The Life & Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe Part-8

 

The Life & Adventures Of  Robinson Crusoe Part-8

Several times I was obliged to land for fresh Water, after

we had left this Place; and once in particular, being early in

the Morning, we came to an Anchor under a little Point of

Land which was pretty high, and the Tide beginning to

flow, we lay still to go farther in; Xury, whose Eyes were

more about him than it seems mine were, calls softly to me,

and tells me that we had best go farther off the Shoar; for,

says he, look yonder lies a dreadful Monster on the side of

that Hillock fast asleep: 

I look'd where he pointed, and saw a dreadful Monster indeed, for it was a terrible great Lyon that lay on the Side of the Shoar, under the Shade of a Piece of the Hill that hung as it were a little over him.

 

Xury, says I, you shall go on Shoar and kill him; Xury look'd

frighted, and said, Me kill! he eat me at one Mouth; one

Mouthful he meant; however, I said no more to the Boy, 

but bad him lye still, and I took our biggest Gun, which was

almost Musquet-bore, and loaded it with a good Charge of poder,

for ten or twelve Days, living very sparing on our Provisions,

which began to abate very much, and going no oftner into

the Shoar than we were oblig'd to for fresh Water; my

Design in this was to make the River Gambia or Sennegall,

that is to say, any where about the Cape de Verd, where I

was in hopes to meet with some European Ship, and if I

did not, I knew not what Course I had to take, but to seek

out for the Islands, or perish there among the Negroes. 

I knew that all the Ships from Europe, which sail'd either to

the Coast of Guiney, or to Brasil, or to the East-Indies, made

this Cape or those Islands; and in a word, I put the whole of

my Fortune upon this single Point, either that I must meet

with some Ship, or must perish.

When I had pursued this Resolution about ten Days

longer, as I have said, I began to see that the Land was

inhabited, and in two or three Places as we sailed by, we saw

People stand upon the Shoar to look at us, we could also

perceive they were quite Black and Stark-naked. 

I was once inclin'd to ha' gone on Shoar to them; but Xury was my better Councellor, and said to me, no go, no go; however I hal'd in nearer the Shoar that I might talk to them, and I found they run along the Shoar by me a good way, I observ'd they had no Weapons in their Hands, except one who had a long slender Stick, which Xury said was a Lance, and that they would throw them a great way with good aim;

 

so I kept at a distance, but talk'd with them by Signs as well as I could, and particularly made Signs for some thing to Eat, they beckon'd to me to stop my Boat, and that they would fetch me some Meat; upon this I lower'd the top of my Sail, and lay by, and two of them run up into the Country, and in less than half an Hour came back and brought with them two Pieces of dry Flesh and some Corn, such as is the Produce of their Country, but we neither knew what the one and with two Slugs, and laid it down; then I loaded another Gun with two Bullets, and the third, for we had three Pieces, I loaded with five smaller Bullets. 

I took the best aim I could with the first Piece to have shot him into the Head, but he lay so with his Leg rais'd a little above his Nose, that the Slugs hit his Leg about the Knee, and broke the Bone.

 He started up growling at first, but finding his Leg broke fell down again, and then got up upon three Legs and gave the most hideous Roar that ever I heard; I was a little suppriz'd that I had not hit him on the Head; however I took up the second Piece immediately, and tho' he began to move off fir'd again, and shot him into the Head, and had the Pleasure to see him drop, and make but little Noise, but

lay struggling for Life. 

Then Xury took Heart, and would have me let him go on Shoar: Well, go said I, so the Boy jump'd into the Water, and taking a little Gun in one Hand swam to Shoar with the other Hand, and coming close to the Creature, put the Muzzle of the Piece to his Ear, and shot him into the Head again which dispatch'd him quite.

This was Game indeed to us, but this was no Food, and I was very sorry to lose three Charges of Powder and Shot upon a Creature that was good for nothing to us.

 However Xury said he would have some of him; so he comes on

board, and ask'd me to give him the Hatchet; for what, Xury, said I? Me cut off his Head, said he. However Xury could not cut off his Head, but he cut off a Foot and brought it with him, and it was a monstrous great one.

I bethought my self however, that perhaps the Skin of him might one way or other be of some Value to us; and I resolved to take off his Skin if I could. So Xury and I went to work with him; but Xury was much the better Workman at it, for I knew very ill how to do it. Indeed it took us up both the whole Day, but at last we got off the Hide of him,

and spreading it on the top of our Cabbin, the Sun effectually dried it in two Days time, and it afterwards serv'd me to lye upon.

After this Stop we made on to the Southward continually for ten or twelve days,  and went and stood a great way off till we fetch'd it on Board, and then came close to us again.

We made Signs of Thanks to them, for we had nothing to make them amends; but an Opportunity offer'd that very lying Instant to oblige them wonderfully, for while we were by the Shore, came two mighty Creatures one pursuing the other, (as we took it) with great Fury, from the Mountains towards the Sea; whether it was the Male pursuing the

Female, or whether they were in Sport or in Rage, we could not tell, any more than we could tell whether it was usual or strange, but I believe it was the latter; because in the firs Place, those ravenous Creatures seldom appear but in the Night; and in the second Place, we found the People terribly Lance or Dart did not fly from them, but the rest did; how-frighted, especially the Women. 

The Man that had the ever as the two Creatures ran directly into the Water, they did not seem to offer to fall upon any of the Negroes, but plung'd themselves into the Sea and swam about as if they had come for their Diversion; at last one of them began to come nearer our Boat than at first I expected, but I lay ready for him, for I had loaded my Gun with all possible Expedi-tion,

 and bad Xury load both the other; as soon as he came fairly within my reach, I fir'd, and shot him directly into the Head; immediately he sunk down into the Water, but rose instantly and plung'd up and down as if he was struggling for Life; and so indeed he was, he immediately made to the Shore, but between the Wound which was his mortal Hurt, and the strangling of the Water, he dyed just before he reach'd the Shore