The most I could suggest any danger from was from any casual accidental landing of straggling people from the main, who went off again with all possible speed, seldom staying one night on shore lest they should not have the help of the tydes and daylight back again. Therefore I had nothing to do but to consider of some safe retreat in case I should see any savages land upon the spot.
Now I began to repent I had dug my cave so large as to bring a door through again which, as I said, came out beyond where my fortification joined to the rock. Upon considering this, therefore, I resolv’d to draw me a second fortification in the same manner of a semi-circle at a distance from my wall, just where I had planted a double row of stakes about twelve years before, of which I made mention. These having been planted so thick before, they wanted but few piles to be driven between them that they might be thicker and stronger, and my wall would be soon finished.
I had now a double wall. My outer wall was thickened with pieces of timber, old cables, and every thing I could think of, to make it strong, and having in it seven little holes about as big as I might put my arm out at. In the inside of this, I thickened my wall to about ten feet thick, with continually bringing earth out of my cave and laying it at the foot of the wall and walking upon it. Through the seven holes I contrived to plant the muskets like my cannon and fitted them into frames that held them like a carriage, so I could fire all the seven guns in two minutes' time. This wall I was many a weary month in finishing, and yet never thought myself safe till it was done.
When this was done, I stuck all the ground without my wall, for a great length every way, as full with stakes, or sticks, of the osier-like wood as they could well stand. Insomuch, I believe I might set in near twenty thousand of them, leaving a pretty large space between them and my wall. I might have room to see an enemy and they might have no shelter from the young trees if they attempted to approach my outer wall.
Over these months, I am ashamed to say, I did give the beast excessive freedom and not attempt to watch through the smok'd lens or to exert any influence over its nature. It was my belief that the howls and cries of the beast might be heard for many miles, and perhaps the savages, upon hearing such sounds, would be less desiring to land on my island. Indeed, perhaps such a thing had already happen'd many times in my long years here.
I was at the expense of all this labour purely from my apprehensions on the account of the print of a man's foot which I had seen. For, as yet, I never saw any human creature come near the island. I had now lived two years under this uneasiness, which, indeed, made my life much less comfortable than it was before, as may be well imagined by any who know what it is to live in the constant snare of fear. And this I must observe, with grief too, that the discomposure of my mind had too great impressions also upon the religious part of my thoughts. The dread of falling into the hands of savages and cannibals lay so upon my spirits that I seldom found myself in a due temper for application to my Maker, at least not with the sedate calmness and resignation of soul which I was wont to do. I rather prayed to God as under great affliction and pressure of mind, surrounded with danger, and in expectation every night of being murdered and devoured before morning.
The dark church, my plans
my rational mind
But to go on.
I went about the whole island, searching for another private place, when, wandering more to the west point of the island than I had ever done yet and looking out to sea, I thought I saw a boat upon the sea at a great distance. I had found a perspective-glass or two in one of the seamen's chests, which I saved out of our ship, but I had it not about me. This was so remote I could not tell what to make of it, tho’ I looked at it till my eyes were not able to hold to look any longer. Whether it was a boat or not, I do not know, but as I descended from the hill I could see no more of it. I resolv’d to go no more out without a perspective-glass in my pocket.
When I was come down the hill to the end of the island, where, indeed, I had never been before, I was presently convinced that seeing the print of a man's foot was not such a strange thing in the island as I imagined. It was a special providence I was cast upon the side of the island where the savages never came. I should easily have known nothing was more frequent than for the canoes from the main, when they happened to be a little too far out at sea, to shoot over to that side of the island for harbour.
When I was come down the hill to the shore, as I said above, being the south west point of the island, I was confounded and amazed. Nor is it possible for me to express the horror of my mind at seeing the shore spread with skulls, hands, feet, and other bones of human bodies. I observ’d a place where there had been a fire made and a circle dug in the earth, where I supposed the savage wretches, according to their dreadful customs, had sat down to their inhuman feastings upon the bodies of their fellow creatures.
I further observ'd this whole corner of the island had been shaped and arrang'd to serve their needs, and just as I had made a homestead on my side of the island, the savages had made a church for their awful beliefs. Many trees had strange symbols and shapes cut within their bark, and these symbols were also painted large on many stones, altho' the growls of the beast told me what the paint most certainly was. I stepp'd over the bones and skulls to closer examine a tree, and saw the cuts and carving were very old. The sand itself, indeed, was all red with long use. This savage church had been here on my island long before the fateful night that brought the beast and I to the shores here. Tho' now I wonder'd the wisdom of calling it my island, and if it ever had been.
Twelve great strides from the fire-circle was a large iron-wood tree, one which dwarft all I had ever seen, and all things had been clear'd away from it. Were four men to stretch their arms only then might they just encircle the base of such a giant, and it took another twelve steps to walk about and examine it. To the height of two men had the living tree been shaped and cut to make a living totem or statue from the wood, which continued to grow as its roots and leaves attested. It was the shape of a great man, one who crouch'd like a child at play, or an animal, I could not say which. Upon his carv'd feet and hands were great claws, like those of the beast, which made these appendages even longer and more disturbing. His head was large and his eyes long and wide. A beard of thick, fat hairs trail'd down his face, and crouched as he was the hairs all but reached his ancles. And then a cold chill did creep through my limbs, for I knew this figure and had seen it before. This was the same cuttel fish dream lord who had appear'd to me in a fever-vision some seventeen years before, when I was only ten months onto the island. How was such a thing possible, for it to be a ne'er before seen creation wholly of my mind, and yet a figure of worship to the savages?
I durst not approach too close to this thing, but the cuts and carving did appear even older than those on the other trees, and I did bethought myself that I could only guess how long this totem had stood on the island. A hundred-year? Three? Was it carv'd when Rome still ruled England, or when Moses toiled in Aegypt? My mind said such was impossible, yet my heart felt some truth in such thoughts.
Within me the beast made many growls. The smell of flesh and blood excited it, as such things do, but it was also cow'd by the sight of this large totem. It did react to this place much as it had to the shadow'd valley I had found many years before and ne'er visited again.
I was so astonished with the sight of these things and the reactions of the beast, I entertain'd no notions of any danger to myself from it for a long while. All my apprehensions were buried in the thoughts of such a fearsome creature of the totem, the awful rituals perform'd before it, and the horror of the degeneracy of human nature, which, tho’ I had heard of it often, yet I never had so near a view of before. In short, I turned away my face from the horrid spectacle. My stomach grew sick, and I was just at the point of fainting when nature discharged the disorder from my stomach. Having vomited with uncommon violence, I was a little relieved, but could not bear to stay in the place a moment. I got me up t
he hill again with all the speed I could and walked on towards my own habitation.
When I came a little out of that part of the island, I stood still awhile, as amazed, and then recovering myself, I looked up with the utmost affection of my soul and gave God thanks that had cast my first lot in a part of the world where I was distinguished from such dreadful creatures as these. In this frame of thankfulness, I went home to my castle and began to be easier now as to the safety of my circumstances than ever I was before. I observ’d these wretches never came to this island in search of what they could get. Perhaps not seeking, not wanting, or not expecting any thing here aside from the performance of their awful customs and feast within their church, as I must think of it. I knew I had been here now almost eighteen years and never saw the least footsteps of human creature there before. I might be eighteen years more as concealed as I was now if I did not discover myself to them, which I had no manner of occasion to do.
Yet I entertain'd such an abhorrence of the savage wretches I have been speaking of, and of the wretched inhuman custom of their devouring and eating one another up, I continued pensive and sad and kept close within my own circle for almost two years after this. When I say my own circle, I mean by it my three plantations, viz. my castle, my country-seat, which I called my bower, and my enclosure in the woods. Nor did I look after this for any other use than as an enclosure for my goats. The aversion which nature gave me to these hellish wretches was such that I was as fearful of seeing them as of seeing the Devil himself. If I had happened to have fallen into their hands, I knew what would have been my lot.
Also within this time did my memories go back to little Poll, who died speaking awful words. The parrot did tell of a great dreamer who would feed upon my soul. And yet here had I not found a graven image of a thing from my dreams, the bearded dream lord, a thing which those who eat the bodies of men did worship as a saint or icon? Were the awful, unknowable words Poll spoke at his end the words of savages? The two things, viz. the dream lord and Poll's dire profesy, did seem surely link'd.
Time, however, and the satisfaction I was in no danger of being discovered by these people, began to wear off my uneasiness. I began to live just in the same composed manner as before, with this difference. I used more caution, and kept my eyes more about me than I did before, lest I should happen to be seen by any of them. Particularly I was more cautious of firing my gun, lest any of them being on the island should happen to hear it. It was therefore a very good providence to me I had furnished myself with a tame breed of goats, and I had no need to hunt any more about the woods. If I did catch any of them after this, it was by traps and snares, as I had done before. So for two years after this I believe I never fired my gun once off, tho’ I never went out without it. Which was more, as I had saved three pistols out of the ship, I always carried at least two of them out with me, sticking them in my goat-skin belt. I also furbish'd up one of the great cutlasses I had out of the ship, and made me a belt to hang it on. I was now a most formidable fellow to look at when I went abroad, if you add to the former description of myself the particular of two pistols, and a great broad-sword hanging at my side.
Things going on thus for some time, I seemed, excepting these cautions, to be reduced to my former calm sedate way of living. Even the beast still ran across the island, tho' now I was keenly aware that it never ran or hunt'd in the south-west point or in the shadow'd valley. All these things tended to show me, more and more, how far my condition was from being miserable compared to some others, even if it were not perfect.
As in my present condition there were not many things which I wanted, so, indeed, I thought the frights I had been in about these savage wretches, and the concern I had been in for my own preservation, had taken off the edge of my invention for my own conveniences. But my invention now ran quite another way. Night and day I could think of nothing but how I might destroy some of these monsters in their cruel, bloody ritual, and, if possible, save the victim they should bring hither to destroy. It would take up a larger volume than this whole work to set down all the contrivances I brooded upon for destroying these creatures, or at least frightening them so as to prevent their coming hither any more. But all this was abortive. Nothing could be possible to take effect unless I was to be there to do it myself. And what could one man do among them, when perhaps there might be twenty or thirty of them together, with their darts or their bows and arrows, with which they could shoot as true to a mark as I could with my gun? Even the beast would be hard press'd against such numbers, tho' their weapons could do naught to kill it.
Sometimes I thought of digging a hole under the place where they made their fire, and putting in five or six pounds of gunpowder, which, when they kindled their fire, would take fire and blow up all that was near it. But as, in the first place, I should be unwilling to waste so much powder upon them, my store being now within the quantity of one barrel, so neither could I be sure of its going off at any certain time when it might surprise them. At best it would do little more than just blow the fire about their ears and fright them, but not sufficient to make them forsake the place.
So I laid it aside and then proposed I would place myself in ambush in some convenient place, with my three guns all double-loaded, and in the middle of their bloody ceremony let fly at them, when I should be sure to kill or wound perhaps two or three at every shot. Then falling in upon them with my three pistols and my sword, I made no doubt but if there were twenty I should kill them all. This fancy pleased my thoughts for some weeks.
I went so far with it in my imagination, I employed myself several days to find out proper places to put myself in ambuscade, as I said, to watch for them. I went to the dark church itself, which was now grown more familiar to me. But while my mind was thus fill’d with thoughts of revenge, and a bloody putting twenty or thirty of them to the sword, as I may call it, the unease I had at the place abetted my malice.
Well, at length I found a place in the side of the hill where I was satisfied I might wait till I saw any of their boats coming. There was a hollow large enough to conceal me. There I might sit and observe all their bloody doings and take my full aim at their heads when they were so close together as it would be next to impossible I should miss my shot, or that I could fail wounding three or four of them at the first shot.
After I had thus laid the scheme of my design, and, in my imagination put it in practice, I made my tour every morning up to the top of the hill, which was from my castle about three miles, to see if I could observe any boats upon the sea coming near the island or standing over towards it. But I began to tire of this hard duty after I had, for two or three months, constantly kept my watch but came always back without any discovery. There was not, in all that time, the least appearance, not only on or near the shore but on the whole ocean, so far as my eyes or glasses could reach every way.
As long as I kept my daily tour to the hill to look out, my spirits seemed to be all the while in a suitable form for so outrageous an execution as the killing of twenty or thirty naked savages. But now, when I began to be weary of the fruitless excursion which I had made so far every morning in vain, so my opinion of the action itself began to alter. I began, with cooler and calmer thoughts which enter’d my mind, to consider what I was going to engage in.
What authority or call had I to pretend to be judge and executioner upon these men as criminals, whom Heaven had thought fit, for so many ages, to suffer to go on unpunished? I debated this very often with myself thus: How do I know what God himself judges in this particular case? It is certain these people do not commit this as a crime. They do not know it to be an offence and then commit it in defiance of divine justice, as we do in almost all the sins we commit. They think it no more a crime to kill a captive taken in war than we do to kill an ox, nor to eat human flesh than we do to eat mutton. Indeed, they were much as the beast in this manner.
When I considered this a little, it followed that I was certainly in the wrong in it. These people wer
e not murderers in the sense I had before condemned them in my thoughts, any more than the beast was a murderer for what it had done. It had a fine animal mind, but still animal, with no understanding of sin or crime or justice. That it kill'd the mate was indeed an awful thing, but it was not an evil thing. As I have oft said before, the beast is not evil. Indeed, if it were, should I have not put myself, and it, to death to punish it? No! I had been satisfied to leave it here, where it enjoyed freedom with no danger to others.
These considerations put me to a pause. I began, by little and little, to be off my design, and to conclude I had taken wrong measures in my resolution to attack the savages. It was not my business to meddle with them unless they first attacked me, and this it was my business, if possible, to prevent. If I were discovered and attacked by them I knew my duty.
On the other hand, I argued with myself, this was the way to ruin and destroy myself. Unless I was sure to kill every one that not only should be on shore at that time, but that should ever come on shore afterwards, if but one of them escaped to tell their country-people what had happened, they would come over again by thousands to revenge the death of their fellow.
Upon the whole, I concluded, that neither in principle nor in policy I ought to concern myself in this affair. My business was, by all possible means, to conceal myself from them and not to leave the least signal to them to guess by that there were any living creatures upon the island of human shape.
My new cave, dark symbols,
my resolution
In this disposition I continued for near a year after this. So far was I from desiring an occasion for falling upon these wretches in all that time, I never once went up the hill to see whether there were any of them in sight, or to know whether any of them had been on shore there or not, that I might not be tempted to renew any of my contrivances against them. I kept myself more retired than ever and seldom went from my cell. Certain it is these savage people who sometimes haunted this island never came with any thoughts of finding any thing here aside from their great totem, and consequently never wandered off from the coast. I doubt not but they might have been several times on shore after my apprehensions of them had made me cautious, as well as before. Indeed, I looked back with some horror upon the thoughts of what my condition would have been if I had chopped upon them and been discovered before that, when, naked and unarmed, except with one gun, and that loaded often only with small shot, I walked every where, peering about the island to see what I could get. What a surprise should I have been in if, when I discovered the print of a man's foot, I had instead seen fifteen or twenty cannibals and found them pursuing me!
The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe Page 13
