The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801). Даниэль Дефо

a while, and me to the enjoyment of it, I shall give the reader an account of my Journal from the day of my landing, till the fixing and settling of my habitation, as heretofore shown.

      JOURNAL.

      September 30, 1659. I unhappy Robinson Crusoe, having suffered shipwreck, was driven on this desolate island, which I named the Desolate Island of Despair, my companions being swallowed up in the tempestous ocean. The next day I spent in consideration of my unhappy circumstances, having no prospect but of death, either to be starved with hunger, or devoured with beasts or merciless savages.

      Oct. 1. That morning, with great comfort, I beheld the ship drove ashore. Some hopes I had, that when the storm was abated I might be able to get some food and necessaries out of her, which I conceived were not damaged, because the ship did stand upright. At this time I lamented the loss of my companions, and our misfortune in leaving the vessel. When I perceived the ship as it were lay dry, I waded through the sands, then swam aboard, the weather being very rainy, and with scarcely any wind.

      To the 14th of this month, my time was employed in making voyages, every tide getting what I could out of the ship. The weather very wet and uncertain.

      Oct. 20. My raft and all the goods thereon were overset: yet I recovered most again at low water.

      Oct. 25. It blew hard, and rained night and day, when the ship went in pieces, so that nothing was seen of her but the wreck at low water. This day I secured my goods from the inclemency of the weather.

      Oct. 26. I wandered to see where I could find a place convenient for my abode. I fixed upon a rock in the evening, marked out a half-moon, intending to erect a wall, fortified with piles, lined within with pieces of cables, and covered with turf.

      Nov. 1. I erected my tent under a rock, and took up my lodgings very contentedly in a hammock that night.

      Nov. 2. This day I fenced myself in with timber, chests, and boards.

      Nov. 3. I shot two wild fowl, resembling ducks, which were good to eat, and in the afternoon made me a table.

      Nov. 4. I began to live regularly. In the morning I allowed myself two or three hours to walk out with my gun; I then worked till near eleven o'clock, and afterwards refreshed myself, with what I had to eat. From twelve to two I would lie down to sleep. Extremely sultry weather. In the evening go to work again.

      Nov. 5. Went out with my gun and dog, shot a wild cat with a soft skin, but her flesh was good for nothing. The skins of those I killed, I preserved. In my return, I perceived many wild birds, and was terrified by some seals which made off to sea.

      Nov. 6. Completed my table.

      Nov. 7. Fair weather. I worked till the 12th, but omitted the 11th, which, according to my calculation, I supposed to be Sunday.

      Nov. 13. Rain in abundance, which, however, much cooled the air; with thunder and lightening, caused in me a terrible surprise. The weather clearing, I secured my powder in separate parcels.

      Nov. 14--16. I made little boxes for my powder, lodging them in several places. I also shot a large fowl, which proved excellent meat.

      Nov. 17. I began to dig in the rock, yet was obliged to desist for want of a pickax, shovel, and wheel-barrow. Iron crows I caused to supply the place of the first; but with all my art I could not make a wheel-barrow.

      Nov. 18. It was my fortune to find a tree, resembling what Brazilians call an iron tree. I had like to have spoiled my ax with cutting it, being very hard and exceedingly heavy; yet with much labour & industry, I made a sort of a spade out of it.

      Nov. 21. These tools being made, I daily carried on my business; eighteen days I allowed for enlarging my cave, that it might serve me, not only for a warehouse, but kitchen, parlour, and cellar. I commonly lay in the tent, unless the weather was rainy that I could not lie dry. So wet would it be at certain seasons, that I was obliged to cover all within the pale with long poles, in the form of rafters, leaning against the rock, and loaded them with flags and large leaves of trees, resembling a thatch.

      Dec. 10. No sooner did I think my habitation finished, but suddenly a great deal of the top broke in, so that it was a mercy I was not buried in the ruins. This occasioned a great deal of pains and trouble to me, before I could make it firm and durable.

      Dec 17. I nailed up some shelves and drove nails and staples in the wall and posts to hang things out of the way.

      Dec 20. Every thing I got into its place, then made a sort of a dresser, and another table.

      Dec. 24. 25. Rain in abundance.

      Dec. 26. Very fair weather.

      Dec. 27. I chanced to light on some goats, shot one and wounded another. I led it home in a string, bound up its leg, and cured it in a little time; at length it became so tame and familiar as to feed before the door, and follow me where I pleased. This put me in mind to bring up tame creatures, in order to supply me with food after my ammunition was spent.

      Dec. 28, 29, 30. The weather being excessively hot, with little air, obliged me for the most part, to keep within doors.

      Jan 1. Still sultry, however, obliged by necessity, I went out with my gun, and found a great store of goats in the valleys; they were exceedingly shy, nor could my dog hunt them down.

      Jan. 3 to 14. My employment this time was to finish the wall before described, and search the island. I discovered a kind of pigeons like our house-pigeons in a nest among the rocks. I brought them home, nursed them till they could fly, and then they left me. After this, I shot some, which proved excellent food. Some time I spent vainly in contriving to make a cask; I may well say it was vain, because I could neither joint the staves; nor fix the heads, so as to make it tight: So, leaving that, took some goat's tallow I had about me, and a little okum for the wick, and provided myself with a lamp, which served me instead of candles.

      But now a very strange event happened. For being in the height of my search, what should come into my hand, but a bag, which was used to hold corn (as I supposed) for the fowls; so immediately resolving to put gunpowder in it, I shook all the hulks and dirt upon one side of the rock, little expecting what the consequences would be. The rain had fallen plentifully a few days before; and about a month after, to my great amazement something began to lock out very green and flourishing; and when I came to view it more nicely, every day as it grew, I found about ten or twelve ears of green barley appeared in the very same shape and make as that in England.

      I can scarce express the agitations of my mind at this sight. Hitherto I had looked upon the actions of this life no otherwise than only as the events of blind chance and fortune. But now the appearance of this barley, flourishing in a barren soil, and my ignorance in not conceiving how it should come there, made me conclude that miracles were not yet ceased: nay, I even thought that God had appointed it to grow there without any seed, purely for my sustenance in this miserable and desolate island. And indeed such great effect this had upon me, that it often made me melt into tears, through a grateful sense of God's mercies; and the greater still was my thankfulness, when I perceived about this little field of barley some rice stalks, also wonderfully flourishing.

      While thus pleased in mind, I concluded there must be more corn in the island; and therefore made a diligent search narrowly among the rocks; but not being able to find any, on a sudden it came into my mind, how I had shaken the husks of corn out of the bag, and then my admiration ceased, with my gratitude to the Divine Being, as thinking it was but natural, and not to be conceived a miracle; though even the manner of its preservation might have made me own it as a wonderful event of God's kind providence.

      It was about the latter end of June when the ears of this corn ripened, which I laid up very carefully together with 20 or 30 stalks of rice, expecting one day I should reap the fruit of my labour; yet four years were expired before I could allow myself to eat any barley-bread, and much longer time before I had any rice. After this, with