The Life & Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe Part-22 the story

 

The Life & Adventures Of  Robinson Crusoe Part-22 the story

Side of a Bank of hard Sand, or rather Earth, that her Stern

the Bank, and her Head low almost to

lay

lifted up upon

was

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 spoil'd and what

s free; and first I found that all the Ship's Provisions

were dry and untouch'd by the Water, and being very well

dispos'd to eat, I went to the Bread-room and fill'd my

Pockets with Bisket, and eat it as I went about other things,

for I had no time to lose; I also found some Rum in the

great Cabbin, 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 my self with

many things which I forsaw 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 rouz'd my Application; we had

several spare Yards, and two or three large sparrs of Wood,

and a spare Top-mast or two in the Ship; I resolv'd to fall

to work with these, and I flung as many of them over board 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

ty'd four of them fast together at both Ends as well as I

could, in the Form of a Raft, and laying two or three short

Pieces of Plank upon them cross-ways, 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 the Carpenter's Saw I cut a spare Top-mast into three

Lengths, and added them to my Raft, with a great deal of

Labour and Pains, but hope of furnishing my self with

I have been able to have done upon another Occasion.

Necessaries, encourag'd me to go beyond what I should

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 Plank or

Boards upon it that I could get, and having consider'd well 

what I most wanted, I first got three of the Seamens Chests,

which I had broken open and empty'd, and lower'd them

down upon my Raft; the first of these I fill'd with Provision,

viz. Bread, Rice, three Dutch Cheeses, five Pieces of dry'd

Goat's Flesh, which we liv'd much upon, and a little Re-

mainder of European Corn which had been laid by for some

Fowls which we brought to Sea with us, but the Fowls

were kill'd; there had been some Barly and Wheat together,

but, to my great Disappointment, I found afterwards that

the Rats had eaten or spoil'd 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 stow'd by themselves, there being

no need to put them into the Chest, nor no room for them.

While I was doing this, I found the Tyde began to flow, tho'

very calm, and I had the Mortification to see my Coat, Shirt,

and Wast-coat which I had left on Shore upon the Sand,

swim away; as for my Breeches which were only Linnen and

open knee'd, I swam on board in them and my Stockings:

However this put me upon rummaging for Clothes, of which

I found enough, but took no more than I wanted for present

use, for I had other 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 Ship Loading of Gold would have been at

that time; I got it down to my Raft, even whole as it was,

without losing time to look into it, for I knew in general

 

what it contain'd.

My next Care was for some Ammunition and Arms; there

were two very good Fowling-pieces in the great Cabbin, and

two Pistols, these2 I secur'd 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 stow'd 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 my self pretty well freighted, and began

Sail, Oar, or Rudder, and the least Cap full of Wind would

to think how I should get to Shore with them, having neither

have overset all my Navigation.

 

had three Encouragements, 1. A smooth calm Sea, 2.

The Tide rising and setting in to the Shore, 3. 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, and 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 perceiv'd that there

was some Indraft of the Water, and consequently I hop'd 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 imagin'd, so it was, there appear'd 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

I have suffer'd a second Shipwreck, which, if I had, I think

verily would have broke my Heart, for knowing nothing of

the Coast, my Raft run a-ground at one End of it upon a

Shoal, and not being a-ground at the other End, it wanted

but a little that all my Cargo had slip'd off towards that

End that was a-float, and so fall'n 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, 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 floated again, and I

thrust her off with the Oar I had, into the Channel, and then

driving up higher, I at length found my self in the Mouth of

a little River, with Land on both Sides, and a strong Current

or Tide running up, I look'd on both Sides for a proper