The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe (6 page)

It is not easy for any one who has not been in the like condition to describe or conceive the consternation of men in such circumstances. In a word, we sat looking upon one another and expecting death every moment, and every man acting accordingly, as preparing for another world. There was little or nothing more for us to do in this. Our present comfort, and all the comfort we had, was that, contrary to our expectation, the ship did not break, and the master said the wind began to abate.

Now, tho’ we thought the wind did a little abate, the ship having thus struck upon the sand, and sticking too fast for us to expect her getting off, we were in a dreadful condition and had nothing to do but to think of saving our lives as well as we could. We had a boat at our stern just before the storm, but she was staved by dashing against the ship's rudder and she broke away, and either sunk or was driven off to sea. We had another boat on board, but how to get her off into the sea was a doubtful thing as the sun was all but gone.

Alas, amidst these many words and crises, I was suddenly aware of the beast straining for freedom, so quiet had it slipped upon me on this first night of the moon, and was bid to ask the captain to lock me in my cabin before the "fits" came onto me again. The captain ask'd if I was madden'd, for we fancied the ship would break in pieces every minute, and some told us she was broken already. To lock me away thus would condemn me to death, or so he believ'd. However, there was no room to debate, thus he order'd the mate of our vessel to imprison me as I requested and such was our fate seal'd, for the kind hearted captain planned in secret with the mate to rescue me against my wishes. The mate was not to lock the door, for once the other long-boat was in the sea they would rush upon me, bind me against the violence of my "fits," and carry me to salvation.

I knew none of this, but only that the beast was mere moments from rising up. I pull'd off my own shoes and coats before I observ'd to my horror the door was as yet still unlock'd. I cried out for the mate to fasten the hasp, but he had gone and laid hold of the boat, and with the help of the rest of the men, they got her flung over the ship's side and prepared to get in her.

With my final clarity I bethought myself that perhaps I should hurl my body from the rail, to God's mercy and the wild sea, rather than let the beast free among good men, and so I fled from my cabin into the light of the moon. My vision grew dark and my flesh hot as the mantle of the beast fell upon me, and I felt my hands upon the rail and then no more. Merciful God has spared my mind from much of what transpired after this, but as always I glimps'd and heard meer moments of what my beast experienc'd.

It was much anger'd at finding itself cloath'd and it howled and roared and tore at the rail. The mate and another man ran to the beast, thinking it was I in my "fit" and try'd to calm it with words afore they saw its face. The terror of
den wild zee
, as the Dutch call the sea in a storm, was naught compar'd to the beast.

They fled in fear, and the beast kill'd the mate in a moment, falling on him as wolves do to lambs, tearing at his flesh until his blood flowed cross the deck. And now the crew's case was very dismal indeed, for they all saw plainly they must face the beast or risk the high sea and the dark and distant shore they had glimps'd. Being wise men all, they chose the distant shore and threw themselves into the boat.

A raging wave, mountain-like, came rolling astern and broke over the deck and the beast was driven from its kill. It slid cross the tilted deck, into the air, and was all swallow’d up in a moment, tho' I can recall a sight of the wave falling upon the long-boat much as the beast had fallen upon the mate.

Nothing can describe the confusion of thought which the beast felt, when it sunk into the water, nor is it easy to make sense from the many images my intoxicated mind saw through the smok'd lens of the beast. It swam well, yet disliked water and could not deliver itself from the waves so as to draw breath. It could not drown, for the beast is immortal yet for purest silver, yet it could be thrash’d and batter’d by the waves, as it was. At one point it felt land under its paws, yet the sea came back as a great hill of water which buried the beast deep in its body and carry’d it back away from shore.

There was much time as the beast fought with the sea. It would struggle to the shore and then be either dragged back with a howl or pounded against the land, and this did happen countless times. One time would have been well nigh fatal to me, for the sea, having hurry'd the beast along, dashed it against a piece of rock with such force as to leave it senseless. But it recover’d a little before the return of the waves and held fast to the rock till the wave abated. Then the beast struck out again and fetch'd another run up the shore and the next wave went over it yet did not carry it away.

The beast collaps'd on the grass, free from danger, and quite out of the reach of the water. Its heart raced and it panted for breath in the manner of a dog, with its tongue hung out. And then, for the first time in my life, the beast fell asleep beneath the moon and spent its time in a deep, exhausted slumber and I knew no more.

The next morning I walked about on the shore, lifting up my hands, and my whole being, as I may say, wrapt up in the contemplation of my deliverance. I reflected upon my comrades that were drowned, and that there should not be one soul saved but myself. As for them, I never saw them afterwards, or any sign of them, except three of their hats, one cap, and two shoes that were not fellows.

I cast my eyes to the stranded vessel. The breach and froth of the sea being so big I could hardly see it, it lay so far off, and considered, Lord! how was it possible even the beast could get on shore?

After I had solaced my mind with the comfortable part of my condition, I began to look round me, to see what kind of a place I was in, and what was next to be done. I was wet, had no cloathes to shift me, nor any thing either to eat or drink to comfort me. Neither did I see any prospect before me but perishing with hunger. I had no weapon, either to hunt and kill any creature for my sustenance, or to defend myself against any other creature that might desire to kill me for theirs, though I hoped the creatures of this land would avoid me for the beast within my skin, as most animals of England do. In a word, I had nothing about me but a knife, a tobacco-pipe, and a little tobacco in a box. This was all my provision, and this threw me into such terrible agonies of mind that for a good while I ran about like a madman. Night coming upon me again, I began, with a heavy heart, to consider what would be my lot if there were naught to eat in this country.

All the remedy that offered to my thoughts at that time was to get what cloathes I was left with into a thick bushy tree, like a fir but thorny, which grew near me, and consider the next day what death I should die, for as yet I saw no prospect of life. I walked about a furlong from the shore to see if I could find any fresh water to drink, which I did, to my great joy. Having drank, I went to the tree and put my cloathes up in it, and presently the beast did come upon me again for the second night, that of the true full moon. While my own unwell state of thought made it most difficult to focus thru the smok'd lens, I was aware that the beast did feed, and if it could find food, there was hope I could as well.

When I waked it was broad day, the weather clear and the storm abated, so the sea did not rage and swell as before. What surprised me most was the ship was lifted off in the night from the sand where she lay by the swelling of the tyde, and was driven up almost as far as the rock which I at first mention’d, where the beast had been so bruised by the wave dashing it against it. This being within about a mile from the shore where I was, and the ship seeming to stand upright still, I wish’d myself on board that at least I might save some necessary things for my use.

The first thing I found was the long-boat, which lay as the wind and the sea had toss’d her upon the land, about two miles on my right hand. I walked as far as I could upon the shore to have got to her, but found an inlet of water between me and the boat, which was about half a mile broad. I came back for the present, being more intent upon getting at the ship, where I hoped to find something for my present subsistence. While the beast had fed the night before on one or two creatures, I could not count on it again after tonight.

A little after noon, I found the sea very calm, and the tyde ebb’d so far out I could come within a quarter of a mile of the ship, and here I found a fresh renewing of my grief. I saw if the beast had not forced the crew to flee in terror and all had kept on board, we had all got safe on shore and I had not been so miserable as to be left destitute of all comfort and company, as I now was. This forced tears from my eyes again, but as there was little relief in that, I resolv’d to get to the ship. I pull’d off my cloathes, for the weather was hot to extremity, and took the water.

When I came to the ship, my difficulty was still greater to know how to get on board. As she lay aground and high out of the water, there was nothing within my reach to lay hold of. I swam round her twice, and the second time I spy’d a small piece of a rope, which I wonder’d I did not see at first, hanging down by the fore-chains. With great difficulty I got hold of it, and by the help of that rope got into the forecastle of the ship. Here I found the ship was bulg’d and had a great deal of water in her hold. She lay so on the side of a bank of hard sand, or rather earth; her stern lay lifted up upon the bank and her head low, almost to the water. By this means all her quarter was free and all that was in that part was dry. You may be sure my first work was to search and to see what was spoiled and what was free.

First, I found all the ship's provisions were dry and untouched by the water. Being very well disposed to eat, I went to the bread-room and fill’d my pockets with bisket, and ate it as I went about other things, for I had no time to lose. I also found some rum in the great cabin, of which I took a large dram, and which I had indeed need enough of to spirit me for what was before me. Now I wanted nothing but a boat to furnish myself with many things which I foresaw would be very necessary to me.

It was in vain to sit still and wish for what was not to be had, and this extremity roused my application. We had several spare yards, and two or three large sparrs of wood, and a spare top-mast or two in the ship. I resolv’d to fall to work with these, and flung as many overboard as I could manage for their weight, tying every one with a rope that they might not drive away. When this was done I went down the ship's side and, pulling them to me, I tied four of them fast together at both ends, as well as I could, in the form of a raft. Laying two or three short pieces of plank upon them, crossways, I found I could walk upon it very well but it was not able to bear any great weight, the pieces being too light. I went to work, and with the carpenter's saw I cut a spare top-mast into three lengths and added them to my raft with a great deal of labour and pains. But the hope of furnishing myself with necessaries encouraged me to go beyond what I should have been able to have done upon another occasion.

My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable weight. My next care was what to load it with and how to preserve what I laid upon it from the surf of the sea, but I was not long considering this. I first laid all the planks or boards upon it I could get, and having considered well what I most wanted, I got three of the seamen's chests, which I had broken open and empty’d, and lowered them down upon my raft; these I fill’d with provisions. There had been some barley and wheat together, but, to my great disappointment I found the rats had eaten or spoiled it all. As for liquors, I found several cases of bottles belonging to our skipper in which were some cordial waters. These I stowed by themselves, there being no need to put them into the chests, nor any room for them.

While I was doing this, I found the tyde began to flow and I had the mortification to see my coat, shirt, and waistcoat, which I had left upon the sand, swim away. My breeches, which were only linen and open-knee'd, I swam on board in them and my stockings. This put me upon rummaging for cloathes, of which I found enough but took no more than I wanted for present use, for I had other things which my eye was more upon. It was after long searching I found the carpenter's chest, which was indeed a very useful prize to me, and much more valuable than a ship-lading of gold would have been at that time. I got it down to my raft, even whole as it was, without losing time to look into it for I knew in general what it contained.

My next care was for some ammunition and arms. There were two good fowling-pieces in the great cabin and two pistols. These I secured first with some powder-horns, and a small bag of shot, and two old rusty swords. I knew there were three barrels of powder in the ship but knew not where our gunner had stowed them. With much search I found them, two of them dry and good, the third had taken water. Those two I got to my raft. And now I thought myself pretty well freighted and began to think how I should get to shore with them, having neither sail, oar, nor rudder. The least cap-full of wind would have overset all my navigation.

I had three encouragements; 1, a smooth, calm sea; 2, the tide rising, and setting in to the shore; 3, what little wind there was blew me towards the land. And thus, having found two or three broken oars belonging to the long-boat, with this cargo I put to sea. For a mile, or thereabouts, my raft went very well, only I found it drive a little distant from the place where I had landed before. I perceived there was some indraft of the water, and consequently I hoped to find some creek or river there which I might make use of as a port to get to land with my cargo.

As I imagined, so it was, there appear’d before me a little opening of the land, and I found a strong current of the tyde set into it. I guided my raft as well as I could to get into the middle of the stream. But here I had like to have suffer’d a second shipwreck, for knowing nothing of the coast my raft ran aground at one end of it upon a shoal. Not being aground at the other end, it wanted but a little that all my cargo had slipped off towards that end that was afloat. I did my utmost, by setting my back against the chests to keep them in their places, but could not thrust off the raft with all my strength. Neither durst I stir from the posture I was in. Holding up the chests with all my might, I stood in that manner near half an hour, in which time the rising of the water brought me a little more upon a level. A little after, the water still rising, my raft floated again and I thrust her off with the oar I had into the channel. Driving up higher, I at length found myself in the mouth of a little river, with land on both sides and a strong current or tyde running up. I looked on both sides for a proper place to get to shore, for I was not willing to be driven too high up the river, hoping, in time, to see some ship at sea, and therefore resolv’d to place myself as near the coast as I could.