THE 
 
 RENOWNED HISTOB 
 
 AND 
 
 4D VENTURES 
 
 OF 
 
 Rob i n so ii C v 11 s 
 
 
 
 
 ^^^5 1M Will fe^^ten 
 
 Mi ! ■ 
 
 
 MANCHESTER 
 Printed by A. Swindells, Hai 
 
I 
 
 
Robinson Cmsoe. 
 
 THE life of this surprising adventurer is 
 replete with the most strange and wbjader- 
 ful events that ever appeared in history: 
 we shall therefore be as particular as pos- 
 sible in reciting them. He was born of a 
 good family in the city of York ; where 
 his father who was a native of Bremen, 
 had settled, after having acquired a gen- 
 teel fortune by merchandise ; but having 
 a natural desire for a sea- faring life, no 
 entreaties could induce him to settle in bu- 
 siness at home, according to his parents' 
 request: however, they never could be 
 prevailed upon to give their consent to his 
 hazarding his life upon so dangerous and 
 uncertain an element. When he found 
 them quite obdurate, he formed a resolu- 
 tion of absenting himself from York with- 
 out their leave. With this view he set oil* 
 for Hull, where meeting with one of his 
 school- fellows, who was going on board 
 his father's ship, then bound for Peters- 
 burg:, he directly communicated his desire 
 of accompanying him, which was readily 
 agreed to. In a few days they set sail, but 
 our adventurer's first voyage proved a ve- 
 ry unfortunate one, for they had not been 
 
many days at sea before a violent tempest 
 arose, and the ship's crew would inevitably 
 have perished, had they not escaped in the 
 longboat just before the vessel foundered 
 upon a rock, and dashed to pieces before 
 thoir eyes. 
 
 Thev landed at Yarmouth, where they 
 were kindly received bv the magistrates 
 and the people of the town ; every thing 
 necessary for their immediate wants was 
 provided, and money sufficient to carry 
 thein either to London or Hull. 
 
 Our hero had no desire to return home, 
 but bent his steps towards the metropolis, 
 where he contracted an acquaintance with 
 the master of a ship, who had been on 
 the coast of Guinea, and preparing for a 
 second voyage, who having taken a lik- 
 ing to Crusoe, offered to take him along 
 with him without any expense, and also 
 
6 
 
 to advance what money lie might want, 
 to purchase such things as are usually 
 carried upon that coast to dispose of or 
 exchange with the natives. This voyage 
 made ample amends for the other, for he 
 acquired the art of navigation, and found 
 himself, at his return to England, master 
 of ,£300 in specie, after having refunded 
 the money which had been advanced by 
 the master of the ship, who died soon af- 
 ter his arrival. 
 
 Having thus lost his friend, he resolved 
 to venture on the same voyage once more; 
 and, accordingly, embarked with the late 
 
 master's mate, having first deposited £200 
 of his property in the hands of the wi- 
 dow of his late friend ; but this was one 
 of the most unhappy voyages that ever 
 man made ; for as they were steering be- 
 tween the Canary Islands and the African 
 shore, they were taken by a Moorish ro- 
 ver of bailee, after a desperate engage- 
 
6 
 
 ment, wlierein there was a deal of blood 
 spilt on both sides. 
 
 
 
 The captain of the rover kept our ad- 
 venturer as his ovvn prize ; but the rest of 
 the crew were sent to the emperor's court. 
 The usage he experienced was not so 
 dreadful as he at first apprehended, but 
 the confinement was far from being agree- 
 able to hi 111$ he therefore studied how to 
 make his escape, and at last effected it in 
 the following manner: the master of the 
 long boat of the English ship, had a small 
 state-room or cabin built in the middle of 
 it, like a barge with a place behind it to 
 steer; in this pleasure-boat he frequently 
 went out a fishing, and as Robinson Cru- 
 soe was very dexterous in that art, he gen- 
 erally took him along with him One day 
 be appointed to go out in this boat with 
 
some Moors of distinction, and therefore 
 sent a larger stock of proviso is Uian 
 usual, and ordered Robinson to get ready 
 some powder and shot, for they designed 
 to have some diversion at foiling as well 
 as fishing; but providence frustrated the 
 scheme merely to effect our ad venturer's 
 deliverance, lor they declined going, and 
 the M.k), ordered il obinson to go out with 
 the boat and catcfr some lish, lor his 
 friends were to sup with him. A Negro 
 slave and a boy were sent along with him 
 to manage the vessel, the first of which 
 was called Muiy, and the latter Xury — 
 When they had got about a league out to 
 sea, Crusoe took the advantage of the 
 slave, and going behind him threw him 
 into the sea. The poor fellow begged to 
 
 ^5g*S 
 
 mm 
 
 £3Ei* — 
 
 be taken into the boat again, but Robin- 
 son positively refused, and pointed the 
 
8 
 
 muzzle of a fowling piece at him, telling 
 film at the same time to swim ashore, or 
 ! i e vro u I d sh oot him 
 
 Firming all his entreaties in vain, he 
 nWie for land as fast as possible, and be- 
 lli 1/ a godd swimmer, he soon reached it. 
 I'Be Boy he kept to assist him in managing 
 the vessel, but first made him swear to be 
 true to him. After sailing about some 
 Weeks in the course of which they were 
 one dav affrighted by two furious wild 
 beasfer which made towards their barge as 
 last as thev could, Xury was terrified to a 
 very «reat degree, but hisfear soon abated 
 Avheif Robinson took up his mus' et and 
 shot one immediately dead ; the other then 
 made towards them very fiercely, but Ro- 
 binson showed so much skill and valour m 
 levelling his piece a second time, that the 
 monster instantly shared the same fate as 
 
 its companion. . 
 
 They continued steering their course 
 they knew not where, till they were a- 
 oreeably surprised by the sight of an Eu- 
 ropean ship, which they hailed The 
 crew, as soon as they perceived them, 
 thinking it was a boat belonging to some 
 ship which had been lost, immediately 
 shortened sail to M them come up. On 
 
9 
 
 coming near, they were asked what courr 
 they were, in Portuguese, Spanish, and 
 French, but Itobinson understood none of 
 them. At last a Scotch sailor onboard 
 asked hi m, when he directly answered he 
 
 J *. 
 
 was an Englishman, who had been taken 
 by a rover of Sallee, and had made his 
 escape from slavery : they then readily 
 took him and his boy Xury on board, 
 with all his goods. 
 
 Robinson was so overjoyed at being taken 
 up by this ship, that he offered up all his 
 possessions to the captain; but he gener- 
 ously tohi him he would take nothing from 
 him, but that all his effects should be de- 
 livered to him when they arrived at the 
 Brazils, whither the ship was then bound. 
 After a \cvy good voyage they arrived in 
 All Saints' Bay, where the captain re- 
 commended him to a planter, with whom 
 he lived till he had learned the trade; 
 but he first disposed of his effects to the 
 captain who had acted in so friendly a 
 manner to him ; he also let him have the 
 boy Xury, who was to have his freedom 
 on condition of his turning Christian. — 
 Being now fixed as a planter, and having 
 in due time got tolerably rich, he might 
 have lived in the happiest manner, if his 
 
10 
 
 desire for a sea-faring life had not again 
 urned. Frequently talking among his 
 fellow-merchants, he communicated to 
 i the n >d of purchasing negroes 
 on the coast of Guinea, and they, being 
 pi ise ^itfi the project, isilv prevailed 
 on him to make a v. >,ose; 
 
 which'vqyage was a verj unfortunat* on 
 for a violent storm arose, and ship 
 
 struck on a sand. The men were ♦>)> i.^ed 
 to escape the wreck by taking to the boat; 
 
 but unhappily it overset, and our adven- 
 turer was theoniv person that Providence 
 pointed out to be saved : for when the 
 boat overset, a wave carried him a vast 
 way towards the shore, and having spent 
 itself, went back, and left him upon the 
 sand almost dry. 
 
11 
 
 U&ma now destitute of every ire >f 
 
 A*™ ami in a desolate island ha- 
 bited by wild beasts, he gave ht^seld oar 
 lost AH be had in the world was a kmte, 
 pipe, and a little tobacco in a box; this 
 Us all his provision: but the next uav, 
 the sea being very calm, he determined 
 to swim to the wreck of tne ship, to see it 
 be could recover any thing that might be 
 of service to him in his captivity. lo 
 complete hi, design, he stript his clothes, 
 took the water, and soon got on board, 
 when he found all the provisions dry.-— 
 Be then proceeded to search every part 
 of the ship; and having made a rait, 
 
 lowered the carpenter's chest, and every 
 thin^ he thought necessary on board n, 
 and venturing upon it, he soon readied 
 the land. 
 
12 
 
 When he had deposited his property, 
 ho made a second voyage to the ship ; and 
 after that repeated his visits till he had 
 removed every thing of use or value: a- 
 mongst the rest, two cats and a dog, which 
 were his only companions for many years. 
 
 He then proceeded to erect himself a 
 hut or place to live in, which in time he 
 completed : and having found there were 
 goats and pigeons in the island, he used 
 to suhsist on the milk of the one and the 
 flesh of the other : and sometimes would 
 venture to shoot a young kid, the meat of 
 which proved to be of very great service 
 to him. As he was one day rummaging 
 amongst the things he had brought from 
 the ship, he found a bag with a few husks 
 of corn in it; and happening to want it, 
 shook it by the side of the tent. This, to 
 his astonishment, produced ten or twelve 
 ears of barley ; which he taking care of, 
 and ►owing again in time, yielded many 
 bushels of the same grain ; so that when 
 his bread grew short, he had another re- 
 source. 
 
 When he had been about a year in the 
 island, he was taken ill, and recollecting 
 that the Brazilians tooii no physic but to- 
 
13 
 
 bacco, fried that medicine, and in time 
 got better. 
 
 hi this dreary situation did our unfortu- 
 nate mariner pass a considerable number 
 of years ; during which he kept a just ac- 
 count how the time passed, by cutting 
 notciies on a post he set up for that pur- 
 
 
 pose, observed the Sabbaib, and frequent* 
 ly returned God thanks 201 preserving his 
 life. 
 
 Bv little and little he became quire re- 
 signed to ins solitude, and Umi no desire 
 to change his situation, for Providence 
 was very \imi to him, and prospered 
 every thing; he undertook. 
 
 hi order to save h;s powder and shot, 
 he contrived to ensnare some live goals of 
 
14 
 
 both sexes, from wh ch he raised a consi- 
 derable breed, and th by stocked him- 
 self with proVisibnsi He HI ewisc in his 
 walks found mam choise fruit trees, such 
 as melons, pomegranates, &c. 
 
 These feerfed to heighten his happiness, 
 and induced him to bund a kind of bower 
 near where they grew, where he frequent- 
 ly slept iu the hottest part of the weather, 
 it being more cool than his tirst habitation ; 
 it was there that he was so greatly surpris- 
 ed by his parrot which he had catched in 
 the island, and which, one day he had laid 
 down in a shade to sleep, awaked him, 
 
 called llobin, Robin Crusoe, where are 
 you? Awaking dread fully frightened at 
 hearing his name called, he cast faiseyes up- 
 on the bird, which immediately hopped to 
 
^c 
 
 15 
 
 nim, and sat on his finger as it had been 
 learnt. 
 
 In this situation, without the company of any Hv. 
 ing creature to convere with, he passed his time till the 
 23rd year of his captivity, when Providence thought 
 proper to give him a companion, who was a savage of 
 
 
 a neighbouring island, but soon became tractable by 
 our adventurer's counsel and direction.— The whole 
 time he stayed in the island was 28 years, when an En- 
 glish ship happened to pass by that part of it where Ro- 
 binson Crusoe's habitation was, the crew of whick 
 having mutfned, put their captain on shore, in order to 
 leave him there, and take the vessel in their own hands • 
 but our manner being here, discovered their intentions', 
 and with his faithful negro, whom he called Friday, 
 having taken him on that day, killed some of the ring- 
 leaders, afer a very desperate engagement, in which 
 he proved himself a man of courage, a friend to (he 
 injured, and put an end to the conspiracy, but he would 
 not have been able to effect this victory, had not the 
 
 3>s-ns*4 t 
 
i* 
 
 •guns placed round his dwelling been sitmted so advan- 
 tageously as to do execution every time they were fired. 
 He then secured such as he t bough r most dangerous, 
 arid caused I he rest to become sulwrvient ro ;heir cook 
 ~mander, who took him and his effects into the ship, 
 
 
 and proceeded on their voyage to England, where they 
 soon arrived and where our adventurer settled and 
 lived a religious life, after ail his misfortunes and hard- 
 ships he had undergone.' 
 
 His man Friday died |jjjp his passage, which was a 
 grief to Ills master , ior he proved himself a v<-ry faith- 
 ful domestic, and wi-hed foi n-uhing so much as to 
 Jive tu see England, the place of hh master's nativity. 
 
 Siciiidct/s, Printer, Manchester.