The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe (13 page)

September 18.

The first night of the full moon. The beast began to act in its usual manner once again, and kill'd two hares.

September the thirtieth, 1660.

I was now come to the unhappy anniversary of my landing. I cast up the notches on my post, and found I had been on shore three hundred and sixty-five days since the shipwreck and the death of the mate. I kept this day as a solemn fast, having not tasted the least refreshment for twelve hours, even till the going down of the sun. I then ate a bisket and a bunch of grapes, and went to bed, finishing the day as I began it.

A little after this, my ink beginning to fail me, I contented myself to use it more sparingly and to write down only the most remarkable events of my life without continuing a daily memorandum of other things.

The rainy season and the dry season began now to appear regular to me, and I learned to divide them so as to provide for them accordingly. I have mentioned I had saved the few ears of barley and rice which I had so surprisingly found sprung up. I believe there were about thirty stalks of rice, and about twenty of barley. Now I thought it a proper time to sow it after the rains, the sun being in its southern position, going from me.

I dug a piece of ground with my wooden spade. As I was sowing, it occurred to my thoughts I should not sow it all at first because I did not know when was the proper time for it. It was a great comfort to me afterwards that I did so, for not one grain of what I sowed this time came to any thing.

Finding my first seed did not grow, which I imagined was from the drought, I sought for a moister piece of ground to make another trial in. I dug up a piece of ground near my new bower and sowed the rest of my seed in February, a little before the vernal equinox. This, having the rainy month of March and April to water it, sprung up and yielded a very good crop. But having only part of the seed left, and not daring to sow all I had, I got but a small quantity at last, my whole crop not amounting to above half a peck of each kind.

But by this experiment I was made master of my business and knew when was the proper time to sow. I might expect two seed-times, and two harvests, every year.

I found now the seasons of the year might generally be divided, not into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into the rainy seasons and the dry seasons, which were thus:

From the middle of February to the middle of April

rainy
; the sun being then on or near the equinox.

From the middle of April till the middle of August

dry
; the sun being then north of the line.

From the middle of August till the middle of October

rainy
; the sun being then come back to the line.

From the middle of October till the middle of February

dry
; the sun being then to the south of the line.

The rainy seasons held sometimes longer and sometimes shorter, as the winds happen'd to blow, but this was the general observation I made. After I had found the ill consequences of being abroad in the rain, I took care to furnish myself with provisions beforehand, that I might not be obliged to go out.

In this time I found much employment, and very suitable also to the time. I found great occasion for many things which I had no way to furnish myself with but by hard labour and constant application. During the next season, I employed myself in making, as well as I could, several baskets to carry earth or lay up any thing as I had occasion for. Tho’ I did not finish them very handsomely, yet I made them serviceable for my purpose.

At this point another business took me up more time than it could be imagined I could spare. I mention’d before I had a great mind to see the whole island. I had traveled up the brook and so on to where I had built my bower, and where I had an opening quite to the sea on the other side of the island. I now resolv’d to travel quite across to the sea-shore on that side.

When I had passed the vale where my bower stood, I came within view of the sea to the west. It being a very clear day, I fairly descried land, whether an island or continent I could not tell. It lay very high. By my guess it could not be less than fifteen or twenty leagues off.

I could not tell what part of the world this might be. I knew it must be part of America and, as I concluded by all my observations, must be near the Spanish dominions and perhaps was all inhabited by savages. If I should have landed there, I had been in a worse condition than I was now. I quieted my mind with this.

Besides, after some pause upon this affair, I considered if this land was the Spanish coast, I should, one time or other, see some vessel pass or repass one way or other. If not, then it was the savage coast between the Spanish country and the Brasils, whose inhabitants are indeed the worst of savages. They are cannibals, or men-eaters, and fail not to murder and devour all human beings that fall into their hands.

With these considerations, I walk’d very leisurely forward. I found this side of the island where I now was much pleasanter than mine, the open or savannah fields adorned with flowers and grass and full of very fine woods. I saw abundance of parrots and fain would have caught one, if possible, to have kept it to be tame and taught it to speak to me. I did, after taking some pains, catch a young parrot. I knock’d it down with a stick and, having recover’d it, I brought it home. It was some years before I could make him speak, as the scent of the beast would oft send him into a flurry, and e'en then he spoke at length but once, which was a terrible thing I shall recount in time.

I was amused with this journey. I found in the low grounds hares, as I had seen oft thru the beast's eyes, and foxes, but they differed from all the other kinds I had met with. But I had no need to be venturous, for I had no want of food and of that which was very good too.

I never travel’d on this journey above two miles outright in a day, or thereabouts. Yet I took so many turns and returns to see what discoveries I could make that I came weary enough to the place where I resolv’d to sit down for the night. Then I either reposed myself in a tree or surround’d myself with a row of stakes, set upright in the ground, either from one tree to another, or so as no wild creature could come at me without waking me.

As soon as I came to the sea-shore, I was surpriz’d to see I had taken up my lot on the worst side of the island. Here indeed the shore was covered with innumerable turtles, whereas on the other side I had found but three in a year and a half. Here was also an infinite number of fowls of many kinds, some of which I had seen and some of which I had not seen before and many of them very good meat.

I confess this side of the country was much pleasanter than mine, yet I had not the least inclination to remove. As I was fixed in my habitation it became natural to me, and I seem’d all the while I was here to be as it were upon a journey and from home. Still, this was a pleasing divershin, and for three nights the beast did run gleefully on the shore as it had not done in many moons.

I travel’d along the sea-shore towards the east, I suppose about twelve miles. Then setting up a great pole upon the shore for a mark, I concluded I would go home again. The next journey I took should be on the other side of the island, east from my dwelling, and so round till I came to my post again.

I took another way to come back than I went, thinking I could easily keep so much of the island in my view I could not miss my first dwelling by viewing the country, but I found myself mistaken. Come about two or three miles, I found myself descended into a very large valley, but so surrounded with hills, and those hills covered with wood, I could not see which was my way by any direction. Indeed, this valley lay deep in shadows, and all the trees and plants were twisted and wither'd with their great desire for sun. And it happened to my farther misfortune the weather proved foggy for all the four or five days while I was in this valley.

Not being able to see the sun, I wandered about very uncomfortable and chill'd, and all this time I sensed a deep discomfort within my skin from the beast, such as I had only e'er felt before during the earthquake of the year previous. I could not help but feel if these nights were of the moon that the beast would have fled this valley at once, even though it has no sense of fear as men know it. Indeed, in a like manner, I bethought myself often that were it not for the beast which lurk'd within me, this valley would be a far worse place for me, tho' I could not say how I knew this. Much as the lesser creatures are afraid of the beast, so did I know something in this valley also did stay clear of me though by not as much, and for not the same reason.

At last I was obliged to find out the sea-side, look for my post, and come back the same way I went. Then by easy journies I turned homeward, the weather being exceeding hot, and my gun, ammunition, hatchet, and other things very heavy.

In this journey, I surprised a young kid and seized upon it. I had a great mind to bring it home if I could. I had often been musing whether it might not be possible to get a kid or two, and so raise a breed of tame goats which might supply me when my powder and shot should be all spent. I made a collar for this little creature with a string which I had made of some rope-yarn, which I always carried about me. I led him along, tho’ with some difficulty for he did pull away from the beast he smelt upon me, till I came to my bower. There I enclosed him and left him, for I was very impatient to be at home, from whence I had been absent above a month.

I cannot express what a satisfaction it was to me to come into my old hutch and lie down in the hammock-bed of the mate, for so I still thought of it. This little wandering journey without a settl’d place of abode had been so unpleasant to me, most pointedly the days in the shadow'd and strange valley, that my own house was a perfect settlement to me. It rendered every thing about me so comfortable I resolv’d I would never go a great way from it again while it should be my lot to stay on the island.

I reposed myself here a week to rest and regale myself after my long journey, during which, most of the time was taken up in the weighty affair of making a cage for my Poll, who still spent much time scared of the beast within me. Then I began to think of the poor kid which I had penn’d within my little circle, and resolv’d to fetch it home or give it some food. I went and found it where I left it, for indeed it could not get out, but was almost starv’d for want of food. I went and cut boughs of trees and branches of such shrubs as I could find and threw it over.

The rainy season of the autumnal equinox was now come, and I kept the 30th of September in the same solemn manner as before, being the anniversary of my landing on the island, having now been there two years. I spent the whole day in humble and thankful acknowledgments for the many wonderful mercies which my solitary condition was attended with, and without which it might have been infinitely more miserable. I gave humble and hearty thanks to God for having been pleased to discover to me, that it was possible the beast and I might be more happy even in this solitary condition than we should have been in the enjoyment of society.

It was now I began sensibly to feel how much more happy the life I now led was than the wicked, cursed life I led all the past part of my days. From this moment I began to conclude in my mind it was possible for me to be more happy in this forsaken, solitary condition, than it was probable I should ever have been in any other particular state in the world.

Thus, and in this disposition of mind, I began my third year. Tho’ I have not given the reader the trouble of so particular an account of my works this year as the first, yet in general it may be observ’d, I was very seldom idle, having divided my time according to the several daily employments that were before me.

To this short time allowed for labour, I desire may be added the exceeding laboriousness of my work. For want of tools, want of help, and want of skill, every thing I did took up out of my time. But notwithstanding this, with patience and labour I went through many things, indeed, every thing my circumstances made necessary for me to do, as will appear by what follows.

I was now in the months of November and December, expecting my crop of barley and rice. The ground I had manured or dug up for them was not great, but now my crop promised very well. When, on a sudden, I found I was in danger of losing it all again by enemies of several sorts, which it was scarce possible to keep from it. First, the goats, and wild creatures which I called hares, who, tasting the sweetness of the blade, lay in it night and day as soon as it came up and ate it so close it could get no time to shoot up into stalk.

I saw no remedy for this but by making an enclosure about it with a hedge, which I did with a great deal of toil, and the more because it required speed. However, as my arable land was but small and suited to my crop, I got it tolerably well fenced in about three weeks' time. Shooting some of the creatures in the day-time, in a little time the enemies forsook the place and the corn grew very strong and well and began to ripen apace.

But as the goats and hares ruin'd me before, while my corn was in the blade, so the birds were as likely to ruin me now when it was in the ear. Going along by the place to see how it throve I saw my little crop surrounded with fowls who stood, as it were, watching till I should be gone. I immediately let fly among them, for I always had my gun with me. I had no sooner shot but there rose up a little cloud of fowls which I had not seen at all from among the corn itself.

This touched me sensibly, for I foresaw in a few days they would devour all my hopes. I should be starved and never be able to raise a crop at all. What to do I could not tell. However, I resolv’d not to lose my corn if possible, tho’ I should watch it night and day. In the first place, I went among it to see what damage was already done and found they had spoiled a good deal of it. But as it was yet too green for them the loss was not so great. The remainder was likely to be a good crop if it could be saved.