The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe (7 page)

At length I spy’d a little cove on the right shore of the creek, to which, with great pain and difficulty, I guided my raft, and at last got so near as that, reaching ground with my oar, I could thrust her directly in. All I could do was to wait ‘till the tide was at the highest, keeping the raft with my oar like an anchor, to hold the side of it fast to the shore near a flat piece of ground. As soon as I found water enough, for my raft drew about a foot of water, I thrust her upon that flat piece of ground and there fastened or moored her by sticking my two broken oars into the ground, one on one side near one end, and one on the other side near the other end. Thus I lay ‘till the water ebb’d away, and left my raft and all my cargo safe on shore.

My next work was to view the country. Where I was, I yet knew not, whether on the continent or on an island, whether inhabited or not inhabited. There was a hill not above a mile from me which rose up very steep and high and which seemed to overtop some other hills northward. I took out one of the fowling-pieces, one of the pistols, and a horn of powder. Thus arm’d, I travel’d for discovery up to the top of that hill, where, after I had with great labour and difficulty got up to the top, I saw my fate.

I was on an island, environed every way with the sea. No land to be seen except some jagged black rocks, like cathedral spires 'neath the waves, which lay a way off, and two small islands, less than this, which lay about three leagues to the west.

I found also the island I was on was barren and, as I saw good reason to believe, uninhabited except by wild creatures. I saw abundance of fowls, but knew not their kinds. Neither when I killed them could I tell what was fit for food and what not. At my coming back, I shot at a great bird which I saw sitting upon a tree on the side of a great wood. I believe it was the first gun that had been fired there since the creation of the world. I had no sooner fired but from all the parts of the wood there arose an innumerable number of fowls, of many sorts, making a confused screaming and crying, every one according to his usual note. As for the creature I killed, I took it to be a kind of a hawk, its colour and beak resembling it, but had no talons or claws more than common. Its flesh was carrion and fit for nothing.

Contented with this discovery, I came back to my raft, and fell to work to bring my cargo on shore, which took me up the rest of that day. What to do with it for this last night of the moon I knew not, nor indeed where to rest it. I was afraid to leave my cargo too reveal’d, for the beast had in the past committed wanton destruction of the things of men for no discernable reason.

As well I could, I made a solid form with the chests and boards I had brought on shore, and made a kind of a wall for that night. As for food, I yet saw not which way to supply myself, except I had seen two or three creatures, like hares, run out of the wood where I shot the fowl. I knew for a certainty if there were food on this island, the beast would find more of it.

I remov'd my cloathes as the sun dropped and stowed them within one of the seamen's chests. As the beast came upon me, I could not help but sense its pleasure to still be unchayn'd and free in its new home. That night it kill'd two of the hares and feasted well on something larger, tho' I could not tell what.

On the morrow, I now began to consider I might yet get a great many things out of the ship which would be useful to me, and particularly some of the rigging and sails, and such other things as might come to land. I resolv’d to make another voyage on board the vessel, if possible. And as I knew the first storm that blew must break her all in pieces, I resolv’d to set all other things apart ‘till I got every thing out of the ship I could get. Then I called a council in my thoughts as to whether I should take back the raft, but this appeared impracticable. I resolv’d to go as before, when the tyde was down, and I did so, having nothing on but a chequered shirt, a pair of linen drawers, and a pair of pumps on my feet.

I got on board the ship as before, and prepared a second raft. Having had experience of the first, I neither made this so unwieldy nor loaded it so hard, but yet I brought away several things very useful to me. First, in the carpenter's stores, I found two or three bags of nails and spikes, a dozen or two of hatchets, and above all, that most useful thing called a grind-stone. All these I secured together, with several things belonging to the gunner, particularly two or three iron crows, two barrels of musket bullets, seven muskets, and a large bag-full of small shot.

Besides these things, I took all the men's cloathes I could find, and a spare fore-top sail, a hammock, and some bedding. With this I loaded my second raft and brought them all safe on shore, to my very great comfort.

Having got my second cargo on shore I went to work to make me a little tent with the sail, and some poles which I cut for that purpose. Into this tent I brought every thing I knew would spoil either with rain or sun. I piled all the empty chests and casks up in a circle round the tent, to fortify it from any sudden attempt either from man or animal.

When I had done this, I blocked up the door of the tent with some boards within and an empty chest set up on end without. Spreading one of the beds upon the ground, laying my two pistols just at my head, and my gun at length by me, I went to bed for the first time since the shipwreck and slept very quietly all night, for I was very weary and heavy. The night before the beast had run long and hard, and I had laboured very hard all day, as well, to fetch all those things from the ship and to get them on shore.

I had the biggest magazine of all kinds now that ever was laid up, I believe, for one man. But I was not satisfied, still. While the ship sat upright in that posture, I thought I ought to get every thing out of her I could. So every day, at low water, I went on board, and brought away something or other. The third time I went, I brought away as much of the rigging as I could, as also all the small ropes and rope-twine I could get, along with a piece of spare canvas which was to mend the sails upon occasion, and the barrel of wet gunpowder. In a word, I brought away all the sails first and last, only I was fain to cut them in pieces and bring as much at a time as I could. They were no more useful to be sails but as mere canvas only.

But that which comforted me still more was that, last of all, after I had made five or six such voyages as these, and thought I had nothing more to expect from the ship that was worth my meddling with, I found a great hogshead of bread, three large runlets of rum or spirits, a box of sugar, and a barrel of fine flour. This was surprising to me because I had given over expecting any more provisions, except what was spoiled by the water. I soon emptied the hogshead of that bread and wrapt it up, parcel by parcel, in pieces of the sails which I cut out, and got all this safe on shore also.

The next day I made another voyage, and now having plundered the ship of what was portable and fit to hand out, I began cutting the great cable into pieces, such as I could move. This was most unpleasant, for on deck was the dark stain where the mate had fallen to the beast, which had not been entirely washed away by the sea, and now lay in my sight all the time while I worked. I got two cables and a hawser on shore, with all the iron-work I could get, including a set of manakles from the brig were it ever needed to contain the beast on this island. Having cut down the spritsail-yard and the mizen-yard and every thing I could to make a large raft, I loaded it with all those heavy goods and came away. But my good luck began now to leave me. This raft was so unwieldy and so overladen, after I entered the little cove where I had landed the rest of my goods, not being able to guide it so handily as I did the other, it overset and threw me and all my cargo into the water. For myself, it was no great harm, for I was near the shore, but as to my cargo, it was a great part of it lost, especially the iron, which I expected would have been of great use to me. However, when the tyde was out, I got most of the pieces of cable ashore and some of the iron, tho’ with infinite labour for I was fain to dip for it into the water, a work which fatigued me very much. After this I went every day on board, and brought away whatever was left I could get.

I had been now thirteen days ashore and had been eleven times on board the ship, in which time I had brought away all one pair of hands could well be supposed capable to bring. I believe, had the calm weather held, I should have brought away the whole ship piece by piece. Tho’ I thought I had rummaged the cabin so as nothing could be found, on my twelfth visit I discovered a locker with drawers in it, in one of which I found two or three razors, and one pair of large scissars with some dozen of good knives and forks. In another I found about thirty-six pounds value in money, some European coin, some Brasil, some pieces of eight, some gold, and some silver.

I smil’d to myself at the sight of this money: “O drug!” said I aloud, "what art thou good for? E'en remain where thou art, and go to the bottom, as a creature whose life is not worth saving.” However, upon second thoughts, I took it away. Wrapping all this in a piece of canvas, I began to think of making another raft. But while I was preparing this, I found the sky over-cast, and the wind began to rise. In a quarter of an hour it blew a fresh gale from the shore. It occur’d to me it was in vain to pretend to make a raft with the wind off shore. It was my business to be gone before the tyde of flood began, or otherwise I might not be able to reach the shore at all. Accordingly, I let myself down into the water and swam across the channel which lay between the ship and the sands, and even that with difficulty enough, with the weight of the things I had about me and the roughness of the water. The wind rose and, before it was quite high water, it blew a storm.

But I got home to my little tent, where I lay with all my wealth about me very secure. It blew very hard all night. In the morning, when I looked out, behold, no more ship was to be seen! I was a little surprised, but recovered myself with this satisfactory reflection. I had lost no time, nor abated no diligence, to get every thing out of her that could be useful to me, and, indeed, there was little left in her I was able to bring away if I had had more time. I now gave over any more thoughts of the ship, or of any thing out of her, except what might drive on shore from her wreck.

My thoughts were now employ’d about securing myself against savages, if any should appear, and also against the wild acts of the beast, for if it were to destroy any of the many treasures I had saved from the ship, my life would become the harsher for it. I had many thoughts of the method how to do this and what kind of dwelling to make, whether I should make me a cave in the earth or a tent upon the earth. In short, I resolv’d upon both, the manner and description of which it may not be improper to give an account of.

I soon found the place I was in was not for my settlement because it was upon a low, moorish ground, near the sea. I believed it would not be wholesome because there was no fresh water near it. So I resolv’d to find a more healthy and more convenient spot of ground.

I consulted several things in my situation, which I found would be proper for me: 1st, health and fresh water, I just now mentioned: 2dly, shelter from the heat of the sun: 3dly, security from ravenous creatures, whether men or the beast: 4thly, a view to the sea, that if God sent any ship in sight, I might not lose any advantage for my deliverance, of which I was not willing to banish all my expectation yet.

In search for a place proper for this, I found a little plat of land on the side of a rising hill, whose front, towards this plain, was steep as a house-side, so nothing could come down upon me from the top. On the side of this rock there was a hollow place, worn a little way in, like the entrance of a cave, but there was not really any cave at all.

On the flat of the green, just before this hollow place, I resolv’d to pitch my tent. Before I set it up, I drew a half-circle before the hollow place which took in about ten yards in its semi-diameter from the rock, and twenty yards in its diameter from its beginning and ending.

In this half-circle I pitched two rows of strong stakes, driving them into the ground till they stood very firm like piles, the biggest end being out of the ground about five feet and a half and sharpened on the top. The two rows did not stand above six inches from one another, and this fence was so strong neither man nor the beast could get into it or over it. This cost me a great deal of time and labour, to cut the piles in the woods, bring them to the place, and drive them into the earth, but I thought it time well spent to know my livelihood would not be endangered by the beast.

The entrance into this place I made to be not by a door, but by a short ladder to go over the top, which, when I was in, I lifted over after me. I was fenced in and fortified from all the world and consequently slept secure in the night, which otherwise I could not have done.

Into this fence, or fortress, with infinite labour, I carry’d all my riches, all my provisions, ammunition, and stores, of which you have the account above. The last three days of this activity were the nights of the moon, and it did increase the time of moving, as I could not risk assuming the mantle of the beast either within my fence or whilst moving my treasures.

I made a large tent which, to preserve me from the rains, I made double, viz. one smaller tent within, and one larger tent above it, and covered the uppermost with a large tarpaulin, which I had saved among the sails. And now I lay no more for a while in the bed which I had brought on shore, but in a hammock, which was indeed a very good one and belonged to the mate of the ship. For many years, while I lay in it on nights not of the moon, I would recall his face as the beast pounced upon him. It is an awful thing to allow the beast to kill a man, and often my father told me such things would torment one's thoughts and meditations for life.

I began to work my way into the rock, bringing all the earth and stones I dug down out through my tent. I laid them up within my fence in the nature of a terrace so it raised the ground within about a foot and an half. Thus I made me a cave just behind my tent, which served me like a cellar to my house. It cost me much labour and many days before all these things were brought to perfection. Therefore I must go back to some other things which took up some of my thoughts.