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
CHAPTER VII . AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Robinson Crusoe
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
CHAPTER VII . AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Robinson Crusoe
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, 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
CHAPTER VIII . SURVEYS HIS POSITION
Robinson Crusoe
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.yam, 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
