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
CHAPTER IV . FIRST WEEKS ON THE ISLAND
Robinson Crusoe
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
saying." 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.
CHAPTER IV . FIRST WEEKS ON THE ISLAND
Robinson Crusoe
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 he 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.
CHAPTER IV . FIRST WEEKS ON THE ISLAND
Robinson Crusoe
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
