by Daniel Defoe
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 to land, but where one end of my float, if it run on shore, 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 the 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 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 cargo 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 to over-top some other hills which lay as in a ridge from it northward; I took out one of the fowling pieces, and one of 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, I saw my fate to my great affliction, (viz.) that I was in an 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 cargo 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 another voyage on board the vessel, if possible; and as I knew that the first storm that blew must necessarily break her all in pieces, I resolved to set all other things apart, till I got every thing out of the ship that I could get; then I call’d a council, that is to say, in my thoughts, whether I should take back the raft, but this appear’d impracticable; so I resolv’d to go as before, when the tide was down, and I did so, only that I stripp’d before I went from my hut, having nothing on but a checquer’d shirt, and a pair of linnen drawers, and a pair of pumps on my feet.
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 unwieldy, 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, a dozen or two of hatchets, and above all, that most useful thing call’d a grind-stone; all these I secur’d together, with several things belonging to the gunner, particularly two or three iron crows, 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 hoist it up to get it over the ship’s side.
Besides these things, I took all the mens clothes 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, as if she had a mind to be acquainted with me, I presented my gun at her, but as she did not understand it, she was perfectly unconcern’d 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 free of it, for my store was not great: However, I spar’d her a bit, I say, and she went to it, smell’d of it, and ate it, and look’d (as pleas’d) for more, but I thank’d her, and could spare no more; so she march’d off.
Having got my second cargo on shore, tho’ I was fain 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 end 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 magazine 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.
But that which comforted me more still was, that at 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 medling with, I say, after all this, I found a great hogshead of bread, and three large runlets of rum or spirits, and a box of sugar, and a barrel of fine flower; this was surprising to me, because I had given over expecting any more provisions, except what was spoil’d by the water: I soon empty’d the hogshead of that bread, and wrapt it up parcel by parcel in 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 plunder’d the ship of what was portable and fit to hand out, I began with the cables; and cutting the great cable into pieces, such as I could move, I got two cables and a hawser on shore, with all the iron-work I could get; and having cut down the spritsail-yard, and the missen-yard, and every thing I could to make a large raft, I loaded it with all those heavy goods, and came away: But my good luck began now to leave me; for this raft was so unwieldy, and so overloaden, that after I was enter’d 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 my self it was no great harm, for I was near the shore; but as to my cargo, it was 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 cable ashore, and some of the iron, tho’ with infinite labour; for I was fain to dip for it into the water, a work which fatigu’d 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 suppos’d capable to bring, tho’ I believe verily, had the calm weather held, I should have brought away the whole ship, piece by piece: But preparing the 12th time to go on board, I found the wind begin to rise; however at low water I went on board, and tho’ I thought I had rumag’d the cabin so effectually, as that nothing more could be found, yet I discover’d a locker with drawers in it, in one of which I found two or three razors, and one pair of large scissars, 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 Brasil, some Pieces of Eight, some gold, some silver.
I smil’d to my self 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 of 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 saving. However, upon second thoughts, I took it away, and wrapping all this in a piece of canvass, I began to think of making another raft, but while I was preparing this, I found the sky over-cast, and the wind began to rise, and in a quarter of an hour it blew a fresh gale from the shore; it presently occur’d to me, that it was in vain to pretend to make a raft with the wind off shore, 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 my self down into the water, and swam cross 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 was gotten home to my little tent, where I lay with all my wealth about me very secure. It blew very hard all that night, and in the morning when I look’d out, behold no more ship was to be seen; I was a little surpris’d, but recover’d my self with this satisfactory reflection, viz. that I had lost no time, nor abated no dilligence to get every thing 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 any thing 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 employ’d about securing my self 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 resolv’d upon both, the manner and description of which it may not be improper to give an account of.
I soon found the place I was in was not for my settlement, particularly because it was upon a low moorish ground near the sea, and I believ’d would not be wholesome, and more particularly because there was no fresh water near it, so I resolv’d to find a more healthy and more convenient spot of ground.
I consulted several things in my situation which I found would be proper for me, 1st. health, and fresh water, I just now mentioned, 2dly. shelter from the heat of the sun, 3dly. security from ravenous creatures, whether men or beasts, 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 side of this 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 an 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 grounds by the seaside. It was on the N.N.W. side of the hill, so that I 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 pitch’d 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 about five foot and a half, and sharpen’d 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 foot and a half high, like a spurr to a post, and this fence was so strong, that neither man or 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 compleatly fenced in, and fortify’d, as I thought, from all the world, and consequently slept secure in the night, which otherwise I could not have done, tho’ as it appear’d afterward, 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 carry’d all my riches, all my provisions, ammunition and stores, of which you have the account above, and I made me a large tent, which, to preserve me from the rains that in one part of the year are very violent there, I made double, viz. one smaller tent within, and one larger tent above it, and cover’d the uppermost with a large tarpaulin which I had sav’d 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 belong’d to the Mate of the ship.
Into this tent I brought all my provisions, and every thing that would spoil by the wet, and having thus enclos’d all my goods, I made up the entrance, which till now I had left open, and so pass’d and repass’d, as I said, by a short ladder.
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 thro’ my tent, I laid ’em up within my fence in the nature of a terras, that so it rais’d the ground within about a foot and a half; and thus I made me a cave just behind my tent, which serv’d me like a cellar to my house.
