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
CHAPTER IV . FIRST WEEKS ON THE ISLAND
Robinson Crusoe
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 others 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 to 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
CHAPTER IV . FIRST WEEKS ON THE ISLAND
Robinson Crusoe
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 any 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
CHAPTER IV . FIRST WEEKS ON THE ISLAND
Robinson Crusoe
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
