The Life & Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe Part-23 the story

 

The Life & Adventures Of  Robinson Crusoe Part-23 the story

Place to get to Shore, for I was not willing to be driven too

and therefore resolv'd to place my self as near the Coast as

high up the River, hoping in time to see some Ship at Sea,

At length I spy'd 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, as that, reaching Ground with

my Oar, I could thrust her directly in, but here I had like

to have dipt all my Cargo in the Sea again; for that Shore

lying pretty steep, that is to say sloping, there was no Place

Shore,

to land, but where one End of my Float, if it run on

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 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 on upon that flat Piece of Ground, and there

fasten'd or mor'd 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 ebb'd

away, and left my Raft and all my Cargoe 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 seem'd

of

from it

northward; I took out one of the fowling Pieces, and one

the Pistols, and an Horn of Powder, and thus arm'd I

travell'd for Discovery up to the Top of that Hill, where

after I had with great Labour and Difficulty got to the Top,

Island environ'd 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, un-inhabited, except by wild

Beasts, of whom however I saw none, yet I saw Abundance

of Fowls, but knew not their Kinds, neither when I kill'd

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 fir'd there since the Creation of

the World; I had no sooner fir'd, but from all the Parts of

the Wood there arose an innumerable Number of Fowls of

many Sorts, making a confus'd Screaming, and crying every

one according to his usual Note; but not one of them of any

Kind that I knew: As for the Creature I kill'd, I took it to be

a Kind of a Hawk, its Colour and Beak resembling it, but

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 Cargoe on Shore, which took

me up the rest of that Day, and what to do with my self 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, tho', as I afterwards found, there

was really no Need for those Fears.

However,

as well as I could, I barricado'd my self round

with the Chests and Boards that I had brought on Shore,

and made a Kind of a Hut for that Night's Lodging; as for

Food, I yet saw not which Way to supply my self, 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 resolv'd to make

on Board the Vessel, if possible; and as I 

knew that the first Storm that blew must necessarily break

her all in Pieces, I resolv'd to set all other Things apart, 'till

get;

then I

I got every Thing out of the Ship that I could

call'd a Council, that is to say, in my Thoughts, whether

so I resolv'd to go as before, when the Tide was down, and

I should take back the Raft, but this appear'd impracticable;

I did so, only that I stripp'd before I went from my Hut,

having nothing on but a Chequer'd Shirt, and a Pair of

Linnen Drawers, and a Pair of Pumps on my Feet.

ROBINSON CRUSOE

I got on Board the Ship, as before, and prepar'd a second

Raft, and having had Experience of the first, I neither made

this so unweildy, nor loaded it so hard, but yet I brought

away several Things very useful to me; as first, in the

Carpenter's Stores I found two or three Bags full of Nails

and Spikes, a great Skrew-Jack,¹ a Dozen or two of Hatchets,

and above all, that most useful Thing call'd a Grindstone;

all these I secur'd together, with several Things belonging

to the Gunner, particularly two or three Iron Crows, 2 and

two Barrels of Musquet Bullets, seven Musquets, and another

fowling Piece, with some small Quantity of Powder more;

a large Bag full of small Shot, and a great Roll of Sheet

Lead: But this last was so heavy, I could not hoise it up to

get it over the Ship's Side.

Besides these Things, I took all the Mens Cloths that I

could find, and a spare Fore-top-sail, 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 Apprehensions during my Absence

from the Land, that at least my Provisions might be devour'd

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 compos'd,

and unconcern'd, and look'd full in my Face,

a Mind to be acquainted with me, I presented my Gun at

as

if she had

at it, nor did she offer to stir away; upon which 

I toss'd her a Bit of Bisket, tho' by the Way I was not very

Store was not great: However, I spar'd her

my

free of it, for

look'd (as pleas'd) for more, but I thank'd her, and could

a Bit, I say, and she went to it, smell'd of it, and ate it, and

spare no more; so she march'd off.

Having got my second Cargoe on Shore, tho' I was fain¹

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 every

Thing 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 block'd up the Door of the Tent

with some Boards within, and an empty Chest set up an

End2 without, and spreading one of the Beds upon the

Ground, laying my two Pistols just at my Head, and 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 labour'd very

hard all Day, as well to fetch all those Things from the Ship,

as to get them on Shore.

I had the biggest Maggazin of all Kinds now that ever

were laid up, I believe, for one Man, but I was not satisfy'd

still; for while the Ship sat upright in that Posture, I thought

I ought to get every Thing out of her that I could; so every

Day at low Water I went on Board, and brought away some

Thing 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 Canvass, which was to mend the Sails upon

Occasion, the Barrel of wet Gun-powder: 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 meer

Canvass only.