I could, and fit only to stand like jars, to hold what should be put
into them.

It would make the reader pity me, or rather laugh at me, to tell how many
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
stiff enough to bear its own weight; how many cracked by the over-violent
heat of the sun, being set out too hastily; and how many fell in pieces with
only removing, as well before as after they were dried; and, in a word, how,
after having laboured hard to find the clay—to dig it, to temper it, to bring it
home, and work it—I could not make above two large earthen ugly things (I
cannot call them jars) in about two months’ labour.
However, as the sun baked these two very dry and hard, I lifted them
very gently up, and set them down again in two great wicker baskets, which
I had made on purpose for them, that they might not break; and as between
the pot and the basket there was a little room to spare, I stuffed it full of the
rice and barley straw; and these two pots being to stand always dry I
thought would hold my dry corn, and perhaps the meal, when the corn was
bruised.
Though I miscarried so much in my design for large pots, yet I made
several smaller things with better success; such as little round pots, flat
dishes, pitchers, and pipkins, and any things my hand turned to; and the
heat of the sun baked them quite hard.
But all this would not answer my end, which was to get an earthen pot to
hold what was liquid, and bear the fire, which none of these could do. It
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 earthenware vessels in the fire, burnt as hard as a stone, and red
as a tile. I was agreeably surprised to see it, and said to myself, that
certainly they might be made to burn whole, if they would burn broken.
This set me to study how to order my fire, so as to make it burn some
pots. I had no notion of a kiln, such as the potters burn in, or of glazing
them with lead, though I had some lead to do it with; but I placed three
large pipkins and two or three pots in a pile, one upon another, and placed
my firewood all round it, with a great heap of embers under them. I plied
the fire with fresh fuel round the outside and upon the top, till I saw the pots
in the inside red-hot quite through, and observed that they did not crack at
all. When I saw them clear red, I let them stand in that heat about five or six
hours, till I found one of them, though it did not crack, did melt or run; for

the sand which was mixed with the clay melted by the violence of the heat,
and would have run into glass if I had gone on; so I slacked my fire
gradually till the pots began to abate of the red colour; and watching them
all night, that I might not let the fire abate too fast, in the morning I had
three very good (I will not say handsome) pipkins, and two other earthen
pots, as hard burnt as could be desired, and one of them perfectly glazed
with the running of the sand.
After this experiment, I need not say that I wanted no sort of earthenware
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 as good as I
would have 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 at 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, I was as perfectly unqualified for a stone-
cutter as for any whatever; neither had I any tools to go about it with. I
spent many a day to find out a great stone big enough to cut hollow, and
make fit for a mortar, 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 I had strength to stir, I rounded it, and formed it on the outside with
my axe and hatchet, and then with the help of fire and infinite labour, made
a hollow place in it, as the Indians in Brazil make their canoes. After this, I
made a great heavy pestle or beater of the wood called the iron-wood; and

this I prepared and laid by against I had my next crop of corn, which I
proposed to myself to grind, or rather pound into meal to make bread.
My next difficulty was to make a sieve or searce, to dress my meal, and
to part it from the bran and the husk; without which I did not see it possible
I could have any bread. This was a most difficult thing even to think on, for
to be sure I had nothing like the necessary thing to make it—I mean fine
thin canvas 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 rags; I had goat’s 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 supplying 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 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 firewood was burned pretty much into embers or live coals, I
drew them forward upon this hearth, so as to cover it all over, and there I let
them lie till the hearth was very hot. Then sweeping away all the embers, I
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 pastrycook into the bargain; for I
made myself several cakes and puddings of the rice; but I made no pies,
neither had I anything to put into them supposing I had, except the flesh
either of fowls or goats.

It need not be wondered at if all these things took me up most part of the
third year of my abode here; for it is to be observed that in the intervals of
these things I had my new harvest and husbandry to manage; for I reaped
my corn in its season, and carried it home as well 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 thrash it with.
And now, indeed, my stock of corn increasing, I really wanted to build
my barns bigger; I wanted a place to lay it up in, for the increase of the corn
now yielded me so much, that I had of the barley about twenty bushels, and
of 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, I found that the forty bushels of barley and rice were
much more than I could consume in a year; so I resolved to sow just the
same quantity every year that I sowed the last, in hopes that such a quantity
would fully provide me with bread, &c.
All the while these things were doing, you may be sure my thoughts ran
many times upon the prospect of land which I had seen from the other side
of the island; and I was not without secret wishes that I were on shore there,
fancying that, seeing the mainland, and an inhabited country, I might find
some way or other to convey myself further, and perhaps at last find some
means of escape.
But all this while I made no allowance for the dangers of such an
undertaking, and how I might fall into the hands of savages, and perhaps
such as I might have reason to think far worse than the lions and tigers of
Africa: that if I once came in their power, I should run a hazard of more
than a thousand to one of being killed, and perhaps of being eaten; for I had
heard that the people of the Caribbean coast were cannibals or man-eaters,
and I knew by the latitude that I could not be far from that shore. Then,
supposing they were not cannibals, yet 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, I say, which I ought to have
considered well; and did come into my thoughts afterwards, yet gave me no

apprehensions 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 shoulder-of-
mutton sail, with which I sailed above a thousand miles on the coast of
Africa; but this was in vain: then I thought I would go and look at our ship’s
boat, which, as I have said, was blown up upon the shore a great way, in the
storm, when we were first cast away. She lay almost where she did at first,
but not quite; and was turned, by the force of the waves and the winds,
almost bottom upward, against a high ridge of beachy, rough sand, but no
water about her. 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 I
might have gone back into the Brazils with her easily enough; but I might
have foreseen that I could no more turn her and set her upright upon her
bottom than I could remove the island; however, I went to the woods, and
cut levers and rollers, and brought them to the boat resolving to try what I
could do; suggesting to myself that if I could but turn her down, I might
repair 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 fruitless toil, and spent, I think,
three or four 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 again, or to get under
it, much less to move it forward 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 for 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 great
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 all
considering the particular inconveniences which I 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
when I had chosen a vast tree in the woods, and with much trouble cut it
down, if I had been able with my tools to hew and dub the outside into the
proper shape of a boat, and burn or cut out the inside to make it hollow, so
as to make a boat of it—if, after all this, I must leave it just there where I
found it, and not be 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 while I was making this boat, but I should
have immediately thought how I should get it into the sea; but my thoughts
were so intent upon my voyage over the sea in it, that I never once
considered how I should get it off the land: and it was really, in its own
nature, more easy for me to guide it over forty-five miles of sea than about
forty-five fathoms of land, where it lay, to set it afloat in the water.
I went to work upon this boat the most like a fool that ever man did who
had any of his senses awake. I pleased myself with the design, without
determining whether I was ever able to undertake it; not but that the
difficulty of launching my boat came often into my head; but I put a stop to
my inquiries into it by this foolish answer which I gave myself—“Let me
first make it; I warrant I will find some way or other to get it along when it
is done.”
This was a most preposterous method; but the eagerness of my fancy
prevailed, and to work I went. I felled a cedar-tree, and I question much
whether Solomon ever had such a one for the building of the Temple of
Jerusalem; it was five feet ten inches diameter at the lower part next the
stump, and four feet eleven inches diameter at the end of twenty-two feet;
after which it lessened for a while, and then parted into branches. It was not
without infinite labour 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 cut off, which I hacked and hewed
through with axe and hatchet, and inexpressible labour; after this, it cost me
a month to shape it and dub it to a proportion, and to something like the
bottom of a boat, that it might swim upright as it ought to do. It cost me
near three months more to clear the inside, and work it out so as to make an
exact boat of it; this I did, indeed, without fire, by mere mallet and chisel,
and by the dint of hard labour, till I had brought it to be a very handsome

periagua, and big enough to have carried six-and-twenty men, and
consequently big enough to have carried me and all my cargo.
When I had gone through this work I was extremely delighted with it.
The boat was really much bigger than ever I saw a canoe or periagua, that
was made of one tree, in my life. Many a weary stroke it had cost, you may
be sure; and had I gotten it into the water, I make no question, but I should
have begun the maddest voyage, and the most unlikely to be performed,
that ever was undertaken.
But all my devices to get it into the water failed me; though they cost me
infinite labour too. It lay about one hundred yards from the water, and not
more; but the first inconvenience was, it was up hill towards the creek.
Well, to take away this discouragement, I resolved to dig into the surface of
the earth, and so make a declivity: this I began, and it cost me a prodigious
deal of pains (but who grudge pains who have their deliverance in view?);
but when this was worked through, and this difficulty managed, it was still
much the same, for I could no more stir the canoe than I could the other
boat. Then I measured the distance of ground, and resolved to cut a dock or
canal, to bring the water up to the canoe, seeing I could not bring the canoe
down to the water. Well, I began this work; and when I began to enter upon
it, and calculate how deep it was to be dug, how broad, how the stuff was to
be thrown out, I found 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 twenty feet deep; so at length, though with great reluctancy, I
gave this attempt over also.
This grieved me heartily; and now I saw, though too late, the folly of
beginning a work before we count the cost, and 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 before; for, by a constant study and serious application to the Word of
God, and by the assistance of His grace, I gained a different knowledge
from what I had before. I entertained different notions of things. I looked
now upon the world as a thing remote, which I had nothing to do with, no
expectations 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 I had lived in, but
was come out of it; and well might I say, as Father Abraham to Dives,
“Between me and thee is a great gulf fixed.”
In the first place, I was removed from all the wickedness of the world
here; I had neither the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, nor the pride of
life. I had nothing to covet, for I had all that I was now capable of enjoying;
I was lord of the whole manor; or, if I pleased, I might call myself king or
emperor over the whole country which I had possession of: there were no
rivals; I had no competitor, none to dispute sovereignty or command with
me: I 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
turtle enough, but now and then one was as much as I could put to any use:
I had timber enough to have built a fleet of ships; and I had grapes enough
to have made wine, or to have cured into raisins, to have loaded that fleet
when it had been built.
But all I could make use of was all that was valuable: I had enough to eat
and 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 corn than I
could eat, it must be spoiled; the trees that I cut down were lying to rot on
the ground; I could make no more use of them but for fuel, and that I had no
occasion for but to dress my food.
In a word, the nature and experience of things dictated to me, upon just
reflection, that all the good things of this world are no farther good to us
than they are for our use; and that, whatever we may heap up to give 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
thirty-six pounds sterling. Alas! there the sorry, useless stuff lay; I had no
more manner of business for it; and often thought with myself that I would
have given a handful of it for a gross of tobacco-pipes; or for a hand-mill to
grind my corn; nay, I would have given it all for a 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;

but there it lay in a drawer, and grew mouldy with the damp of the cave in
the wet seasons; and if I had had the drawer full of diamonds, it had been
the same case—they had been of no manner of value to me, because of no
use.
I had now brought my state of life to be much easier in itself than it was
at first, and much easier to my mind, as well as to my body. I frequently sat
down to meat with thankfulness, and admired the hand of God’s
providence, which had thus spread my table in the wilderness. I learned to
look more upon the bright side of my condition, and less upon the dark side,
and to consider what I enjoyed rather than what I wanted; and this gave me
sometimes such secret comforts, that I cannot express them; and which I
take notice of here, to put those discontented people in mind of it, who
cannot enjoy comfortably what God has given them, because they see and
covet something that He has not given them. All our discontents about what
we want appeared to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what
we have.
Another reflection was of great use to me, and doubtless would be so to
any one that should fall into such distress as mine was; and this was, to
compare my present condition with what I at first expected it would be; nay,
with what it would certainly have been, if the good providence of God had
not wonderfully ordered the ship to be cast up nearer to the shore, where I
not only could come at her, but could bring what I got out of her to the
shore, for my relief and comfort; without which, I had wanted for tools to
work, weapons for defence, and gunpowder and shot for getting my food.
I spent whole hours, I may say whole days, in representing to myself, in
the most lively colours, how I must have acted if I had got nothing out of
the ship. How I could not have so much as got any food, except fish and
turtles; and that, as it was long before I found any of them, I must have
perished first; that I 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 misery, to say, “Is any affliction like mine?” Let
them consider how much worse the cases of some people are, and their case
might have been, if Providence had thought fit.
I had another reflection, which assisted me also to comfort my mind with
hopes; and this was comparing my present situation with what I had
deserved, 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 been well instructed by father and mother; neither had they been
wanting to me in their early endeavours 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 seafaring life, which of all
lives is the most destitute of the fear of God, though His terrors are always
before them; I say, falling early into the seafaring life, and into seafaring
company, all that little sense of religion which I had entertained was
laughed out of me by my messmates; by a hardened despising of dangers,
and the views of death, which grew habitual to me by my long absence
from all manner of opportunities to converse with anything but what was
like myself, or to hear anything that was good or tended towards it.
So void was I of everything that was good, or the least sense of what I
was, or was to be, that, in 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 Brazils; my receiving the cargo from
England, and the like—I never had once the words “Thank God!” so much
as on my mind, or in my mouth; nor in the greatest distress had I so much
as a thought to pray to Him, or so much as to say, “Lord, have mercy upon
me!” no, nor to mention the name of God, unless it was to swear by, and
blaspheme it.
I had terrible reflections upon my mind for many months, as I have
already observed, on account of my wicked and hardened life past; and
when I looked about me, and considered what particular providences had
attended me since my coming into this place, and how God had dealt
bountifully with me—had not only punished me less than my iniquity had
deserved, but had so plentifully provided for me—this gave me great hopes
that my repentance was accepted, and that God had yet 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
wonders could have brought; that 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
uninhabitable part of the world where I could have been cast more to my
advantage; a place where, as I had no society, which was my affliction on
one hand, so I found no ravenous beasts, no furious wolves or tigers, to
threaten my life; no venomous creatures, or poisons, 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 daily
consolation; and after I did make a just improvement on these things, I went
away, and was no more sad. I had now been here so long that many things
which I had 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 appearance of black upon the paper. As long as it lasted I made use
of it to minute down the days of the month on which any remarkable thing
happened to me; and first, by casting up times past, I 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 I broke away from my father
and 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
Yarmouth Roads, that same day-year afterwards I made my escape from
Sallee in a boat; the same day of the year I was born 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
degree, allowing myself but one cake of bread a-day for above a year; and
yet I was quite without bread for near a year before I got any corn of my
own, and great reason I had to be thankful that I had any at all, the getting it
being, as has been already observed, next to miraculous.
My clothes, too, began to decay; as to linen, I had had none a good while,
except some chequered 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 I had,
among all the men’s clothes of the ship, almost three dozen of shirts. There
were also, indeed, several thick watch-coats of the seamen’s which were
left, but they were too hot to wear; and though it is true that the weather was
so violently hot that there was no need of clothes, yet I could not go quite
naked—no, though I had been inclined to it, which I was not—nor could I
abide the thought of it, though I was 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 sun, 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 my hat it would
presently go away.
Upon these views I began to consider about putting the few rags I had,
which I called clothes, into some order; I had worn out all the waistcoats I
had, and my business was now to try if I could not make jackets out of the
great watch-coats which I had by me, and with such other materials as I
had; so I set to work, tailoring, or rather, indeed, botching, for I made most
piteous work of it. However, I made shift to make two or three new
waistcoats, which I hoped would serve me a great while: as for breeches or
drawers, I made but a very sorry shift indeed till afterwards.

I have mentioned that I saved the skins of all the creatures that I killed, I
mean four-footed ones, and I had them hung up, stretched out with sticks in
the sun, by which means some of them were so dry and hard that they were
fit for little, but others were very useful. The first thing I made of these was
a great cap for my head, with the hair on the outside, to shoot off the rain;
and this I performed so well, that after 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
warm. I must not omit to acknowledge that they were wretchedly made; for
if I was a bad carpenter, I was a worse tailor. However, they were such as I
made very good shift with, and when I was out, if it happened to rain, the
hair of my waistcoat and cap being outermost, I was kept very dry.
After this, I spent a great deal of time and pains to make 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 Brazils, where they are very useful in the great heats
there, and I felt the heats every jot as great here, and greater too, being
nearer the equinox; besides, as I was obliged to be much abroad, it was a
most useful thing to me, as well for the rains as the heats. I took a world of
pains with it, and was a great while before I could make anything likely to
hold: nay, after I had thought I had hit the way, I spoiled two or three before
I made one to my mind: but at last I made one that answered indifferently
well: the main difficulty I found was to make it let down. I could make it
spread, but if it did not let down too, and draw in, it was not portable for me
any way but just over my head, which would not do. However, at last, as I
said, I made one to answer, and covered it with skins, the hair upwards, so
that it cast off the rain like a pent-house, and kept off the sun so effectually,
that I could walk out in the hottest of the weather with greater advantage
than I could before in the coolest, and when I had no need of it could close
it, and carry it under my arm.
Thus I lived mighty comfortably, my mind being entirely composed by
resigning myself 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 conversing mutually with my own thoughts, and (as I hope I
may say) with even God Himself, by ejaculations, was not better than the
utmost enjoyment of human society in the world?

CHAPTER X.
TAMES GOATS

I cannot say that after this, for five years, any extraordinary thing
happened to me, but I lived on in the same course, in the same posture and
place, as before; the chief things I was employed in, besides my yearly
labour of planting my barley and rice, and curing my raisins, of both which
I always kept up just enough to have sufficient stock of one year’s
provisions beforehand; I say, besides this yearly labour, and my daily
pursuit of going out with my gun, I had one labour, to make a canoe, which
at last I finished: so that, by digging a canal to it of six feet wide and four
feet deep, I brought it into the creek, almost half a mile. As for the first,
which was so vastly big, for I made it without considering beforehand, as I
ought to have done, how I should be able to launch it, so, never being able
to bring it into the water, or bring the water to it, I was obliged to let it lie
where it was as a memorandum to teach me to be wiser the next time:
indeed, the next time, though I could not get a tree proper for it, and was in
a place where I could not get the water to it at any less distance than, as I
have said, near half a mile, yet, as I saw it was practicable at last, I never
gave it over; and though I was near two years about it, yet I never grudged
my labour, in hopes of having a boat to go off to sea at last.
However, though my little periagua was finished, yet the size of it was
not at all answerable to the design which I had in view when I made the
first; I mean of venturing over to the terra firma, where it was above forty
miles 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 very eager to see other

parts of the coast; and now I had a boat, I thought of nothing but sailing
round the island.
For this purpose, that I might do everything with discretion and
consideration, I fitted up a little mast in my boat, and made a sail too 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 very 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, either from rain or the spray of the sea; and a little, long, hollow
place I cut in the inside of the boat, where I could lay my gun, making a
flap to hang down over it to keep it dry.
I fixed my umbrella also in the step at the stern, like a mast, to stand over
my head, and keep the heat of the sun off me, like an awning; and thus I
every now and then took a little voyage upon the sea, but never went far
out, nor far from the little creek. At last, being eager to view the
circumference of my little kingdom, I resolved upon my cruise; and
accordingly I victualled my ship for the voyage, putting in two dozen of
loaves (cakes I should call them) of barley-bread, an earthen pot full of
parched rice (a food I ate a good 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 the seamen’s chests; these
I took, one to lie upon, and the other to cover me in the night.
It was the 6th of November, in the sixth year of my reign—or my
captivity, which you please—that I set out on this voyage, and I found it
much longer than I expected; for though the island itself was not very large,
yet when I came to the east side of it, I found a great ledge of rocks lie out
about two leagues into the sea, some above water, some under it; and
beyond that a shoal of sand, lying dry half a league more, so that I was
obliged to go a great way out to sea to double the point.
When I first 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 again: so I came to an
anchor; for I had made a kind of an anchor with a piece of a broken
grappling which I got out of the ship.
Having secured my boat, I took my gun and went on shore, climbing up a
hill, which seemed to overlook that point where I saw the full extent of it,

and resolved to venture.
In my viewing the sea from that hill where I stood, I perceived a strong,
and indeed a most furious current, which 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 hill, I believe it would have been so; for there was the
same current on the other side the island, only that it set off at a further
distance, and I saw there was a strong eddy under the shore; so I had
nothing to do but to get out of the first current, and I should presently be in
an eddy.
I lay here, however, two days, because the wind blowing pretty fresh at
ESE., and that being just contrary to the current, made a great breach of the
sea upon the point: so that it was not safe for me to keep too close to the
shore for the breach, nor to go too far off, because of the stream.
The third day, in the morning, the wind having abated overnight, the sea
was calm, and I ventured: but I am a warning to all rash and ignorant pilots;
for no sooner was I come to the point, when I was not even my boat’s
length from the shore, but I found myself in a great depth of water, and a
current like the sluice of a mill; it carried my boat along with it with such
violence that all I could do could not keep her so much as on the edge of it;
but I found it hurried me farther and farther out from the eddy, which was
on my left hand. There was no wind stirring to help me, and all I could do
with my paddles signified nothing: and now I began to give myself over for
lost; for as the current was on both sides of the island, I knew in a few
leagues distance they must join again, and then I was irrecoverably gone;
nor did I see any possibility of avoiding it; so that I had no prospect before
me but of perishing, not by the sea, for that was calm enough, but of
starving from hunger. I had, indeed, found a tortoise on the shore, as big
almost as I could lift, and had tossed it into the boat; and I had a great jar of
fresh water, that is to say, one of my earthen pots; but what was all this to
being driven into the vast ocean, where, to be sure, there was no shore, no
mainland or island, for a thousand leagues at least?
And now I saw how easy it was for the providence of God to make even
the most miserable condition of mankind worse. Now I looked back upon
my desolate, solitary island as the most pleasant place in the world and all

the happiness my heart could wish for was to be but there again. I stretched
out my hands to it, with eager wishes—“O happy desert!” said I, “I shall
never see thee more. O miserable creature! whither am I going?” Then I
reproached myself with my unthankful temper, and that I had repined at my
solitary condition; and now what would I give to be on shore there again!
Thus, we never see the true state of our condition till it is illustrated to us by
its contraries, nor know how to value what we enjoy, but by the want of it.
It is scarcely possible to imagine the consternation I was now in, being
driven from my beloved island (for so it appeared to me now to be) into the
wide ocean, almost two leagues, and in the utmost despair of ever
recovering it again. However, I worked hard till, indeed, my strength was
almost exhausted, and kept my boat as much to the northward, that is,
towards the side of the current which the eddy lay on, as possibly I could;
when about noon, as the sun passed the meridian, I thought I felt a little
breeze of wind in my face, springing up from SSE. 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 had got at a frightful distance from the island,
and had the least cloudy or hazy weather intervened, I had been undone
another way, too; for I had no compass on board, and should never have
known how to have steered towards the island, if I had but once lost sight of
it; but the weather continuing clear, I applied myself to get up my mast
again, and spread my sail, standing away to the north as much as possible,
to get out of the current.
Just as I had set my mast and sail, and the boat began to stretch away, I
saw even by the clearness of the water some alteration of the current was
near; for where the current was so strong the water was foul; but perceiving
the water clear, I found the current abate; and presently I found to the east,
at about half a mile, a breach of the sea upon some rocks: these rocks I
found caused the current to part again, and as the main stress of it ran away
more southerly, leaving the rocks to the north-east, so the other returned by
the repulse of the rocks, and made a strong eddy, which ran back again to
the north-west, with a very sharp stream.
They who know what it is to have a reprieve brought to them upon the
ladder, or to be rescued from thieves just going to murder them, or who
have been in such 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 underfoot.
This eddy carried me about a league on my way back again, directly
towards the island, but about two leagues more to the northward than the
current which carried me away at first; so that when I came near the island,
I found myself open to the northern shore of it, that is to say, the other end
of the island, opposite to that which I went out from.
When I had made something more than a league of way by the help of
this current or eddy, I found it was spent, and served me no further.
However, I found that being between two great currents—viz. that on the
south side, which had hurried me away, and that on the north, which lay
about a league on the other side; I say, between these two, in the wake of
the island, I found the water at least still, and running no way; and having
still a breeze of wind fair for me, I kept on steering directly for the island,
though not making such fresh way as I did before.
About four o’clock in the evening, being then within a league of the
island, I found the point of the rocks which occasioned this disaster
stretching out, as is described before, to the southward, and casting off the
current more southerly, had, of course, made another eddy to the north; and
this I found very strong, but not directly setting the way my course lay,
which was due west, but almost full north. However, having a fresh gale, I
stretched across this eddy, slanting north-west; and in about an hour came
within about a mile of the shore, where, it being smooth water, I soon got to
land.
When I was on shore, I fell on my knees and gave God thanks for my
deliverance, resolving to lay aside all thoughts of my deliverance by my
boat; and refreshing myself with such things as I had, I brought my boat
close to the shore, in a little cove that I had spied under some trees, and laid
me down to sleep, being quite spent with the labour and fatigue of the
voyage.
I was now at a great loss which way to get home with my boat! I had run
so much hazard, and knew too much of the case, to think of attempting it by
the way I went out; and what might be at the other side (I mean the west
side) I knew not, nor had I any mind to run any more ventures; so I resolved
on the next morning to make my way westward along the shore, and to see
if there was no creek where I might lay up my frigate in safety, so as to

have her again if I wanted her. In about three miles or thereabouts, coasting
the shore, I came to a very good inlet or bay, about a mile over, which
narrowed till it came to a very little rivulet or brook, where I found a very
convenient harbour for my boat, and where she lay as if she had been in a
little dock made on purpose for her. Here I put in, and having stowed my
boat very safe, I went on shore to look about me, and see where I was.
I soon found I had but a little passed by the place where I had been
before, when I travelled on foot to that shore; so taking nothing out of my
boat but my gun and umbrella, for it was exceedingly hot, I began my
march. 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 everything
standing as I left it; for I always kept it in good order, being, as I said
before, my country house.
I got over the fence, and laid me down in the shade to rest my limbs, for I
was very weary, and fell asleep; but judge you, if you can, that read my
story, what a surprise I must be in when I was awaked out of my sleep by a
voice calling me by my name several times, “Robin, Robin, Robin Crusoe:
poor Robin Crusoe! Where are you, Robin Crusoe? Where are you? Where
have you been?”
I was so dead asleep at first, being fatigued with rowing, or paddling, as
it is called, the first part of the day, and with walking the latter part, that I
did not wake thoroughly; but dozing 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 I saw my Poll sitting on the top of the hedge; and
immediately knew that it was he that spoke to me; for just in such
bemoaning language I had used to talk to him and teach him; and he had
learned it so perfectly that he would sit upon my finger, and lay his bill
close to my face and cry, “Poor Robin Crusoe! Where are you? Where have
you been? How came you here?” and such things as I had taught him.
However, even though I knew it was the parrot, and that indeed it could
be nobody else, it was a good while before I could compose myself. First, I
was amazed how the creature got thither; and then, how he should just keep
about the place, and nowhere else; but as I was well satisfied it could be
nobody but honest Poll, I got over it; and holding out my hand, and calling

him by his name, “Poll,” the sociable creature came to me, and sat upon my
thumb, as he used to do, and continued talking to me, “Poor Robin Crusoe!
and how did I come here? and where had I been?” just as if he had been
overjoyed to see me again; and so I carried him home along with me.
I had 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
island; but I knew not how it was practicable to get it about. As to the east
side of the island, which I had gone round, I knew well enough there was no
venturing that way; my very heart would shrink, and my very blood run
chill, but to think of it; and as to the other side of the island, I did not know
how it might be there; but supposing the current ran with the same force
against the shore at the east as it passed by it on the other, I might run the
same risk of being driven down the stream, and carried by the island, as I
had been before of being carried away from it: so with these thoughts, I
contented myself to be without any boat, though it had been the product of
so many months’ labour to make it, and of so many more to get it into the
sea.
In this government of my temper I remained near a year; and lived a very
sedate, retired life, as you may well suppose; and my thoughts being very
much composed as to my condition, and fully comforted in resigning
myself to the dispositions of Providence, I thought I lived really very
happily in all things except that of society.
I improved myself in this time in all the mechanic exercises which my
necessities put me upon applying myself to; and I believe I should, upon
occasion, have made a very good carpenter, especially considering how few
tools I had.
Besides this, I arrived at an unexpected perfection in my earthenware,
and contrived well enough to make them with a wheel, which I found
infinitely easier and better; because I made things round and shaped, which
before were filthy things indeed to look on. But I think I was never more
vain of my own performance, or more joyful for anything 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
earthenware, yet as it was hard and firm, and would draw the smoke, I was
exceedingly comforted with it, for I had been always used to smoke; and

there were pipes in the ship, but I forgot them at first, not thinking there was
tobacco in the island; and afterwards, when I searched the ship again, I
could not come at any pipes.
In my wicker-ware also I improved much, and made abundance of
necessary baskets, as well as my invention showed me; though not very
handsome, yet they were such as were very handy and convenient for 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. Also, large deep baskets
were the receivers of my corn, which I always rubbed out as soon as it was
dry and cured, and kept it in great baskets.
I began now to perceive my powder abated considerably; this was a want
which it was impossible for me to supply, and I began seriously to consider
what I must do when I should have no more powder; that is to say, how I
should kill any goats. I had, as is observed in the third year of my being
here, kept a young kid, and bred her up tame, and I was in hopes of getting
a he-goat; but I could not by any means bring it to pass, till my kid grew an
old goat; and as I could never find in my heart to kill her, she died at last of
mere age.
But being now in the eleventh year of my residence, and, as I have said,
my ammunition growing low, I set myself to study some art to trap and
snare the goats, to see whether I could not catch some of them alive; and
particularly I wanted a she-goat great with young. For this purpose I made
snares to hamper them; and I do believe they were more than once taken in
them; but my tackle was not good, for I had no wire, and I always found
them broken and my bait devoured. At length I resolved to try a pitfall; so I
dug several large pits in the earth, in places where I had observed the goats
used to feed, and over those pits I placed hurdles of my own making too,
with a great weight upon them; and several times I put ears of barley and
dry rice without setting the trap; and I could easily perceive that the goats
had gone in and eaten up the corn, for I could see the marks of their feet. At
length I set three traps in one night, and going the next morning I found
them, all standing, and yet the bait eaten and gone; this was very
discouraging. However, I altered my traps; and not to trouble you with

particulars, going one morning to see my traps, I found in one of them a
large old he-goat; and in one of the others three kids, a male and two
females.
As to the old one, I knew not what to do with him; he was so fierce I
durst not go into the pit to him; that is to say, to 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
three or four days without food, and then have carried him some water to
drink and then a little corn, he would have been as tame as one of the kids;
for they are mighty sagacious, tractable creatures, where they are well used.
However, for the present I let him go, knowing no better at that time:
then I went to the three kids, and taking them one by one, I tied them with
strings together, and with some difficulty brought them all home.
It was a good while before they would feed; but throwing them some
sweet corn, it tempted them, and they began to be tame. And now I found
that if I expected to supply myself with goats’ flesh, when I had no powder
or shot left, breeding some up tame was my only way, when, perhaps, I
might have them about my house like a flock of sheep. But then it occurred
to me that I must keep the tame from the wild, or else they would always
run wild when they grew up; and the only way for this was to have some
enclosed piece of ground, well fenced either with hedge or pale, to keep
them in so effectually, that those within might not break out, or those
without break in.
This was a great undertaking for one pair of hands; yet, as I saw there
was an absolute necessity for doing it, my first work was to find out a
proper piece of ground, where there was likely to be herbage for them to
eat, water for them to drink, and cover to keep them from the sun.
Those who understand such enclosures will think I had very little
contrivance when I pitched upon a place very proper for all these (being a
plain, open piece of meadow land, or savannah, as our people call it in the
western colonies), which had two or three little drills of fresh water in it,
and at one end was very woody—I say, they will smile at my forecast, when
I shall tell them I began 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

madness of it so great as to the compass, for if it was ten miles about, I was
like to have time enough to do it in; but I did not consider that my goats
would be as wild in so much compass as if they had had the whole island,
and I should have so much room to chase them in that I should never catch
them.
My hedge was begun and carried on, I believe, about fifty yards when
this thought occurred to me; so I presently stopped short, and, for the
beginning, 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, I could add more ground to my enclosure.
This was acting with some prudence, and I went to work with courage. I
was about three months hedging in the first piece; and, till I had done it, I
tethered the three kids in the best part of it, and used them to feed as near
me as possible, to make them familiar; and very often I would go and carry
them some ears of barley, or a handful of rice, and feed them out of my
hand; so that after my enclosure was finished and I let them loose, they
would follow me up and down, bleating after me for a handful of corn.
This answered my end, and in about a year and a half I had a flock of
about twelve goats, kids and all; and in two years more I had three-and-
forty, besides several that I took and killed for my food. After that, I
enclosed five several pieces of ground to feed them in, with little pens to
drive them 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 every
creature, dictates even naturally how to make use of it, so I, that had never
milked a cow, much less a goat, or seen butter or cheese made only when I
was a boy, after a great many essays and miscarriages, made both butter and
cheese at last, also salt (though I found it partly made to my hand by the
heat of the sun upon some of the rocks of the sea), and never wanted it
afterwards. How mercifully can our Creator treat His creatures, even in
those conditions in which they seemed to be overwhelmed in destruction!

How can He sweeten the bitterest providences, and give us cause to praise
Him for dungeons and prisons! What a table was here spread for me in the
wilderness, where I saw nothing at first but to perish for hunger!

CHAPTER XI.
FINDS PRINT OF MAN’S FOOT ON THE SAND

It would have made a Stoic smile to have seen me and my little family sit
down to dinner. There was my majesty the prince and lord of the whole
island; I had the lives of all my subjects at my absolute command; I could
hang, draw, give liberty, and take it away, and no rebels among all my
subjects. Then, to see how like a king I dined, too, all alone, attended by my
servants! Poll, as if he had been my favourite, was the only person
permitted to talk to me. My dog, who was now grown 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 especial favour.
But these were not the two cats which I brought on shore at first, for they
were both of them dead, and had been interred near my habitation by my
own hand; but one of them having multiplied by I know not what kind of
creature, these were two which I had preserved tame; whereas the rest ran
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 anything but society; and of that, some time after this, I was
likely to have too much.
I was something impatient, as I have observed, to have the use of my
boat, though very 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, I went up the hill to see how the shore lay, and how the current
set, that I might see what I had to do: this inclination increased upon me

every day, and at length I resolved to travel thither by land, following the
edge of the shore. I did so; but had any one in England met such a man as I
was, it must either have frightened him, or raised a great deal of laughter;
and as I frequently stood still to look at myself, I could not but smile at the
notion of my travelling through Yorkshire with such an equipage, and in
such a dress. Be pleased to take a sketch of my figure, as follows.
I had a great high shapeless cap, made of a goat’s skin, with a flap
hanging down behind, as well to keep the sun from me as to shoot the rain
off from running into my neck, nothing being so hurtful in these climates as
the rain upon the flesh under the clothes.
I had a short jacket of goat’s skin, the skirts coming down to about the
middle of the thighs, and a pair of open-kneed breeches of the same; the
breeches were made of the skin of an old he-goat, whose hair hung down
such a length on either side that, like pantaloons, it reached to the middle of
my legs; stockings and shoes I had none, but had made me a pair of
somethings, I scarce knew 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 drew 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 left arm, hung two pouches, both made of goat’s skin too, in
one of which hung my powder, in the other my shot. At my back I carried
my basket, and on my shoulder my gun, and over my head a great clumsy,
ugly, goat’s-skin umbrella, but which, after all, was the most necessary
thing I had about me next to my gun. As for my face, the colour of it was
really not so mulatto-like as one might expect from a man not at all careful
of it, and living within nine or ten degrees of the equinox. My beard I had
once suffered to grow till it was about a quarter of a yard long; but as I had
both scissors and razors sufficient, I had cut it pretty short, except what
grew on my upper lip, which I had trimmed into a large pair of Mahometan
whiskers, such as I had seen worn by some Turks at Sallee, for the Moors
did not wear such, though the Turks did; of these moustachios, or whiskers,
I will not say they were long enough to hang my hat upon them, but they

were of a length and shape monstrous enough, and such as in England
would have passed for frightful.
But all this is by-the-bye; for as to my figure, I had so few to observe me
that it was of no manner of consequence, so I say no more of that. In this
kind of dress I went my new journey, and was out five or six days. I
travelled first along the sea-shore, directly to the place where I first brought
my boat to an anchor to get upon the rocks; and having no boat now to take
care of, I went over the land a nearer way to the same height that I was
upon before, when, looking forward to the points of the rocks which lay
out, and which I was obliged to double with my boat, as is said above, I was
surprised to see the sea all smooth and quiet—no rippling, no motion, no
current, any more there than in other places. I was at a strange loss to
understand this, and resolved to spend some time in the observing it, to see
if nothing from the sets of the tide had occasioned it; but I was presently
convinced how it was—viz. that the tide of ebb setting from the west, and
joining with the current of waters from some great river on the shore, must
be the occasion of this current, and that, according as the wind blew more
forcibly from the west or from the north, this current came nearer or went
farther from the shore; for, waiting thereabouts till evening, I went up to the
rock again, and then the tide of ebb being made, I plainly saw the current
again as before, only that it ran farther off, being near half a league from the
shore, whereas in my case it set close upon the shore, and hurried me and
my canoe along with it, which at another time it would not have done.
This observation convinced me that I had nothing to do but to observe the
ebbing and the flowing of the tide, and I might very easily bring my boat
about the island again; but when I began to think of putting it in practice, I
had such terror upon my spirits at the remembrance of the danger I had
been in, that I could not think of it again with any patience, but, on the
contrary, I took up another resolution, which was more safe, though more
laborious—and this was, that I would build, 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 land, and upon
lower ground, lay my two pieces of corn land, which I kept duly cultivated
and sowed, and which duly yielded me their harvest in its season; and
whenever I had occasion for more corn, I had more land adjoining as fit as
that.
Besides this, I had my country seat, and I had now a tolerable plantation
there also; for, first, I had my little bower, as I called it, which I kept in
repair—that is to say, I kept the hedge which encircled it in constantly fitted
up to its usual height, the ladder standing always in the inside. I kept the
trees, which at first were no more than stakes, but were now grown very
firm and tall, always cut, so that they might spread and grow thick and wild,
and make the more agreeable shade, which they did effectually to my mind.
In the middle of this I had my tent always standing, being a piece of a sail
spread over poles, set up for that purpose, and which never wanted any
repair or renewing; and under this I had made me a squab or couch with the
skins of the creatures I had killed, and with other soft things, and a blanket
laid on them, such as belonged to our sea-bedding, which I had saved; and a
great watch-coat to cover me. And here, whenever I had occasion to be
absent from my chief seat, I took up my country habitation.
Adjoining to this I had my enclosures for my cattle, that is to say my
goats, and I had taken an inconceivable deal of pains to fence and enclose
this ground. I was so anxious to see it kept entire, lest the goats should
break through, that I never left off till, with infinite labour, I had stuck the
outside of the hedge so full of small stakes, and so near to one another, that
it was rather a pale than a hedge, and there was scarce room to put a hand
through between them; which afterwards, when those stakes grew, as they

all did in the next rainy season, made the enclosure strong like a wall,
indeed stronger than any wall.
This will testify for me that I was not idle, and that I spared no pains to
bring to pass whatever appeared necessary for my comfortable support, for
I considered the keeping up a breed of tame creatures thus at my hand
would be a living magazine of flesh, milk, butter, and cheese for me as long
as I lived in the place, if it were to be forty years; and that keeping them in
my reach depended entirely upon my perfecting my enclosures to such a
degree that I might be sure of keeping them together; which by this method,
indeed, I so effectually secured, that when these little stakes began to grow,
I had planted them so very thick that I was forced to pull some of them up
again.
In this place also I had my grapes 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 where I had laid up my boat, I generally stayed and lay here in my
way thither, for I used frequently to visit my boat; and I kept all things
about or belonging to her in very good order. Sometimes I went out in her
to divert myself, but no more hazardous voyages would I go, scarcely ever
above a stone’s cast or two from the shore, I was so apprehensive of being
hurried out of my knowledge again by the currents or winds, or any other
accident. But now I come to a new scene of my life.
It happened one day, about noon, going towards my boat, I was
exceedingly surprised with the print of a man’s naked foot on the shore,
which was very plain to be seen on 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 anything; I went up to a rising ground to look farther;
I went up the shore and down the shore, but it was all one; I could see no
other impression but that one. I went to it again to see if there were any
more, and to 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 I knew not, nor could I in the least imagine; but
after innumerable fluttering thoughts, like a man perfectly confused and out

of myself, I came home to my fortification, not feeling, as we say, the
ground I went on, but terrified to the last degree, looking behind me at
every two or three steps, mistaking every bush and tree, and fancying every
stump at a distance to be a man. Nor is it possible to describe how many
various shapes my affrighted imagination represented things to me in, how
many wild ideas were found every moment in my fancy, and what strange,
unaccountable whimsies came into my thoughts by the way.
When I came to my castle (for so I think I called it ever after this), I fled
into it like one pursued. Whether I went over by the ladder, as first
contrived, or went in at the hole in the rock, which I had called a door, I
cannot remember; no, nor could I remember the next morning, for never
frightened hare fled to cover, or fox to earth, with more terror of mind than I
to this retreat.
I slept none that night; the farther I was from the occasion of my fright,
the greater my apprehensions were, which is something contrary to the
nature of such things, and especially to the usual practice of all creatures in
fear; but I was so embarrassed with my own frightful ideas of the thing, that
I formed nothing but dismal imaginations to myself, even though I was now
a great way off. Sometimes I fancied it must be the devil, and reason joined
in with me in this supposition, for how should any other thing in human
shape come into the place? Where was the vessel that brought them? What
marks were there of any other footstep? And how was it possible a man
should come there? But then, to think that Satan should take human shape
upon him in such a place, where there could be no manner of occasion for
it, but to leave the print of his foot behind him, and that even for no purpose
too, for he could not be sure I should see it—this was an amusement the
other way. I considered that the devil might have found out 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 mark in a place where it was ten thousand to one
whether I should ever see it or not, and in the sand too, which the first surge
of the sea, upon a high wind, would have defaced entirely. All this seemed
inconsistent with the thing itself and with all the notions we usually
entertain of the subtlety of the devil.
Abundance of such things as these assisted to argue me out of all
apprehensions of its being the devil; and I presently concluded then that it

must be some more dangerous creature—viz. that it must be some of the
savages of the mainland opposite who had wandered out to sea in their
canoes, and either driven by the currents or by contrary winds, had made
the island, and had been on shore, but were gone away again to sea; being
as loath, perhaps, to have stayed in this desolate island as I would have been
to have had them.
While these reflections were rolling in 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 out
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 that they should not find me, yet they would find my enclosure,
destroy all my corn, and carry 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
preserve, by His power, the provision which He had made for me by His
goodness. I 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 could intervene to prevent my enjoying the crop that was upon the
ground; and this I thought so just a reproof, that I resolved for the future to
have two or three years’ corn beforehand; so that, whatever might come, I
might not perish for want of bread.
How strange a chequer-work of Providence is the life of man! and by
what secret different springs are the affections hurried about, as different
circumstances present! To-day we love what to-morrow we hate; to-day we
seek what to-morrow we shun; to-day we desire what to-morrow we fear,
nay, even tremble at the apprehensions of. This was exemplified in me, at
this time, in the most lively manner imaginable; for I, whose only affliction
was that I seemed banished from human society, that I was alone,
circumscribed by the boundless ocean, cut off from mankind, and
condemned to what I call silent life; that I was as one whom Heaven
thought not worthy to be numbered among the living, or to appear among

the rest of His creatures; that to have seen one of my own species would
have seemed to me a raising me from death to life, and the greatest blessing
that Heaven itself, next to the supreme 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 having set his foot in the island.
Such is the uneven state of human life; and it afforded me a great many
curious speculations afterwards, when I had a little recovered my first
surprise. I considered that this was the station of life the infinitely wise and
good providence of God had determined for me; that as I could not foresee
what the ends of Divine wisdom might be in all this, so I was not to dispute
His sovereignty; who, as I was His creature, had an undoubted right, by
creation, to govern and dispose of me absolutely as He thought fit; and who,
as I was a creature that had offended 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 thus to punish and afflict me, so He was able to deliver me: that
if He did not think fit to do so, it was my unquestioned duty to resign
myself absolutely and entirely to His will; and, on the other hand, it was my
duty also to hope in Him, pray to Him, and quietly to attend to 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 morning early, lying in my bed, and filled with thoughts
about my danger from the appearances of savages, I found it discomposed
me very much; upon which these words of the Scripture came into my
thoughts, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and
thou shalt glorify Me.” Upon this, rising cheerfully out of my bed, my heart
was not only comforted, but I was guided and encouraged to pray earnestly
to God for deliverance: when I had done praying I took up my Bible, and
opening it to read, the first words that presented to me were, “Wait on the
Lord, and be of good cheer, and He shall strengthen thy heart; wait, I say,
on the Lord.” It is 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 be a mere chimera of my own,
and that this foot might be the print of my own foot, when I came on shore
from my boat: this cheered me up a little, too, and I began to persuade
myself it was all a delusion; that it was nothing else but my own foot; and
why might I not come that way from the boat, as well as I was going that
way to the boat? Again, I considered also that I could by no means tell for
certain where I had trod, and where I had not; and that if, at last, this was
only the print of my own foot, I had played the part of those fools who try
to make stories of spectres and apparitions, and then are frightened at them
more than anybody.
Now I began to take courage, and to peep abroad again, for I had not
stirred out of my castle for three days and nights, so that I began to starve
for provisions; for I had little or nothing within doors but some barley-cakes
and water; then I knew that my goats wanted to be milked too, which
usually was my evening diversion: and the poor creatures were in great pain
and inconvenience for want of it; and, indeed, it almost spoiled some of
them, and almost dried up their milk. Encouraging myself, therefore, with
the belief that this was nothing but the print of one of my own feet, and that
I might be truly said to start at my own shadow, I began to go abroad again,
and went to my country house to milk my flock: but to see with what fear I
went forward, how often I looked behind me, how I was ready every now
and then to lay down my basket and run for my life, it would have made
any one have thought I was haunted with an evil conscience, or that I had
been lately most terribly frightened; and so, indeed, I had. However, I went
down thus two or three days, and having seen nothing, I began to be a little
bolder, and to think there was really nothing in it but my own imagination;
but I could not persuade myself fully of this till I should go down to the
shore again, and see this print of a foot, and measure it by my own, and see
if there was any similitude or fitness, that I might be assured it was my own
foot: but when I came to the place, first, it appeared evidently to me, that
when I laid up my boat I could not possibly be on shore 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.
Oh, what ridiculous resolutions men take when possessed with fear! It
deprives them of the use of those means which reason offers for their relief.
The first thing I proposed to myself was, to throw down my enclosures, and
turn all my tame cattle wild into the woods, lest the enemy should find
them, and then frequent the island in prospect of the same or the like booty:
then the simple thing of digging up my two corn-fields, lest they should
find such a grain there, and still be prompted to frequent the island: then to
demolish my bower and tent, that they might not see any vestiges of
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 after I was come
home again, while the apprehensions which had so overrun my mind were
fresh upon me, and my head was full of vapours. 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 I 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 mainland than
as I had seen) 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 there 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 stronger, 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 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
contrived to plant the muskets, of which I took notice that I had got seven
on shore out of the ship; these I planted like my cannon, and fitted them
into frames, that held them like a carriage, so that I could fire all the seven
guns in two minutes’ time; this wall I was many a weary month in finishing,
and yet never thought myself safe till it was done.
When this was done I stuck all the ground without my wall, for a great
length every way, as full with stakes or sticks of the osier-like wood, which
I found so apt to grow, as they could well stand; insomuch that I believe I
might set in near twenty thousand of them, leaving a pretty large space
between them and my wall, that I might have room to see an enemy, and
they might have no shelter from the young trees, if they attempted to
approach my outer wall.

Thus in two years’ time I had a thick grove; and in five or six years’ time
I had a wood before my dwelling, growing so monstrously thick and strong
that it was indeed perfectly impassable: and no men, of what kind soever,
could ever imagine that there was anything beyond it, much less a
habitation. 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; though I foresaw nothing at that time more than my
mere fear suggested to me.

CHAPTER XII.
A CAVE RETREAT

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
underground, 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 enclosure 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.
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 he-goats to this piece, and when they
were there I continued to perfect the fence till I had made it as secure as the
other; which, however, I did at more leisure, and it took me up more time
by a great deal. All this labour I was at the expense of, purely from my
apprehensions on account of the print of a man’s foot; for as yet I had never
seen any human creature come near the island; and I had now lived two
years under this uneasiness, which, indeed, made my life much less
comfortable than it was before, as may be well imagined by any who know
what it is to live in the constant snare of the fear of man. And this I must
observe, with grief, too, that the discomposure of my mind had great
impression also upon the religious part of my thoughts; for the dread and
terror of falling into the hands of savages and cannibals lay so upon my
spirits, that I seldom found myself in a due temper for application to my
Maker; at least, not with the sedate calmness and resignation of soul which
I was wont to do: I rather prayed to God as under great affliction and
pressure of mind, surrounded with danger, and in expectation every night of
being murdered and devoured before morning; and I must testify, from my
experience, that a temper of peace, thankfulness, love, and affection, is
much the more proper frame for prayer than that of terror and
discomposure: and that under the dread of mischief 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
went about the whole island, searching for another private place to make
such another deposit; when, wandering more to the west point of the island
than I had ever done yet, and looking out to sea, I thought I saw a boat upon
the sea, at a great distance. I had found a perspective glass or two in one of
the seamen’s chests, which I saved out of our ship, but I had it not about
me; and this was so 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 I was come down the hill to the end

of the island, where, indeed, I had never been before, I was presently
convinced that the seeing the print of a man’s foot was not such a strange
thing in the island as I imagined: and but that it was a special providence
that I was cast upon the side of the island where the savages never came, I
should easily have known that nothing was more frequent than for the
canoes from the main, when they happened to be a little too far out at sea,
to shoot over to that side of the island for harbour: likewise, as they often
met and fought in their canoes, the victors, having taken any prisoners,
would bring them over to this shore, where, according to their dreadful
customs, being all cannibals, they would kill and eat them; of which
hereafter.
When I was come down the hill to the shore, as I said above, being the
SW. 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 particularly I
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 human feastings upon the bodies of their fellow-creatures.
I was so astonished with the sight of these things, that I entertained no
notions of any danger to myself from it for a long while: all my
apprehensions were buried in the thoughts of such a pitch of inhuman,
hellish brutality, and the horror of the degeneracy of human nature, which,
though I had heard of it often, yet I never had so near a view of before; in
short, I turned away my face from the horrid spectacle; my stomach grew
sick, and I was just at the point of fainting, when nature discharged the
disorder from my stomach; and having 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 I could, and walked on towards my
own habitation.
When I came a little out of that part of the island I stood still awhile, as
amazed, and then, recovering myself, I looked up with the utmost affection
of my soul, and, with a flood of tears in my eyes, gave God thanks, that had
cast my first lot in a part of the world where I was distinguished from such
dreadful creatures as these; and that, though I had esteemed my present
condition very miserable, had yet given me so many comforts in it that I
had still more to give thanks for than to complain of: and this, above all,

that I had, even in this miserable condition, been comforted with the
knowledge of Himself, and the hope of His blessing: which was a felicity
more than sufficiently equivalent to all the misery which I had suffered, or
could suffer.
In this frame of thankfulness I went home to my castle, and began to be
much easier now, as to the safety of my circumstances, than ever I was
before: for I observed that these wretches never came to this island in
search of what they could get; perhaps not seeking, not wanting, or not
expecting anything here; and having often, no doubt, been up the covered,
woody part of it without finding anything to their purpose. I knew I had
been here now almost eighteen years, and never saw the least footsteps of
human creature there before; and I might be eighteen years more as entirely
concealed as I was now, if I did not discover myself to them, which I had no
manner of occasion to do; it being my only business to keep myself entirely
concealed where I was, unless I found a better sort of creatures than
cannibals to make myself known to. Yet I entertained such an abhorrence of
the savage wretches that I have been speaking of, and of the wretched,
inhuman custom of their devouring and eating one another up, that I
continued pensive and sad, and kept close within my own circle for almost
two years after this: when I say my own circle, I mean by it my three
plantations—viz. my castle, my country seat (which I called my bower),
and my enclosure in the woods: nor did I look after this for any other use
than an enclosure for my goats; for the aversion which nature gave me to
these hellish wretches was such, that I was as fearful of seeing them as of
seeing the devil himself. I did not so much as go to look after my boat all
this time, but 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 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, 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 began 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 the 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 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 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
ammunition for a second and third charge, I prepared myself for my
expedition.
After I had thus laid the scheme of my design, and in my imagination put
it in practice, I continually made my tour every morning 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 eye 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 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 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 kill a captive taken in war than 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 me that although the usage they gave one
another was thus brutish and inhuman, yet it was really nothing to me: these
people had done me no injury: that if they attempted, or I saw it necessary,
for my immediate preservation, to fall upon them, something might be said
for it: but that I was yet out of their power, and they really had no
knowledge of me, and consequently no design upon me; and therefore it
could not be just for me to fall upon them; that this would justify the
conduct of the Spaniards in all their barbarities practised in America, where
they destroyed millions of these people; who, however they were idolators
and barbarians, and had several bloody and barbarous rites in their customs,
such as sacrificing human bodies to their idols, were yet, as to the
Spaniards, very innocent people; and that the rooting them out of the
country is spoken of with the utmost abhorrence and detestation by even the
Spaniards themselves at this time, and by all other Christian nations of
Europe, as a mere butchery, a bloody and unnatural piece of cruelty,
unjustifiable either to God or man; and for which the very name of a

Spaniard is reckoned to be frightful and terrible, to all people of humanity
or of Christian compassion; as if the kingdom of Spain were particularly
eminent for the produce of a race of men who were without principles of
tenderness, or the common bowels of pity to the miserable, which is
reckoned to be a mark of generous temper in the mind.
These considerations really put me to a pause, and to a kind of a full stop;
and I began by little and little to be off my design, and to conclude I had
taken wrong measures in my resolution to attack the savages; and that it
was not my business to meddle with them, unless they first attacked me;
and this it was my business, if possible, to prevent: but that, if I were
discovered and attacked by them, I knew my duty. On the other hand, I
argued with myself that this really was the way not to deliver myself, but
entirely to ruin and destroy myself; for unless I was sure to kill every one
that not only should be on shore at that time, but that should ever come on
shore afterwards, if but one of them escaped to tell their country-people
what had happened, they would come over again by thousands to revenge
the death of their fellows, and I should only bring upon myself a certain
destruction, which, at present, I had no manner of occasion for. Upon the
whole, I concluded that I ought, neither in principle nor in policy, one way
or other, to concern myself in this affair: that my business was, by all
possible means to conceal myself from them, and not to leave the least sign
for them to guess by that there were any living creatures upon the island—I
mean of human shape. Religion joined in with this prudential resolution;
and I was convinced now, many ways, that I was perfectly out of my duty
when I was laying all my bloody schemes for the destruction of innocent
creatures—I mean innocent as to me. As to the crimes they were guilty of
towards one another, I had nothing to do with them; they were national, and
I ought to leave them to the justice of God, who is the Governor of nations,
and knows how, by national punishments, to make a just retribution for
national offences, and to bring public judgments upon those who offend in a
public manner, by such ways as best please Him. This appeared so clear to
me now, that nothing was a greater satisfaction to me than that I had not
been suffered to do a thing which I now saw so much reason to believe
would have been no less a sin than that of wilful murder if I had committed
it; and I gave most humble thanks on my knees to God, that He had thus
delivered me from blood-guiltiness; beseeching Him to grant me the
protection of His providence, that I might not fall into the hands of the

barbarians, or that I might not lay my hands upon them, unless I had a more
clear call from Heaven to do it, in defence of my own life.
In this disposition I continued for near a year after this; and so far was I
from desiring an occasion for falling upon these wretches, that in all that
time I never once went up the hill to see whether there were any of them in
sight, or to know whether any of them had been on shore there or not, that I
might not be tempted to renew any of my contrivances against them, or be
provoked by any advantage 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 the
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 I knew,
by reason of the currents, the savages durst not, at least would not, come
with their boats upon any account whatever. With my boat I carried away
everything that I had left there belonging to her, though not necessary for
the bare going thither—viz. a mast and sail which I had made for her, and a
thing like an anchor, but which, indeed, could not be called either anchor or
grapnel; however, it was the best I could make of its kind: all these I
removed, that there might not be the least shadow for discovery, or
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 except upon my constant employment, to milk my she-
goats, and manage my little flock in the wood, which, as it was quite on the
other part of the island, was out of danger; for certain, it is that these savage
people, who sometimes haunted this island, never came with any thoughts
of finding anything 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 everywhere, peeping and peering about the
island, to see what I could get; what a surprise should I have been in if,
when I discovered the print of a man’s foot, I had, instead of that, seen
fifteen or twenty savages, and found them pursuing me, and by the
swiftness of their running no possibility of my escaping them! The thoughts
of this sometimes sank my very soul within me, and distressed my mind so
much that I could not soon recover it, to think what I should have done, and

how I should not only 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, I might be able to
do. Indeed, after serious thinking of these things, I would be melancholy,
and sometimes it would last a great while; but I resolved it all at last into
thankfulness to that Providence which had delivered me from so many
unseen dangers, and had kept me from 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 supposition of its being
possible. This renewed a contemplation which often had come into my
thoughts in former times, when first 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 direct us this way, when we intended to go that way: nay,
when sense, our own inclination, and perhaps business has called us 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 overrule us to go this
way; and it shall afterwards appear that had we gone that way, which we
should have gone, and even to our imagination ought to have gone, we
should have been ruined and lost. Upon these and many like reflections I
afterwards made it a certain rule with me, that whenever I found those
secret hints or pressings of mind to doing or not doing 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 such a pressure or such a
hint hung upon my mind. I could give many examples of the success of this
conduct in the course of my life, but more especially in the latter part of my
inhabiting this unhappy island; besides many occasions which it is very
likely I might have taken notice of, if I had seen with the same eyes then
that I see with now. But it is never too late to be wise; and I cannot but
advise all considering men, whose lives are attended with such
extraordinary incidents as mine, or even though not so extraordinary, not to
slight such secret intimations of Providence, let them come from what
invisible intelligence they will. That I shall not discuss, and perhaps cannot
account for; but certainly they are a proof of the converse of spirits, and a
secret communication between those embodied and those unembodied, and
such a proof as can never be withstood; of which I shall have occasion to

give some remarkable instances in the remainder of my solitary residence in
this dismal place.
I believe the reader of this will not think it strange if I 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 cared not to drive a
nail, or chop a stick of wood now, for fear the noise I might make should be
heard: much less would I fire a gun for the same reason: and above all I was
intolerably uneasy at making any fire, lest the smoke, which is visible at a
great distance in the day, should betray me. For this reason, I removed that
part of my business which required fire, such as burning of pots and pipes,
&c., into my new apartment in the woods; where, after I had been some
time, I found, to my unspeakable consolation, a mere natural cave in the
earth, which went in a vast way, and where, I daresay, 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
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 this—I was afraid of making a smoke
about my habitation, as I said before; and yet I could not live there without
baking my bread, cooking my meat, &c.; so I contrived to burn some wood
here, as I had seen done in England, under turf, till it became chark or dry
coal: and then putting the fire out, I preserved the coal to carry home, and
perform the other services for which fire was wanting, without danger of
smoke. But this is by-the-bye. While I was cutting down some wood here, I
perceived that, behind a very thick branch of low brushwood or underwood,
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 dark, 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 recovered
myself, and began to call myself a thousand fools, and to think that he that
was afraid to see the devil was not fit to live twenty years in an island all
alone; and that I might well think there was nothing in this cave that was
more frightful than myself. Upon this, plucking up my courage, I took up a
firebrand, and in I rushed again, with the stick flaming in my hand: I had
not gone three steps in before I was almost as 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 struck with such a surprise that it put me into
a cold sweat, and if I had had a hat on my head, I will not answer for it that
my hair might not have lifted it off. But still plucking up my spirits as well
as I could, and encouraging myself a little with considering that the power
and presence of God was everywhere, and was able to protect me, I stepped
forward again, and by the light of the firebrand, holding it up a little over
my head, I saw lying on the ground a monstrous, frightful old he-goat, just
making his will, as we say, and gasping for life, and, dying, indeed, of mere
old age. I stirred him a little to see if I could get him out, and he essayed to
get up, but was not able to 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, if any of them should be so hardy as to come in
there while he had any life in him.
I was now recovered from my surprise, and began to look round me,
when I found the cave was but very small—that is to say, it might be about
twelve feet over, but in no manner of shape, neither round nor square, no
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 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 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 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 daresay, as it was to look
round the sides and roof of this vault or cave—the wall reflected a hundred
thousand lights to me from my two candles. What it was in the rock—
whether diamonds or any other precious stones, or gold which I rather
supposed it to be—I knew not. The place I was in was a most delightful
cavity, or grotto, though perfectly dark; the floor was dry and level, and had
a sort of a small loose gravel upon it, so that there was no nauseous or
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 the discovery, and resolved,
without any delay, to bring some of those things which I was most anxious
about to this place: particularly, I resolved to bring hither my magazine of
powder, and all my spare arms—viz. two fowling-pieces—for I had three 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
kernel in the shell, so that I had near sixty pounds of very good powder in
the centre of the cask. This was a very agreeable discovery to me at that
time; so I carried all away thither, never keeping above two or three pounds
of powder with me in my castle, for fear of a surprise of any kind; I also
carried thither all the lead I had left for bullets.
I fancied myself now like one of the ancient giants who were said to live
in caves and holes in the rocks, where none could come at them; for I
persuaded myself, while I was here, 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.

CHAPTER XIII.
WRECK OF A SPANISH SHIP

I was now in the twenty-third year of my residence in this island, and was
so naturalised 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 noted 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. But it was otherwise directed; and it may not be amiss
for all people who shall meet with my story to make this just observation
from it: How frequently, in the course of our lives, the evil which in itself
we seek most to shun, and which, when we are fallen into, is the most
dreadful to us, is oftentimes the very means or door of our deliverance, by
which alone we can be raised again from the affliction we are fallen into. I
could give many examples of this in the course of my unaccountable life;
but in nothing was it more particularly 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-third
year; and this, being the southern solstice (for winter I cannot call it), was
the particular time of my harvest, and required me to be pretty much abroad
in the fields, when, going out early in the morning, even before it was
thorough daylight, I was surprised with seeing a light of some fire upon the
shore, at a distance from me of about two miles, toward that part of the
island where I had observed some savages had been, as before, and not on
the other side; but, to my great affliction, it was on my side of the island.
I was indeed terribly surprised at the sight, and stopped short within my
grove, not daring to go out, lest I might be surprised; and yet I had no more
peace within, from the apprehensions I had that if these savages, in
rambling over the island, should find my corn standing or cut, or any of my
works or improvements, they would immediately conclude that there were
people in the place, and would then never rest till they had found me out. In
this extremity I went back directly to my castle, pulled up the ladder after
me, and made all things without look as wild and natural as I could.
Then I prepared myself within, putting myself in a posture of defence. I
loaded all my cannon, as I called them—that is to say, my muskets, which
were mounted upon my new 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 impatient for intelligence abroad, for I had no spies
to send out. After sitting a while longer, and musing what I should do in this

case, I was not able to bear sitting in ignorance longer; so setting up my
ladder to the side of the hill, where there was a flat place, as I observed
before, and then pulling the ladder 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.
As soon as I saw them shipped and gone, I took two guns upon my
shoulders, and two pistols in my girdle, and my great sword by my side
without a scabbard, and with all the speed I 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 two hours (for I could not go quickly,
being so loaded with arms as I was), I perceived there had been three
canoes more of the savages at that place; and looking out farther, I saw they
were all at sea together, making over for the main. This was a dreadful sight
to me, especially as, going down to the shore, I could see the marks of

horror which the dismal work they had been about had left behind it—viz.
the blood, the bones, and part of the flesh of human bodies eaten and
devoured by those wretches with merriment and sport. I was so filled with
indignation at the sight, that I now began to premeditate the destruction of
the next that I saw there, let them be whom or how many soever. It seemed
evident to me that the visits which they made thus to this island were not
very frequent, for it was above fifteen months before any more of them
came on shore there again—that is to say, I neither saw them 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 I lived
uncomfortably, by reason of the constant apprehensions of their coming
upon me by surprise: from whence I observe, that the expectation of evil is
more bitter than the suffering, especially if there is no room to shake off
that expectation or those apprehensions.
During all this time I was in a murdering humour, and spent most of my
hours, which should have been better employed, in contriving how to
circumvent and fall upon them the very next time I should see them—
especially if they should be divided, as they were the last time, into two
parties; nor did I consider at all that if I killed one party—suppose ten or a
dozen—I was still the next day, or week, or month, to kill another, and so
another, even ad infinitum, till I should be, at length, no less a murderer
than they were in being man-eaters—and perhaps much more so. I spent my
days now in great perplexity and anxiety of mind, expecting that I should
one day or other fall into the hands of these merciless creatures; and if I did
at any time venture abroad, it was not without looking around 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 that side of the
island where they usually came, lest I should alarm the savages; and if they
had fled from me now, I was sure to have them come again with perhaps
two or three hundred canoes with them in a few days, and then I knew what
to expect. However, I wore out a year and three months more before I ever
saw any more of the savages, and then I found them again, as I shall soon
observe. It is true they might have been there once or twice; but either they
made no stay, or at least I did not see them; but in the month of May, as near
as I could calculate, and in my four-and-twentieth year, I had a very strange
encounter with them; of which in its place.

The perturbation of my mind during this fifteen or sixteen months’
interval was very great; I slept 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 upon the post still; I say, it was on the sixteenth of May that
it blew a very great storm of wind all day, with a great deal of lightning and
thunder, and a very foul night it was after it. I knew not what was the
particular occasion of it, but as I was reading in the Bible, and taken up with
very serious thoughts about my present condition, I was surprised with the
noise of a gun, as I thought, fired at sea. This was, to be sure, a surprise
quite of a different nature from any I had met with before; for the notions
this put into my thoughts were quite of another kind. I started up in the
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 half a minute I heard; and by
the sound, knew that it was from that part of the sea where I was driven
down the current in my boat. I immediately considered that this must be
some ship in distress, and that they had some comrade, or some other ship
in company, and fired these 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 that 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 another 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 distinguish—no, not with my glass: the distance was so
great, and the weather still something hazy also; at least, it was so out at
sea.

I looked frequently at it all that day, and soon perceived that it did not
move; so I presently concluded that it was a ship at anchor; and being eager,
you may be sure, to be satisfied, I took my gun in my hand, and ran towards
the south side of the island to the rocks where I had formerly been carried
away by the current; and getting up there, the weather by this time being
perfectly clear, I could plainly see, to my great sorrow, the wreck of a ship,
cast away in the night upon those concealed rocks which I found when I
was out in my boat; and which rocks, as they checked the violence of the
stream, and made a kind of counter-stream, or eddy, were the occasion of
my recovering from the most desperate, hopeless condition that ever I had
been in in all my life. Thus, what is one man’s safety is another man’s
destruction; for it seems these men, whoever they were, being out of their
knowledge, and the rocks being wholly under water, had been driven upon
them in the night, the wind blowing hard at ENE. Had they seen the island,
as I must necessarily suppose they did not, they must, as I thought, have
endeavoured to have saved themselves on shore by the help of their boat;
but their firing off guns for help, especially when they saw, as I imagined,
my fire, filled me with many thoughts. First, I imagined that upon seeing
my light they might have put themselves into their boat, and endeavoured to
make the shore: but that the sea running 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; particularly by the breaking of the
sea upon their 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 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 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: “Oh that there had been but one or
two, nay, or but one soul saved out of this ship, to have escaped to me, that I
might but have had one companion, one fellow-creature, 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.
There are some secret springs in the affections which, when they are set
a-going by some object in view, or, though not in view, yet rendered present
to the mind by the power of imagination, that motion carries out the soul,
by its impetuosity, to such violent, eager embracings of the object, that the
absence of it is insupportable. Such were these earnest wishings that but one
man had been saved. I believe I repeated the words, “Oh that it had been but
one!” a thousand times; and my desires were so moved by it, that when I
spoke the words my hands would clinch together, and my fingers would
press the palms of my hands, so that if I had had any soft thing in my hand I
should have crushed it involuntarily; and the teeth in my head would strike
together, and set against one another so strong, that for some time I could
not part them again. Let the naturalists explain these things, and the reason
and manner of them. All I can do is to describe the fact, which was even
surprising to me when I found it, though I knew not from whence it
proceeded; it was doubtless the effect of ardent wishes, and of strong ideas
formed in my mind, realising the comfort which the conversation of one of
my fellow-Christians would have been to me. But it was not to be; either
their fate or mine, or both, forbade it; for, till the last year of my being on
this island, I never knew whether any were saved out of that ship or no; and
had only the affliction, 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 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 labour and sweat I carried to my boat; and
praying to God to direct my voyage, I put out, and rowing or paddling the
canoe along the shore, came at last to the utmost point of the island on the
north-east side. And now I was to launch out into the ocean, and either to
venture or not to venture. I looked on the rapid currents which ran
constantly on both sides of the island at a 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.

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 was turned, and the flood come on; upon
which my going was impracticable for so many hours. Upon this, presently
it occurred to me that I should go up to the highest piece of ground I could
find, and observe, if I could, how the sets of the tide or currents lay when
the flood came in, that I might judge whether, if I was driven one way out, I
might not expect to be driven another way home, with the same rapidity of
the currents. This thought was no sooner in my head than I cast my eye
upon a little hill which sufficiently 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 current of the flood set
in close by the shore of the north side; and that I had nothing to do but to
keep to the north side of the island in my return, and I should do well
enough.
Encouraged by this observation, I resolved the next morning to set out
with the first of the tide; and reposing myself for the night in my canoe,
under the 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 great rate; and yet did not so hurry 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 wreck, and in less than two hours I came
up to it. It was a dismal sight to look at; the ship, which by its building was
Spanish, stuck fast, jammed in between two rocks. All the stern and quarter
of her were beaten to pieces 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 into the
boat, but found him almost dead with hunger and thirst. I gave him a cake
of my bread, and he devoured it like a ravenous wolf 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 burst himself. After this I
went on board; but the first sight I met with was two men drowned in the
cook-room, or forecastle of the ship, with their arms fast about one another.
I concluded, as is indeed probable, that when the ship struck, it being in a
storm, the sea broke so high and so continually over her, that the men were
not able to bear it, and were strangled with the constant rushing in of the
water, as much as if they had been under water. Besides the dog, there was
nothing left in the ship that had life; nor any goods, that I could see, but
what were spoiled by the water. There were some casks of liquor, whether
wine or brandy I knew not, which lay lower in the hold, and which, the
water being ebbed out, I could see; but they were too big to meddle with. I
saw several chests, which I believe 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 the ship been fixed, and the forepart broken off, I am persuaded
I might have made a good voyage; for by what I found in those two chests I
had room to suppose the ship had a great deal of wealth on board; and, if I
may guess from the course she steered, she must have been bound from
Buenos Ayres, or the Rio de la Plata, in the south part of America, beyond
the Brazils to the Havannah, in the Gulf of Mexico, and so perhaps to
Spain. She had, no doubt, a great treasure in her, but of no use, at that time,
to anybody; and what became of the crew I then knew not.
I found, besides these chests, a little cask full of liquor, of about twenty
gallons, which I got into my boat with much difficulty. There were several
muskets in the cabin, and a great powder-horn, with about four pounds of
powder in it; as for the muskets, I had no occasion for them, so I left them,
but took the powder-horn. I took a fire-shovel and tongs, which I wanted
extremely, as also two little brass kettles, a copper pot to make chocolate,
and a gridiron; and with this cargo, and the dog, I came away, the tide
beginning to make home again—and the same evening, about an hour
within night, I reached the island again, weary and fatigued to the last
degree. I reposed that night in the boat and in the morning I resolved to
harbour what I had got in my new cave, and not carry it home to my castle.
After refreshing myself, I got all my cargo on shore, and began to examine
the particulars. The cask of liquor I found to be a kind of rum, but not such
as we had at the Brazils; and, in a word, not at all good; but when I came to
open the chests, I found several things of great use to me—for example, I
found in one a fine case of bottles, of an extraordinary kind, and filled with

cordial waters, fine and very good; the bottles held about three pints each,
and were tipped with silver. I found two pots of very good succades, or
sweetmeats, so fastened also on the top that the salt-water had not hurt
them; and two more of the same, which the water had spoiled. I found some
very good shirts, which were very welcome to me; and about a dozen and a
half of white linen handkerchiefs and coloured neckcloths; the former were
also very welcome, being exceedingly refreshing to wipe my face in a hot
day. Besides this, when I came to the till in the chest, I found there three
great bags of pieces of eight, which held about eleven hundred pieces in all;
and in one of them, wrapped up in a paper, six doubloons of gold, and some
small bars or wedges of gold; I suppose they might all weigh near a pound.
In the other chest were some clothes, but of little value; but, by the
circumstances, it must have belonged to the gunner’s mate; though there
was no powder in it, except two pounds of fine glazed powder, in three
flasks, kept, I suppose, for charging their fowling-pieces on occasion. Upon
the whole, I got very little by this voyage that was of any use to me; for, as
to the money, I had no manner of occasion for it; it was to me as the dirt
under my feet, and I would have given it all for three or four pair of English
shoes and stockings, which were things I greatly wanted, but had had none
on my feet for many years. I had, indeed, got two pair of shoes now, which
I took off the feet of two drowned men whom I saw in the wreck, and I
found two pair more in one of the chests, which were very welcome to me;
but they were not like our English shoes, either for ease or service, being
rather what we call pumps than shoes. I found in this seaman’s chest about
fifty pieces of eight, in rials, but no gold: I supposed 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 had brought from our own ship; but it was a great
pity, as I said, that the other part of this ship had not come to my share; for I
am satisfied I might have loaded my canoe several times over with money;
and, thought I, if I ever escape to England, it might lie here safe enough till
I come again and fetch it.

CHAPTER XIV.
A DREAM REALISED

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
harbour, where I laid her up, and made the best of my way to my old
habitation, where I found everything safe and quiet. I began now to repose
myself, live after my old fashion, and take care of my family affairs; and for
a while I lived easy enough, only that I was more vigilant than I used to be,
looked out oftener, and did not go abroad so much; and if at any time I did
stir with any freedom, it was always to the east part of the island, where I
was pretty well satisfied the savages never came, and where I could go
without so many precautions, and such a load of arms and ammunition as I
always carried with me if I went the other way.
I lived in this condition near two years more; but my unlucky head, that
was always to let me know it was born to make my body miserable, was all
these two years filled with projects and designs how, if it were possible, I
might get away from this island: for sometimes I was for making another
voyage to the wreck, though my reason told me that there was nothing left
there worth the hazard of my voyage; sometimes for a ramble one way,
sometimes another—and I believe verily, if I had had the boat that I went
from Sallee in, I should have ventured to sea, bound anywhere, I knew not
whither.
I have been, in all my circumstances, a memento to those who are
touched with the general plague of mankind, whence, for aught I know, one
half of their miseries flow: I mean that of not being satisfied with the station
wherein God and Nature hath placed them—for, not to look back upon my
primitive condition, and the excellent advice of my father, the opposition to
which was, as I may call it, my original sin, my subsequent mistakes of the
same kind had been the means of my coming into this miserable condition;

for had that Providence which so happily seated me at the Brazils as a
planter blessed me with confined desires, and I could have been contented
to have gone on gradually, I might have been by this time—I mean in the
time of my being in this island—one of the most considerable planters in
the Brazils—nay, I am persuaded, that by the improvements I had made in
that little time I lived there, and the increase I should probably have made if
I had remained, I might have been worth a hundred thousand moidores—
and what business had I to leave a settled fortune, a well-stocked plantation,
improving and increasing, to turn supercargo to Guinea to fetch negroes,
when patience and time would have so increased our stock at home, that we
could have bought them at our 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 I could not satisfy myself in my
station, but was continually poring upon the means and possibility of my
escape from this place; and that I may, with greater pleasure to the reader,
bring on the remaining part of my story, it may not be improper to give
some account of my first conceptions on the subject of this foolish scheme
for my escape, and how, and upon what foundation, I acted.
I am now to be supposed retired into my castle, after my late voyage to
the wreck, my frigate laid up and secured under water, as usual, and my
condition restored to what it was before: I had more wealth, indeed, than I
had before, but was not at all the richer; for I had no more use for it than the
Indians of Peru had before the Spaniards came there.
It was one of the nights in the rainy season in March, the four-and-
twentieth year of my first setting foot in this island of solitude, I was lying
in my bed or hammock, awake, very well in health, had no pain, no
distemper, no uneasiness of body, nor any uneasiness of mind more than
ordinary, but could by no means close my eyes, that is, so as to sleep; no,
not a wink all night long, otherwise than as follows:
It is impossible to set down the innumerable crowd of thoughts that
whirled through that great 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 life since I came to this island. In my reflections upon the state
of my case since I came on shore on this island, I was comparing the happy
posture of my affairs in the first years of my habitation here, with 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 with 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 surround him.
After these thoughts had for some time entertained me, I came to reflect
seriously upon the real danger I had been in for so many years in this very
island, and how I had walked about in the greatest security, and with all
possible tranquillity, even when perhaps nothing but the brow of a hill, a
great tree, or the casual approach of night, had been between me and the
worst kind of destruction—viz. that of falling into the hands of cannibals
and savages, who would have seized on me with the same view as I would
on a goat or 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 humanity, all these unknown
deliverances were due, and without which I must inevitably have fallen into
their merciless hands.
When these thoughts were over, my head was for some time taken up in
considering the nature of these wretched creatures, I mean the savages, and
how it came to pass in the world that the wise Governor of all things should
give up any of His creatures to such inhumanity—nay, to something so
much below even brutality itself—as to devour its own kind: but as this
ended in some (at that time) fruitless speculations, it occurred to me to

inquire what part of the world these wretches lived in? how far off the coast
was from whence they came? what they ventured over so far from home
for? what kind of boats they had? and why I might not order myself and my
business so that I might be able to go over thither, as they were to come to
me?
I never so much as troubled myself to consider what I should do with
myself when I went thither; what would become of me if I fell into the
hands of these 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 to
be attacked by some or other of them, without any possibility of delivering
myself; and if I should not fall into their hands, what I should do for
provision, or whither I should bend my 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 mainland. I looked upon my
present condition as the most miserable that could possibly be; that I was
not able to throw myself into anything but death, that could be called worse;
and if I reached the shore of the main I might perhaps meet with relief, or I
might coast along, as I did on the African shore, till I came to some
inhabited country, and where I might find some relief; and after all, perhaps
I might fall in with some Christian ship that might take me in: and if the
worst came to the worst, I could but die, which would put an end to all
these miseries at once. Pray note, all this was the fruit of a disturbed mind,
an 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—somebody to speak to, and to learn some knowledge from them of the
place where I was, and of the probable means of my deliverance. I was
agitated wholly by these thoughts; all my calm of mind, in my resignation
to Providence, and waiting the issue of the dispositions of Heaven, seemed
to be suspended; and I had as it were no power to turn my thoughts to
anything but to the project of a voyage to the main, which came upon me
with such force, and such an impetuosity of desire, that it was not to be
resisted.
When this had agitated my thoughts for two hours or more, with such
violence that it set my very blood into a ferment, and my pulse beat as if I
had been in a fever, merely with the extraordinary fervour of my mind
about it, Nature—as if I had been fatigued and exhausted with the very

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 anything relating to it, but I
dreamed that as I was going out in the morning as usual from my castle, I
saw upon the shore two canoes and eleven savages coming to land, and that
they brought with them another savage whom they were going to kill in
order to eat him; when, on a sudden, the savage that they were going to kill
jumped away, and ran for his life; and I thought in my sleep that he came
running into my little thick grove before my 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 carried him into my cave, and
he became my servant; and that as soon as I had got this man, I said to
myself, “Now I may certainly venture to the mainland, for this fellow will
serve me as a pilot, and will tell me what to do, and whither to go for
provisions, and whither not to go for fear of being devoured; what places to
venture into, and what to shun.” I waked with this thought; and was under
such inexpressible impressions of joy at the prospect of my escape in my
dream, that the disappointments which I felt upon coming to myself, and
finding that it was no more than a dream, were equally extravagant the
other way, and threw me into a very great dejection of spirits.
Upon this, however, I made this conclusion: that my only way to go
about to attempt an escape was, to endeavour to get a savage into my
possession: and, if possible, it should be one of their prisoners, whom they
had condemned to be eaten, and should bring hither to kill. But these
thoughts still were attended with this difficulty: that it was impossible to
effect this without attacking a whole caravan of them, and killing them all;
and this was not only a very desperate attempt, and might miscarry, but, on
the other hand, I had greatly scrupled the lawfulness of it to myself; and my
heart trembled at the thoughts of shedding so much blood, though it was for
my 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; I
say though these things argued for it, yet the thoughts of shedding human

blood for my deliverance were very terrible to me, and such as I could by
no means reconcile 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, one way and another, struggled in my head a long time),
the eager prevailing desire of deliverance at length mastered all the rest; and
I resolved, if possible, to get one of these savages into my hands, cost what
it would. My next thing was to contrive how to do it, and this, indeed, was
very difficult to resolve on; but as I could pitch upon no probable means for
it, so I resolved to put myself upon the watch, to see them when they came
on shore, and leave the rest to the event; taking such measures as the
opportunity should present, let what would be.
With these resolutions in my thoughts, I set myself upon the scout as
often as possible, and indeed so often that I was heartily tired of it; for it
was above a year and a half that I waited; and for great part of that time
went out to the west end, and to the south-west corner of the island almost
every day, to look for canoes, but none appeared. This was very
discouraging, and began to trouble me much, though I 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 word, I was not at first so careful to shun the sight of these savages,
and avoid being seen by them, as I was now eager to be upon them.
Besides, I fancied myself able to manage one, nay, two or three savages, if I
had them, so as to make them entirely slaves to me, to do whatever I should
direct them, and to prevent their being able at any time to do me any hurt. It
was a great while that I pleased myself with this affair; but nothing still
presented itself; all my fancies and schemes came to nothing, for no savages
came near me for a great while.
About a year and a half after I entertained these notions (and by long
musing had, as it were, resolved them all into nothing, for want of an
occasion to put them into execution), I was surprised one morning by seeing
no less than five canoes all on shore together on my side the island, and the
people who belonged to them all landed and out of my sight. The number of
them broke all my measures; for seeing so many, and knowing that they
always came four or six, or sometimes more in a boat, I could not tell what
to think of it, or how to take my measures to attack twenty or thirty men
single-handed; so lay still in my castle, perplexed and discomforted.
However, I put myself into the same position for an attack that I had

formerly provided, and was just ready for action, if anything had presented.
Having waited a good while, listening to hear if they made any noise, at
length, being very impatient, I set my guns at the foot of my ladder, and
clambered up to the top of the hill, by my two stages, as usual; standing so,
however, that my head did not appear above the hill, so that they could not
perceive me by any means. Here I observed, by the help of my perspective
glass, that they were no less than thirty in number; that they had a fire
kindled, and that they had meat dressed. How they had cooked it I knew
not, or what it was; but they were all dancing, in I know not how many
barbarous gestures and figures, their own way, round the fire.
While I was thus looking on them, I perceived, by my 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
immediately fall; being knocked down, I suppose, with a club or wooden
sword, for that was their way; and two or three others were at work
immediately, cutting him open for their cookery, while the other victim was
left standing by himself, till they should be ready for him. In that very
moment this poor wretch, seeing himself a little at liberty and unbound,
Nature inspired him with hopes of life, and he started away from them, and
ran with incredible swiftness along the sands, directly towards me; I mean
towards that part of the coast where my habitation was. I was dreadfully
frightened, I must acknowledge, when I perceived him run my way; and
especially when, as I thought, I saw him pursued by the whole body: and
now I expected that part of my dream was coming to pass, and that he
would certainly take shelter in my grove; but I could not depend, by any
means, upon my dream, that the other savages would not pursue him thither
and find him there. However, I kept my station, and my spirits began to
recover when I found that there was not above three men that followed him;
and still more was I encouraged, when I found that he outstripped them
exceedingly in running, and gained ground on them; so that, if he could but
hold out for half-an-hour, I saw easily he would fairly get away from them
all.
There was between them and my castle the creek, which I mentioned
often in the first part of my story, where I landed my cargoes out of the
ship; and this I saw plainly he must necessarily swim over, or the poor
wretch would be taken there; but when the savage escaping came thither, he
made nothing of it, though the tide was then up; but plunging in, swam

through in about thirty strokes, or thereabouts, landed, and ran with
exceeding strength and swiftness. When the three persons came to the
creek, I found that two of them could swim, but the third could not, and
that, standing on the other side, he looked at the others, but went no farther,
and soon after went softly back again; which, as it happened, was very well
for him in the end. I observed that the two who swam were yet more than
twice as strong swimming over the creek as the fellow was that fled from
them. It came 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. I immediately ran down the ladders with all possible
expedition, fetched my two guns, for they were both at the foot of the
ladders, as I observed before, and getting up again with the same haste to
the top of the hill, I crossed towards the sea; and having a very short cut,
and all down hill, placed myself in the way between the pursuers and the
pursued, hallowing aloud to him that fled, who, looking back, was at first
perhaps as much frightened at me as at them; but I beckoned with my hand
to him to come back; and, in the meantime, I slowly advanced towards the
two that followed; then rushing at once upon the foremost, I knocked him
down with the stock of my piece. I was loath to fire, because I would not
have the rest hear; though, at that distance, it would not have been easily
heard, and being out of sight of the smoke, too, they would not have 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 towards
him: but as I came nearer, I perceived presently he had a bow and arrow,
and was fitting it to shoot at me: so I was then obliged to shoot at him first,
which I did, and killed him at the first shot. The poor savage who fled, but
had stopped, though he saw both his enemies fallen and killed, as he
thought, yet was so frightened with the fire and noise of my piece that he
stood stock still, and neither came forward nor went backward, though he
seemed rather inclined still to fly than to come on. I hallooed again to him,
and made signs to come forward, which he easily understood, and came a
little way; then stopped again, and then a little farther, and stopped again;
and I could then perceive that he stood trembling, as if he had been taken
prisoner, and had just been to be killed, as his two enemies were. I
beckoned to him again to come to me, and gave him all the signs of
encouragement that I could think of; and he came nearer and nearer,

kneeling down every ten or twelve steps, in token of acknowledgment for
saving his life. I smiled at him, and looked pleasantly, and beckoned to him
to come still nearer; at length he came close to me; and then he kneeled
down again, kissed the ground, and laid his head upon the ground, and
taking me by the foot, set my foot upon his head; this, it seems, was in
token of swearing to be my slave for ever. I took him up and made much of
him, and encouraged him all I could. But there was more work to do yet; for
I perceived the savage whom I had knocked down was not killed, but
stunned with the blow, and began to come to himself: so I pointed to him,
and showed him the savage, that he was not dead; upon this he spoke some
words to me, and though I could not understand them, yet I thought they
were pleasant to hear; for they were the first sound of a man’s voice that I
had heard, my own excepted, for above twenty-five years. But there was no
time for such reflections now; the savage who was knocked down recovered
himself so far as to sit up upon the ground, and I perceived that my savage
began to be afraid; but when I saw that, I presented my other piece at the
man, as if I would shoot him: upon this my savage, for so I call him now,
made a motion to me to lend him my sword, which hung naked in a belt by
my side, which I did. He no sooner had it, but he runs to his enemy, and at
one blow cut off his head so cleverly, no executioner in Germany could
have done it sooner or better; which I thought very strange for one who, I
had reason to believe, never saw a sword in his life before, except their own
wooden swords: however, it seems, as I learned afterwards, they make their
wooden swords so sharp, so heavy, and the wood is so hard, that they will
even cut off heads with them, ay, and arms, and that at one blow, too. When
he had done this, he comes laughing to me in sign of triumph, and brought
me the sword again, and with abundance of gestures which I did not
understand, laid it down, with the head of the savage that he had killed, just
before me. But that which astonished him most was to know how I killed
the other Indian so far off; so, pointing to him, he made signs to me to let
him go to him; and I bade him go, as well as I could. When he came to him,
he stood like one amazed, looking at him, turning him first on one side, then
on the other; looked at the wound the bullet had made, which it seems was
just in his breast, where it had made a hole, and no great quantity of blood
had followed; but he had bled inwardly, for he was quite dead. He took up
his bow and arrows, and came back; so I turned to go away, and beckoned
him to follow me, making signs to him that more might come after them.

Upon this he made signs to me that he should bury them with sand, that
they might not be seen by the rest, if they followed; and so I made signs to
him again to do so. He fell to work; and in an instant he had scraped a hole
in the sand with his hands big enough to bury the first in, and then dragged
him into it, and covered him; and did so by the other also; I believe he had
buried them both in a quarter of an hour. Then, calling away, I carried him,
not to my castle, but quite away to my cave, on the farther part of the
island: so I did not let my dream come to pass in that part, that he came into
my grove for shelter. Here I gave him bread and a bunch of raisins to eat,
and a draught of water, which I found he was indeed in great distress for,
from his running: and having refreshed him, I made signs for him to go and
lie down to sleep, showing him a place where I had laid some rice-straw,
and a blanket upon it, which I used to sleep upon myself sometimes; so the
poor creature lay down, and went to sleep.
He was a comely, handsome fellow, perfectly well made, with straight,
strong limbs, not too large; tall, and well-shaped; and, as I reckon, about
twenty-six years of age. He had a very good countenance, not a fierce and
surly aspect, but seemed to have something very manly in his face; and yet
he had all the sweetness and softness of 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 sparkling
sharpness in his eyes. The colour 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-colour, that had in it something very agreeable, though not very easy
to describe. His face was round and plump; his nose small, not flat, like the
negroes; a very good mouth, thin lips, and his fine teeth well set, and as
white as ivory.
After he had slumbered, rather than slept, about half-an-hour, he awoke
again, and came out of the cave to me, for I had been milking my goats
which I had in the enclosure just by: when he espied me he came running to
me, laying himself down again upon the ground, with all the possible signs
of an humble, thankful disposition, making a great many antic gestures to
show it. At last he lays his head flat upon the ground, close to my foot, and
sets my other foot upon his head, as he had done before; and after this made
all the signs to me of subjection, servitude, and submission imaginable, to
let me know how he would serve me so long as he lived. I understood him

in many things, and let him know I was very well pleased with him. In a
little time I began to speak to him; and teach him to speak to me; and first, I
let him know his name should be Friday, which was the day I saved his life;
I called him so for the memory of the time. I likewise taught him to say
Master; and then let him know that was to be my name; I likewise taught
him to say Yes and No and to know the meaning of them. I gave him some
milk in an earthen pot, and let him see me drink it before him, and sop my
bread in it; and gave him a cake of bread to do the like, which he quickly
complied with, and made signs that it was very good for him. I kept there
with him all that night; but as soon as it was day I beckoned to him to come
with me, and let him know I would give him some clothes; at which he
seemed very glad, for he was stark naked. As we went by the place where
he had buried the two men, he pointed exactly to the place, and showed me
the marks that he had made to find them again, making signs to me that we
should dig them up again and eat them. At this I appeared very angry,
expressed my abhorrence of it, made as if I would vomit at the thoughts of
it, and beckoned with my hand to him to come away, which he did
immediately, with great submission. I then led him up to the top of the hill,
to see if his enemies were gone; and pulling out my glass I looked, and saw
plainly the place where they had been, but no appearance of them or their
canoes; so that it was plain they were gone, and had left their two comrades
behind them, without any search after them.
But I was not content with this discovery; but having now more courage,
and consequently more curiosity, I took my man Friday with me, giving
him the sword in his hand, with the bow and arrows at his back, which I
found he could use very dexterously, making him carry one gun for me, and
I two for myself; and away we marched to the place where these creatures
had been; for I had a mind now to get some further intelligence of them.
When I came to the place my very blood ran chill in my veins, and my heart
sunk within me, at the horror of the spectacle; indeed, it was a dreadful
sight, at least it was so to me, though Friday made nothing of it. The place
was covered with human bones, the ground dyed with their blood, and great
pieces of flesh left here and there, half-eaten, mangled, and scorched; and,
in short, all the tokens of the triumphant feast they had been making there,
after a victory over their enemies. I saw three skulls, five hands, and the
bones of three or four legs and feet, and abundance of other parts of the
bodies; and Friday, by his signs, made me understand that they brought over

four prisoners to feast upon; that three of them were eaten up, and that he,
pointing to himself, was the fourth; that there 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 fire upon it,
and burn them all to ashes. I found Friday had still a hankering stomach
after some of the flesh, and was still a cannibal in his nature; but I showed
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
work for my man Friday; and first of all, I gave him a pair of linen drawers,
which I had out of the poor gunner’s chest I mentioned, which I found in
the wreck, and which, with a little alteration, fitted him very well; and then
I made him a jerkin of goat’s skin, as well as my skill would allow (for I
was now grown a tolerably good tailor); and I gave him a cap which I made
of hare’s skin, 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 awkwardly in
these clothes at first: wearing the drawers was very awkward to him, and
the sleeves of the waistcoat galled his shoulders and the inside of his arms;
but a little easing them where he complained they hurt him, and using
himself to them, he took to them at length very well.
The next day, after I came home to my hutch with him, I began to
consider where I should lodge him: and that I might do well for him and yet
be perfectly easy myself, I made a little tent for him in the vacant place
between my two 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 little within the entrance; and, causing the door to open in the
inside, I barred it up in the night, taking in my ladders, too; so that Friday
could no way come at me in the inside of my innermost wall, without

making so much noise in getting over that it must needs awaken me; for my
first wall had now a complete roof over it of long poles, covering all my
tent, and leaning up to the side of the hill; which was again laid across with
smaller sticks, instead of laths, and then thatched over a great 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 I had placed a kind of trap-door,
which, if it had been attempted on the outside, would not have opened at all,
but would have fallen down and made a great noise—as to 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, sullenness, or designs, perfectly obliged and
engaged; his very affections were tied to me, like those of a child to a
father; and I daresay he would have sacrificed his life to save mine upon
any occasion whatsoever—the many testimonies he gave me of this put it
out of doubt, and soon convinced me that I needed to use no precautions for
my safety on his account.
This frequently gave me occasion to observe, and that with wonder, that
however it had pleased God in His providence, and in the government of
the works of His hands, to take from so great a part of the world of His
creatures the best uses to which their faculties and the powers of their souls
are adapted, yet that He has bestowed upon them the same powers, the same
reason, the same affections, the same sentiments of kindness and obligation,
the same passions and resentments of wrongs, the same sense of gratitude,
sincerity, fidelity, and all the capacities of doing good and receiving good
that He has given to us; and that when He pleases to offer them occasions of
exerting these, they are as ready, nay, more ready, to apply them to the right
uses for which they were bestowed than we are. This made me very
melancholy sometimes, in reflecting, as the several occasions presented,
how mean a use we make of all these, even though we have these powers
enlightened by the great lamp of instruction, the Spirit of God, and by the
knowledge of His word added to our understanding; and why it has 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 far, to invade the
sovereignty of Providence, and, as it were, arraign the justice of so arbitrary
a disposition of things, that should hide that sight from some, and reveal it
to others, and yet expect a like duty from both; but I shut it up, and checked

my thoughts with this conclusion: first, that we did not know by what light
and law these should be condemned; but that as God was necessarily, and
by the nature of His being, infinitely holy and just, so it could not be, but if
these creatures were all sentenced to absence from Himself, it was on
account of sinning against that light which, as the Scripture says, was a law
to themselves, and by such rules as their consciences would acknowledge to
be just, though the foundation was not discovered to us; and secondly, that
still as we all are the clay in the hand of the potter, no vessel could say to
him, “Why hast thou formed me thus?”
But to return to my new companion. I was greatly delighted with him,
and made it my business to teach him everything that was proper to make
him useful, handy, and helpful; but especially to make him speak, and
understand me when I spoke; and he was the aptest scholar that ever was;
and particularly was so merry, so constantly diligent, and so pleased when
he could but understand me, or make me understand him, that it was very
pleasant for me to talk to him. Now my life began to be so easy that I began
to say to myself that could I but have been safe from more savages, I cared
not if I was never to remove from the place where I lived.

CHAPTER XV.
FRIDAY’S EDUCATION

After I had been two or three days returned to my castle, I thought that, in
order to bring Friday off from his horrid way of feeding, and from the relish
of a cannibal’s stomach, I ought to let him taste other flesh; so I took him
out with me one morning to the woods. I went, indeed, intending to kill a
kid out of my own flock; and bring it home and dress it; but as I was going I
saw a she-goat lying down in the shade, and two young kids sitting by her. I
catched hold of Friday. “Hold,” said I, “stand still;” and made signs to him
not to stir: immediately I presented my piece, shot, and killed one of the
kids. The poor creature, who had at a distance, 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 I found presently, thought I was resolved to kill him:
for he came and kneeled down to me, and embracing my knees, said a great
many things I did not understand; but I could easily see the meaning was to
pray me not to kill him.
I soon found a way to convince him that I would do him no harm; and
taking him up by the hand, laughed at him, and pointing to the kid which I
had killed, beckoned to him to run and fetch it, which he did: and while he
was wondering, and looking to see how the creature was killed, I loaded my
gun again. By-and-by I saw a great fowl, like a hawk, 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; I say, pointing to the parrot, and to my gun, and
to the ground under the parrot, to let him see I would make it fall, I made
him understand that I would shoot and kill that bird; accordingly, I fired,

and bade him look, and immediately he saw the parrot fall. He stood like
one frightened again, notwithstanding all I had said to him; and I found he
was the more amazed, because he did not see me put anything 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 anything near or far
off; and the astonishment this created in him was such as could not wear off
for a long time; and I believe, if I would have let him, he would have
worshipped me and my gun. As for the gun itself, he would not so much as
touch it for several days after; but he would speak to it and talk to it, as if it
had answered him, when he was by himself; which, as I afterwards learned
of him, was to desire it not to kill him. Well, after his astonishment was a
little over at this, I pointed to him to run and fetch the bird I had shot, which
he did, but stayed 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 offered 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 I could; and having a pot fit for that purpose, I boiled or stewed
some of the flesh, and made some very good broth. After I had begun to eat
some I gave some to my man, who seemed very glad of it, and liked it very
well; but that which was strangest to him was to see me eat salt with it. He
made a sign to me that the salt was not good to eat; and putting a little into
his own mouth, he seemed to nauseate it, and would spit and sputter at it,
washing his mouth with fresh water after 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 much as he had done at the salt; but it would not do; he
would never care for salt with 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 the next day by 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 the top, and tying
the 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 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 beating some corn out, and sifting it in the
manner I used to do, as I observed before; and he soon understood how to
do it as well as I, especially after he had seen what the meaning of it was,
and that it was to make bread of; 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 myself.
I began now to consider, that having two mouths to feed instead of one, I
must provide more ground for my harvest, and plant a larger quantity of
corn than I used to do; so I marked out a larger piece of land, and began the
fence in the same manner as before, in which Friday worked not only very
willingly and very hard, but did it very cheerfully: and I told him what it
was for; that it was for corn to make more bread, because he was now with
me, and that I might have enough for him and myself too. He appeared very
sensible of that part, and let me know that he thought I had much more
labour upon me on his account than I had for myself; and that he would
work the harder for me if I would tell him what to do.
This was the pleasantest year of all the life I led in this place. Friday
began to talk pretty well, and understand the names of almost everything I
had occasion to call for, and of every place I had to send him to, and talked
a great deal to me; so that, in short, I began now to have some use for my
tongue again, which, indeed, I had very little occasion for before. 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 anything before.
I had a mind once to try if he had any inclination for his own country
again; and having taught him English so well that he could answer me
almost any question, I asked him whether the nation that he belonged to
never conquered in battle? At which he smiled, and said—“Yes, yes, we
always fight the better;” that is, he meant always get the better in fight; and
so we began the following discourse:—
Master.—You always fight the better; how came you to be taken
prisoner, then, Friday?
Friday.—My nation beat much for all that.

Master.—How beat? If your nation beat them, how came you to be
taken?
Friday.—They more many than my nation, in the place where me was;
they take one, two, three, and me: my nation over-beat them in the yonder
place, where me no was; there my nation take one, two, great thousand.
Master.—But why did not your side recover you from the hands of your
enemies, then?
Friday.—They run, one, two, three, and me, and make go in the canoe;
my nation have no canoe that time.
Master.—Well, Friday, and what does your nation do with the men they
take? Do they carry them away and eat them, as these did?
Friday.—Yes, my nation eat mans too; eat all up.
Master.—Where do they carry them?
Friday.—Go to other place, where they think.
Master.—Do they come hither?
Friday.—Yes, yes, they come hither; come other else place.
Master.—Have you been here with them?
Friday.—Yes, I have been here (points to the NW. side of the island,
which, it seems, was their side).
By this I understood that my man Friday had formerly been among the
savages who used to come on shore on the farther part of the island, on the
same man-eating occasions he was now brought for; and some time after,
when I took the 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 ate 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 what follows: that after this
discourse I had with him, I asked him how far it was from our island to the
shore, and whether the canoes were not often lost. He told me there was no
danger, no 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 great

draft and reflux of the mighty river Orinoco, in the mouth or gulf of which
river, as I found afterwards, our island lay; and that this land, which I
perceived to be W. and NW., was the great island Trinidad, on the north
point of the mouth of the river. I asked Friday a thousand questions about
the country, the inhabitants, the sea, the coast, and what nations were near;
he told me all he knew with the greatest openness imaginable. I asked him
the names of the several nations of his sort of people, but could get no other
name than Caribs; from whence I easily understood that these were the
Caribbees, which our maps place on the part of America which reaches
from the mouth of the river Orinoco 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 their country, there dwelt
white bearded men, like me, and pointed to my great whiskers, which I
mentioned before; and that they had killed much mans, that was his word:
by all which I understood he meant the Spaniards, whose cruelties in
America had been spread over the whole country, and were remembered by
all the nations from father to son.
I inquired if he could tell me how I might go from this 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 large boat, as big as two canoes. This part of Friday’s discourse
I began to relish very well; and from this time I entertained some hopes
that, one time or other, I might find an opportunity to make my escape from
this place, and that this poor savage might be a means to help me.
During the long time that Friday had now been with me, and that he
began to speak to me, and understand me, I was not wanting to lay a
foundation of religious knowledge in his mind; particularly I asked him one
time, who made him. The creature did not understand me at all, but thought
I had asked who was his father—but I took it up by another handle, and
asked him who made the sea, the ground we walked on, and the hills and
woods. He told me, “It was one 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 land, than the moon or the stars.” I asked
him then, if this old person had made all things, why did not all things
worship him? He looked very grave, and, with a perfect look of innocence,
said, “All things say O to him.” I asked him if the people who die in his

country went away anywhere? He said, “Yes; they all went to
Benamuckee.” Then I asked him whether those they eat up went thither too.
He said, “Yes.”
From these things, I began to instruct him in the knowledge of the true
God; I told him that the great Maker of all things lived up there, pointing up
towards heaven; that He governed the world by the same power and
providence by which He made it; that He was omnipotent, and could do
everything for us, give everything to us, take everything from us; and thus,
by degrees, I opened his eyes. He listened with great attention, and received
with pleasure the notion of Jesus Christ being sent to redeem us; and of the
manner of making our prayers to God, and His being able to hear us, even
in heaven. He told me one day, that if our God could hear us, up beyond the
sun, he must needs be a greater God than their 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 them. 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 I made him explain 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, not only to be found in the Roman, but, perhaps,
among all religions in the world, even among the most brutish and
barbarous savages.
I endeavoured to clear up this fraud to my man Friday; and told him that
the pretence of their old men going up to the mountains to say O to their
god Benamuckee was a cheat; and their bringing word from thence what he
said was much more so; that if they met with any answer, or spake with any
one there, it must be with an evil spirit; and then I entered into a long
discourse with him about the devil, the origin of him, his rebellion against
God, his enmity to man, the reason of it, his setting himself up in the dark
parts of the world to be worshipped instead of God, and as God, and the
many stratagems he made use of to delude mankind to their ruin; how he
had a secret access to our passions and to our affections, and to adapt his
snares to our inclinations, 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 the being of a God. Nature 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 that made us, and the like; but there
appeared nothing of this kind in the notion of an evil spirit, of his origin, his
being, his nature, and above all, of his inclination to do evil, and to draw us
in to do so too; and the poor creature puzzled me once in such a manner, by
a question merely natural and innocent, that I scarce knew what to say to
him. I had been talking a great deal to him of the power of God, His
omnipotence, His aversion to sin, His being a consuming fire to the workers
of iniquity; how, as He had made us all, He could destroy us and all the
world in a moment; and he listened with great seriousness to me all the
while. After this I had been telling him how the devil was God’s enemy in
the hearts of men, and used all his malice and skill to defeat the good
designs of Providence, and to ruin the kingdom of Christ in the world, and
the like. “Well,” says Friday, “but you say God is so strong, so great; is He
not much strong, much might as the devil?” “Yes, yes,” says I, “Friday; God
is stronger than the devil—God is above the devil, and therefore we pray to
God to tread him down under our feet, and enable us to resist his
temptations and quench his fiery darts.” “But,” says he again, “if God much
stronger, much might as the wicked devil, why God no kill the devil, so
make him no more do wicked?” I was strangely surprised at this question;
and, after all, though I was now an old man, yet I was but a young doctor,
and ill qualified for a casuist or a solver of difficulties; 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 the bottomless pit, to
dwell with everlasting fire.” This did not satisfy Friday; but he returns upon
me, repeating my words, “‘Reserve at last!’ me no understand—but why
not kill the devil now; not kill great ago?” “You may as well ask me,” said
I, “why God does not kill you or me, when we do wicked things here that
offend Him—we are preserved to repent and be pardoned.” He mused some
time on this. “Well, well,” says he, mighty affectionately, “that well—so
you, I, devil, all wicked, all preserve, repent, God pardon all.” Here I was

run down again by him to the last degree; and it was a testimony to me, how
the mere notions of nature, though they will guide reasonable creatures to
the knowledge of a God, and of a worship or homage due to the supreme
being of God, as the consequence of our nature, yet nothing but divine
revelation can form the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and of redemption
purchased for us; of a Mediator of the new covenant, and of an Intercessor
at the footstool of God’s throne; I say, nothing but a revelation from Heaven
can form these in the soul; and that, therefore, the gospel of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, I mean the Word of God, and the Spirit of God,
promised for the guide and sanctifier of His people, are the absolutely
necessary instructors of the souls of men in the saving knowledge of God
and the means of salvation.
I therefore diverted the present discourse between me and my man, rising
up hastily, as upon some sudden occasion of going out; then sending him
for something a good way off, I seriously prayed to God that He would
enable me to instruct savingly this poor savage; assisting, by His Spirit, the
heart of the poor ignorant creature to receive the light of the knowledge of
God in Christ, reconciling him to Himself, and would guide me so to speak
to him from the Word of God that his conscience might be convinced, his
eyes opened, and his soul saved. When he came again to me, I entered into
a long discourse with him upon the subject of the redemption of man by the
Saviour of the world, and of the doctrine of the gospel preached from
Heaven, viz. of repentance towards God, and faith in our blessed Lord
Jesus. I then explained to him as well as I could why our blessed Redeemer
took not on Him the nature 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 I
took for this poor creature’s instruction, and must acknowledge, what I
believe all that act upon the same principle will find, that in laying things
open to him, I really informed 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 I felt before: so that, whether this poor wild wretch was
better for me or no, I had great reason to be thankful that ever he came to
me; my grief sat lighter upon me; my habitation grew comfortable to me

beyond measure: and when I reflected that in this solitary life which I have
been confined to, I had not only been moved to look up to heaven myself,
and to seek 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 him to the true knowledge of religion and
of the Christian doctrine, that he might know Christ Jesus, in whom is life
eternal; I say, when I reflected upon all these things, a secret joy ran through
every part of my soul, and I frequently rejoiced that ever I was brought to
this place, which I had so often thought the most dreadful of all afflictions
that could possibly have befallen me.
I continued in this thankful frame all the remainder of my time; and the
conversation which employed the hours between Friday and me was such as
made the three years which we lived there together perfectly and
completely happy, if any such thing as complete happiness can be formed in
a sublunary state. This savage was now a good Christian, a much better than
I; though I have reason to hope, and bless God for it, that we were equally
penitent, and comforted, restored 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
England. I always applied myself, in reading the Scripture, to let him know,
as well as I could, the meaning of what I read; and he again, by his serious
inquiries and questionings, made me, as I said before, a much better scholar
in the Scripture knowledge than I should ever have been by my own mere
private reading. Another thing I cannot refrain from observing here also,
from experience in this retired part of my life, viz. how infinite and
inexpressible a blessing it is that the knowledge of God, and of the doctrine
of salvation by Christ Jesus, is so plainly laid down in the Word of God, so
easy to be received and understood, that, as the bare reading the Scripture
made me capable of understanding enough of my duty to carry me directly
on to the great work of sincere repentance for my sins, and laying hold of a
Saviour for life and salvation, to a stated reformation in practice, and
obedience to all God’s commands, and this without any teacher or
instructor, I mean human; so the same plain instruction sufficiently served
to the enlightening this savage creature, and bringing him to be such a
Christian as I have known few equal to him in my life.
As to all the disputes, wrangling, strife, and contention which have
happened in the world about religion, whether niceties in doctrines or
schemes of church government, they were all perfectly useless to us, and,

for aught I can yet see, they have been so to the rest of the world. We had
the sure guide to heaven, viz. the Word of God; and we had, blessed be
God, comfortable views of the Spirit of God teaching and instructing by His
word, leading us into all truth, and making us both willing and obedient to
the instruction of His word. And I cannot see the least use that the greatest
knowledge of the disputed points of religion, which have made such
confusion in the world, would have been to us, if we could have obtained it.
But I must go on with the historical part of things, and take every part in its
order.
After Friday and I became more intimately acquainted, and that he could
understand almost all I said to him, and speak pretty fluently, though in
broken English, to me, I acquainted him with my own history, or at least so
much of it as related to my coming to this place: how I had lived there, and
how long; I let him into the mystery, for such it was to him, of gunpowder
and bullet, and taught him how to shoot. I gave him a knife, which he was
wonderfully delighted with; and I made him a belt, with a frog hanging to
it, such as in England we wear hangers in; and in the frog, instead of a
hanger, I gave him a hatchet, which was not only as good a weapon in some
cases, but much more useful upon other occasions.
I described to him the country of Europe, particularly England, which I
came from; how we lived, how we worshipped God, how we behaved to
one another, and how we traded in ships to all parts of the world. I gave him
an account of the wreck which I had been on board of, and showed him, as
near as I could, the place where she lay; but she was all beaten in pieces
before, and gone. I showed him the ruins of our boat, which we lost when
we escaped, and which I could not stir with my whole strength then; but
was now fallen almost all to pieces. Upon seeing this boat, Friday stood,
musing a great while, and said nothing. I asked him what it was he studied
upon. At last says he, “Me see such boat like come to place at my nation.” I
did not understand him a good while; but at last, when I had examined
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
driven thither by stress of weather. I presently imagined that some European
ship must have been cast away upon their coast, and the boat might get
loose and drive ashore; but was so dull that I never once thought of men
making their escape from a wreck thither, much less whence they might
come: so I only inquired after a description of the boat.

Friday described the boat to me well enough; but brought me better to
understand him when he added with some warmth, “We save the white
mans from drown.” Then I presently asked if there were any white mans, as
he called them, in the boat. “Yes,” he said; “the boat full of white mans.” I
asked him how many. He told upon his fingers seventeen. I asked him then
what became of them. He told me, “They live, they dwell at my nation.”
This put new thoughts into my head; for I presently 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 I inquired
of him more critically what was become of them. He assured me they lived
still there; that they had been there about four years; that the savages left
them alone, and gave them victuals to live on. I asked him how it came to
pass they did not kill them and eat them. He said, “No, they make brother
with them;” that is, as I understood him, a truce; and then he added, “They
no eat mans but when make the war fight;” that is to say, they never eat any
men but such as come to fight with them and are taken in battle.
It was after this some considerable time, that being upon the top of the
hill at the east side of the island, from whence, as I have said, I had, in a
clear day, discovered the main or continent of America, Friday, the weather
being very serene, looks very earnestly towards the mainland, 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 what was the matter. “Oh, joy!” says
he; “Oh, glad! there see my country, there my nation!” I 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 that, 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 come back, perhaps with a hundred or
two of them, and make a feast upon me, at which he might be as merry as
he used to be with those of his enemies when they were taken in war. But I
wronged the poor honest creature very much, for which I was very sorry
afterwards. However, as my jealousy increased, and held some weeks, I was

a little more circumspect, and not so familiar and kind to him as before: in
which I was certainly wrong too; the honest, grateful creature having no
thought about it but what consisted with the best principles, both as a
religious Christian and as a grateful friend, as appeared afterwards to my
full satisfaction.
While my jealousy of him lasted, you may be sure I was every day
pumping him to see if he would discover any of the new thoughts which I
suspected were in him; but I found everything he said was so honest and so
innocent, that I could find nothing to nourish my suspicion; and in spite of
all my uneasiness, he made me at last entirely his own again; nor did he in
the least perceive that I was uneasy, and therefore I could not suspect him of
deceit.
One day, walking up the same hill, but the weather being hazy at sea, so
that we could not see the continent, I called to him, and said, “Friday, do not
you wish yourself in your own country, your own nation?” “Yes,” he said,
“I be much O glad to be at my own nation.” “What would you do there?”
said I. “Would you turn wild again, eat men’s flesh again, and be a savage
as you were before?” He looked full of concern, and shaking his head, said,
“No, no, Friday tell them to live good; tell them to pray God; tell them to
eat corn-bread, cattle flesh, milk; no eat man again.” “Why, then,” said I to
him, “they will kill you.” He looked grave at that, and then said, “No, no,
they no kill me, they willing love learn.” He meant by this, they would be
willing to learn. He added, they learned much of the bearded mans that
came in the boat. Then I asked him if he would go back to them. He smiled
at that, and told me that he could not swim so far. I told him I would make a
canoe for him. He told me he would go if I would go with him. “I go!” says
I; “why, they will eat me if I come there.” “No, no,” says he, “me make they
no eat you; me make they much love you.” He meant, he would tell them
how I had killed his enemies, and saved his life, and so he would make
them love me. Then he told me, as well as he could, how kind they were to
seventeen white men, or bearded men, as he called them who came on shore
there in distress.
From this time, I confess, I had a mind to venture over, and see if I could
possibly join with those bearded men, who I made no doubt were Spaniards
and Portuguese; not doubting but, if I could, we might find some method to
escape from thence, being upon the continent, and a good company

together, better than I could from an island forty miles off the shore, alone
and without help. So, after some days, I took Friday to work again by way
of discourse, and told him I would give him a boat to go back to his own
nation; and, accordingly, I carried him to my frigate, which lay on the other
side of the island, and having cleared it of water (for I always kept it sunk in
water), I brought it out, showed it him, and we both went into it. I found he
was a most dexterous fellow at managing it, and would make it go almost as
swift again as I could. So when he was in, I said to him, “Well, now, Friday,
shall we go to your nation?” He looked very dull at my saying so; which it
seems was because he thought the boat was too small to go so far. I then
told him I had a bigger; so the next day I went to the place where the first
boat lay which I had made, but which I could not get into the water. He said
that was big enough; but then, as I had taken no care of it, and it had lain
two or three and twenty years there, the sun had so split and dried it, that it
was rotten. Friday told me such a boat would do very well, and would carry
“much enough vittle, drink, bread;” this was his way of talking.

CHAPTER XVI.
RESCUE OF PRISONERS FROM CANNIBALS

Upon the whole, I was by this time so fixed upon my design of going
over with him to the continent that I told him we would go and make one as
big as that, and he should go home in it. He answered not one word, but
looked very grave and sad. I asked him what was the matter with him. He
asked me again, “Why you angry mad with Friday?—what me done?” I
asked him what he meant. I told him I was not angry with him at all. “No
angry!” says he, repeating the words several times; “why send Friday home
away to my nation?” “Why,” says I, “Friday, did not you say you wished
you were there?” “Yes, yes,” says he, “wish we both there; no wish Friday
there, no master there.” In a word, he would not think of going there
without me. “I go there, Friday?” says I; “what shall I do there?” He turned
very quick upon me at this. “You do great deal much good,” says he; “you
teach wild mans be good, sober, tame mans; you tell them know God, pray
God, and live new life.” “Alas, Friday!” says I, “thou knowest not what
thou sayest; I am but an ignorant man myself.” “Yes, yes,” says he, “you
teachee me good, you teachee them good.” “No, no, Friday,” says I, “you
shall go without me; leave me here to live by myself, as I did before.” He
looked confused again at that word; and running to one of the hatchets
which he used to wear, he takes it up hastily, and gives it to me. “What must
I do with this?” says I to him. “You take kill Friday,” says he. “What must I
kill you for?” said I again. He returns very quick—“What you send Friday
away for? Take kill Friday, no send Friday away.” This he spoke so
earnestly that I saw tears stand in his eyes. In a word, I so plainly
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, as I found by all his discourse a settled affection to me,
and that nothing could 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 attempting my
escape, founded on the supposition gathered from the discourse, that there
were seventeen bearded men there; and therefore, without any more delay, I
went to work with Friday to find out a great tree proper to fell, and make a
large periagua, or canoe, to undertake the voyage. There were trees enough
in the island to have built a little fleet, not of periaguas or canoes, but even
of good, large vessels; but the main thing I looked at was, to get one so near
the water that we might launch it when it was made, to avoid the mistake I
committed at first. At last Friday pitched upon a tree; for I found he knew
much better than I what kind of wood was fittest for it; nor can I tell to this
day what wood to call the tree we cut down, except that it was very like the
tree we call fustic, or between that and the Nicaragua wood, for it was much
of the same colour and smell. Friday wished to burn the hollow or cavity of
this tree out, to make it for a boat, but I showed him how to cut it with
tools; which, after I had showed him how to use, he did very handily; and in
about a month’s hard labour we finished it and made it very handsome;
especially when, with our axes, which I showed him how to handle, we cut
and hewed the outside into the true shape of a boat. After this, however, it
cost us near a 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 carried
twenty men with great ease.
When she was in the water, though she was so big, it amazed me to see
with what dexterity and how swift my man Friday could manage her, turn
her, and paddle her along. So I asked him if he would, and if we might
venture over in her. “Yes,” he said, “we venture over in her very well,
though great blow wind.” However I had a further 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 shoulder-
of-mutton sail, to go with a boom at bottom, and a little short sprit at the
top, such as usually our ships’ long-boats sail with, and such as I best knew
how to manage, as it was such a one as I had to the boat in which I made
my escape from Barbary, as related in the first part of my story.
I was near two months performing this last work, viz. rigging and fitting
my masts and sails; for I finished them very complete, making a small stay,
and a sail, or foresail, to it, to assist if we should turn to windward; and,
what was more than all, I fixed a rudder to the stern 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 I
had for it that failed, I think it cost me almost as much labour as making the
boat.
After all this was done, I had my man Friday to teach as to what
belonged to the navigation of my boat; 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 jibed, and filled this way or that way as
the course we sailed changed; I say when he saw this he stood like one
astonished and amazed. However, with a little use, I made all these things
familiar to him, and he became an expert sailor, except that of the compass I
could make him understand very little. On the other hand, as there was very
little cloudy weather, and seldom or never any fogs in those parts, there was
the less occasion for a compass, seeing the stars were always to be seen by
night, and the shore by day, except in the rainy seasons, and then nobody
cared to stir abroad either by land or sea.
I was now entered on the seven-and-twentieth year of my captivity in this
place; though the three last years that I had this creature with me ought
rather to be left out of the account, my habitation being quite of another

kind than in all the rest of the time. I kept the anniversary of my landing
here with the same thankfulness to God for His mercies as at first: and if I
had such cause of 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 effectually and speedily delivered; for I had
an invincible 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 husbandry; digging, planting, and fencing as usual. I
gathered and cured my grapes, and did every necessary thing as before.
The rainy season was in the meantime upon me, when I kept more within
doors than at other times. We had stowed our new vessel as secure as we
could, bringing her up into the creek, where, as I said in the beginning, I
landed my rafts from the ship; and hauling her up to the shore at high-water
mark, I made my man Friday dig a little dock, just big enough to hold her,
and just deep enough to give her water enough to float in; and then, when
the tide was out, we made a strong dam across the end of it, to keep the
water out; and so she lay, dry as to the tide from the sea: and to keep the
rain off we laid a great many boughs of trees, so thick that she was as well
thatched as a house; and thus we waited for the months of November and
December, in which I designed to make my adventure.
When the settled season began to come in, as the thought of my design
returned with the fair weather, I was preparing daily for the voyage. And the
first thing I did was to lay by a certain quantity of provisions, being the
stores for our voyage; and intended in a week or a fortnight’s time to open
the dock, and launch out our boat. I was busy one morning upon something
of this kind, when I called to Friday, and bid him to go to the sea-shore and
see if he could find a turtle or a 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 foot on; and
before I had time to speak to him he cries out to me, “O master! O master!
O sorrow! O bad!”—“What’s the matter, Friday?” says I. “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 heartened him up as well
as I could. However, I saw the poor fellow was most terribly scared, for
nothing ran in his head but that they were come to look for him, and would

cut him in pieces and eat him; and the poor fellow trembled so that I
scarcely 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 many 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 we
had drunk 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 I loaded with a brace of bullets each. I
hung my great sword, as usual, naked by my side, and gave Friday his
hatchet. When I had thus prepared myself, I took my perspective glass, and
went up to the side of the hill, to see what I could discover; and I found
quickly by my glass that there were one-and-twenty savages, three
prisoners, and three canoes; and that their whole business seemed to be the
triumphant banquet upon these three human bodies: a barbarous feast,
indeed! but nothing more than, as I had observed, was usual with them. I
observed also that they had landed, not where they had done when Friday
made his escape, but nearer to my creek, where the shore was low, and
where a thick wood came almost close down to the sea. This, with the
abhorrence of the inhuman errand these wretches came about, filled me
with such indignation that I came down again to Friday, and told him I was
resolved to go down to them and kill them all; and asked him if he would
stand by me. He had now got over his fright, and his spirits being a little
raised with the dram I had given him, he was very cheerful, and told me, as
before, he would die when I bid die.
In this fit of fury I divided the arms which I had charged, as before,
between us; I gave Friday one pistol to stick in his girdle, and three guns
upon his shoulder, and I took one pistol and the other three guns myself;
and in this posture we marched out. I took a small bottle of rum in my
pocket, and gave Friday a large bag with more powder and bullets; and as to
orders, I charged him to keep close behind me, and not to stir, or shoot, or
do anything till I bid him, and in the meantime 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 I should be discovered, which I had seen by my glass it was
easy to do.
While I was making this march, my former thoughts returning, I began to
abate my resolution: I do not mean that I entertained any fear of their
number, for as they were naked, unarmed wretches, it is certain I was
superior to them—nay, though I had been alone. But it occurred to my
thoughts, what call, what occasion, much less what necessity I was in to go
and dip my hands in blood, to attack people who had neither done or
intended me any wrong? who, as to me, were 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
such stupidity, and to such inhuman courses, but did not call me to take
upon me to be a judge of their actions, much less an executioner of His
justice—that whenever He thought fit He would take the cause into His
own hands, and by national vengeance punish them as a people for national
crimes, but that, in the meantime, it was none of my business—that it was
true Friday might justify it, because he was a declared enemy and in a state
of war with those very particular people, and it was lawful for him to attack
them—but I could not say the same with regard 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 something offered that was more a call to me than yet I knew of,
I would not meddle with them.
With this resolution I entered the wood, and, with all possible wariness
and silence, Friday following close at my heels, I marched till I came to the
skirts of the wood on the side which was next to them, only that one corner
of the wood lay between me and them. Here I called softly to Friday, and
showing him a great tree which was just at the corner of the wood, I bade
him go to the tree, and bring me word if he could see there plainly what
they were doing. He did so, and came immediately back to me, and told me
they might be plainly viewed there—that they were all about their fire,
eating the flesh of one of their prisoners, and that another lay bound upon
the sand a little from them, whom he said they would kill next; and this
fired the very soul within me. He told me it was not one of their nation, but

one of the bearded men he had told me of, that came to their country in the
boat. I was filled with horror at the very naming of the white bearded man;
and going to the tree, I saw plainly by my glass a white man, who lay upon
the beach of the sea with his hands and his feet tied with flags, or things like
rushes, and that he was an European, and had clothes on.
There was another tree and a little thicket beyond it, about fifty yards
nearer to them than the place where I was, which, by going a little way
about, I saw I might come at undiscovered, and that then I should be within
half a shot of them; so I 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
to butcher the poor Christian, and bring him perhaps limb by limb to their
fire, and they were stooping down to untie the bands at his feet. I turned to
Friday. “Now, Friday,” said I, “do as I bid thee.” Friday said he would.
“Then, Friday,” says I, “do exactly as you see me do; fail in nothing.” So I
set down one of the muskets and the fowling-piece upon the ground, and
Friday did the like by his, and with the other musket I took my aim at the
savages, bidding him to do the like; then asking him if he was ready, he
said, “Yes.” “Then fire at them,” said I; and at the same moment I fired also.
Friday took his aim so much better than I, that on the side that he shot he
killed two of them, and wounded three more; and on my side I killed one,
and wounded two. They were, you may be sure, in a dreadful consternation:
and all of them 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 observe what I did; so, as soon as the
first 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 I. “Yes,” says he. “Let fly, then,” says I, “in
the name of God!” and with that I fired again among the amazed wretches,
and so did Friday; and as our pieces were now loaded with what I call
swan-shot, or small pistol-bullets, we found only two drop; but so many

were wounded that they ran about yelling and screaming like mad creatures,
all bloody, and most of them miserably wounded; whereof three more fell
quickly after, though not quite dead.
“Now, Friday,” says I, laying down the discharged pieces, and taking up
the musket which was yet loaded, “follow me,” which he did with a great
deal of courage; upon which I rushed out of the wood and showed myself,
and Friday close at my foot. As soon as I perceived they saw me, I shouted
as loud as I could, and bade Friday do so too, and running as fast as I could,
which, by the way, was not very fast, being loaded with arms as I was, I
made directly towards the poor victim, who was, as I said, lying upon the
beach or shore, between the place where they sat and the sea. The two
butchers who were just going to work with him had left him at the surprise
of our first fire, and fled in a terrible fright to the seaside, and had jumped
into a canoe, and three more of the rest made the same way. I turned to
Friday, and bade him step forwards and fire at them; he understood me
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 I saw two of them up again quickly; however, he
killed two of them, and wounded the third, so that he lay down in the
bottom of the boat as if he had been dead.
While my man Friday fired at them, I pulled out my knife and cut the
flags that bound the poor victim; and loosing his hands and feet, I lifted him
up, and asked him in the Portuguese tongue what he was. He answered in
Latin, Christianus; but was so weak and faint that he could scarce stand or
speak. I took my bottle out of my pocket and gave it him, making signs that
he should drink, which he did; and I gave him a piece of bread, which he
ate. Then I asked him what countryman he was: and he said, Espagniole;
and being a little recovered, let me know, by all the signs he could 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 thankfully; and no sooner had he the
arms in his hands, but, as if they had put new vigour into him, he flew upon
his murderers like a fury, and had cut two of them in pieces in an instant;
for the truth is, as the whole was a surprise to them, so the poor creatures
were so much frightened with the noise of our pieces that they fell down for
mere amazement and fear, and had no more power to attempt their own

escape than their flesh had to resist our shot; and that was the case of those
five that Friday shot at in the boat; for as three of them fell with the hurt
they received, so the other two fell with the fright.
I kept my piece in my hand still without firing, being willing to keep my
charge ready, because I had given the Spaniard my pistol and sword: so I
called to Friday, and bade him run up to the tree from whence we first fired,
and fetch the arms which lay there that had been discharged, which he did
with great swiftness; and then giving him my musket, I sat down myself to
load all the rest again, and bade them come to me when they wanted. While
I was loading these pieces, there happened a fierce engagement between the
Spaniard and one of the savages, who made at him with one of their great
wooden swords, the 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
two great wounds on his head; but the savage being a stout, lusty fellow,
closing in with him, had thrown him down, being faint, and was wringing
my sword out of his hand; when the Spaniard, though undermost, wisely
quitting the sword, drew the pistol from his girdle, shot the savage through
the body, and killed him upon the spot, before I, who was running to help
him, could come near him.
Friday, being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying wretches, with no
weapon 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 he
could come up with: and the Spaniard coming to me for a gun, I gave him
one of the fowling-pieces, with which he pursued two of the savages, and
wounded them both; but as he was not able to run, they both got from him
into the wood, where Friday pursued them, and killed one of them, but the
other was too nimble for him; and though he was wounded, yet had plunged
himself into the sea, and swam with all his might off to those two who were
left in the canoe; which three in the canoe, with one wounded, that we knew
not whether he died or no, were all that escaped our hands of one-and-
twenty. The 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 Friday in the boat;
two killed by Friday of those at first wounded; one killed by Friday in the
wood; three killed by the Spaniard; 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 were in the canoe worked hard to get out of gun-shot, and
though Friday made two or three shots at them, I did not find that he hit any
of them. Friday would fain have had me take one of their canoes, and
pursue them; and indeed I was very anxious about their escape, lest,
carrying the news home to their people, they should come back perhaps
with two or three hundred of the canoes and devour us by mere multitude;
so I consented to pursue them by sea, and running to one of their canoes, I
jumped in and bade Friday follow me: but when I was in the canoe I was
surprised to find another poor creature lie there, bound hand and foot, as the
Spaniard was, for the slaughter, and almost dead with fear, not knowing
what was the matter; for he had not been able to look up over the side of the
boat, he was tied so hard neck and heels, and had been tied so long that he
had really but little life in him.
I immediately cut the twisted flags or rushes which they had bound him
with, and would have helped him up; but he could not stand or speak, but
groaned most piteously, 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,
and tell him of his deliverance; and pulling out my bottle, made him give
the poor wretch a dram, which, with the news of his being delivered,
revived him, and he sat up in the boat. But when Friday came to hear him
speak, and look in his face, it would have moved any one to tears to have
seen how Friday kissed him, embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed,
hallooed, jumped about, danced, sang; then cried again, wrung his hands,
beat his own face and head; and then sang and jumped about again like a
distracted creature. It was a good while before I could make him speak to
me or tell me what was the matter; but when he came a little to himself he
told me that it was his father.
It is not easy for me to express how it moved me to see what ecstasy and
filial affection had worked in this poor savage at the sight of his father, and
of his being delivered from death; nor indeed can I describe half the
extravagances 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 binding, and chafed and rubbed them with
his hands; and I, perceiving what the case was, gave him some rum out of
my bottle to rub them with, which did them a great deal of good.

This affair put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with the other savages,
who were now almost out of sight; and it was happy for us that we did not,
for it blew so hard within two hours after, and before they could be got a
quarter of their way, and continued blowing so hard all night, and that from
the north-west, which was against them, that I 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 not
find in my heart to take him off for some time; but after I thought he could
leave him a little, I called him to me, and he came jumping and laughing,
and pleased to the highest extreme: then I asked him if he had given his
father any bread. He shook his head, and said, “None; ugly dog eat all up
self.” I then gave him a cake of bread out of a little pouch I carried on
purpose; I also gave him a dram for himself; but he would not taste it, but
carried it to his father. I had in my pocket two or three bunches of raisins, so
I gave him a handful of them for his father. He had no sooner given his
father these raisins but I saw him come out of the boat, and run away as if
he had been bewitched, 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 after him, it was all one—
away he went; and in a quarter of an hour I saw him come back again,
though not so fast as he went; and as he came nearer I found his pace
slacker, because he had something in his hand. When he came up to me I
found he had been quite home for an earthen jug or pot, to bring his father
some fresh water, and that he had got two more cakes or loaves of bread:
the bread he gave me, but the water he carried to his father; however, as I
was very thirsty too, I took a little of it. The water revived his father more
than all the rum or spirits I had given him, for he was fainting with thirst.
When his father had drunk, I called to him to know if there was any
water left. He said, “Yes”; and I bade him give it to the poor Spaniard, who
was in as much want of it as his father; and I sent one of the cakes that
Friday brought to the 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 stiff, and very much swelled with the rude bandage he
had been tied with. When I saw that upon Friday’s coming to him with the
water he sat up and drank, and took the bread and began to eat, I went to
him and gave him a handful of raisins. He looked up in my face with all the
tokens of gratitude and thankfulness that could appear in 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 I
would take care of him. But Friday, a lusty, strong fellow, took the Spaniard
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 shore
faster than I could walk, though the wind blew pretty hard too; so he
brought them both safe into our creek, and leaving them in the boat, ran
away to fetch the other canoe. As he passed me I spoke to him, and asked
him whither he went. He told me, “Go fetch more boat;” so away he went
like the wind, for sure never man or horse ran like him; and he had the other
canoe in the creek almost as soon as I got to it by land; so he wafted me
over, and then went to help our new guests out of the boat, which he did;
but they were neither of them able to walk; so that poor 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 I,
in about two hours’ time, made a very handsome tent, covered with old

sails, and above that with boughs of trees, being in the space without our
outward fence and between that and the grove of young wood which I had
planted; and here we made them two beds of such things as I had—viz. of
good rice-straw, with blankets laid upon it to lie on, and another to cover
them, on each bed.
My island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich in subjects;
and it was a merry reflection, which I frequently made, how like a king I
looked. First of all, the whole country was my own 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,
for me. It was remarkable, too, I had but three subjects, and they were of
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 allowed
liberty of conscience throughout my dominions. But this is by the way.
As soon as I had secured my two weak, rescued prisoners, and given
them shelter, and a place to rest them upon, I began to think of making
some provision for them; and the first thing I did, I ordered Friday to take a
yearling goat, betwixt a kid and a goat, out of my particular flock, to be
killed; when I cut off the hinder-quarter, and chopping it into small pieces, I
set Friday to work to boiling and stewing, and made them a very good dish,
I assure you, of flesh and broth; and as I cooked it without doors, for I made
no fire within my inner wall, so I carried it all into the new tent, and having
set a table there for them, I sat down, and 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 firearms, which, for want of
time, we had left upon the place of battle; and the next day I ordered him to
go and bury the dead bodies of the savages, which lay open to the sun, and
would presently be offensive. I also ordered him to bury the horrid remains
of their barbarous feast, which I could not think of doing myself; nay, I
could not bear to see them if I went that way; all which he punctually
performed, and effaced the very appearance 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 wood 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
of the savages in that canoe, and whether we might expect a return of them,
with a power too great for us to resist. His first opinion was, that the
savages in the boat never could live out the storm which blew that night
they went off, but must of necessity be drowned, or driven south to those
other shores, where they were as sure to be devoured as they were to be
drowned if they were cast away; but, as to what they would do if they came
safe on shore, he said he knew not; but it was his opinion that they were so
dreadfully frightened with the manner of their being attacked, the noise, and
the fire, that he believed they would tell the people they were all killed by
thunder and lightning, not by the hand of man; and that the two which
appeared—viz. Friday and I—were two heavenly spirits, or furies, come
down to destroy them, and not men with weapons. This, he said, he knew;
because he heard them all cry out so, in their language, one to another; for it
was impossible for them to conceive that a man could dart fire, and speak
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 went to that enchanted
island would be destroyed with fire from the gods. This, however, I knew
not; and therefore was under continual apprehensions for a good while, and
kept always upon my guard, with all my army: for, as there were now four
of us, I would have ventured upon a hundred of them, fairly in the open
field, at any time.

CHAPTER XVII.
VISIT OF MUTINEERS

In a little time, however, no more canoes appearing, the fear of their
coming wore off; and I began to take my former thoughts of a voyage to the
main into consideration; being likewise assured by Friday’s father that I
might depend upon good usage from their nation, on his account, if I would
go. But my thoughts were a little suspended when I had a serious discourse
with the Spaniard, and when I understood that there were sixteen more of
his countrymen and Portuguese, who having been cast away and made their
escape to that side, lived there at peace, indeed, with the savages, but were
very sore put to it for necessaries, and, indeed, for life. I asked him all the
particulars of their voyage, and found they were a Spanish ship, bound from
the Rio de la Plata to the Havanna, being directed to leave their loading
there, which was chiefly hides and silver, and to bring back what European
goods they could meet with there; that they had five Portuguese seamen on
board, whom they took out of another wreck; that five of their own men
were drowned when first the ship was lost, and that these escaped through
infinite dangers and hazards, and arrived, almost starved, on the cannibal
coast, where they expected to have been devoured every moment. He told
me they had some arms with them, but they were perfectly useless, for that
they had neither powder nor ball, the washing of the sea having spoiled all
their powder but a little, which they used at their first landing to provide
themselves with some food.
I asked him what he thought 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, their councils always ended in tears and despair.
I asked him how he thought they would receive a proposal from me, which
might tend towards an escape; and whether, if they were all here, it might

not be done. I told him with freedom, I feared mostly their treachery and ill-
usage of me, if I put my life in their hands; for that gratitude was no
inherent virtue in the nature of man, nor did men always square their
dealings by the obligations they had received so much as they did by the
advantages they expected. I told him it would be very hard that I should be
made the instrument of their deliverance, and that they should afterwards
make me their prisoner in New Spain, where an Englishman was certain to
be made a sacrifice, what necessity or what accident soever brought him
thither; and that I had rather be delivered up to the savages, and be
devoured alive, than fall into the merciless claws of the priests, and be
carried into the Inquisition. I added that, otherwise, I was persuaded, if they
were all here, we might, with so many hands, build a barque 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 candour 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
their solemn oath, that they should be absolutely under my direction 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 I should
agree to, and no other; and to be directed wholly and absolutely by my
orders till they were landed safely in such country as I intended, and that he
would bring a contract from them, under their hands, for that purpose. Then
he told me he would first swear to me himself that he would never stir from
me as long as he lived till I gave him orders; and that he would take my side
to the last drop of his blood, if there should happen the least breach of faith
among his countrymen. He told me they were all of them very civil, honest
men, and they were under the greatest distress imaginable, having neither
weapons nor clothes, nor any food, but at the mercy and discretion of the
savages; out of all hopes of ever returning to their own country; and that he
was sure, if I would undertake their relief, they would live and die by me.

Upon these assurances, I resolved to venture to relieve them, if possible,
and to send the old savage and this Spaniard over to them to treat. But when
we had got all things in readiness to go, the Spaniard himself started an
objection, which had so much prudence in it on one hand, and so much
sincerity on the other hand, that I could not but be very well satisfied in it;
and, by his advice, put off the deliverance of his comrades for at least half a
year. The case was thus: he had been with us now about a month, during
which time I had let him see in what manner I had provided, with the
assistance of Providence, for my support; and he saw evidently what stock
of corn and rice I had laid up; which, though it was more than sufficient for
myself, yet it was not sufficient, without good husbandry, for my family,
now it was increased to four; but much less would it be sufficient if his
countrymen, who were, as he said, sixteen, still alive, should come over;
and least of all would it be sufficient to victual our vessel, if we should
build one, for a voyage to any of the Christian colonies of America; so he
told me he thought it would be more advisable to let him and the other two
dig and cultivate 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 countrymen, when they should come; for want might be a temptation to
them to disagree, or not to think themselves delivered, otherwise than out of
one difficulty into another. “You know,” says he, “the children of Israel,
though they rejoiced at first for their being delivered out of Egypt, yet
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 I could not
but be very well pleased with his proposal, as well as I was satisfied with
his fidelity; so we fell to digging, all four of us, as well as the wooden tools
we were furnished with permitted; and in about a month’s time, by the end
of which it was seed-time, we had got as much land cured and trimmed up
as we sowed two-and-twenty bushels of barley on, and sixteen jars of rice,
which was, in short, all the seed we had to spare: indeed, we left ourselves
barely sufficient, for our own food for the six months that we had to expect
our crop; that is to say reckoning from the time we set our seed aside for
sowing; for it is not to be supposed it is six months in the ground in that
country.
Having now society enough, and our numbers being sufficient to put us
out of fear of the savages, if they had come, unless their number had been

very great, we went freely all over the island, whenever we found occasion;
and as we had our escape or deliverance upon our thoughts, it was
impossible, at least for me, to have the means of it out of mine. For this
purpose I marked out several trees, which I thought fit for our work, and I
set Friday and his father to cut them down; and then I caused the Spaniard,
to whom I 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 made about a
dozen large planks, of good oak, near two feet broad, thirty-five feet long,
and from two inches to four inches thick: what prodigious labour it took up
any one may imagine.
At the same time I contrived to increase my little flock 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 believe, had we been at
Alicant, where the raisins of the sun are cured, we could have filled sixty or
eighty barrels; and these, with our bread, formed a great part of our food—
very good living too, I assure you, for they are exceedingly nourishing.
It was now harvest, and our crop in good order: it was not the most
plentiful increase I had seen in the island, but, however, it was enough to
answer our end; for from twenty-two bushels of barley we brought in and
thrashed out above two hundred and twenty bushels; and the like in
proportion of the rice; which was store enough for our food to the next
harvest, though all the sixteen Spaniards had been on shore with me; or, if
we had been ready for a voyage, it would very plentifully have victualled
our ship to have carried us to any part of the world; that is to say, any part
of America. When we had thus housed and secured our magazine of corn,
we fell to work to make more wicker-ware, viz. great baskets, in which we
kept it; and the Spaniard was very handy and dexterous at this part, and
often blamed me that I did not make some things for defence of this kind of
work; but I saw no need of it.
And now, having a full supply of food for all the guests I expected, I gave
the Spaniard leave to go over to the main, to see what he could do with

those he had left behind him there. I gave him a strict charge not to bring
any man who would not first swear in the presence of himself and the old
savage that he would in no way injure, fight with, or attack the person he
should find in the island, who was so kind as to send for them in order to
their deliverance; but that they would stand by him and defend him against
all such attempts, and wherever they went would be entirely under and
subjected to his command; and that this should be put in writing, and signed
in their hands. How they were to have done this, when I knew they had
neither pen nor ink, was a question which we never asked. Under these
instructions, the Spaniard and the old savage, the father of Friday, went
away in one of the canoes which they might be said to have 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 first measures used by me in view of
my deliverance for now twenty-seven years and some days. I gave them
provisions of bread and of dried grapes, sufficient for themselves for many
days, and sufficient for all the Spaniards—for about eight days’ time; and
wishing them a good voyage, I saw them go, agreeing with them about a
signal they should hang out at their return, by which I should know them
again when they came back, at a distance, before they came on shore. They
went away with a fair gale on the day that the moon was at full, by my
account in the month of October; but as for an exact reckoning of days,
after I had once lost it I could never recover it again; nor had I kept even the
number of years so punctually as to be sure I was right; though, as it proved
when I afterwards examined my account, I found I had kept a true
reckoning of years.
It was no less than eight days I had waited for them, when a strange and
unforeseen accident intervened, of which the like has not, perhaps, been
heard of in history. I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning, when my
man Friday came running in to me, and called aloud, “Master, master, they
are come, they are come!” I jumped up, and regardless of danger I went, as
soon as I could get my clothes on, through my little grove, which, by the
way, was by this time grown to be a very thick wood; I say, regardless of
danger I went without my arms, which was not my custom to do; but I was
surprised when, turning my eyes to the sea, I presently saw a boat at about a

league and a half distance, standing in for the shore, with a shoulder-of-
mutton sail, as they call it, and the wind blowing pretty fair to bring them
in: also I observed, presently, that 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 him lie close, for these were not the people we
looked for, and that we might not know yet whether they were friends or
enemies. In the next place I went in to fetch my perspective glass to see
what I could make of them; and having taken the ladder out, I climbed up to
the top of the hill, as I used to do when I was apprehensive of anything, and
to take my view the plainer without being discovered. I had scarce set my
foot upon the hill when my eye plainly discovered a ship lying at anchor, at
about two leagues and a half distance from me, SSE., 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 I had reason to believe was manned by my own countrymen,
and consequently friends, was such as I cannot describe; but yet I had some
secret doubts hung about me—I cannot tell from whence they came—
bidding me keep upon my guard. In the first place, it occurred to me to
consider what business an English ship could have in that part of the world,
since it was not the way to or from any part of the world where the English
had any traffic; and I knew there had been no storms to drive them in there
in distress; and that if they were really English it was most probable that
they were here upon no good design; and that I had better continue as I was
than fall into the hands of thieves and murderers.
Let no man despise the secret hints and notices of danger which
sometimes are given him when he may think there is no possibility of its
being real. That such hints and notices are given us I believe few that have
made any observation of things can deny; that they are certain discoveries
of an invisible world, and a converse of spirits, we cannot doubt; and if the
tendency of them seems to be to warn us of danger, why should we not
suppose they are from some friendly agent (whether supreme, or inferior
and subordinate, is not the question), and that they are given for our good?
The present question abundantly confirms me in the justice of this
reasoning; for had I not been made cautious by this secret admonition, come
it from whence it will, I had been done inevitably, and in a far worse

condition than before, as you will see presently. I had not kept myself long
in this posture till I saw the boat draw near the shore, as if they looked for a
creek to thrust in at, for the convenience of landing; however, as they did
not come quite far enough, they did not see the little inlet where I formerly
landed my rafts, but ran their boat on shore upon the beach, at about half a
mile from me, which was very happy for me; for otherwise they would have
landed just at my door, as I may say, and would soon have beaten me out of
my castle, and perhaps have plundered me of all I had. When they were on
shore I was fully satisfied they were Englishmen, at least most of them; one
or two I thought were Dutch, but it did not prove so; there were in all eleven
men, whereof three of them I found were unarmed and, as I thought, bound;
and when the first four or five of them were jumped on shore, they took
those three out of the boat as prisoners: one of the three I could perceive
using the most passionate gestures of entreaty, affliction, and despair, even
to a kind of extravagance; the other two, I could perceive, lifted up their
hands sometimes, and appeared concerned indeed, but not to such a degree
as the first. I was perfectly confounded at the sight, and knew not what the
meaning of it should be. Friday called out to me in English, as well as he
could, “O master! you see English mans eat prisoner as well as savage
mans.” “Why, Friday,” says I, “do you think they are going to eat them,
then?” “Yes,” says Friday, “they will eat them.” “No no,” says I, “Friday; I
am afraid they will murder them, indeed; but you may be sure they will not
eat them.”
All this while I had no thought of what the matter really was, but stood
trembling with the horror of the sight, expecting every moment when the
three prisoners should be killed; nay, once I saw one of the villains lift up
his arm with a great cutlass, as the seamen call it, or sword, to strike one of
the poor men; and I expected to see him fall every moment; at which all the
blood in my body seemed to run chill in my veins. I wished heartily now for
the Spaniard, and the savage that had 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 firearms 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, I observed the fellows run scattering
about the island, as if they wanted to see the country. I observed that the
three other men had liberty to go also where they pleased; but they sat down
all three upon the ground, very pensive, and looked like men in despair.

This put me in mind of the first time when I came on shore, and began to
look about me; how I gave myself over for lost; how wildly I looked round
me; what dreadful apprehensions I had; and how I lodged in the tree all
night for fear of being devoured by wild beasts. As I knew nothing that
night of the supply I was to receive by the providential driving of the ship
nearer the land by the storms and tide, by which I have since been so long
nourished and supported; so these three poor desolate men knew nothing
how certain of deliverance and supply they were, how near it was to them,
and how effectually and really they were in a condition of 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
sometimes are nearer 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 high-water when these people came on shore; and while
they rambled about to see what kind of a place they were in, they had
carelessly stayed till the tide was spent, and the water was ebbed
considerably away, leaving their boat aground. They had left two men in the
boat, who, as I found afterwards, having drunk a little too much brandy, fell
asleep; however, one of them waking a little sooner than the other and
finding the boat too fast aground for him to stir it, 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 launch her, the boat being very heavy, and
the shore on that side being a soft oozy sand, almost like a quicksand. In
this condition, like true seamen, who are, perhaps, the least of all mankind
given to forethought, they gave it over, and away they strolled about the
country again; and I heard one of them say aloud to another, calling them
off from the boat, “Why, let her alone, Jack, can’t you? she’ll float next
tide;” by which I was fully confirmed in the main inquiry of what
countrymen they were. All this while I kept myself very close, not once
daring to stir out of my castle any farther than to my place of observation
near the top of the hill: and very glad I was to think how well it was
fortified. I knew it was no less than ten hours before the boat could float
again, and by that time it would be dark, and I might be at more liberty to

see their motions, and to hear their discourse, if they had any. In the
meantime I fitted myself up for a battle as before, though with more
caution, knowing I had to do with another kind of enemy than I had at first.
I ordered Friday also, whom I had made an excellent marksman with his
gun, to load himself with arms. I took myself two fowling-pieces, and I
gave him three muskets. My figure, indeed, was very fierce; I had my
formidable goat-skin coat on, with the great cap I have mentioned, a naked
sword by my side, two pistols in my belt, and a gun upon each shoulder.
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 they
were all gone straggling into the woods, and, as I thought, laid down to
sleep. The three poor distressed men, too anxious for their condition to get
any sleep, had, however, sat down under the shelter of a great tree, at about
a quarter of a mile from me, and, as I thought, out of sight of any of the rest.
Upon this I resolved to discover myself to them, and learn something of
their condition; immediately I marched as above, my man Friday at a good
distance behind me, as formidable for his arms as I, but not making quite so
staring a spectre-like figure as I did. I came as near them undiscovered as I
could, and then, before any of them saw me, I called aloud to them in
Spanish, “What are ye, gentlemen?” They started up at the noise, but were
ten times more confounded when they saw me, and the uncouth figure that I
made. They made no answer at all, but I thought I perceived them just going
to fly from me, when I spoke to them in English. “Gentlemen,” said I, “do
not be surprised at me; perhaps you may have a friend near when you did
not expect it.” “He must be sent directly from heaven then,” said one of
them very gravely to me, and pulling off his hat at the same time to me; “for
our condition is past the help of man.” “All help is from heaven, sir,” said I,
“but can you put a stranger in the way to help you? for you seem to be in
some great distress. I saw you when you landed; and when you seemed to
make application to the brutes that came with you, I saw one of them lift up
his sword to kill you.”
The poor man, with tears running down his face, and trembling, looking
like one astonished, returned, “Am I talking to God or man? Is it a real man
or an angel?” “Be in no fear about that, sir,” said I; “if God had sent an
angel to relieve you, he would have come better clothed, and armed after
another manner than you see me; pray lay aside your fears; I am a man, an
Englishman, and disposed to assist you; you see I have one servant only; we

have arms and ammunition; tell us freely, can we serve you? What is your
case?” “Our case, sir,” said he, “is too long to tell you while our murderers
are so near us; but, in short, sir, I was commander of that ship—my men
have mutinied against me; they have been hardly prevailed on not to murder
me, and, at last, have set me on shore in this desolate place, with these two
men with me—one my mate, the other a passenger—where we expected to
perish, believing the place to be uninhabited, and know not yet what to
think of it.” “Where are these brutes, your enemies?” said I; “do you know
where they are gone?” “There they lie, sir,” said he, 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 firearms?”
said I. He answered, “They had only two pieces, one of which they left in
the boat.” “Well, then,” said I, “leave the rest to me; I see they are all
asleep; it is an easy thing to kill them all; but shall we rather take them
prisoners?” He told me there were two desperate villains among them that it
was scarce safe to show any mercy to; but if they were secured, he believed
all the rest would return to their duty. I asked him which they were. He told
me he could not at that distance distinguish them, but he would obey my
orders in anything 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, are you
willing to make two conditions with me?” He anticipated my proposals by
telling me that both he and the ship, if recovered, should be wholly directed
and commanded by me in everything; and if the ship was not recovered, he
would live and die with me in what part of the world soever I would send
him; and the two other men said the same. “Well,” says I, “my conditions
are but two; 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 meantime be governed by my orders; secondly,
that if the ship is or may be recovered, you will carry me and my man to
England passage free.”
He gave me all the assurances that the invention or faith of man could
devise that he would comply with these most reasonable demands, and
besides would owe his life to me, and acknowledge it upon all occasions as
long as he lived. “Well, then,” said I, “here are three muskets for you, with

powder and ball; tell me next what you think is proper to be done.” He
showed all the testimonies of his gratitude that he was able, but offered to
be wholly guided by me. I told him I thought it was very hard venturing
anything; but the best method I could think of was to fire on them at once as
they lay, and if any were not killed at the first volley, and offered to submit,
we might save them, and so put it wholly upon God’s providence to direct
the shot. He said, very modestly, that he was loath to kill them if he could
help it; but that those two were incorrigible villains, and had been the
authors of all the mutiny in the ship, and if they escaped, we should be
undone still, for they would go on board and bring the whole ship’s
company, and destroy us all. “Well, then,” says I, “necessity legitimates my
advice, for it is the only way to save our lives.” However, seeing him still
cautious of shedding blood, I told him they should go themselves, and
manage as they found convenient.
In the middle of this discourse we heard some of them awake, and soon
after we saw two of them on their feet. I asked him if either of them were
the heads of the mutiny? He said, “No.” “Well, then,” said I, “you may let
them escape; and Providence seems to have awakened them on purpose to
save themselves. Now,” says I, “if the rest escape you, it is your fault.”
Animated with this, he took the musket I had given him in his hand, and a
pistol in his belt, and his two comrades with him, with each a piece in his
hand; the two men who were with him going first made some noise, at
which one of the seamen who was awake turned about, and seeing them
coming, cried out to the rest; but was too late then, for the moment he cried
out they fired—I mean the two men, the captain wisely reserving his own
piece. They had so well aimed their shot at the men they knew, that one of
them was killed on the spot, and the other very much wounded; but not
being dead, he started up on his feet, and called eagerly for help to the
other; but the captain stepping to him, told him it was too late to cry for
help, he should call upon God to forgive his villainy, 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 slightly
wounded. By this time I was come; and when they saw their danger, and
that it was in vain to resist, they begged for mercy. The captain told them he
would spare their lives if they would give him an assurance of their
abhorrence of the treachery they had been guilty of, and would swear to be
faithful to him in recovering the ship, and afterwards in carrying her back to

Jamaica, from whence they came. They gave him all the protestations of
their sincerity that could be desired; and he was willing to believe them, and
spare their lives, which I was not against, only that I obliged him to keep
them bound hand and foot while they were on the island.
While this was doing, I sent Friday with the captain’s mate to the boat
with orders to secure her, and bring away the oars and sails, which they did;
and by-and-by three straggling men, that were (happily for them) parted
from the rest, came back upon hearing the guns fired; and seeing the
captain, who was before their prisoner, now their conqueror, they submitted
to be bound also; and so our victory was complete.
It now remained that the captain and I should inquire into one another’s
circumstances. I began first, and told him my whole history, which he heard
with an attention even to amazement—and particularly at the wonderful
manner of my being furnished with provisions and ammunition; and,
indeed, as my story is a whole collection of wonders, it affected him deeply.
But when he reflected from thence upon himself, and how I seemed to have
been preserved there on purpose to save his life, the tears ran down his face,
and he could not speak a word more. After this communication was at an
end, I carried him and his two men into my apartment, leading them in just
where I came out, viz. at the top of the house, where I refreshed them with
such provisions as I had, and showed them all the contrivances I had made
during my long, long inhabiting that place.
All I showed them, all I said to them, was perfectly amazing; but above
all, the captain admired my fortification, and how perfectly I had concealed
my retreat with a grove of trees, which having been now planted nearly
twenty years, and the trees growing much faster than in England, was
become a little wood, so thick that it was impassable in any part of it but at
that one side where I had reserved my little winding passage into it. I told
him this was my castle and my residence, but that I had a seat in the
country, as most princes have, whither I could retreat upon occasion, and I
would show him that too another time; but at present our business was to
consider how to recover the ship. He agreed with me as to that, but told me
he was perfectly at a loss what measures to take, for that there were still six-
and-twenty hands on board, who, having entered into a cursed conspiracy,
by which they had all forfeited their lives to the law, would be hardened in
it now by desperation, and would carry it on, knowing that if they were

subdued they would be brought to the gallows as soon as they came to
England, or to any of the English colonies, and that, therefore, there would
be no attacking them with so small a number as we were.
I mused for some time on what he had said, and found it was a very
rational conclusion, and that therefore something was to be resolved on
speedily, as well to draw the men on board into some snare for their surprise
as to prevent their landing upon us, and destroying us. Upon this, it
presently occurred to me that in a little while the ship’s crew, wondering
what was become of their comrades and of the boat, would certainly come
on shore in their other boat to look for them, and that then, perhaps, they
might come armed, and be too strong for us: this he allowed to be rational.
Upon this, I told him the first thing we had to do was to stave the boat
which lay upon the beach, so that they might not carry her off, and taking
everything out of her, leave her so far useless as not to be fit to swim.
Accordingly, we went on board, took the arms which were left on board out
of her, and whatever else we found there—which was a bottle of brandy,
and another of rum, a few biscuit-cakes, a horn of powder, and a great lump
of sugar in a piece of canvas (the sugar was five or six pounds): all which
was very welcome to me, especially the brandy and sugar, of which I had
had none left for many years.
When we had carried all these things on shore (the oars, mast, sail, and
rudder of the boat were carried away before), we knocked a great 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 again fit 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.

CHAPTER XVIII.
THE SHIP RECOVERED

While we were thus preparing our designs, and had first, by main
strength, heaved the boat upon the beach, so high that the tide would not
float her off at high-water mark, and besides, had broke a hole in her bottom
too big to be quickly stopped, and were set down musing what we should
do, we heard the ship fire a gun, and make a waft with her ensign as a signal
for the boat to come on board—but no boat stirred; and they fired several
times, making other signals for the boat. At last, when all their signals and
firing proved fruitless, and they found the boat did not stir, we saw them, by
the help of my glasses, hoist another boat out and row towards the shore;
and we found, as they approached, that there were no less than ten men in
her, and that they had firearms with them.
As the ship lay almost two leagues from the shore, we had a full view of
them as they came, and a plain sight even of their faces; because the tide
having set them a little to the 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, I say, we had a full view of them, and the captain
knew the persons and characters of all the men in the boat, of whom, he
said, there were three very honest fellows, who, he was sure, were led into
this conspiracy by the rest, being over-powered 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 powerful for us. I smiled at him, and told him
that men in our circumstances were past the operation of fear; that seeing
almost every condition that could be was better than that which we were
supposed to be in, we ought to expect that the consequence, whether death
or life, would be sure to be a 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 your belief of my being
preserved here on purpose to save your life, which elevated you a little
while ago? For my part,” said I, “there seems to be but one thing amiss in
all the prospect of it.” “What is that?” say he. “Why,” said I, “it is, that as
you say there are three or four honest fellows among them which should be
spared, had they been all of the wicked part of the crew I should have
thought God’s providence had singled them out to deliver them into your
hands; for depend upon it, every man that comes ashore is our own, and
shall die or live as they behave to us.” As I spoke this with a raised voice
and cheerful countenance, I found it greatly encouraged him; so we set
vigorously to our business.
We had, upon the first appearance of the boat’s coming from the ship,
considered of separating our prisoners; and we had, indeed, secured them
effectually. Two of them, of whom the captain was less assured than
ordinary, I sent with Friday, and one of the three delivered men, to my cave,
where they were remote enough, and out of danger of being heard or
discovered, or of finding their way out of the woods if they could have
delivered themselves. Here they left them bound, but gave them provisions;
and promised them, if they continued there quietly, to give them their
liberty in a day or two; but that if they attempted their escape they should be
put to death without mercy. They promised faithfully to bear their
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 their 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 able to trust them; but the other two
were taken into my service, upon the captain’s recommendation, and upon
their solemnly engaging to live and die with us; so with them and the three
honest men we were seven men, well armed; and I made no doubt we
should be able to deal well enough with the ten that were coming,
considering that the captain had said there were three or four honest men
among them also. As soon as they got to the place where their other boat
lay, they ran their boat into the beach and came all on shore, hauling the
boat up after them, which I was glad to see, for I was afraid they would
rather have left the boat at an anchor some distance from the shore, with