The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1808)
Page 17
with cable, and withoutwith turf.
From the 26th to the 30th I worked very hard in carrying all my goods tomy new habitation, though some part of the time it rainedexceeding hard.
The 31st in the morning I went out into the island with my gun, to seefor some food, and discover the country; when I killed a she goat, andher kid followed me home, which I afterwards killed also, because itwould not feed.
November 1. I set up my tent under a rock, and lay there for the firstnight, making it as large as I could with stakes driven in to swing myhammock upon.
Nov. 2. I set up all my chests and boards, and the pieces of timberwhich made my rafts, and with them formed a fence round me, a littlewithin the place I had marked out for my fortification.
Nov. 3. I went out with my gun, and killed two fowls like ducks, whichwere very good food. In the afternoon went to work to make me a table.
Nov. 4. This morning I began to order my times of work, of going outwith my gun, time of sleep, and time of diversion; viz. every morning Iwalked out with my gun for two or three hours, if it did not rain, thenemployed myself to work till about eleven o'clock, then ate what I hadto live on, and from twelve to two I lay down to sleep, the weatherbeing excessive hot, and then in the evening to work again: the workingpart of this day and of the next were wholly employed in making mytable, for I was yet but a very sorry workman, though time and necessitymake me a complete natural mechanic soon after, as I believe it would doany one else.
Nov. 5. This day went abroad with my gun and my dog, and killed a wildcat, her skin pretty soft, but her flesh good for nothing: everycreature I killed I took off the skins and preserved them. Coming backby the sea-shore I saw many sorts of sea-fowls, which I did notunderstand; but was surprised and almost frighted with two or threeseals, which, while I was gazing at, not well knowing what they were,got into the sea, and escaped me for that time.
Nov. 6. After my morning walk I went to work with my table again, andfinished it, though not to my liking, nor was it long before I learntto mend it.
Nov. 7. Now it began to be settled fair weather. The 7th, 8th, 9th,10th, and part of the 12th (for the 11th was Sunday), I took wholly upto make me a chair, and with much ado brought it to a tolerable shape,but never to please me; and even in the making I pulled it in piecesseveral times. _Note_, I soon neglected my keeping Sundays, for omittingmy mark for them on my post, I forgot which was which.
Nov. 13. This day it rained, which refreshed me exceedingly, and cooledthe earth, but it was accompanied with terrible thunder and lightning,which frighted me dreadfully for fear of my powder: as soon as it wasover I resolved to separate my stock of powder into as many littleparcels as possible, that it might not be in danger.
Nov. 14, 15, 16. These three days I spent in making little square chestsor boxes, which might hold a pound, or two pound, at most, of powder;and so putting the powder in, I stowed it in places as secure and remotefrom one another as possible. On one of these three days I killed alarge bird that was good to eat, but I knew not what to call it.
Nov. 17. This day I began to dig behind my tent into the rock, to makeroom for my farther conveniency. _Note_, Three things I wantedexceedingly for this work, viz. a pickaxe, a shovel, and a wheel-barrowor basket; so I desisted from my work, and began to consider how tosupply that want, and make me some tools: as for a pickaxe, I made useof the iron crows, which were proper enough, though heavy; but the nextthing was a shovel or spade; this was so absolutely necessary, thatindeed I could do nothing effectually without it; but what kind of oneto make I knew not.
Nov. 18. The next day in searching the woods I found a tree of thatwood, or like it, which in the Brasils they call the iron tree, for itsexceeding hardness: of this, with great labour and almost spoiling myaxe, I cut a piece, and brought it home too with difficulty enough, forit was exceeding heavy.
The excessive hardness of the wood, and having no other way, made me along while upon this machine; for I worked it effectually by little andlittle into the form of a shovel or spade, the handle exactly shapedlike ours in England, only that the broad part having no iron shod uponit at bottom, it would not last me so long; however, it served wellenough for the uses which I had occasion to put it to; but never was ashovel, I believe, made after that fashion, or so long a making.
I was still deficient, for I wanted a basket or a wheel-barrow; a basketI could not make by any means, having no such things as twigs that wouldbend to make wicker-ware, at least none yet found out; and as to awheel-barrow, I fancied I could make; all but the wheel, but that I hadno notion of, neither did I know how to go about it; besides, I had nopossible way to make the iron gudgeons for the spindle or axis of thewheel to run in, so I gave it over; and so for carrying away the earthwhich I dug out of the cave, I made me a thing like a hod which thelabourers carry mortar in, when they serve the bricklayers.
This was not so difficult to me as the making the shovel; and yet this,and the shovel, and the attempt which I made in vain to make awheel-barrow, took me up no less than four days, I mean always exceptingmy morning walk with my gun, which I seldom failed; and very seldomfailed also bringing home something to eat.
Nov. 23. My other work having now stood still, because of my makingthese tools, when they were finished I went on, and working every day,as my strength and time allowed, I spent eighteen days entirely inwidening and deepening my cave, that it might hold my goodscommodiously.
_Note_, During all this time, I worked to make this room or cavespacious enough to accommodate me as a warehouse or magazine, a kitchen,a dining-room, and a cellar: as for my lodging, I kept to the tent,except that sometimes in the wet season of the year, it rained so hardthat I could not keep myself dry, which caused me afterwards to coverall my place within my pale with long poles in the form of rafters,leaning against the rock, and load them with flags and large leaves oftrees like a thatch.
Dec. 10. I began now to think my cave or vault finished, when on asudden (it seems I had made it too large) a great quantity of earth felldown from the top and one side, so much that in short it frighted me,and not without reason too; for if I had been under it I had neverwanted a gravedigger. Upon this disaster I had a great deal of work todo over again; for I had the loose earth to carry out, and, which was ofmore importance, I had the ceiling to prop up, so that I might be sureno more would come down.
Dec. 11. This day I went to work with it accordingly, and got two shoresor posts pitched upright to the top, with two pieces of boards acrossover each post; this I finished the next day; and setting more posts upwith boards, in about a week more I had the roof secured; and the posts,standing in rows, served me for partitions to part off my house.
Dec. 17. From this day to the twentieth I placed shelves, and knockedup nails on the posts to hang every thing up that could be hung up: andnow I began to be in some order within doors.
Dec. 20. Now I carried every thing into the cave, and began to furnishmy house, and set up some pieces of boards like a dresser, to order myvictuals upon; but boards began to be very scarce with me: also I mademe another table.
Dec. 24. Much rain all night and all day; no stirring out.
Dec. 25. Rain all day.
Dec. 26. No rain, and the earth much cooler than before and pleasanter.
Dec. 27. Killed a young goat, and lamed another, so that I caught it,and led it home in a string; when I had it home, I bound and splinteredup its leg which was broke. N.B. I took such care of it that it lived,and the leg grew well and as strong as ever; but by nursing it so longit grew tame, and fed upon the little green at my door, and would not goaway. This was the first time that I entertained a thought of breedingup some tame creatures, that I might have food when my powder and shotwas all spent.
Dec. 28, 29, 30. Great heats and no breeze; so that there was nostirring abroad, except in the evening for food. This time I spent inputting all my things in order within doors.
January 1. Very hot still, but I went abroad early and late with my gun,and lay still i
n the middle of the day. This evening, going farther intothe vallies which lay towards the centre of the island, I found therewas plenty of goats, though exceeding shy and hard to come at; however,I resolved to try if I could not bring my dog to hunt them down.
Jan. 2. Accordingly, the next day I went out with my dog, and set himupon the goats; but I was mistaken, for they all faced about upon thedog; and he knew his danger too well, for he would, not come near them.
Jan. 3. I began my fence or wall; which, being still jealous of mybeing attacked by somebody, I resolved to make very thick and strong.
N.B. This wall being described before, I purposely omit what was said, in the Journal; it is sufficient to observe, that I was no less time than from the 3d of January to the 14th of April, working, finishing, and perfecting this wall, though it was no more than about twenty-four yards in length, being a half-circle from one place in the rock to another place about eight yards from it, the door of the cave being in the centre behind it.
All this time I worked very