by Daniel Defoe
labouredwith; so living in a daily circulation of sorrow, living but to work,and working but to live, as if daily bread were the only end of awearisome life, and a wearisome life the only occasion of daily bread.
This put me in mind of the life I lived in my kingdom the island, whereI suffered no more corn to grow, because I did not want it; and bred nomore goats, because I had no more use for them; where the money lay inthe drawer till it grew mildewed, and had scarce the favour to be lookedupon in twenty years.
All these things, had I improved them as I ought to have done, and asreason and religion had dictated to me, would have taught me to searchfarther than human enjoyments for a full felicity, and that there wassomething which certainly was the reason and end of life, superior toall these things, and which was either to be possessed, or at leasthoped for, on this side the grave.
But my sage counsellor was gone, I was like a ship without a pilot, thatcould only run before the wind; my thoughts run all away again into theold affair, my head was quite turned with the whimsies of foreignadventures; and all the pleasing innocent amusements of my farm and mygarden, my cattle and my family, which before entirely possessed me,were nothing to me, had no relish, and were like music to one that hasno ear, or food to one that has no taste: in a word, I resolved to leaveoff housekeeping, let my farm, and return to London; and in a few monthsafter I did so.
When I came to London I was still as uneasy as before; I had no relishto the place, no employment in it, nothing to do but to saunter aboutlike an idle person, of whom it may be said, he is perfectly useless inGod's creation, and it is not one farthing matter to the rest of hiskind whether he be dead or alive. This also was the thing which of allcircumstances of life was the most my aversion, who had been all my daysused to an active life; and I would often say to myself, "A state ofidleness is the very dregs of life;" and indeed I thought I was muchmore suitably employed when I was twenty-six days making me adeal board.
It was now the beginning of the year 1693, when my nephew, whom, as Ihave observed before, I had brought up to the sea, and had made himcommander of a ship, was come home from a short voyage to Bilboa, beingthe first he had made; he came to me, and told me, that some merchantsof his acquaintance had been proposing to him to go a voyage for them tothe East Indies and to China, as private traders; "And now, uncle," sayshe, "if you will go to sea with me, I'll engage to land you upon yourold habitation in the island, for we are to touch at the Brasils."
Nothing can be a greater demonstration of a future state, and of theexistence of an invisible world, than the concurrence of second causeswith the ideas of things which we form in our minds, perfectly reserved,and not communicated to any in the world.
My nephew knew nothing how far my distemper of wandering was returnedupon me, and I knew nothing of what he had in his thoughts to say, whenthat very morning, before he came to me, I had, in a great deal ofconfusion of thought, and revolving every part of my circumstances in mymind, come to this resolution, viz. that I would go to Lisbon, andconsult with my old sea-captain; and so, if it was rational andpracticable, I would go and see the island again, and see what wasbecome of my people there. I had pleased myself also with the thoughtsof peopling the place, and carrying inhabitants from hence, getting apatent for the possession, and I know not what; when in the middle ofall this, in comes my nephew, as I have said, with his project ofcarrying me thither, in his way to the East Indies.
I paused awhile at his words, and looking steadily at him, "What devil,"said I, "sent you of this unlucky errand?" My nephew startled, as if hehad been frighted at first; but perceiving I was not much displeasedwith the proposal, he recovered himself. "I hope it may not be anunlucky proposal, Sir," says he; "I dare say you would be pleased to seeyour new colony there, where you once reigned with more felicity thanmost of your brother-monarchs in the world."
In a word, the scheme hit so exactly with my temper, that is to say,with the prepossession I was under, and of which I have said so much,that I told him, in a few words, if he agreed with the merchants I wouldgo with him: but I told him I would not promise to go any farther thanmy own island. "Why, Sir," says he, "you don't want to be left thereagain, I hope?"--"Why," said I, "can you not take me up again in yourreturn?" He told me, it could not be possible that the merchants wouldallow him to come that way with a loaden ship of such value, it being amonth's sail out of his way, and might be three or four: "Besides, Sir,if I should miscarry," said he, "and not return at all, then you wouldbe just reduced to the condition you were in before."
This was very rational; but we both found out a remedy for it, which wasto carry a framed sloop on board the ship, which, being taken in piecesand shipped on board the ship, might, by the help of some carpenters,whom we agreed to carry with us, be set up again in the island, andfinished, fit to go to sea in a few days.
I was not long resolving; for indeed the importunities of my nephewjoined in so effectually with my inclination, that nothing could opposeme: on the other hand, my wife being dead, I had nobody concernedthemselves so much for me, as to persuade me one way or other, except myancient good friend the widow, who earnestly struggled with me toconsider my years, my easy circumstances, and the needless hazard of along voyage; and, above all, my young children: but it was all to nopurpose; I had an irresistible desire to the voyage; and I told her Ithought there was something so uncommon in the impressions I had uponmy mind for the voyage, that it would be a kind of resisting Providence,if I should attempt to stay at home; after which she ceased herexpostulations, and joined with me, not only in making provision for myvoyage, but also in settling my family affairs in my absence, andproviding for the education of my children.
In order to this I made my will, and settled the estate I had in such amanner for my children, and placed in such hands, that I was perfectlyeasy and satisfied they would have justice done them, whatever mightbefal me; and for their education, I left it wholly to my widow, with asufficient maintenance to herself for her care: all which she richlydeserved; for no mother could have taken more care in their education,or understood it better; and as she lived till I came home, I also livedto thank her for it.
My nephew was ready to sail about the beginning of January 1694--5, andI with my man Friday went on board in the Downs the 8th, having, besidesthat sloop which I mentioned above, a very considerable cargo of allkinds of necessary things for my colony, which if I did not find in goodcondition, I resolved to leave so.
First, I carried with me some servants, whom I purposed to place thereas inhabitants, or at least to set on work there upon my own accountwhile I stayed, and either to leave them there, or carry them forward,as they should appear willing; particularly, I carried two carpenters, asmith, and a very handy, ingenious fellow, who was a cooper by trade,but was also a general mechanic; for he was dexterous at making wheels,and hand-mills to grind corn, was a good turner, and a good potmaker; healso made any thing that was proper to make of earth, or of wood; in aword, we called him our Jack of all Trades.
With these I carried a tailor, who had offered himself to go passengerto the East Indies with my nephew, but afterwards consented to stay onour new plantation, and proved a most necessary handy fellow as couldbe desired, in many other businesses besides that of this trade; for, asI observed formerly, necessity arms us for all employments.
My cargo, as near as I can recollect, for I have not kept an account ofthe particulars, consisted of a sufficient quantity of linen, and somethin English stuffs for clothing the Spaniards that I expected to findthere, and enough of them as by my calculation might comfortably supplythem for seven years: if I remember right, the materials which I carriedfor clothing them, with gloves, hats, shoes, stockings, and all suchthings as they could want for wearing, amounted to above two hundredpounds, including some beds, bedding, and household-stuff, particularlykitchen utensils, with pots, kettles, pewter, brass, &c. besides near ahundred pounds more in iron-work, nails, tools of every kind, staples,hooks, hinges, and every necessary thing I
could think of.
I carried also a hundred spare arms, muskets, and fuzees, besides somepistols, a considerable quantity of shot of all sizes, three or fourtons of lead, and two pieces of brass cannon; and because I knew notwhat time and what extremities I was providing for, I carried an hundredbarrels of powder, besides swords, cutlasses, and the iron part of somepikes and halberts; so that, in short, we had a large magazine of allsorts of stores; and I made my nephew carry two small quarter-deck gunsmore than he wanted for his ship, to leave behind if there was occasion;that when they came there we might build a fort, and man it against allsorts of enemies: and indeed I at first thought there would be needenough of it all, and much more, if we hoped to maintain our possessionof the island, as shall be seen in the course of the story.
I had not such bad luck in this voyage as I had been used to meet
