The Life & Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe Part-4

 

The Life & Adventures Of  Robinson Crusoe Part-4

The Master, tho' vigilant to the Business of preserving the Ship, yet as he went in and out of several times, Lord be merciful to us, me shall be all lost, me his Cabbin by me, I could hear him softly to himself say

shall be all undone; and the like. During these first Hurries, stupid, lying still in my Cabbin, which was in the Steerage, and cannot describe my Temper: I could ill re- assume the first Penitence, which I had so apparently and harden'd trampled upon, my self against:

 I thought the Bitterness of Death had been past, and that this would be nothing too like the first. But when the Master himself came by me, as I said just now, and said we should be all lost, I s dreadfully frighted: I got up out of my Cabbin, and look'd out; but such a dismal Sight I never saw: The Sea went Mountains high, and broke upon us every three or four Minutes: 

When I could look about, I could see nothing but Distress round us: Two Ships that rid near us we found had cut their Masts by the Board, being deep loaden; and our Men cry'd out, that a Ship which rid about a Mile-Head of us was foundered. Two more Ships being driven from their Anchors, were run out of the Roads to Sea at all Adventures, and that was not a Mast standing. 

The light Ships fared the best, as not so much labouring in the Sea;but two or three of them drove, and came close by us, running away with only their Sprit-sail out before the Wind.

Towards Evening the Mate and Boat-Swain begg'd the Master of our Ship to let them cut away the Foremast, which he was very unwilling to: But the Boat-Swain protesting to him, that if he did not, the Ship would founder, he consented; and when they had cut away the Foremast, the Main-Mast stood so loose, and shook the Ship so much, they were obliged to cut her away also, and make a clear Deck.

Any one may judge what a Condition I must be in at all this, who was but a young Sailor, and who had been in such a Fright before at but a little. But if I can express at this Distance the Thoughts I had about me at that time, I was in tenfold more Horror of Mind upon Account of my former convictions .

And the having returned from them to the Resolutions I had wickedly taken at first, than I was at Death it self; and these added to the Terror of the Storm, no Words put me into such a Condition, that I can by

describe it. But the worst was not come yet, the Storm acknowledged they had never known a worse. We had a continued with such Fury, that the Seamen themselves good Ship, but she was deep loaden, and wallowed in the Sea, that the Seamen every now and then cried out, she would founder. It was my Advantage in one respect, that I did not know what they meant by Founder, till I enquir'd.

However, the Storm was so violent, that I saw what is not often seen, the Master, the Boat-Swain, and some others more sensible than the rest, at their Prayers, and expecting every Moment when the Ship would go to the Bottom. In the Middle of the Night, and under all the rest of our Distresses, one of the Men that had been down on Purpose to see, cried out we had sprung a Leak; another said there was four Foot Water in the Hold. 

Then all Hands were called to the Pump. At that very Word my Heart, as I thought, died within me, and I fell backwards upon the Side of my Bed where I sat, into the Cabbin. However, the Men roused me, and told me, that I that was able to do nothing before, was as well able to pump as another; at which I stirr'd up, and went to the Pump and work'd very heartily. 

While this was doing, the Master seeing some light Colliers, who not able to ride out the Storm, were oblig'd to slip and run away to Sea, and would come near us, ordered to fire a Gun as a Signal of Distress. I who knew noth-ing what that meant, was so surprised, that I thought the Ship had broke, or some dreadful thing had happen'd. In a word,

I was so surprised, that I fell down in a Swoon. As this was a time when every Body had his own Life to think of, no Body minded me, or what was become of me; but another Man stept up the Pump, and thrusting me aside with his Foot, let me lye, thinking I had been dead; and it was a great while before I came to my self.

We work'd on, but the Water encreasing in the Hold, it Storm began to abate a little, yet as it was not possible she was apparent that the Ship would founder, and tho' the continued firing Guns for Help; and a light Ship who had could swim till we might run into a Port, so the Master rid it out just a Head of us ventured a Boat out to help us.

It was with the utmost Hazard the Boat came near us, but it was impossible for us to get on Board, or for the Boat to lie near the Ship Side, till at last the Men rowing very heartily, and venturing their lives to save ours, our Men cast them a Rope over the Stern with a Buoy to it, and then vered it out a great Length, which they after great Labour

and Hazard took hold of and we hall'd¹ them close under our Stern and got all into their Boat. 

It was to no Purpose for them or us after we were in the Boat to think of reaching to their own Ship, so all agreed to let her drive and only to pull her in towards Shore as much as we could, and our Master

promised them, That if the Boat was stav'd upon Shore he would make it good to their Master, so partly rowing and partly driving our Boat went away to the Norward sloaping towards the Shore almost as far as Winterton Ness.

We were not much more than a quarter of an Hour out of our Ship but we saw her sink, and then I understood for the first time what was meant by a Ship foundering in the Sea; I must acknowledge I had hardly Eyes to look up when the Seamen told me she was sinking; for from that Moment they rather put me into the Boat than that I might be said to go in, my Heart was as it were dead within me, partly

with Fright, partly with Horror of Mind and the Thoughts of what was yet before me.

While we were in this Condition, the Men yet labouring at the Oar to bring the Boat near the Shore, we could see, when our Boat mounting the Waves, we were able to see the Shore, a great many People running along the Shore to assist us when we should come near, but we made but slow way towards the Shore, nor were we able to reach the Shore, till being past the Light-House at Winterton, The shore falls off a little the Violence of the Wind: Here we got in, and off to the Westward towards Cromer, and so the Land broke

tho' not without much Difficulty got all safe on' Shore and walk'd afterwards on Foot to Yarmouth, where, tunate Men, we were used with great Humanity as unfor-as well by as by particular Merchants and Owners of Ships, and had the Magistrates of the Town, who assign'd us good Quarters, Money given us sufficient to carry us either to London cback to Hull, as we thought fit.

Had I now had the Sense to have gone back to Hull, and I had been happy, and my Father, an have gone home, Emblem of our Blessed Saviour's Parable, had even kill'd the fatted Calf for me; for hearing the Ship I went away in was cast away in Yarmouth Road, it was a great while before he had any Assurance that I was not drown'd.

But my ill Fate push'd me on now with an Obstinacy that nothing could resist; and tho' I had several times loud Calls from my Reason and my more composed Judgment to go home, yet I had no Power to do it. I know not what to call this, nor will I urge, that it is a secret over-ruling Decree that hurries us on to be the Instruments of our own Destruc-tion, even tho' it be before us, and that we rush upon it with our Eyes open. 

Certainly nothing but some such decreed unavoidable Misery attending, and which it was impossible for me to escape, could have push'd me forward against the calm Reasonings and Perswasions of my most retired Thoughts, and against two such visible Instructions as I had met with in my first Attempt.

My Comrade, who had help'd to harden me before, and who was the Master's Son, was now less forward than 1; the first time he spoke to me after we were at Yarmouth, which was not till two or three Days, for we were separated in the it appear'd his Tone was alter'd, and looking very melancholy Town to several Quarters; I say, the first time he saw me, and shaking his Head, ask'd me how I did, and telling his

Father who I was, and how I had come this Voyage only for a Trial in order to go farther abroad; To that reason which ought to guide them in such Cases, viz. That they

asham'd of the Action for which they ought justly to be

are not asham'd to sin, and yet are asham'd to repent; not

esteemed Fools, but are asham'd of the returning, which

only can make them be esteem'd wise Men.