August 14, 2025 • 31 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter ten Thames 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
(00:21):
employed in, besides my yearly labor 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 labor
and my daily pursuit of going out with my gun,
(00:43):
I had one labor 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,
(01:06):
how I should be able to launch it. Never being
able to bring it to 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 proper tree for it, and
was in a place where I could not get the
(01:29):
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 labor in hopes of having a
boat to go off to sea at last. However, though
(01:52):
my little periogua 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 smallest on my boat
assisted to put an end to that design, and now
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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
(02:36):
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
(03:00):
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, etc. Into,
to be kept dry, either from rain or the spray
(03:22):
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
(03:43):
sun off me, like an awning. And thus I took
every now and then a little voyage upon the sea,
but never went out far, not far from the little creek.
At last, being eager to view the circumference of my
little kingdom, I resolved upon my crewise, and accordingly I
(04:04):
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 food. I ate
a good deal of a little bottle of rum, half
a goat, and powder and shot for killing more, and
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two large watchcoats, 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 sixth of November,
in the sixth year of my reign or my captivity,
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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
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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 see, and above
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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
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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
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into it, I might be carried out to sea by
the strength of it, and not 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 of
the island, only that it set off at a further distance.
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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 there, however, two days, because the
wind blowing pretty fresh at east southeast, and that being
just contrary to the current, made a great breach of
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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,
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for no sooner was I come to the point when
I was not even my boat's linked 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
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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
(08:01):
sides of the island, I knew in a few leagues
distance they must join again. And then I was irrevocably 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 common enough, but
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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,
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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 me, and kind worse. Now
I looked back upon my desolate, solitary island as the
most pleasant place in the world, and all the happiness
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of my heart could wish for was to be there.
But once again I stretched out my hands to it
with eager wishes, Oh happy desert, said I, I shall
never see thee more, Oh miserable creature, Whither am I going?
Then I reproached myself with my unthankful temper, and that
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I had repined at my solitary condition. And now what
would I give to be on shore there again? Thus
we shall 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
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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
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till indeed my strength was almost exhausted, and kept my
boat as much as 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
(10:37):
of wind in my face, springing up from the south southeast.
This cheered my heart a little, and especially in about
half an hour more it blew a pretty gentle gale.
By this time I had got a frightful distance from
the island, and had the least cloudy or hazy weather intervened,
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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
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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.
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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 northeast. So the other returned
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by the repulse of the rocks, and made a strong
eddy which ran back again to the northwest with a
very sharp stream. They who know what it is to
have a reprieve brought to them upon the latter, or
to be rescued from thieves just going to murder them,
or who have been in such extremities, may guess what
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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
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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 sh 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
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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,
that is 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
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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,
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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
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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
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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. Been quite spent with the
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labor and fatigue of the voyage, I was now had
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,
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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,
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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 convenient
harbor for my boat, and where she lay as if
she had been in a little dock made on purpose
for her. Here I put in, and, having stowed my
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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 traveled on foot to that shore. So,
taking nothing out of my boat but my gun an umbrella,
for it was exceedingly hot, I began my march the
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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
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my limbs. For I was very weary and fell sleep.
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 Grizzo, or
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Robin Crusoe. Where are you, Robin Grusoe? Where are you?
Where have you been? I was so dead asleep at first,
being fatigued with rowing or 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.
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But as the voice continued to repeat, Robin Grisso, rob Grizzo,
at last I began to wait 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 pal sitting on the top of the hedge, and
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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 could sit upon my finger
and lay his bill close to my face, and cry,
for Robin Crusoe, Where are you? Where have you been?
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How came you here? In 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.
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But as I was well satisfied it could be nobody
but honest Paul, I got over it, and holding out
my hand and calling him by his name, Paul, the
sociable creature came to me and sat upon my thumb
as he used to do, and continued talking to me,
for Robin Crusoe, and how did I come here? And
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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 see 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
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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, in my very blood run chill,
but to think of it. And as to the other
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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 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
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contented myself to be without any boat, though I had
been the product of so many months labor 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
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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
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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
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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,
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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 forget them at first, not
thinking there was tobacco in the island. And afterwards, when
I searched the ship again, I could not come at
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any pipes in my wicker. Where 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
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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
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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
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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
my third year of being here, kept a kid and
bred her obtain, and I was in hopes of getting
a he goat, But I could not, by any means
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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,
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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,
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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
these pits I placed hurdles of my own making, too,
with a great weight upon them, and several times I
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put ears of barley and rice. Without setting the trap.
I could easily perceive 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 at the bait, eaten and gone. This was
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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
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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.
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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 little corn,
he would have been as tame as one of the kids,
for they are mighty, sagacious, tractable creatures where they are
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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,
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and they began to be came. And now I found
that if I expected to supply myself with goat's flesh
when I had no powder or shot left, breeding some
up tame was my only way, when perhaps I might
have them about my house like a flock of sheep.
But then it occurred to me that I must keep
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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 pail, to keep them
in so effectually that those within might not break out,
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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
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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 plane open
piece of meadowland or savannah as our people call it
in the western colonies, which had two or three little
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drills of fresh water in it, and at one end
was very well. I say they will smile at my
forecast when I shall tell them that I began by
enclosing this piece of ground in such a manner that
my headge or pale must have been at least two
miles about. Nor was the madness of it so great
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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.
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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 could have in
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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, I tethered the three kids and
the best part of it, and used them to feed
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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, bleeding after me for a handful of corn.
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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 several pieces of
ground to feed them in, with little pins to drive them,
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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
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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 that I had never milked a cow,
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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.
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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
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table was here? Spread from me in the wilderness, where
I saw nothing at first but to perish for hunger,
And of Chapter ten,
Chapter ten Thames 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
(00:21):
employed in, besides my yearly labor 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 labor
and my daily pursuit of going out with my gun,
(00:43):
I had one labor 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,
(01:06):
how I should be able to launch it. Never being
able to bring it to 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 proper tree for it, and
was in a place where I could not get the
(01:29):
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 labor in hopes of having a
boat to go off to sea at last. However, though
(01:52):
my little periogua 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 smallest on my boat
assisted to put an end to that design, and now
(02:14):
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
(02:36):
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
(03:00):
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, etc. Into,
to be kept dry, either from rain or the spray
(03:22):
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
(03:43):
sun off me, like an awning. And thus I took
every now and then a little voyage upon the sea,
but never went out far, not far from the little creek.
At last, being eager to view the circumference of my
little kingdom, I resolved upon my crewise, and accordingly I
(04:04):
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 food. I ate
a good deal of a little bottle of rum, half
a goat, and powder and shot for killing more, and
(04:24):
two large watchcoats, 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 sixth of November,
in the sixth year of my reign or my captivity,
(04:44):
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
(05:07):
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 see, and above
(05:27):
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
(05:49):
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
(06:12):
into it, I might be carried out to sea by
the strength of it, and not 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 of
the island, only that it set off at a further distance.
(06:32):
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 there, however, two days, because the
wind blowing pretty fresh at east southeast, and that being
just contrary to the current, made a great breach of
(06:54):
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,
(07:18):
for no sooner was I come to the point when
I was not even my boat's linked 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
(07:40):
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
(08:01):
sides of the island, I knew in a few leagues
distance they must join again. And then I was irrevocably 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 common enough, but
(08:23):
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,
(08:46):
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 me, and kind worse. Now
I looked back upon my desolate, solitary island as the
most pleasant place in the world, and all the happiness
(09:10):
of my heart could wish for was to be there.
But once again I stretched out my hands to it
with eager wishes, Oh happy desert, said I, I shall
never see thee more, Oh miserable creature, Whither am I going?
Then I reproached myself with my unthankful temper, and that
(09:34):
I had repined at my solitary condition. And now what
would I give to be on shore there again? Thus
we shall 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
(09:54):
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
(10:17):
till indeed my strength was almost exhausted, and kept my
boat as much as 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
(10:37):
of wind in my face, springing up from the south southeast.
This cheered my heart a little, and especially in about
half an hour more it blew a pretty gentle gale.
By this time I had got a frightful distance from
the island, and had the least cloudy or hazy weather intervened,
(10:58):
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
(11:18):
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.
(11:39):
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 northeast. So the other returned
(12:02):
by the repulse of the rocks, and made a strong
eddy which ran back again to the northwest with a
very sharp stream. They who know what it is to
have a reprieve brought to them upon the latter, or
to be rescued from thieves just going to murder them,
or who have been in such extremities, may guess what
(12:25):
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
(12:46):
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 sh 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
(13:10):
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,
that is 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
(13:32):
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,
(13:55):
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
(14:16):
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
(14:39):
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. Been quite spent with the
(15:01):
labor and fatigue of the voyage, I was now had
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,
(15:22):
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,
(15:47):
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 convenient
harbor for my boat, and where she lay as if
she had been in a little dock made on purpose
for her. Here I put in, and, having stowed my
(16:11):
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 traveled on foot to that shore. So,
taking nothing out of my boat but my gun an umbrella,
for it was exceedingly hot, I began my march the
(16:35):
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
(16:57):
my limbs. For I was very weary and fell sleep.
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 Grizzo, or
(17:18):
Robin Crusoe. Where are you, Robin Grusoe? Where are you?
Where have you been? I was so dead asleep at first,
being fatigued with rowing or 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.
(17:39):
But as the voice continued to repeat, Robin Grisso, rob Grizzo,
at last I began to wait 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 pal sitting on the top of the hedge, and
(18:01):
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 could sit upon my finger
and lay his bill close to my face, and cry,
for Robin Crusoe, Where are you? Where have you been?
(18:23):
How came you here? In 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.
(18:46):
But as I was well satisfied it could be nobody
but honest Paul, I got over it, and holding out
my hand and calling him by his name, Paul, the
sociable creature came to me and sat upon my thumb
as he used to do, and continued talking to me,
for Robin Crusoe, and how did I come here? And
(19:07):
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 see 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
(19:28):
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, in my very blood run chill,
but to think of it. And as to the other
(19:50):
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 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
(20:12):
contented myself to be without any boat, though I had
been the product of so many months labor 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
(20:36):
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
(21:00):
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
(21:22):
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,
(21:47):
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 forget them at first, not
thinking there was tobacco in the island. And afterwards, when
I searched the ship again, I could not come at
(22:08):
any pipes in my wicker. Where 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
(22:29):
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
(22:52):
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
(23:12):
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
my third year of being here, kept a kid and
bred her obtain, and I was in hopes of getting
a he goat, But I could not, by any means
(23:34):
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,
(23:57):
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,
(24:18):
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
these pits I placed hurdles of my own making, too,
with a great weight upon them, and several times I
(24:41):
put ears of barley and rice. Without setting the trap.
I could easily perceive 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 at the bait, eaten and gone. This was
(25:03):
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
(25:23):
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.
(25:45):
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 little corn,
he would have been as tame as one of the kids,
for they are mighty, sagacious, tractable creatures where they are
(26:09):
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,
(26:31):
and they began to be came. And now I found
that if I expected to supply myself with goat's flesh
when I had no powder or shot left, breeding some
up tame was my only way, when perhaps I might
have them about my house like a flock of sheep.
But then it occurred to me that I must keep
(26:53):
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 pail, to keep them
in so effectually that those within might not break out,
(27:13):
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
(27:35):
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 plane open
piece of meadowland or savannah as our people call it
in the western colonies, which had two or three little
(27:55):
drills of fresh water in it, and at one end
was very well. I say they will smile at my
forecast when I shall tell them that I began by
enclosing this piece of ground in such a manner that
my headge or pale must have been at least two
miles about. Nor was the madness of it so great
(28:18):
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.
(28:39):
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 could have in
(29:02):
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, I tethered the three kids and
the best part of it, and used them to feed
(29:24):
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, bleeding after me for a handful of corn.
(29:48):
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 several pieces of
ground to feed them in, with little pins to drive them,
(30:10):
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
(30:32):
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 that I had never milked a cow,
(30:52):
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.
(31:18):
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
(31:41):
table was here? Spread from me in the wilderness, where
I saw nothing at first but to perish for hunger,
And of Chapter ten,
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