by Daniel Defoe
of useto me afterwards. As soon as the rains were over, and the weather beganto settle, which was about the month of November, I made a visit up thecountry to my bower, where though I had not been some months, yet Ifound all things just as I left them. The circle or double hedge that Ihad made, was not only firm and entire, but the stakes which I had cutoff of some trees that grew thereabouts, were all shot out, and grownwith long branches, as much as a willow tree usually shoots the firstyear after lopping its head. I could not tell what tree to call it thatthese stakes were cut from. I was surprised, and yet very well pleased,to see the young trees grow; and I pruned them, and led them up to growas much alike as I could; and it is scarce credible, how beautiful afigure they grew into in three years; so that though the hedge made acircle of about twenty-five yards in diameter, yet the trees, for such Imight now call them, soon covered it; and it was a, complete shade,sufficient to lodge under all the dry season.
This made me resolve to cut some more stakes, and make me an hedge likethis in a semicircle round my wall, I mean that of my first dwelling,which I did; and placing the trees or stakes in a double row, at aboveeight yards distance from my first fence, they grew presently, and wereat first a fine cover to my habitation, and afterwards served for adefence also, as I shall observe in its order.
I found now, that the seasons of the year might generally be divided,not into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into the rainy seasons andthe dry seasons, which were generally thus:
Half February,} Rainy, the sun being then on, or near, March, } the equinox. Half April, }
Half April,} May,} Dry, the sun being then to the north June,} of the line. July,} Half August,} September,} Rain, the sun being then come back. Half October,} Half October,} November,} Dry, the sun being then to the south December,} of the line. January,} Half February,}
The rainy season sometimes held longer or shorter, as the winds happenedto blow; but this was the general observation I made. After I had found,by experience, the ill consequence of being abroad in the rain, I tookcare to furnish myself with provision beforehand, that I might not beobliged to go out; and I sat within doors as much as possible during thewet months.
In this time I found much employment, (and very suitable also to thetime) for I found great occasion of many things which I had no way tofurnish myself with, but by hard labour and constant application;particularly, I tried many ways to make myself a basket; but all thetwigs I could get for the purpose proved so brittle, that they would donothing. It proved of excellent advantage to me now, that when I was aboy I used to take great delight in standing at a basket-maker's in thetown where my father lived, to see them make their wicker-ware; andbeing, as boys usually are, very officious to help, and a great observerof the manner how they worked those things, and sometimes lent an hand,I had by this means so full knowledge of the methods of it, that Iwanted nothing but the materials; when it came into my mind, that thetwigs of that tree from whence I cut my stakes that grew, might possiblybe as tough as the sallows, and willows, and osiers, in England; and Iresolved to try.
Accordingly the next day I went to my country-house, as I called it, andcutting some of the smaller twigs, I found them to my purpose as much asI could desire; whereupon I came the next time prepared with an hatchetto cut down a quantity, which I soon found, for there was a great plentyof them: these I set up to dry within my circle or hedges; and when theywere fit for use, I carried them to my cave; and here during the nextseason I employed myself in making (as well as I could) a great manybaskets, both to carry earth, or to carry or lay up any thing, as I hadoccasion; and though I did not finish them very handsomely, yet I madethem sufficiently serviceable for my purpose; and thus afterwards I tookcare never to be without them; and as my wicker-ware decayed I mademore; especially I made strong deep baskets to place my corn in, insteadof sacks, when I should come to have any quantity of it.
Having mastered this difficulty, and employed a world of time about it,I bestirred myself to see, if possible, how to supply two wants. I hadno vessels to hold any thing that was liquid, except two rundlets, whichwere almost full of rum, and some glass bottles, some of the commonsize, and others which were case-bottles square, for the holding ofwaters, spirits, &c. I had not so much as a pot to boil any thing in,except a great kettle which I saved out of the ship, and which was toobig for such uses as I desired it for, viz. to make broth, and stew abit of meat by itself. The second thing I would fain have had, was atobacco-pipe, but it was impossible for me to make one; however, I founda contrivance for that too at last.
I employed myself in planting my second rows of stakes of piles, and inthis wicker-work, all the summer, or dry season; when another businesstook me up more time than it could be imagined I could spare.
I mentioned before, that I had a great mind to see the whole island,and that I had travelled up the brook, and so on to where I built mybower, and where I had an opening quite to the sea, on the other side ofthe island. I now resolved to travel quite across to the sea shore onthat side. So taking my gun and hatchet, and my dog, and a largerquantity of powder and shot than usual, with two biscuit-cakes and agreat bunch of raisins in my pouch, for my store, I began my journey.When I had passed the vale where my bower stood, as above, I came withinview of the sea, to the west; and it being a very clear day, I fairlydescried land, whether an island or continent I could not tell; but itlay very high, extending from the west to the W.S.W. at a very greatdistance; by my guess it could not be less than fifteen or twentyleagues off.
I could not tell what part of the world this might be, otherwise thanthat I knew it must be part of America; and, as I concluded by all myobservations, must be near the Spanish dominions, and perhaps was allinhabited by savages, where if I should have landed, I had been in aworse condition than I was now; and therefore I acquiesced in thedispositions of Providence, which I began now to own, and to believe,ordered every thing for the best; I say, I quieted my mind with this,and left afflicting myself with fruitless wishes of being there.
Besides, after some pause upon this affair, I considered, that if thisland was the Spanish coast, I should certainly, one time or other, seesome vessels pass or repass one way or other; but if not, then it wasthe savage coast between the Spanish country and Brasil, which wereindeed the worst of savages; for they are cannibals, or men-eaters, andfail not to murder and devour all the human bodies that fall into theirhands. With these considerations I walked very leisurely forward. Ifound that side of the island where I now was, much pleasanter thanmine, the open or savanna fields sweet, adorned with flowers and grass,and full of very fine woods. I saw abundance of parrots, and fain wouldI have caught one, if possible, to have kept it to be tame, and taughtit to speak to me. I did, after some painstaking, catch a young parrot;for I knocked it down with a stick, and having recovered it, I broughtit home, but it was some years before I could make him speak. However,at last I taught him to call me by my name very familiarly: but theaccident that followed, though it be a trifle, will be very diverting inits place.
I was exceedingly diverted with this journey: I found in the lowgrounds, hares, as I thought them to be, and foxes, but they differedgreatly from all the other kinds I had met with; nor could I satisfymyself to eat them, though I killed several: but I had no need to beventurous; for I had no want of food, and of that which was very goodtoo; especially these three sorts, viz. goats, pigeons, and turtle ortortoise; which added to my grapes. Leadenhall-market could not havefurnished a better table than I, in proportion to the company: andthough my case was deplorable enough, yet I had great cause forthankfulness, that I was not driven to any extremities for food; butrather plenty, even to dainties.
I never travelled in this journey above two miles outright in a day, orthereabouts; but I look so many turns and returns, to see whatdiscoveries I could make, that I came weary enough to the place where Iresolved to sit down for all n
ight; and then either reposed myself in atree, or surrounded myself with a row of stakes set upright in theground, either from one tree to another, or so as no wild creature couldcome at me without waking me.
As soon as I came to the sea-shore, I was surprised to see that I hadtaken up my lot on the worst side of the island; for here indeed theshore was covered with innumerable turtles, whereas on the other side Ihad found but three in a year and an half. Here was also an infinitenumber of fowls of many kinds, some of which I had not seen before, andmany of them very good meat; but such as I knew not the names of exceptthose called penguins.
I could have shot as many as I pleased, but was very sparing of mypowder and shot: and therefore had more mind to kill a she-goat, if Icould, which I could better feed on: and though there were many goatshere more than on the other side of the island, yet it was with muchmore difficulty that I could come near them; the country being flat andeven, and they saw me much sooner than when I was on the
