ARTES
LIBRARY
1837.
SCIENTIA
VERITAS
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
PLURIBUS UNUM
TUEBOR
SI-QUÆRIS-PENINSULAM AMŒNAM”
CIRCUMSPICE
GIFT OF
REGENT LLHUBBARD
nonto
:
1

Eancock Se
The Wife of Crusoe.
Persuading him from
second Voyage
a
THE
LIFE
AND
ADVENTURES
OF
ROBINSON CRUSOE;
INCLUDING
An Account of his Shipwreck,
AND RESIDENCE FOR TWENTY-NINE YEARS
ON AN
UNKNOWN ISLAND;
THE
REMARKABLE HISTORY OF HIS DELIVERANCE; AND THE EXTRA-
ORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH AFTERWARDS BEFEL
HIM IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD.
WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.
When I think of my own native land,
In a moment I seem to be there;
But, alas! recollection at hand,
Soon hurries me back to despair.
COWPER.
ILLUSTRATED WITH ELEGANT ENGRAVINGS,
FROM ORIGINAL DESIGNS.
!
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
Birmingham :
W. SUFFIELD AND CO. PRINT ERS
1812.
THE
LIFE AND ADVENTURES
OF
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
THAT homely proverb, used on so many occasions in
England, viz. That what is bred in the bone will not
go out of the flesh, was never more verified than in the
story of my Life.-Any one would think, that after thir-
ty-five years affliction, and a variety of unhappy circum-
stances, which few men, if ever any, went through before;
and after near seven years of peace and enjoyment in the
fulness of all things; grown old, and when, if ever it
might be allowed me to have had experience of every
state of middle life, and to know which was most adapt-
ed to make a man completely happy; I say, after all this,
any one would have thought, that the native propensity
to rambling, which I gave an account of in my first setting
out into the world, to have been so predominant in my
thoughts, should be worn out, the volatile part be fully
evaporated, or at least condensed, and I might at sixty-
one years of age have been a little inclined to stay at
home, and have done venturing life and fortune any
more.
Nay, farther, the common motive of foreign adventures
was taken away in me; for I had no fortune to make, I
had nothing to seek.-If I had gained ten thousand
VOL. II.
2 P 2
296
ADVENTURES OF
pounds, I had been no richer; for I had already sufficient
for me, and for those I had to leave it to; and what I had
was visibly increasing; for having no great family, I
could not spend the income of what I had, unless I would
set up for an expensive way of living, such as a great
family, servants, equipage, gaiety, and the like, which
were things I had no notion of, or inclination for; so that
I had nothing indeed to do, but to sit still, and fully en-
joy what I had got, and see it increase daily upon my
hands.
Yet all these things had no effect upon me, or at least
not enough to resist the strong inclination I had to go
abroad again, which hung about me like a chronical dis-
temper; particularly, the desire of seeing my new plan-
tation in the island, and the colony I left there, run in
my head continually. I dreamed of it all night, and my
imagination ran upon it all day; it was uppermost in all
ny thoughts, and my fancy worked so steadily and
strongly upon it, that I talked of it in my sleep: in short,
nothing could remove it out of my mind. It even broke
so violently into all my discourses, that it made my con-
versation tiresome; for I could talk of nothing else; all
my discourse run into it, even to impertinence, and I
saw it myself-
I have often heard persons of good judgment say, that
all the stir people make in the world about ghosts and
apparitions, is owing to the strength of imagination, and
the powerful operation of fancy on their minds; that
there is no such thing as a spirit appearing, or a ghost
walking, and the like: that people's poring affectionately
upon the past conversation of their deceased friends, so
realizes itself to them, that they are capable of fancying
upon some extraordinary circumstances, that they see
them, talk to them, and are answered by them; when
in truth, there is nothing but shadow and vapour in the
thing, and they really know uothing of the matter.
For my part, I know not, to this hour, whether there
are any such things as real apparitions, spectres, or walk-
ing of people after they are dead; or whether there is
any thing in the stories they tell us of that kind, more
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
297
than the product of vapours, sick minds, and wandering
fancies. But this I know, that my imagination worked
me up to such a height, and brought me into such excess
of vapours, or what else I may call it, that I actually
supposed myself oftentimes upon the spot, at my old
castle behind the trees; I saw my old Spaniard, Friday's
father, and the reprobate sailors, whom I left upon the
island. Nay, I fancied I talked with them, and looked
at them so steadily, though I was broad awake, as at
persons just before me; and this I did, till I often fright-
ened myself with the images my fancy represented to
me. One time, in my sleep, I had the villany of the
three pirate sailors so lively related to me by the first
Spaniard and Friday's father, that it was surprising; they
told me how they barbarously attempted to murder all
the Spaniards, and that they set fire to the provisions.
they had laid up, on purpose to distress and starve them;
things that I had never heard of, and yet they were all
of them true in fact; and it was so warm in my imagi-
nation, and so realized to me, that to the hour I saw
them, I could not be persuaded but that it was, or would
be true; also how I resented it, when the Spaniards
complained to me; and how I brought them to justice,
tried them before me, and ordered them all three to be
hanged. What there was really in all this shall be seen
in its place; for, however I came to form such things in
my dream, and what secret converse of spirits injected
it, yet there was, I say, very much of it true.
I own
that this dream had nothing in it literally and specifically
true; but the general part was so true, the base and vil-
lanous behaviour of these three hardened rogues was
such, and had been so much worse than I can describe,
that the dream had too much similitude of the fact: and,
as I would afterwards have punished them severely, so,
if I had hanged them all, I had been much in the right,
and should have been justified both by the laws of God
and man.
But to return to my story:-In this kind of temper I
had lived some years; I had no enjoyment of my life,
no pleasant hours, no agreeable diversion, but what had
298
ADVENTURES OF
something or other of this in it; so that my wife, who
saw my mind so wholly bent upon it, told me very seri-
ously one night, that she believed there was some secret
powerful impulse of Providence upon me, which had
determined me to go thither again; and that she found
nothing hindered my going, but my being engaged to a
wife and children. She told me, that it was true she
could not think of parting with me; but as she was as-
sured, that if she was dead, it would be the first thing
I would do; so, as it seemed to her that the thing was
determined above, she would not be the only obstruction;
for, if I thought fit, and resolved to go-Here she found
me very intent upon her words, and that I looked very
earnestly at her, so that it a little disordered her, and
she stopped. I asked her, why she did not go on, and
say out what she was going to say? But I perceived
her heart was too full, and some tears stood in her eyes.
Speak out, my dear, says 1; are you willing I should go?
No, says she, very affectionately, I am far from willing;
but if you are resolved to go, says she, rather than I will
be the only hindrance, I will go with you: for though I
think it a preposterous thing for one of your years, and
in your condition, yet, if it must be, said she again, weep-
ing, I won't leave you; for, if it be of heaven, you must
do it, there is no resisting it. And if heaven makes it
your duty to go, he will also make it mine to go with you,
or otherwise dispose of me that I may not obstruct it.
This affectionate behaviour of my wife, brought me a
little out of the vapours, and I began to consider what I
was doing. I corrected my wandering fancy, and began
to argue with myself sedately, what business I had, after
three-score years, and after such a life of tedious suffer-
ings and disasters, and closed in so happy and easy a
manner, I say, what business had I to rush into new haz-
ards, and put myself upon adventures fit only for youth
and poverty to run into.
With those thoughts I considered my new engagements
—that I had a wife, one child born, and my wife then
great with child of another; and that I had all the world
could give me, and had no need to seek new hazards for
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
299
gain-that I was declining in years, and ought to think
rather of leaving what I had gained, than of seeking to
encrease it; that as to what my wife had said, of its
being an impulse from heaven, and that it should be my
duty to go, I had no notion of that: so, after many of
these cogitations, I struggled with the power of my ima-
gination, reasoned myself out of it, as I believe people
may always do in like cases, if they will; and, in a word,
1 conquered it: composed myself with such arguments
as occurred to my thoughts, and which my present con-
dition furnished me plentifully with; and particularly,
as the most effectual method, I resolved to divert myself
with other things, and to engage in some business that
might effectually prevent me from any more excursions.
of this kind; for I found the thought return upon me
chiefly when I was idle, and had nothing to do, or any
thing of moment immediately before me.
To this purpose I bought a little farm in the county of
Bedford, and resolved to remove myself thither. I had
a little convenient house upon it, and the land about it I
found was capable of great improvement, and that it was
many ways suited to my inclination, which delighted in
cultivating, managing, planting, and improving of land;
and particularly, being an inland county, I was removed
from conversing among ships, sailors, and things relating
to the remote parts of the world.
In a word, I went down to my farm, settled my family,
bought me ploughs, harrows, a cart, waggon, horses,
cows, sheep; and, setting seriously to work, became, in
one half-year, a mere country gentleman. My thoughts
were entirely taken up in managing my servants, culti-
vating the ground, inclosing, planting, &c. and I lived, as
I thought, the most agreeable life that nature was capa-
ble of directing, or that a man, always bred to misfor-
tunes, was capable of being retreated to.
I farmed upon my own land, I had no rent to pay, was
limited by no articles; I could pull up, or cut down, as
I pleased; what I planted was for myself, and what I
improved was for my family; and having thus left off the
thoughts of wandering, I had not the least discomfort in
300
ADVENTURES OF
any part of my life, as to this world. Now I thought
indeed, that I enjoyed that middle state of life which my
father so earnestly recommended to me; a kind of hea-
venly life, something like what is described by the poet
upon the subject of a country life:-
Free from vices, free from care,
Age no pain, and youth no snare.
But, in the middle of all this felicity, one blow from
unseen Providence unhinged me at once; and not only
made a breach upon me inevitable and incurable, but
drove me, by its consequence, upon a deep relapse into
the wandering disposition; which, as I may say, being
born in my very blood, soon recovered its hold of me,
and, like the returns of a violent distemper, came on with
an irresistible force upon me, so that nothing could make
any more impression on me. This blow was-the loss
of my wife!
It is not my business here to write an elegy upon my
wife, to give a character of ber particular virtues, and
make my court to the sex by the flattery of a funeral
sermon. She was, in a few words, the stay of all my
affairs, the centre of all my enterprizes; the engine, that,
by her prudence, reduced me to that happy compass I
was in, from the most extravagant and ruinous project
that fluttered in my head, as above; and did more to
guide my rambling genius, than a mother's tears, a fa-
ther's instructions, a friend's counsel, or all my own rea-
soning powers could do. I was happy in listening to
her tears, and in being moved by her intreaties, and to
the last degree desolate and dislocated in the world by
the loss of her.
When she was gone, the world looked awkwardly
round me: I was as much a stranger in it, in my thoughts,
as I was in the Brazils, when I first went on shore there;
and as much alone, except as to the assistance of servants,
as I was in my island. I knew neither what to do, or
what not to do. I saw the world busy round me, one
part labouring for bread, and the other squandering it in
vile excesses or empty pleasures; equally miserable, be-
cause the end they proposed still fled from them: for the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
301
men of pleasure were every day surfeited of their vices,
and heaped up work for sorrow and repentance; and the
men of labour spent their strength in daily struggling for
bread, to maintain the vital strength they laboured with:
so living in a daily circulation of sorrow, living but to
work, and working but to live; as if daily-bread were
the only end of a wearisome life, and a wearisome life
the only occasion of daily-bread.
This put me in mind of the life I lived in my kingdom,
the island; where I suffered no more corn to grow, be-
cause I did not want it; and bred no more goats, because
I had no more use for them; where the money lay in the
drawer till it grew mildewed, and had scarce the favour
to be looked upon in twenty years.
All these things, had I improved them as I ought to
have done, and as reason and religion had dictated to
me, would have taught me to search farther than human
enjoyments for a full felicity; and that there was some-
thing which certainly was the reason and end of life, su-
perior to all these things, which was either to be posses-
sed, or at least hoped for on this side the grave.
But my sage counsellor was gone; I was like a ship
without a pilot, that could only run afore the wind. My
thoughts ran all away again into the old affair; my head
was quite turned with the whimsies of foreign adven-
tures; and all the pleasing innocent amusements of my
farm and my garden, my cattle and my family, which
before entirely possessed me, were nothing to me, had no
relish, and were like music to one that has no ear, or food
to one that has no taste. In a word, I resolved to leave
off housekeeping, let my farm, and return to London.
And, in a few months after, I did so.
When I came to London, I was still as uneasy as be-
fore; I had no relish to the place, no employment in it;
nothing to do but to saunter about like an idle person,
of whom it may be said, he is perfectly useless in God's
creation, and it is not one farthing matter to the rest of
his kind whether he be dead or alive. This also was the
thing, which, of all circumstances of life, was the most
my aversion, who had been all my days used to an active
2 Q
302
ADVENTURES OF
life; and I would often say to myself, "A state of idle-
ness is the very dregs of life!" And, indeed, I thought
I was much more suitably employed, when I was twenty-
six days making a deal-board.
It was now the beginning of the year 1693, when my
nephew, whom, as I have observed before, I had brought
up to the sea, and had made him commander of a ship,
was come home from a short voyage to Bilboa, being the
first he had made. He came to me, and told me, that
some merchants of his acquaintance had been proposing
to him to go a voyage for them to the East Indies and to
China, as private traders. And now, uncle," says he,
"if you will go to sea with me, I'll engage to laud you
upon your old habitation in the island, for we are to touch
at the Brazils."
Nothing can be a greater demonstration of a future
state, and of the existence of an invisible world, than the
concurrence of second causes with the ideas of this,
which we form in our minds, perfectly reserved, and not
communicated to any in the world.
My nephew knew nothing how far my distemper of
wandering was returned upon me, and I knew nothing of
what he had in his thoughts to say; when, that very morn-
ing, before he came to see me, I had, in a great deal of
confusion of thought, and revolving every part of my cir-
cumstances in my mind, come to this resolution, viz. that
I would go to Lisbon, and consult with my old sea cap-
tain; and so, if it was rational and practicable, I would
go and see the island again, and see what was become of
my people there. I had pleased myself also with the
thoughts of peopling the place, and carrying inhabitants
from hence, getting a patent for the possession, and I
know not what; when, in the middle of all this, in comes
my nephew, as I have said, with his project of carrying
me thither in his way to the East Indies.
I paused awhile at his words; and, looking steadily at
him," What devil," said I, " sent you on this unlucky
errand?" My nephew startled, as if he had been fright-
ed, at first; but, perceiving I was not much displeased
with the proposal, he recovered himself. "I hope it may
?
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
303
not be an unlucky proposal, Sir," says he, "I dare say
you would be pleased to see your new colony there,
where you once reigned with more felicity than most of
your brother monarchs in the world.
In a word, the scheme hit so exactly with my temper,
that is to say, with the prepossession I was under, and
of which I have said so much, that I told him, in few
words, if he agreed with the merchants, I would go with
him: but I told him, I would not promise to go any far-
ther than my own island. "Why, Sir," says he, "you
don't want to be left there again, I hope?" Why," said
1, "can you not take me up again in your return?" He
told me, it would not he possible to do so; that the mer-
chants would never allow him to come that way with a
loaden ship of such value, it being a month's sail out of
his way, and might be three or four. "Besides, Sir, if I
should miscarry," said he, "and not return at all, then
you would be just reduced to the condition you were in
before."
This was very rational, but we both found out a reme-
dy for it; which was, to carry a framed sloop on board
the ship, which, being taken in pieces, and shipped on
board the vessel, might, by the help of some carpenters,
whom we agreed to carry with us, be put together again
in the island, and finished, fit to go to sea, in a few days.
I was not long resolving; for, indeed, the importunities
of my nephew joined in so effectually with my inclination,
that nothing could oppose me. On the other hand, my
wife being dead, I had nobody that concerned themselves
so much for me, as to persuade me one way or the other,
except my ancient good friend the widow, who earnestly
remonstrated with me to consider my years, my easy cir-
cumstances, and the needless hazard of a long voyage;
and, above all, my young children. But it was all to no
purpose, I had an irresistible desire to the voyage; and I
told her, I thought there was something so uncommon
in the impression I had upon my mind for the voyage,
that it would be a kind of resisting Providence, if I
should attempt to stay at home. After this, she ceased
her expostulations; and joined with me, not only in mak-
2Q2
304
'ADVENTURES OF
ing provision for my voyage, but also in settling my fa
mily affairs in my absence, and providing for the educa
tion of my children.
In order to this, I made my will, and settled the estate
I had in such a manner for my children, and placed it in
such hands, that I was perfectly easy and satisfied they
would have justice done them, whatever might befal me;
as for their education, I left it wholly with my widow,
with a sufficient maintenance to herself for her care: all
which she richly deserved, for no mother could have
taken more care in their education, or understood it bet-
ter; and, as she lived till I came home, I also lived to
thank her for it.
My nephew was ready to sail, about the beginning of
January, 1694-5; and I, with my man Friday, went on
board, in the Downs, on the 8th, having, besides that
sloop which I mentioned above, a very considerable cargo
of all kinds of necessary things for my colony, which, if
I did not find in a good condition, I resolved to leave so.
First, I carried with me some servants, whom I pur-
posed to place there as inhabitants, or, at least, to set to
work there upon my own account while I staid, and ei-
ther to leave them there, or carry them forward, as they
should appear willing; particularly, I carried two car-
penters, a smith, and a very handy ingenious fellow, who
was a cooper by trade, but was also a general mechanic;
for he was dextrous at making wheels, and hand-mills to
grind corn; was a good turner, and a good pot-maker; he
also made any thing that was proper to form of earth or
wood; in a word, we called him our "Jack of all trades.
>>
With these I carried a taylor, who had offered himself
to go passenger to the East Indies with my nephew, but
afterwards consented to stay on our new plantation, and
proved a most necessary handy fellow as could be desired,
in many other employments besides that of his trade;
for, as I observed before, necessity arms us against all
difficulties.
My cargo, as near as I can recollect, for I have not
kept an account of particulars, consisted of a sufficient
quantity of linen, and some thin English stuffs, for cloath-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
305
÷
ing the Spaniards that I expected to find there; and
enough of them, as, by my calculation, might comfortably
supply them for seven years. If I remember right, the
materials which I carried for cloathing them, with gloves,
hats, shoes, stockings, and all such things as they could
want for wearing, amounted to above 2001. including
some beds, bedding, and household stuff, particularly
kitchen utensils, with pots, kettles, pewter, brass, &c.
besides near 1007. more in iron-work, nails, tools of every
kind, staples, hooks, hinges, and every necessary thing I
could think of.
I carried also a hundred spare arms, musquets, and fu-
sils, besides some pistols, a considerable quantity of shot
of all sizes, three or four tons of lead, and two pieces of
brass cannon; and, because I knew not what time and
what extremities I was providing for, I carried an hun-
dred barrels of powder, besides swords and cutlasses,
and the iron part of some pikes and halberts; so that, in
short, we had a large magazine of all sorts of stores; and
I made my nephew carry two small quarter-deck guns
more than he wanted for his ship, to leave behind, if
there was occasion; that, when they came there, we might
build a fort, and man it against all sorts of enemies; and
indeed I at first thought there would be need enough of
it all, and much more, if we hoped to maintain our pos-
session of the island.
I had not such bad luck in this voyage as I had been
used to meet with, and therefore shall have the less occa-
sion to interrupt the reader; who, perhaps, may be impa-
tient to hear how matters went with my new colony; yet,
some odd accidents, cross winds, and bad weather, hap-
pened on our first setting out, which made the voyage
longer than I expected at first; and I, who had never
made but one voyage, (viz. my first voyage to Guinea,)
in which I might be said to come back again, as the voy-
age was at first designed, began to think the same ill fate
still attended me, and that I was born to be never con-
tented with my own shore, and yet to be always unfor-
tunate at sea.
}
306
ADVENTURES OF
Contrary winds first drove us to the northward, and
we were obliged to put in at Galway, in Ireland, where
we lay wind-bound two-and-thirty days; but we had
this satisfaction with the disaster, that provisions were
here exceeding cheap, and in the utmost plenty; so that,
while we lay here, we never touched the ship's stores,
but rather added to them. Here also I took several hogs,
and two cows, with their calves; which I resolved, if I
had a good passage, to put ashore in my island, but we
found occasion to dispose of them otherwise.
We set out the 5th of February from Ireland, and had
a very fair gale of wind for some days. According to my
remembrance, it might be about the 20th of February,
in the evening, late, when the mate, having the watch,
came into the round-house, and told us, he saw a flash
of fire, and heard a gun fired; and, while he was telling
us of it, a boy came in, and told us the boatswain heard
another. This made us all run out upon the quarter-
deck; where, for awhile we heard nothing: but, in a few
minutes, we saw a very great light, and found that there
was some very terrible fire at a distance. Immediately
we had recourse to our reckonings, in which we all agreed
that there could be no land that way in which the fire
shewed itself; no, not for 500 leagues: for it appeared at
W. N. W. Upon this, we concluded it must be some
ship on fire at sea; and as, by our hearing the noise of
guns just before, we concluded it could not be far off, we
stood directly towards it, and were presently satisfied
we should discover it; because, the farther we sailed,
the greater the light appeared, though, the weather being
hazy, we could not perceive any thing but the light for
awhile. In about half an hour's sailing, the wind being
fair for us, though not much of it, and the weather clear-
ing up a little, we could plainly discern that it was a
great ship on fire in the middle of the sea. I was most
sensibly touched with this disaster, though not at all ac-
quainted with the persons engaged in it. I presently re-
collected my former circumstances, in what condition I
was when taken up by the Portuguese captain; and how
much more deplorable the circumstances of the poor
¿
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
307
creatures belonging to the ship must be, if they had no
other ship in company with them. Upon this, I imme-
diately ordered that five guns should be fred, one soon
after another, that, if possible, we might give notice to
them that there was help for them at hand, and that they
might endeavour to save themselves in their boat; for,
though we could see the flame in the ship, yet they, it
being night, could see nothing of us.
We lay by some time upon this, only driving as the
burning ship drove, waiting for day-light; when, on a
sudden, to our great terror, though we had reason to ex-
pect it, the ship blew up in the air, and immediately (that
is to say, in a few minutes) all the fire was out; that is
to say, the rest of the ship sunk. This was terrible, and
indeed an afflicting sight, for the sake of the poor men,
who, I concluded, must be either all destroyed in the
ship, or be in the utmost distress in their boats in the
middle of the ocean, which, at present, from its being
dark, I could not see; however, to direct them as well as
I could, I caused lights to be hung out in all the parts of
the ship where we could, and which we had lanthorns
for, and kept firing guns all the night long; letting them
know by this, that there was a ship not far off.
About eight o'clock in the morning, we discovered the
ship's boats, by the help of our perspective-glasses; and
found there were two of them, both thronged with peo-
ple, and deep in the water. We perceived they rowed,
the wind being against them; that they saw our ship,
and did their utmost to make us see them.
We immediately spread our ancient, to let them know
we saw them, and hung a waft out, as a signal for them
to come on board; and then made more sail, standing
directly to them. In a little more than half an hour, we
came up with them; and, in a word, took them all in,
being no less than sixty-four men, women, and children:
for there were a great many passengers.
Upon the whole, we found it was a French merchant
ship, of 300 tons, homeward-bound from Quebec, in the
river of Canada. The master gave us a long account of
the distress of his ship, how the fire began in the steer-
308
ADVENTURES OF
out.
age, by the negligence of the steersman; but, on his cry-
ing out for help, was, as every body thought, entirely put
But they soon found, that some sparks of the first
fire had got into some part of the ship, so difficult to come
at, that they could not effectually quench it; and, after-
wards, getting in between the timbers, and within the
ceiling of the ship, it proceeded into the hold, and mas-
tered all the skill and all the application they were able
to exert.
They had no more to do then, but to get into their
boats, which, to their great comfort, were pretty large;
being their long-boat and a great shallop, besides a small
skiff,
Was of no great service to them, other than
to get some fresh water and provisions into her, after they
had secured themselves from the fire. They had indeed
small hope of their lives by getting into these boats, at
that distance from any land, only, as they justly said,
that they were escaped from the fire, and had a possibility
that some ship might happen to be at sea, and might take
them in. They had sails, oars, and a compass, and were
preparing to make the best of their way to Newfound-
land, the wind blowing pretty fair; for it blew an easy
gale at S. E. by E. They had as much provision and
water, as, with sparing it so as to be nearly starving,
might support them about twelve days; in which, if they
had no bad weather, and no contrary winds, the captain
said, he hoped he might get to the Banks of Newfound-
land, and might perhaps take some fish to sustain them
till they might go on shore. But there were so many
chances against them in all these cases, such as storms
to overset and founder them, rains and cold to benumb
and perish their limbs, contrary winds to keep them out
and starve them, that it must have been next to miracu-
lous if they had escaped.
In the midst of these consultations, every one being
hopeless and ready to despair, the captain, with tears in
his eyes, told me, they were on a sudden surprized with
the joy of hearing a gun fire; and, after that, four more:
these were the five guns which I caused to be fired at first
seeing the light. This revived their hearts, and gave them
?
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
309
notice, which, as above, I designed it should, viz. that
there was a ship at hand for their help.
It was upon the hearing of these gans, that they took
down their masts and sails; and, the sound coming from
the windward, they resolved to lie by till morning. Some
time after this, hearing no more guns, they fired three
musquets, one a considerable while after another; but
these, the wind being contrary, we never heard.
Some time after that again, they were still more agree-
ably surprised with seeing our lights, and hearing the
guns; which, as I have said, I caused to be fired all the
rest of the night. This set them to work with their oars,
to keep their boats a-head, at least that we might the
sooner come up with them; and at last, to their inex-
pressible joy, they found we saw them.
It is impossible for me to express the several gestures,
the strange extasies, the variety of postures, which these
poor delivered people ran into, to express the joy of their
souls at so unexpected a deliverance. Grief and fear are
easily described; sighs, tears, groans, and a very few mo-
tions of head and hands, make up the sum of its variety:
but an excess of joy, a surprise of joy, has a thousand
extravagancies in it. There were some in tears, some
raging and tearing themselves, as if they had been in the
greatest agonies of sorrow: some stark raving and down-
right lunatic; some ran about the ship, stamping with
their feet; others wringing their hands; some were danc-
ing, several singing, some laughing, more crying, many
quite dumb, not able to speak a word; others sick and
vomiting; several swooning, and ready to faint; and a few
were crossing themselves, and giving God thanks.
I would not wrong them, neither; there might be ma-
ny who were thankful afterward; but the passion was too
strong for them at first, and they were not able to master
it; they were thrown into extasies and a kind of frenzy,
and so there were but very few who were composed and
serious in their joy.
Perhaps, also, the case may have some addition to it,
from the particular circumstance of the nation they be-
longed to; I mean the French: whose temper is allowed
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ADVENTURES OF
}
to be more volatile, passionate, and sprightly, and their
spirits more fluid, than those of other nations. I am
not philosopher enough to determine the cause, but no-
thing I had ever seen before came up to it; the extasies
poor Friday, my trusty savage, was in, when he found
his father in the boat, came the nearest to it; and, the
surprise of the master and his two companions, whom I
delivered from the two villains who set them on shore in
the island, came a little way towards it; but nothing was
to compare to this, either that I saw in Friday, or any
where else in my life.
It is farther observeable, that these extravagancies did
not shew themselves in that different manner I have men-
tioned, in different persons only; but all the variety would
appear, in a short succession of moments, in one and the
same person. A man whom we saw this minute dumb,
and, as it were, stupid and confounded, should, the next
minute, be dancing and hallooing like an antic; and, the
next moment, tearing his hair, or pulling his clothes to
pieces, and stamping them under his feet like a madman;
a few minutes after that, we should have him all in tears,
then sick, then swooning: and, had not immediate help
been had, would, in a few moments more, have been dead:
and thus it was, not with one or two, or ten or twenty,
but with the greatest part of them; and, if I remember
right, our surgeon was obliged to bleed above thirty of
them.
There were two priests among them, one an old man,
and the other a young man; and that which was strang-
est was, that the oldest man was the worst.
As soon as he set his foot on board our ship, and saw
himself safe, he dropped down stone-dead, to all appear-
ance; not the least sign of life could be perceived in him.
Our surgeon immediately applied proper remedies to re-
cover him, and was the only man in the ship who believ-
ed he was not dead; and, at length, he opened a vein in
his arm, having first chafed and rubbed the part, so as to
warm it as much as possible. Upon this the blood, which
only dropped at first, flowed something freely; in three
minutes after, the man opened his eyes; and, about a
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
311
:
quarter of an hour after that, he spoke, grew better, and,
in a little time, quite well. After the blood was stopped,
he walked about, told us he was perfectly well, took a
dram of cordial which the surgeon gave him, and was
what we call-come to himself. About a quarter of an
hour after this, they came running into the cabin to the
surgeon, who was bleeding a French woman that had
fainted, and told him, the priest was gone stark mad. It
seems he had begun to revolve the change of his circum-
stances in his mind, and this put him into an extasy of
joy. His spirits whirled about faster than the vessels
could convey them; the blood grew hot and feverish; and
the man was as fit for Bedlam as any creature that ever
was in it. The surgeon would not bleed him again in
that condition, but gave him something to doze and put
him to sleep; which, after some time, operated upon him,
and he waked next morning, perfectly composed and
well.
The younger priest behaved himself with great com-
mand of his passion, and was really an example of a se-
rious well-governed mind. At his first coming on board
the ship, he threw himself flat on his face, prostrating
himself in thankfulness for his deliverance; in which
unhappily and unseasonably disturbed him, really think-
ing he had been in a swoon: but he spoke calmly, thank-
ed me, told me he was giving God thanks for his deliver-
ance, begged me to leave him a few moments; and that,
next to his Maker, he would give me thanks also.
I was heartily sorry that I disturbed him; and not
only left him, but kept others from interrupting him also.
He continued in that posture about three minutes, or a
little more, after I left him; then came to me, as he had
said he would, and, with a great deal of seriousness and
affection, but with tears in his eyes, thanked me, who had
under God, given him and so many miserable creatures
their lives. I told him, I had no cause to move him to
thank God for it rather than me, for I had seen that he
had done that already; but I added, that it was nothing
but what reason and humanity dictated to all men, and
that we had as much reason as he to give thanks to God,
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ADVENTURES OF
who had blessed us so far as to make us the instruments
of his mercy to so many of his creatures.
After this, the young priest applied himself to his
country folks, laboured to compose them; persuaded,
intreated, argued, reasoned with them, and did his ut-
most to keep them within the exercise of their reason:
and with some he had success, though others were, for a
time, out of all government of themselves.
I cannot help committing this to writing, as perhaps it
may be useful to those into whose hands it may fall, in
the guiding themselves in all the extravagàncies of their
passions: for, if an excess of joy can carry men out to
such a length beyond the reach of their reason, what will
not the extravagancies of anger, rage, and a provoked
mind carry us to! And, indeed, here I saw reason for
keeping an extraordinary watch over our passions of
every kind, as well those of joy and satisfaction, as those
of sorrow and anger.
We were something disordered by these extravagan-
cies among our new guests, for the first day; but, when
they had retired to lodgings provided for them as well as
our ship would allow, and they had slept heartily, as most
of them did, being fatigued and frightened, they were
quite another sort of people the next day.
Nothing of good manners, or civil acknowledgements
for the kindness shewn them, was wanting: the French,
it is known, are naturally apt enough to exceed that way.
The captain and one of the priests came to me the next
day: and, desiring to speak with me and my nephew, be-
gan to consult with us what should be done with them:
and first they told us, that, as we had saved their lives,
so all they had was little enough as a return to us for the
kindness received. The captain said, they had saved
some money, and some things of value, in their boats,
caught hastily out of the flames; and, if we would accept
it, they were ordered to make an offer of it all to us; they
only desired to be set on shore somewhere in our way,
where, if possible, they might get a passage to France.
My nephew was for accepting their money at the first
word, and considering what to do with them afterwards;
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
313
but I over-ruled him in that part, for I knew what it was
to be set on shore in a strange country; and if the Por-
tugal captain, who took me up at sea, had served me so,
and took all I had for my deliverance, I must have starv-
ed, or have been as much a slave at the Brazils, as I had
been at Barbary, the being sold to a Mahometan only ex-
cepted; and perhaps a Portuguese is not a much better
master than a Turk, if not, in some cases, a much worse.
I therefore told the French captain, that we had taken
them up in their distress, it was true; but that it was our
duty to do so, as we were fellow creatures, and as we
would desire to be so delivered, if we were in the like or
any other extremity; that we had done nothing for them
but what we believed they would have done for us, if we
had been in their case, and they in ours; but that we
took them up to serve them, not to plunder them; and
that it would be a most barbarous thing to take that lit-
tle from them which they had saved out of the fire, and
then set them on shore and leave them; for this would
be, first to save them from death, and then kill them our-
selves; save them from drowning, and then abandon them
to starving: and, therefore, I would not let the least thing
be taken from them. As to setting them on shore, I told
them, indeed that was an exceeding great difficulty to us,
for the ship was bound to the East Indies; and, though
we were driven out of our course to the westward a very
great way, which perhaps was directed by Heaven, on
purpose for their deliverance, yet it was impossible for
us wilfully to change our voyage on this particular ac-
count; nor could my nephew, the captain, answer it to
the freighters, with whom he was under charter-party to
pursue his voyage by the way of Brazil:, and all I knew
he could do for them, was, to put ourselves in the way of
meeting with other ships homeward-bound from the West
Indies, and get them passage, if possible, to England or
France.
The first part of the proposal was so generous and
kind, that they could not but be very thankful for it; but
they were in a great consternation, especially the passen-
gers, at the notion of being carried away to the East In-
314
ADVENTURES OF
*
dies. They then intreated me, that, seeing I was driven
so far to the westward before I met with them, I would
at least keep on the same course to the Banks of New-
foundland, where it was possible I might meet with some
ship or sloop that they might hire to carry them back to
Canada, from whence they came.
I thought this was but a reasonable request on their
part, and therefore I was inclined to agree to it; for in-
deed, I considered, that, to carry this whole company to
the East Indies, would not only be an intolerable severity
to the poor people, but would be ruining our whole voy-
age by devouring all our provisions; so I thought it no
breach of charter-party, but what an unforeseen accident
made absolutely necessary to us, and in which no one
could say we were to blame: for the laws of God and
nature would have forbid, that we should refuse to take
up two boats full of people in such a distressed condition;
and the nature of the thing, as well respecting ourselves
as the poor people, obliged us to see them on shore, some-
where or other, for their deliverance: so I consented that
we should carry them to Newfoundland, if wind and wea-
ther would permit; and, if not, that I would carry them
to Martinico, in the West Indies.
The wind continued fresh easterly, but the weather
pretty good; and, as it had blowed continually in the
points between N. E. and S. E. a long time, we missed
several opportunities of sending them to France; for we
met several ships bound to Europe, whereof two were
French, from St. Christopher's: but they had been so
long beating up against the wind, that they durst take
in no passengers, for fear of wanting provisions for the
voyage, as well for themselves as for those they should
take in so we were obliged to go on. It was about a
week after this, that we made the Banks of Newfound-
land; where, to cut short my story, we put all our French
people on board a bark, which they hired at sea there,
to put them on shore, and afterwards to carry them to
France, if they could get provisions to victual themselves
with. When I say all the French went on shore, I
should remember, that the young priest I spoke of, hear-
ing we were bound to the East Indies, desired to go the
ROBINSON Crusoe.
315
voyage with us, and to be set on shore on the coast of
Coromandel; I readily agreed to that, for I wonderfully
liked the man, and had very good reason, as will appear
afterwards: also four of the seamen entered themselves
in our ship, and proved very useful fellows.
From hence we directed our course for the West Indies,
steering away S. and S. by E. for about twenty days to-
gether, sometimes little or no wind at all, when we met
with another subject for our humanity to work upon, al-
most as deplorable as that before.
It was in the latitude of twenty-seven degrees five mi-
nutes N. and the 19th day of March, 1694-5, when we
espied a sail, our course S. E. and by S. We soon per-
ceived it was a large vessel, and that she bore up to us;
but could not at first know what to make of her, till, af-
ter coming a little nearer, we found she had lost her
main-top-mast, fore-mast, and bowsprit; and, presently,
she fired a gun, as a signal of distress. The weather was
pretty good, wind at N. N. W. a fresh gale, and we soon
came to speak with her.
We found her a ship of Bristol, bound home from Bar-
badoes, but had been blown out of the road at Barba-
does, a few days before she was ready to sail, by a terri-
ble hurricane, while the captain and chief mate were both
gone on shore; so that, beside the terror of the storm,
they were but in an indifferent case for good artists to
bring the ship home. They had been already nine weeks
at sea, and had met with another terrible storm, after
the hurricane was over, which had blown them quite
out of their knowledge to the westward, and in which
they lost their masts, as above. They told us, they ex-
pected to have seen the Bahama islands, but were driven
away again to the south-east, by a strong gale of wind at
N.N.W. the same that blew now; and, having no sails.
to work the ship with, but a main-course and a kind of
square sail upon a jury-foremast, which they had set up,
they could not lie near the wind, but were endeavouring
to stand away for the Canaries.
But that which was worst of all, was, that they were
almost starved for want of provisions. Besides the fa-
7
316
!
ADVENTURES OF
7
tigues they had undergone, their bread and flesh was
quite gone, they had not an oucce left in the ship, and
had had none for eleven days; the only relief they had,
was, their water was not all spent, and they had about
half a barrel of flour left. They had sugar enough; some
succades, or sweetmeats, they had at first, but they were
devoured; and they had seven casks of rum.
There were a youth and his mother, and a maid ser-
vant, on board, who were going passengers; and, think-
ing the ship was ready to sail, unhappily came on board
the evening before the hurricane began: and, having no
provisions of their own left, they were in a more deplo-
rable condition than the rest: for the seamen, being re-
duced to such an extreme necessity themselves, had no
compassion, we may be sure, for the poor passengers;
and they were, indeed, in such a condition, that their mi-
sery is very hard to describe.
I had not, perhaps, known this part, if my curiosity
had not led me, the weather being fair and the wind abat-
ed, to go on board the ship. The second mate, who, up-
on this occasion, commanded the ship, had been on board
our ship; and he told me, indeed, that they had three
passengers in the great cabin, and that they were in a
deplorable condition :-" Nay, (says he,) I believe they
are dead, for I have heard nothing of them for above two
days; and I was afraid to enquire after them, for I had
nothing to relieve them with."
We immediately applied ourselves to give them what
relief we could spare; and, indeed, I had so far over-ruled
things with my nephew, that I would have victualled
them, though we had gone away to Virginia, or any part
of the coast of America, to have supplied ourselves; but
there was no necessity for that.
But now they were in a new danger; for they were
afraid of eating too much, even of that little we gave
them. The mate, or commander, brought six men with
him, in this little boat; but these poor wretches looked
like skeletons, and were so weak, they could hardly sit
to their oars: the mate himself was very ill, and half-
starved; for he declared he had reserved nothing from
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
317
$
the men, and went share and share alike with them, in
every bit they eat.
I cautioned him to eat sparingly, but set meat before
him immediately; and he had not eaten three mouthfuls,
before he began to be sick and out of order; so he stop-
ped awhile, and our surgeon mixed him up something
with some broth, which he said would be to him both
food and physic; and, after he had taken it, he grew
better. In the mean time, I forgot not the men; I or-
dered victuals to be given them, and the poor creatures
rather devoured than eat it. They were so exceeding
hungry, that they were in a manner ravenous, and had
no command of themselves; and two of them eat with so
much greediness, that they were in danger of their lives
the next morning.
The sight of these people's distress was very moving
to me, and brought to mind what I had a terrible pros-
pect of, at my first coming on shore in my island, where
I had not the least mouthful of food, or any hopes of
procuring it; beside the hourly apprehension I had, of
being made the food of other creatures. But, all the
while the mate was thus relating to me the miserable
condition of the ship's company, I could not put out of
my thoughts the story he had told me of the three poor
creatures in the great cabin: viz. the mother, her son,
and the maid-servant, whom he had heard nothing of for
two or three days; and whom he seemed to confess they
had wholly neglected, their own extremities being so
great; by which I understood, that they had really given
them no food at all, and that therefore they must be pe-
rished, and be all lying dead, perhaps, on the floor or
deck of the cabin.
As I therefore kept the mate (whom we then called
captain) on board with his men, to refresh them, so I
also forgot not the starving crew that were left on board,
but ordered my own boat to go on board the ship, and,
with my mate and twelve men, to carry them a sack of
bread, and four or five pieces of beef to boil. Our sur-
geon charged the men to cause the meat to be boiled
while they staid, and to keep guard in the cook-room, to
20.
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318
ADVENTURES OF
prevent the men from taking it to eat raw, or taking it
out of the pot before it was well boiled, and then to give
every man but a little at a time: and, by this caution, he
preserved the men; who would, otherwise, have killed
themselves with that very food that was given them on
purpose to save their lives.
At the same time, I ordered the mate to go into the
great cabin, and see in what condition the poor passen-
gers were; and, if they were alive, to comfort them, and
give them what refreshment was proper: and the surgeon
gave him a large pitcher of some of the prepared broth
which he had given the mate who was on board, and
which, he did not question, would restore them gradu-
ally.
I was now satisfied with this: but, as I said above,
having a great mind to see the scene of misery, which I
knew the ship itself would present me with, in a more
lively manner than I could have it by report, I took the
captain of the ship (as we now called him) with me, and
went myself a little after in their boat.
I found the poor men on board almost in a tumult, to
get the victuals out of the boiler before they were ready.
But my mate observed his order, and kept a good guard
at the cook-room door; and the man he placed there,
after using all possible persuasion to have patience, kept
them off by force: however, he caused some biscuit-cakes
to be dipped in the pot, and softened them with the liquor
of the meat, which they call brewis, and gave them every
one one, to stay their stomachs; and told them, it was
for their own safety that he was obliged to give them but
little at a time. But it was all in vain; and, had I not
come on board, and their own commander and officers
with me, and with good words, and some threats also of
giving them no more, I believe they would have broke
into my cook-room by force, and tore the meat out of the
furnace; for words, indeed, are of very small force to a
hungry belly. However, we pacified them, and fed them
gradually and cautiously for the first time, and the next
time gave them more, and at last filled their bellies, and
the men did well enough,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
319
But the misery of the poor passengers in the cabin was
of another nature, and far beyond the rest; for as, first,
the ship's company had so little for themselves, it was
but too true, that they had at first kept them very low,
and at last totally neglected them: so that, for six or
seven days, it might be said, they really had no food at
all; and, for several days before, very little.
The poor mother, who, as the first mate reported, was
a woman of good sense and good breeding, had spared
all she could get so affectionately for her son, that at last
she entirely sunk under it; and, when the mate of our
ship went in, she sat upon the floor or deck, with her
back up against the sides, between two chairs, which
were lashed fast, and her head sunk in between her shoul-
ders, like a corpse, though not quite dead. My mate
said all he could, to revive and encourage her; and, with
a spoon, put some broth into her mouth. She opened
her lips, and lifted up one hand, but could not speak:
yet she understood what he said, and made sigus to him,
intimating, that it was too late for her; but pointed to
her child, as if she would have said, they should take
care of him.
However, the mate, who was exceedingly moved with
the sight, endeavoured to get some of the broth into her
mouth; and, as he said, got two or three spoonfuls down,
though I question whether he could be sure of it or not:
but it was too late, and she died the same night.
The youth, who was preserved at the price of his most
affectionate mother's life, was not so far gone; yet he lay
in a cabin-bed, as one stretched out, with hardly any life
left in him. He had a piece of an old glove in his mouth,
having eaten up the rest of it; however, being young,
and having more strength than his mother, the mate got
something down his throat, and he began sensibly to re-
vive; though, by giving him, some time after, but two or
three spoonfuls extraordinary, he was very sick, and
brought it up again.
But the next care was the poor maid. She lay all along
upon the deck, hard by her mistress, and just like one
who had fallen down with an apoplexy, and struggled for
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320
ADVENTURES OF
1
life. Her limbs were distorted. One of her hands was
clasped round the frame of one chair; and she griped it
so hard, that we could not easily make her let it go. Her
other arm lay over her head, and her feet lay both toge-
ther, set fast against the frame of the cabin-table. In
short, she lay just like one in the last agonies of death,
and yet she was alive too.
The poor creature was not only starved with hunger,
and terrified with the thoughts of death, but, as the men
told us afterwards, was broken-hearted for her mistress,
whom she saw dying two or three days before, and whom
she loved most tenderly.
We knew not what to do with this poor girl; for, when
our surgeon, who was a man of very great knowledge
and experience, had, with great application, recovered
her as to life, he had her upon his hand as to her senses;
for she was little less than distracted, for a considerable
time after.
Whoever shall read these memorandums, must be de-
sired to consider, that visits at sea are not like a journey
into the country, where sometimes people stay a week or
a fortnight at a place. Our business was, to relieve this
distressed ship's crew, but not to lie by for them; and,
though they were willing to steer the same course with
us for some days, yet we could carry no sail to keep pace
with a ship that had no masts. However, as their cap-
tain begged of us to help him to set up a main-top-mast,
and a kind of top-mast to his jury-fore-mast, we did, as
it were, lie by him for three or four days; and then, hav-
ing given him five barrels of beef and pork, two hogsheads
of biscuit, and a proportion of peas, flour, and what other
things we could spare, and taking three casks of sugar,
some rum, and some pieces of eight of them for satis-
faction, we left them; taking on board with us, at their
own earnest request, the youth and the maid, and all
their goods.
The young lad was about seventeen years of age, a
pretty, well-bred, modest, and sensible youth; greatly
dejected with the loss of his mother, and, as it seems,
had lost his father but a few months before at Barbadoes.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
321
#:
71
ณ
eon to speak to me, to take him
cruel fellows had mur-
nd that is to
said;
He begged or
out of the ship; for, he sa
dered his mother; and, indeed, su
say, passively; for they might have spared a small suste-
nance to the poor helpless widow, that might have pre-
served her life, though it had been just to keep her alive.
But hunger knows no friend, no relation, no justice, no
right; and therefore is remorseless, and capable of no
compassion.
The surgeon told him how far we were going, and that
it would carry him away from all his friends, and put
him, perhaps, in as bad circumstances, almost, as we
found them; that is to say, starving in the world. He
said, it mattered not whither he went, if he was but de-
livered from the terrible crew that he was among: that
the captain (by which he meant me, for he could know
nothing of my nephew) had saved his life, and he was
sure would not hurt him; and as for the maid, he was
sure, if she came to herself, she would be very thankful
for it, let us carry them whither we would. The surgeon
represented the case so affectionately to me, that I yield-
ed, and we took them on board, with all their goods, ex-
cept eleven hogsheads of sugar, which could not be re-
moved or come at: and, as the youth had a bill of lading
for them, I made his commander sign a writing, obliging
him to go, as soon as he came to Bristol, to one Mr. Ro-
gers, a merchant there, to whom the youth said he was
related, and to deliver a letter which I wrote to him, and
all the goods he had belonging to the deceased widow;
which, I suppose, was not done: for I could never learn
that the ship came to Bristol, but was, as is most proba-
ble, lost at sea, being in so disabled a condition, and so
far from any land, that I am of opinion, the first storm
she met with afterwards, she might founder in the sea;
for she was leaky, and had damage in her hold when I
met with her.
I was now in the latitude of 19 degrees 32 minutes,
and had hitherto had a tolerable voyage, as to weather;
though, at first, the winds had been contrary. I shall
not trouble my readers with the little incidents of wind,
322
ADVENTURES OF
weather, currents, &c. on the rest of our voyage; but,
shortening my story for the sake of what is to follow,
shall observe, that I came to my old habitation, the island,
on the 10th of April, 1695. It was with no small diffi-
culty that I found the place; for, as I came to it, and
went from it before, on the south and east side of the
island, as coming from the Brazils, so now, coming in
between the main and the island, and having no chart for
the coast nor any land-mark, I did not know it when I
saw it, or know whether I saw it or no.
We beat about a great while, and went on shore on se-
veral islands in the mouth of the great river Oroonoque,
but none for my purpose; only this I learned by my
coasting the shore, that I was under one great mistake
before, viz. that the continent, which I thought I saw
from the island I lived in, was really no continent, but a
long island, or rather a ridge of islands, reaching from one
to the other side of the extended mouth of that great ri-
ver; and that the savages who came to my island, were
not properly those which we call Caribbees, but island-
ers, and other barbarians of the same kind, who inha-
bited something nearer to our side than the rest.
In short, I visited several of the islands to no purpose;
some I found were inhabited, and some were not. On
one of them I found some Spaniards, and thought they
had lived there; but, speaking with them, found they had
a sloop lay in a small creek hard by, and that they came
there to make salt, and catch pearl muscles if they could,
but they belonged to the Isle de Trinidad, which lay far-
ther north, in the latitude of 10 and 11 degrees.
Thus coasting from one island to another, sometimes
with the ship, sometimes with the Frenchman's shallop,
(which we had found a convenient boat, and therefore
kept her with their very good will,) at length I came
fair on the south side of my island, and I presently knew
the very countenance of the place; so I brought the ship
safe to an anchor, broadside with the little creek where
was my old habitation.
As soon as I saw the place, I called for Friday, and
asked him if he knew where he was. He looked about
?
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
323
?
a little, and presently clapping his hands, cried, "O yes!
O there! O yes! O there!" pointing to our old habita-
tion, and fell a dancing and capering like a mad fellow,
and I had much ado to keep him from jumping into the
sea, to swim ashore to the place.
66
"Well, Friday," said I, "do you think we shall find
any body here, or no? And, what do you think? Shall
we see your father?" The fellow stood mute as a stock
a good while; but when I named his father, the poor af-
fectionate creature looked dejected; and I could see the
tears run down his face very plentifully. "What is the
matter, Friday?" said I, "are you troubled because you
may see your father?' No, no," said he, shaking his
head, "no see him more, no ever more see again." "Why
so," said I," Friday! how do you know that?" "O no!
O no!" said Friday, "he long ago die; long ago, he
much old man." "Well, well," said I, " Friday, you
don't know: but shall we see any one else, then?" The
fellow, it seems, had better eyes than I, and he pointed
to the hill just above my old house; and, though we lay
half a league off, he cried out, "Me see! me see! yes,
yes, me see much man there, and there, and there." I
looked, but could see nobody, no, not with a perspective-
glass; which was, I suppose, because I could not hit the
place: for the fellow was right, as I found on enquiry the
next day, and there were five or six men altogether stood
to look at the ship, not knowing what to think of us.
As soon as Friday had told me he saw people, I caused
the English ancient to be spread, and fired three guns,
to give them notice we were friends; and, about half a
quarter of an hour after, we perceived a smoke rise from
the side of the creek; so I immediately ordered a boat
out, taking Friday with me: and, hanging out a white
flag, or a flag of truce, I went directly on shore, taking
with me the young friar I mentioned, to whom I had told
the whole story of my living there, and the manner of it,
and every particular, both of myself and those I left there;
and who was, on that account, extremely desirous to go
with me. We had, besides, about sixteen men very well
armed, if we had found any new guest there whom we
did not know of; but we had no need of
weapons.
324
ADVENTURES OF
+
as
As we went on shore upon the tide of flood, near high
water, we rowed directly into the creek, and the first
man I fixed my eye upon was the Spaniard whose life
I had saved, and whom I knew by his face perfectly
well; as to his habit, I shall describe it afterwards. I
ordered nobody to go on shore at first but myself, but
there was no keeping Friday in the boat; for the affec-
tionate creature had spied his father at a distance, a good
way off from the Spaniards, where indeed I saw nothing
of him; and, if they had not let him go on shore, he
would have jumped into the sea.
He was no sooner on
shore, but he flew away to his father like an arrow out
of a bow. It would have made any man shed tears, in
spite of the firmest resolution, to have seen the first
transports of this poor fellow's joy when he came to his
father; how he embraced him, kissed him, stroaked his
face, took him up in his arms, set him down upon a tree,
and laid down by him; then stood and looked at him,
any one would look at a strange picture, for a quarter of
an hour together; then laid down upon the ground, and
stroaked his legs, and kissed them, and then got up again,
and stared at him: one would have thought the fellow
bewitched. But it would have made a dog laugh to see
how the next day his passion ran out the other way. In
the morning he walked along the shore, to-and-again,
with his father, several hours, always leading him by the
hand, as if he had been a lady; and every now and then
would come to fetch something or other for him to the
boat, either a lump of sugar, or a dram, a biscuit, or some-
thing or other that was good. In the afternoon his fol-
lies ran another way; for then he would set the old man
down upon the ground, and dance about him, and made
a thousand antick postures and gestures; and all the
while he did this, he would be talking to him, and telling
him one story or another of his travels, and of what had
happened to him abroad, to divert him. In short, if the
same filial affection was to be found in christians to their
parents, in our parts of the world, one would be tempted
to say, there hardly would have been any need of the
fifth commandment.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
325
66
But this is a digression. I return to my landing.-It
would be endless to take notice of all the ceremonies and
civilities that the Spaniards received me with. The first
Spaniard, (whom, as I said, I knew very well,) was he
whose life I saved. He came towards the boat, attended
by one more, carrying a flag of truce also; and he did
not only not know me at first, but he had no thoughts,
no notion of its being me that was come, till I spoke to
him. Signior," said I, in Portuguese, "do you not
know me?" At which he spoke not a word; but, giving
his musquet to the man who was with him, extended his
arms, and, saying something in Spanish that I did not
perfectly hear, came forward and embraced me, telling
me he was inexcuseable not to know that face again, that
he had once seen, as of an angel from heaven sent to save
his life. He said abundance of very handsome things,
as a well-bred Spaniard always knows how; and then
beckoning to the person who attended him, bade him go
and call out his comrades. He then asked me, if I
would walk to my old habitation, where he would give
me possession of my own house again, and where I
should see there had been but mean improvements. So
I walked along with him; but, alas! I could no more find
the place again, than if I had never been there: for they
had planted so many trees, and placed them in such a
posture, so thick aud close to one another, in ten years
time they were grown so big, that, in short, the place was
inaccessible, except by such windings and blind ways as
they themselves only who made them could find.
I asked them, what put them upon all these fortifica-
tions. He told me, I would say there was need enough
of it, when they had given me an account how they had
passed their time since their arriving in the island, espe-
cially after they had the misfortune to find that I was
gone. He told me, he could not but have some pleasure
in my good fortune, when he heard that I was gone in a
good ship, and to my satisfaction; and that he had often-
times a strong persuasion, that one time or other he
should see me again. But nothing that ever befel him
in his life, he said, was so surprising and afflicting to him
2T
326
ADVENTURES OF
}
at first, as the disappointment he was under when he
came back to the island, and found I was not there.
66
As to the three barbarians (so he called them) who
were left behind, and of whom, he said, he had a long
story to tell me, the Spaniards all thought themselves
much better among the savages, only that their number
was so small. And," says he, "had they been strong
enough, we had been all long ago in purgatory!" And
with that he crossed himself upon the breast.
"But,
Sir," said he, "I hope you will not be displeased, when
I shall tell you how, forced by necessity, we were obliged,
for our own preservation, to disarm them, and make them
our subjects, who would not be content with being mo-
derately our masters, but would be our murderers." I
answered, I was greatly afraid of it when I left them
there; and nothing troubled me at my parting from the
island, but that they were not come back, that I might
have put them in possession of every thing first, and left
the others in a state of subjection, as they deserved; but
if they had reduced them to it, I was very glad, and
should be very far from finding any fault with it; for I
knew they were a parcel of refractory ungovernable vil-
lains, and were fit for any manner of mischief.
While I was saying this, came the man whom he had
sent back; and, with him, eleven more. In the dress
they were in, it was impossible to guess what nation they
were of; but he made all clear, both to them and to me.
First he turned to me; and, pointing to them, said—
"These, Sir, are some of the gentlemen who owe their
lives to you;" and then turning to them, and pointing to
me, he let them know who I was: upon which they all
came up, one by one, not as if they had been sailors and
ordinary fellows, and the like, but really as if they had
been ambassadors or noblemen, and I a monarch or a
great conqueror. Their behaviour was, to the last de-
gree, obliging and courteous; and yet mixed with a
manly, majestic gravity, which very well became them:
and, in short, they had so much more manners than I,
that I scarce knew how to receive their civilities, much
less how to return them in kind.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
327
The history of their coming to, and conduct in the
island, after my going way, is so remarkable, and has so
many incidents, which the former part of my relation
will help to understand, and which will, in most of the
particulars, refer to that account I have already given,
that I cannot but commit them with great delight to the
reaping of those that come after me.
I shall no longer protract the story with a relation in
the first person, which will put me to the expence of
ten thousand said I's, and said he's, and he told me's
and I told him's, and the like; but I shall collect the
facts historically, as near as I can gather them out of my
memory from what they related to me, and from what
I met with in my conversing with them, and with the
place.
In order to do this succinctly, and as intelligibly as I
can, I must go back to the circumstances in which I left
the island, and which the persons were in, of whom 1
am to speak. At first it is necessary to repeat, that I
had sent away Friday's father and the Spaniard, the
two whose lives I had rescued from the savages; I say,
I had sent them away in a large canoe to the main, as I
then thought it, to fetch over the Spaniard's companions
whom he had left behind him, in order to save them
from the like calamity that he had been in; and in order
to succour them for the present, and that, if possible we
might together find some way for our deliverance af-
terward.
When I sent them away, I had no visible appearance
of, or the least room to hope for, my own deliverance,
any more than I had twenty years before; much less had
I any foreknowledge of what after happpened, I mean
of an English ship coming on shore there to fetch them
off, and it could not but be a very great surprise to them,
when they came back, not only to find that I was gone,
but to find three strangers left on the spot, possessed of
all that I had left behind me, which would otherwise
have been their own.
The first thing, however which I enquired into, that I
might begin where I left off, was of their own part: and
2 T2
328
ADVENTURES OF
I desired he would give me a particular account of his
voyage back to his countrymen with the boat, when I
sent him to fetch them over. He told me there was little
variety in that part; for nothing remarkable happened
to them on the way, they having very calm weather and
a smooth sea; for his countrymen, it could not be doubt-
ed, he said, but that they were overjoyed to see him:
(it seems he was the principal man among them, the cap-
tain of the vessel they had been shipwrecked in having
been dead some time.) They were, he said, the more
surprised to see him, because they knew he was fallen
into the hands of savages, who, they were satisfied,
would devour him, as they did all the rest of their pri-
soners: that when he told them the story of his delive-
rance, and in what manner he was furnished for carry-
ing them away, it was like a dream to them; and their
astonishment, they said, was something like that of
Joseph's brethren, when he told them who he was, and
related the story of his exaltation in Pharaoh's court.
But when he shewed them the arms, the powder, the
ball, and the provisions that he brought them for their
journey or voyage, they were restored to themselves,
took a just share of the joy of their deliverance, and im-
mediately prepared to come away with him.
Their first business was to get canoes; and in this
they were obliged not to stick so much upon the honest
part of it, but to trespass upon their friendly savages,
and to borrow two large canoes or periaguas, on pre-
tence of going out a fishing or for pleasure.
In these they came away the next morning. It seems
they wanted no time to get themselves ready, for they
had no baggage, neither clothes nor provisions, nor any
thing in the world but what they had on them, and a few
roots to eat, of which thy used to make their bread.
They were in all three weeks absent; and in that
time, unluckily for them, I had the occasion offered for
my escape, as I mentioned before, and to get off from the
island; leaving three of the most impudent, hardened,
ungovernable, disagreeable villians behind me, that any
man could desire to meet with, to the poor Spaniard's
great grief and disappointment, you may be sure.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
329
*
The only just thing the rogues did, was that when the
Spaniards came on shore, they gave my letter to them,
and gave them provisions and other relief, as I had
ordered them to do; also they gave them the long paper
of directions, which I had left with them, containing the
particular methods which I took for managing every part
of my life there; the way I baked my bread, bred up my
tame goats and planted my corn; how I cured my grapes,
made my pots, and, in a word, every thing I did; all this
being written down, they gave to the Spaniards, two of
whom understood English well enough; nor did they
refuse to accommodate the Spaniards with any thing else,
for they agreed very well for some time; they gave them
an equal admission into the house or cave, and they
began to live very sociably; and the head Spaniard, who
had seen pretty much of my method, and Friday's father
together, managed all their affairs; for, as for the Eng-
lishmen, they did nothing but ramble about the island,
shoot parrots, and catch tortoises, and when they came
home at night the Spaniards provided their suppers for
them.
The Spaniards would have been satisfied with this,
would the others but have let them alone; which how-
ever, they could not find in their hearts to do long, but,
like the dog in the manger, they would not eat themselves,
and would not let others eat neither. The differences,
nevertheless, were at first but trivial, and such as are not
worth relating; but at last it broke out into open war,
and it began with all the rudeness and insolence that can
be imagined, without reason, without provocation, con-
trary to nature, and indeed to common sense; and
though it is true, the first relation of it came from the
Spaniards themselves, whom I may call the accusers,
yet when I came to examine the fellows, they could not
deny a word of it.
But before I come to the particulars of this part, I
must supply a defect in my former relation; and this
was, that I forgot to set down among the rest, that, just
as we were weighing anchor to set sail, there happened a
little quarrel on board our ship, which I was afraid once
330
ADVENTURES OF
would turn to a second mutiny; nor was it appeased,
till the captain, rousing up his courage, and taking us
all to his assistance, parted them by force, and making
two of the most refractory fellows prisoners, he laid them
in irons; and as they had been active in the former dis-
orders, and let fall some dangerous words the second
time, he threatened to carry them in irons to England,
and have them hanged there for mutiny and running
away with the ship.
This it seems, though the captain did not intend to do
it, frighted some other men in the ship; and some of
them had put it into the heads of the rest, that the cap-
tain only gave them good words for the present, till they
should come to some English port and that then they
should be all put into a goal, and tried for their lives.
The mate got intelligence of this, and acquainted us
with it; upon which it was desired that I, who still pas-
sed for a great man among them, should go down with the
mate, and satisfy the men, and tell them, that they might
be assured, if they behaved well the rest of the voyage-
all they had done for the time past should be pardoned.
So I went; and after passing my honour's word to them,
they appeared easy; and the more so, when I caused
the two men, who had been laid in irons, to be released
and forgiven.
But this mutiny had brought us to an anchor for that
night, the wind also falling calm. Next morning, we
found that our two men who had been laid in irons, had
stole each of them a musket, and some other weapons;
what powder or shot they had, we knew not; and had
taken the ships pinnance, which was not yet hauled up,
and run away with her to their companions in roguery
on shore.
As soon as we found this I ordered the long boat on
shore, with twelve men and the mate, and away they
went to seek the rogues; but they could neither find them
nor any of the rest, for they all fled into the woods when
they saw the boat coming on shore. The mate was once
resolved in justice to, their roguery, to have destroyed
their plantations, burnt all their houshold stuff and fur-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
331
niture, and left them to shift without it; but having no
order, he let all alone, left every thing as they found it,
and bringing the pinnace away, came on board without
them.
These two men made their number five; but the other
three villains were so much more wicked than these, that
after they had been two or three days together, they
turned their two new-comers out of doors to shift for
themselves; and would have nothing to do with them;
nor could they, for some time, be persuaded to give them
any food. As for the Spaniards, they were not yet
come.
When the Spaniards came first on shore, the business
began to go forward; the Spaniards would have persua-
ded the three English brutes to have taken in their two
countrymen again. that as they said, they might be all one
family; but they would not hear of it. So the two poor
fellows lived by themselves; and, finding nothing but
industry and application would make them live comfor-
table, they pitched their tents on the north shore of the
island, but a little more to the west, to be out of the
danger of the savages, who always landed on the east
parts of the island.
Here they built two huts, one to lodge in, and the
other to lay up their magazines and stores in; and the
Spaniards having given them some corn for seed, espe-
cially some of the peas which I had left them, they dug,
and planted, and inclosed, after the pattern I had set for
them all, and began to live pretty well. Their first crop
of corn was on the ground; and, though it was but a
little bit of land which they had dug up at first, having
had but a short time, yet it was enough to relieve them,
and furnish them with bread and other eatables; and
one of the fellows, being the cook's mate of the ship,
was very ready at making soup, puddings, and such
other preparations, as the rice and milk, and such little
flesh as they got, furnished him to do.
They were going on in a little thriving way, when the
three unnatural rogues, their own countrymen too, in
mere humour, and to insult them, came and bullied them,
332
ADVENTURES OF
and told them the island was theirs; that the governor,
meaning me, had given them possession of it, and nobody
else had any right to it; and damn them, they should
build no houses upon their ground, unless they would
pay them rent for them.
The two men thought they had jested at first; and
asked them to come and sit down, and see what fine
houses they were that they had built, and tell them what
rent they demanded: and one of them merrily told them
if they were ground-landlords, he hoped, if they built
tenements upon the land, and made improvements, they
would, according to the custom of all landlords, grant
them a long lease, and bid them go fetch a scrivener to draw
up the writings. One of the three, damning, and raging,
told them, they should see they were not in a jest; and
going to a little place at a distance, where the honest men
had made a fire to dress their victuals, he took a fire-
brand, and clapped it to the outside of their hut, and set
it on fire; and it would have been all burnt down in a
few minutes, if one of the two had not run to the fellow,
thrust him away, and trod the fire out with his feet, and
that not without some difficulty.
The fellow was in such a rage at the honest man's
thrusting him away, that he turned upon him with a pole
he had in his hand; and had not the man avoided the
blow very nimbly, and run into the hut, he had ended
his days at once. His comrade, seeing the danger they
were both in, ran in after him, and immediately they
came both out with their musquets; and the man that
was first struck at with the pole, knocked the fellow
down who began the quarrel, with the stock of his mus-
quet, and that before the other two could come to help
him: and then seeing the rest come at them, they stood
together, and presenting the other ends of their pieces to
them, bade them stand off.
The others had fire-arms with them; but one of the two
honest men, bolder than his comrade, and made despe-
rate by his danger, told them, if they offered to move
hand or foot, they were all dead men, and boldly com-
manded them to lay down their arms. They did not
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
333
indeed lay down their arms; but, seeing him resolute, it
brought them to a parley, and they consented to take their
wounded man with them, and be gone; and, indeed, it
seems the fellow was wounded sufficiently with the
blow: however, they were much in the wrong, since they
had the advantage, that they did not disarm them effec-
tually, as they might have done, and have gone immedi-
ately to the Spaniards, and given them an account how
the rogues had treated them; for the three villians
studied nothing but revenge, and every day gave them
some intimation that they did so.
But not to croud this part with an account of the
lesser part of their rogueries; such as treading down their
corn, shooting three young kids, and a she goat, which the
poor men had got to breed up tame for their store; and,
in a word, plaguing them night and day in this manner;
it forced the two men to such a desperation, that they
resolved to fight them all three the first time they had a
fair opportunity. In order to this they resolved to go to
the castle, as they called it, that was my old dwelling,
where the three rogues and the Spaniards all lived toge-
ther at that time, intending to have a fair battle, and the
Spaniards should stand by to see fair play. So they got
up in the morning before day, and came to the place,
and called the Englishmen by their names; telling a
Spaniard that answered, that they wanted to speak with
them
It happened that the day before, two of the Spaniards
having been in the woods, had seen one of the two En-
glishmen, whom, for distinction I call the honest men,
and he had made a sad complaint to the Spaniards of the
barbarous usage they had met with from their three
countrymen, and how they had ruined their plantation,
and destroyed their corn that they had laboured so hard
to bring forward, and killed their milch-goat and three
kids, which was all they had provided for their suste-
nance; and if he and his friends, meaning the Spaniards,
did not assist them again, they should be starved.
When the Spaniards came home at night, and they were
all at supper, he took the freedom to reprove the three
2 U
334
ADVENTURES OF
Englishmen, in gentle and mannerly terms, and asked
them how they could be so cruel, they being harmless,
inoffensive fellows, and that they were putting themselves.
in a way to subsist by their labour, and that it had cost
them a great deal of pains to bring things to such
perfection as they had.
<
C
<
One of the Englishmen returned very briskly What
had they to do there?' that they came on shore without
leave; and that they should not plant nor build upon the
island; it was none of their ground. Why,' says the
Spaniard, very calmly, Seignior Inglese, they must not
starve!' The Englishman replied, like a true rough hewn
tarpaulin, they might starve and be damned! they should
not plant nor build in that place. But what must they
do then, Seignior?' says the Spaniard. Another of the
brutes returned,-Do! d-n them! they should be ser-
vants, and work for them. But how can you expect that
of them? They are not bought with your money; you
have no right to make them servants.' The Englishman
answered, the island was theirs, the governor had given
it to them, and no man had any thing to do there but
themselves; and with that swore by his Maker, that he
would go and burn all their new huts; they should build
none upon their land,
Why, Seignior,' says the Spaniard, 'by the same rule
we must be your servants too.'' Aye,' says the bold
dog,' and so you shall too, before we have done with you;
mixing two or three G-d dam's in the proper intervals
of his speech. The Spaniard only smiled at that, and
made him no answer. However, this little discourse
had heated them; and starting up, one says to the other
(I think it was he they called Will Atkins)-'Come
Jack, let us go and have t'other brush with them: We'll
demolish their castle, I'll warrant you; they shall plant
no colony in our dominions.'
Upon this, they were all trooping away, with every
man a gun, a pistol and a sword; and muttered some
insolent things among themselves, of what they would do
to the Spaniards too, when opportunity offered; but
the Spaniards, it seems, did not so perfectly understand
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
335.
·
them as to know all the particulars; only that, in gene-
ral, they threatened them hard for taking the two Eng-
lishmen's parts.
Whither they went, or how they bestowed their time
that evening, the Spaniards said they did not know;
but it seems they wandered about the country part of
the night, and then lying down in the place which I used to
call my bower, they were weary, and overslept them-
selves. The case was this: they had resolved to stay till
midnight, and so to take the poor men when they were
asleep; and they acknowledged it afterwards; intending
to set fire to their huts while they were in them, and either
burn them or murder them as they came out. And as
malice seldom sleeps very sound, it was strange they
should not have been kept waking.
However, as the two men had also a design upon them,
as I have said, though a much fairer one than that of
burning and murdering, it happened, and very luckily for
them all, that they were up and gone abroad before the
bloody-minded rogues came to their huts.
<
When they came thither, and found the men gone,
Atkins, who, it seems was the forwardest man, called
out to his comrades- Ha, Jack! here's the nest; but
d n them, the birds are flown.' They mused awhile to
think what should be the occasion of their being gone
abroad so soon, and sugested presently, that the Spa-
niards had given them notice of it; and with that they
shook hands, and swore to one another that they would
be revenged of the Spaniards. As soon as they had
made this bloody bargain, they fell to work with the
poor
men's habitation: they did not set fire, indeed, to any,
but they pulled down both their houses, and pulled them
so limb from limb, that they left not the least stick
standing, or scarce any sign on the ground were they
stood; they tore all thir little collected household stuff
in pieces, and threw every thing about in such a manner,
that the poor men found afterwards, some of their things
a mile off from their habitation.
When they had done this, they pulled up all the young
trees which the poor men had planted; tore up the
2 U 2
336
ADVENTURES OF
inclosure they had made to secure their cattle and their
corn; and, in a word, sacked and plundered every thing,
as completely as a horde of Tarters would have done.
The two men were at this juncture gone to find them
out, and had resolved to fight them wherever they had
been, though they were but two to three: so that, had
they met, there certainly would have been bloodshed
among them; for they were all very stout, resolute fel-
lows, to give them their due.
But Providence took more care to keep them asunder,
than they themselves could do to meet; for, as they had
dogged one another, when the three were gone thither,
the two were here; and afterwards, when the two went
back to find them, the three were come to the old habita-
tion again. We shall see their different conduct pre-
sently. When the three came back, like furious crea-
tures, flushed with the rage which the work they had
been about had put them into, they came up to the Spa-
niards, and told them what they had done, by way of
scoff and bravado; and one of them stepping up to one of
the Spaniards, as if they had been a couple of boys at
play, takes hold of his hat, as it was upon his head, and
giving it a twirl about, fleering in his face, says to him-
And you, Seiguior Jack Spaniard, shall have the same
sauce, if you do not mend your manners.' The Spaniard,
who, though quite a civil man, was as brave as a man
could be desired to be, and withall a strong well-made,
man, looked steadily at him for some time; and then,
having no weapon in his hand, stepped gravely up to
him, and, with one blow of his fist, knocked him down,
as an ox is felled with a pole-ax; at which one of the
rogues, insolent as the first, fired his pistol at the Spa-
niard immediately; he missed his body, indeed, for
the bullets went through his hair, but one of them touched
the tip of his ear, and he bled pretty much. The blood
made the Spaniard believe that he was more hurt than
he really was, and that put him into some heat, for before
he acted all in a perfect calm; but now resolving to go
through with his work, he stooped, and took the fellow's
musket whom he had knocked down, and was just
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
337
J
just going to shoot the man who had fired at him; when
the rest of the Spaniards, being in the cave, came out,
and calling to him not to shoot, they stepped in, secured
the other two, and took their arms from them.
When they were thus disarmed, and found they had
made all the Spaniards their enemies, as well as their
own countrymen, they began to cool; and, giving the
Spaniards better words, would have had their arms
again: but the Spaniards, considering the feud that was
between them and the other two Englishmen, and that it
would be the best method they could take to keep them
from one another, told them they would do them no
harm; and, if they would live peaceably, they would be
very willing to assist and associate with them as they did
before: but that they could not think of giving them their
arms again, while they appeared so resolved to do mis-
chief with them to their own countrymen, and had even
threatened them all to make them their servants.
The rogues were now more capable to hear reason
than to act reason; but, being refused their arms, they
went raving away, and raging like madmen, threatening
what they would do, though they had no fire-arms. But
the Spaniards despising their threatening, told them they
should take care how they offered any injury to their
plantations or cattle; for if they did, they would shoot
them, as they would do ravenous beasts, wherever they
found them; and, if they fell into their hands alive they
would certainly be hanged. However, this was far
from cooling them; but away they went, swearing and
raging like furies of hell. As soon as they were gone,
came back the two men, in passion and rage enough
also, though of another kind; for having been at their
plantation, and finding it all demolished and destroyed,
as above, it will easily be supposed they had provoca-
tion enough: they could scarce have room to tell their
tale, the Spaniards were so eager to tell them theirs;
and it was strange enough to find, that three men should
thus bully nineteen, and receive no punishment at all.
The Spaniards, indeed, despised them, and especially
having thus disarmed them, made light of their threaten-
338
ADVENTURES OF
ings; but the two Englishmen resolved to have their
remedy against them what pains soever it cost to find
them out.
6
But the Spanirds interposed here too, and told them
that they were already disarmed; they could not consent
that they (the two) should pursue them with fire arms,
and perhaps kill them: But,' said the grave Spaniard,
who was their governor, we will endeavour to make
them do you justice, if you will leave it to us; for, as
there is no doubt but they will come to us again when
their passion is over, being not able to subsist without
our assistance, we promise you to make no peace with
them, without having a full satisfaction for you; and
upon this condition, we hope you will promise to use
no violence with them, other than in your defence.'
C
The two Englishmen yielded to this very awkwardly,
and with great reluctance; but the Spaniards protested,
they did it only to keep them from bloodshed, and to
make all easy at last; for,' said they, we are not so
many of us; here is room enough for us all, and it is
great pity we should not be all good friends.'
At length
they did consent, and waited for the issue, living for
some days with the Spaiards, for their own habitation
was destroyed.
In about five days the three vagrants, tired with wan-
dering, and almost starved with hunger, having chiefly
lived on turtles eggs all the time, came back to the grove;
and finding my Spaniard, who, as I have said, was the
governor, and two more with him, walking by the side,
of the creek, they came up in a very submissive and
humble manner, and begged to be received again into
the family. The Spaniards used them civilly, but told
them, they had acted so unnaturally by their country-
men, and so very grossly by them, (the Spaniards) that
they could not come to any conclusion, without con-
sulting the two Englishmen and the rest; but, however
they would go to them and discourse about it, and they
should know in half an hour. It may be guessed, that
they were very hard put to it; for it seems, as they were
to wait half an hour for an answer, they begged he would
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
339
send them out some bread in the mean time; which he
did, and sent them at the same time a large piece of
goat's flesh, and a broiled parrot; which they eat very
heartily, for they were hungry enough.
After half an hour's consultation they were called in,
and a long debate had about them, their two country-
men charging them with the ruin of all their labour, and
a design to murder them; all of which they owned be-
fore, and therefore could not deny now. Upon the whole,
the Spaniards acted as moderators between them; and
as they had obliged the two Englishmen not to hurt the
three, while they were naked and unarmed, so they now
obliged the three to go and rebuild their fellows two
huts, one to be of the same dimensions, and the other
larger than they were before; also to fence their ground
again, where they had pulled up the fences, plant trees in
the room of those pulled up, dig up the land again for
planting corn, where they had spoiled it: and in a word,
to restore every thing to the same state as they found it,
as near as they could; for entirely it could not be, the
season for the corn, and the growth of the trees and
hedges not being possible to be recovered.
They all submitted to this; and as they had plenty of
provisions given them all the while, they grew very or-
derly, and the whole society began to live pleasantly and
agreeably together again; only these three fellows could
never be persuaded to work; I mean, not for themselves,
except now and then a little, just as they pleased: how-
ever, the Spaniards told them plainly, that if they would
but live sociably and friendly together, and study on the
whole the good of the plantation, they would be content
to work for them, and let them walk about and be as
idle as they pleased; and thus having lived pretty well
together for a month or two, the Spaniards gave them
their arms again, and also liberty to go abroad with
them as before.
It was not above a week after they had these arms,
and went abroad, but the ungrateful creatures began to
be as insolent and troublesome as before; however an
accident happened presently upon this, which endan-
i
340
ADVENTURES OF
}
gered the safety of them all; they were obliged to lay
by all private resentments, and look to the preservation
of their lives.
It happened one night, that the Spanish governor, as
I call him, that is, to say, the Spaniard whose life I had
saved, who was now the captain, or leader, or governor
of the rest, found himself very uneasy in the night, and
could by no means get any sleep: he was perfectly well
in body, as he told me the story, only found his thoughts
tumultuous; his mind ran upon men fighting, and kil-
ling one another, but was broad awake, and could not
by any means get any sleep; in short, he lay a great
while; but, growing more and more uneasy, he resolved
to rise. As they slept, being so many of them, upon
goat-skins, laid thick upon such couches and pads as
they made for themselves, and not in hammocks and
ship-beds, as I did, who was but one; so they had little
to do when they were willing to rise, but to get upon
their feet, and perhaps put on a coat, such as it was, and
their pumps, and they were ready for going any way
that their thoughts guided them.
Being thus got up, he looked out; but being dark, he
could see little or nothing; and besides, the trees which
I had planted, as described in my former account, and
which were now grown tall, intercepted his sight, so that
he could only look up, and see that it was a clear star-
light night; and hearing no noise, he returned and laid
him down again; but it was all one, he could not sleep,
nor could he compose himself to rest, but his thoughts
were to the last degree uneasy, and yet he knew not for
what.
<
Having made some noise with rising and walking
about, going out and coming in, another of them waked
and asked who it was that was up. The governor told
him how it had been with him. Say you so?' says the
other Spaniard; such things are not to be slighted, I
assure you; there is certainly some mischief working,
says he, 'near us.' And presently he asked him-
Where are the Englishmen?'-They are all in their
huts,' says he, 'safe enough. It seems, the Spaniards
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
341
had possession of the main apartment, and had made a
place where the three Englishmen, since their last mu-
tiny, always quartered by themselves, and could not
come at the rest. 'Well,' says the Spaniard, there is
something in it, I am persuaded from my own expe-
rience; I am satisfied our spirits embodied have converse
with, and receive intelligence from, the spirits unem-
bodied, and inhabiting the invisible world; and this
friendly notice is given for our advantage, if we know
how to make use of it. Come,' says he, 'let us go out
and look abroad; and if we find nothing at all in it to
justify our trouble, I'll tell you a story to the purpose,
that shall convince you of the justice of my proposing
it.'
In a word, they went out to go to the top of the hill,
where I used to go; but they, being strong, and in good
company, not alone, as I was, used none of my precau-
tions to go up by the ladder, and then pulling it up after
them, to go up to a second stage to the top, but were
going round through the grove unconcerned, and unwary,
when they were surprised at seeing a light, as of fire, a
very little way off from them, and hearing the voices of
men, not of one or two, but of a great number.
In all the discoveries I had made of the savages landing
on the island, it was my constant care to prevent them
making the least discovery of their being any inhabitant
upon the place; and when by any necessity they came
to know it, they felt it so effectually, that those who got
away were scarce able to give any account of it, for we
disappeared as soon as possible; nor did ever any that
had seen me, escape to tell any one else, except it were
the three savages in our last encounter, who jumped into
the boat, of whom I mentiened, that I was afraid they
should go home and bring more help.
Whether it was the consequence of the escape of these
men, that so great a number came now together: or
whether they came ignorantly and by accident, on their
usual bloody errand, the Spaniards could not, it seems,
understand: but whatever it was, it had been their bu-
siness to have kept themselves concealed, and if possible
2 X
342
ADVENTURES OF
:
not have let the savages know that there were any inhab-
itants in the place; but to have fallen upon them so
effectually, as that not a man of them should have es-
caped, which could only have been by getting in between
them and their boats; but this presence of mind was
wanting to them, which was the ruin of their tranquility
for a great while.
We need not doubt, but that the governor, and the
man with him, surprised at this sight, ran back immedi-
ately, and raised their fellows, giving them an account
of the imminent danger they were in; and they again as
readily took the alarm, but it was impossible to persuade
them to stay close within where they were, but that they
must all run out to see how things stood.
While it was dark, indeed, they were well enough,
and they had opportunity enough, for some hours, to
view them by the light of three tires they had made at
some distance from one another. What they were doing
they knew not, and what to do for themselves they
knew not; for, first, the enemy were too many; and,
secondly, they did not keep together, but were divided
into several parties, and were on shore in several places.
The Spaniards were in no small consternation at this
sight, and as they found that the fellows ran straggling
all over the shore, they made no doubt but first or last
some of them would find their habitation, or discover
some other place, where they would see the tokens of
inhabitants; and they were in great perplexity also for
fear of their flock of goats, which would have been little
less than starving them, if they should have been de-
stroyed; so the first thing they resolved upon was, to
dispatch three men away, before it was light, viz two
Spaniards and one Englishman, to drive all the goats
away to the great valley where the cave was, and if need
were to drive them into the very cave itself.
Could they have seen the savages all together in one
body, and at a distance from their canoes, they resolved
if there had been a hundred of them, to have attacked
them: but that could not be obtained, for they were
some of them two miles off from the other, and as it ap-
peared afterwards, were of two different nations.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
343
After having mused a great while on the course they
should take, and racking their brains in considering their
present circumstances, they resolved at last, while it was
dark, to send the old savage (Friday's father) out as a
spy, to learn, if possible, something concerning them, as
what they came for, and what they intended to do, and
the like. The old man readily undertook it; and, strip-
ping himself quite naked, as most of the savages were,
away he went. After he had been gone an hour or two,
he brought word, that he had been among them undis-
covered; that he found they were two parties, and of
two several nations, who had war with one another, and
had had a great battle in their own country; and, that
both sides having had several prisoners taken in the fight,
they were, by inere chance, landed in the same island,
for the devouring their prisoners, and making merry:
but their coming so by chance to the same place, had
spoiled all their mirth. That they were in a great rage
at one another, and were so near, that he believed they
would fight again as soon as day-light began to appear;
but he did not perceive that they had any notion of any
body's being on the island but themselves. He had
hardly made an end of telling the story, when they could
perceive, by the unusual noise they made, that the two
little armies were engaged in a bloody fight.
Friday's father used all the arguments he could, to
persuade our people to lie close, and not be seen; he told
them, their safety consisted in it, and that they had no-
thing to do but to lie still, and the savages would kill one
another to their hands, and the rest would go away; and
it was so to a tittle: but it was impossible to prevail, es-
pecially upon the Englishmen; their curiosity was so
importunate for the event, that they must run out and
see the battle. However, they used some cantion, viz.
they did not go openly, just by their own dwelling, but
went farther into the woods, and placed themselves to
advantage, where they might securely see them manage
the fight; and, as they thought, not be seen by them:
but, it seems, the savages did see them, as we shall find
hereafter.
2 X 2
344
ADVENTURES OF
1
'
The battle was very fierce: and, if I might believe the
Englishmen, one of them said, he could perceive that
some of them were men of great bravery, of invincible
spirits, and of great policy in managing the fight. The
battle, they said, held two hours, before they could guess
which party would be beaten: but that party which was
nearest our people's habitation, began to appear weakest;
and, after some time more, some of them began to fly.
This put our men again into a great consternation, lest
any of those who fled should run into the grove before
their dwelling for shelter, and thereby, involuntarily,
discover the place; and that, by consequence, the pur-
suers should do the like in search of them. Upon this
they resolved, that they would stand armed within the
wall, and whoever came into the grove, they should sally
out over the wall and kill them; so that, if possible, not
one should return to give an account of it. They ordered
also, that it should be done with their swords, or by
knocking them down with the stock of the musket; not
by shooting them, for fear of raising an alarm by the
noise.
As they expected, it fell out. Three of the routed
army fled for life; and, crossing the creek, ran directly
into the place, not in the least knowing whither they
went, but running as into a thick wood for shelter. The
scout they kept to look abroad, gave notice of this with-
in; with this addition, to our men's great satisfaction,
viz. that the conquerors had not pursued them, or seen
which way they were gone. Upon this, the Spanish go-
vernor, a man of humanity, would not suffer them to kill
the three fugitives; but, sending three men out by the
top of the hill, ordered them to go round, and coming in
behind them, surprise and take them prisoners, which
was done; the residue of the conquered people fled to
their canoes, and got off to sea. The victors retired,
and made no pursuit, or very little; but, drawing them-
selves into a body together, gave two great screaming
shouts, which they supposed were by way of triumph,
and so the fight ended: and the same day, about three
o'clock in the afternoon, they also marched to their ca-
1
ROBINSON Crusoe.
345
noes. And thus the Spaniards had the island again free
to themselves, their fright was over, and they saw no sa-
vages for several years after.
These
After they were all gone, the Spaniards came out of
their den; and viewing the field of battle, they found
about two and thirty dead men upon the spot; some
were killed with great long arrows, several of which
were found sticking in their bodies; but most of them
were killed with their great wooden swords, sixteen or
seventeen of which they found in the field of battle,
and as many bows with a great many arrows.
swords were great unweildy weapons, and they must be
very strong men that used them. Most of these men
that were killed, had their heads dashed to pieces, as
we may say, or as we may call it in English, their
brains knocked out, and several of their arms and legs
broken; so that it is evident they fight with inexpressible
rage and fury. They found not one wounded man that
was not stone dead; for either they stay by their enemy
till they have quite killed him, or they carry all the
wounded men, that are not quite dead, away with them.
This deliverance tamed our Englishmen for a great
while the sight had filled them with sorrow, and the
consequence appeared terrible to the last degree, espe-
cially upon supposing that some time or other they should
fall into the hands of those creatures; who would not
only kill them as enemies, but kill them for food, as
we kill our cattle. And they professed to me, that the
thoughts of being eaten up like beef or mutton, though
it was supposed it was not to be till they were dead, had
something in it so horrible, that it nauseated their very
stomachs, made them sick when they thought of it, and
filled their minds with unusual terror, that they were
not themselves for some weeks after.
This, as I said, tamed even the three English brutes
I have been speaking of, and for a great while after
they were very tractable, and went about the common
business of the whole society well enough; planted,
sowed, reaped, and began to be all naturalized to the
country; but some time after this, they fell all into
346
ADVENTURES OF
no
such simple measures again as brought them into a great
deal of trouble.
They had taken three prisoners, as I have observed;
and these three being lusty stout young fellows, they
made them servants, and taught them to work for them
and as slaves, they did well enough; but they did not
take measures with them as I did by my man Friday;
viz. to begin with them upon the principle of having
saved their lives, and then instructed them in the rational
principles of life, much less of religion, civilizing and re-
ducing them by kind usage, and affectionate arguments;
but, as they gave them their food every day, so they gave
them their work too, and kept them fully employed in
drudgery; but they failed in this by it, that they never
had them to assist them and fight for them, as I had my
man Friday, who was as true to me as the very flesh
upon my bones.
But to come to the family part. Being all now good
friends, (for common danger, as I said above, had ef-
fectually reconciled them) they began to consider their
general circumstances; and the first thing that came un-
der their consideration was, whether, seeing the savages
particularly haunted that side of the island, and that
there were more remote and retired parts of it equally
adapted to their way of living, and manifestly to their
advantage, they should not rather remove their habita-
tion, and plant in some more proper place for their
safety, and especially for the security of their cattle
and corn.
Upon this, after long debate, it was conceived, that
they should not remove their habitation; because that
some time or other they thought they might hear from
their governor again, meaning me; and if I should send
any one to seek them, I would be sure to direct them
on that side, where, if they should find the place demo-
lished, they would conclude the savages had killed us
all, and we were gone, and so our supply would go
away too.
But as to their corn and cattle, they agreed to re-
move them into the valley where my cave was, where
!
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
347
the land was as proper to both, and were indeed there
was land enough. However, upon second thoughts,
they altered one part of that resolution too, and resolved
only to remove part of their cattle thither, and plant
part of their corn there, and so, if one part was destroyed,
the other might be saved. One piece of prudence they
used, which it was very well they did, viz. that they
had never trusted these three savages, which they had
taken prisoners, with knowing any thing of the planta-
tion they had made in that valley, or of any cattle they
had there; much less of the cave, which they kept in
case of necessity, as a safe retreat: and thither they car-
ried also the two barrels of powder, which I had sent
them at my coming away.
But, however, they resolved not to change their habi-
tation; yet they agreed, that as I had carefully covered
it first with a wall of fortification, and then with a grove.
of trees; so, seeing their safety consisted entirely in their
being concealed, of which they were now fully convinced,
they set to work to cover and conceal the place yet more
effectually than before. To this purpose. as I had planted
trees (or rather thrust in stakes, which in time all grew
to be trees) for some good distance before the entrance
into my apartment, they went on in the same manner,
and filled up the rest of that whole space of ground, from
the trees I had set, quite down to the side of the creek,
where, as I said, I landed my floats, and even in the very
ouze where the tide flowed, not so much as leaving any
place to land, or any sign that there had been any land-
ing thereabout. These stakes also being of a wood very
forward to grow, they took care to have generally much
larger and taller than those which I had planted, and
placed them so very thick and close, that when they had
been three or four year grown, there was no piercing with
the eye any considerable way into the plantation. As
for that part which I had planted, the trees were grown
as thick as a man's thigh; and among them they placed
so many other short ones and so thick, that it stood like
a palisado a quarter of a mile thick, and it was next to
impossible to penetrate it, but with a little army, to cut
348
ADVENTURES OF
it all down; for a little dog could hardly get between the
trees, they stood so close.
But this was not all; for they did the same by all the
ground to the right hand, and to the left, and round even
to the top of the hill; leaving no way, not so much as for
themselves to come out, but by the ladder placed up to
the side of the hill, and then lifted up, and placed again
from the first stage up to the top; which ladder, when it
was taken down, nothing but what had wings or witch-
craft to assist it, could come at them.
This was excellently well contrived: nor was it less
than what they afterwards found occasion for; which
served to convince me, that as human prudence has au-
thority of Providence to justify it, so it has, doubtless,
the direction of Providence to set it to work; and,
would we listen carefully to the voice of it, I am fully
persuaded we might prevent many of the disasters which
our lives are now by our own negligence subjected to.
To return to the story. They lived two years after
this in perfect retirement, and had no more visits from
the savages; they had, indeed, an alarm given them one
morning, which put them in a great consternation; for
some of the Spaniards being out early one morning on
the west side, or rather end of the island, which was
that end where I never went, for fear of being discovered,
they were surprised with seeing about twenty canoes of
Indians just coming on shore.
They made the best of their way home, and giving the
alarm to their comrades, kept close all that day and the
next, going out only at night to make observation. But
they had the good luck to be mistaken; for wherever the
savages went, they did not land at that time on the island,
but pursued some other design.
And now they had another broil with the three Eng-
lishmen; one of which, a most turbulent fellow, being in
a rage at one of the three slaves, which they had taken,
because the fellow had not done something right which
he bid him do, and seemed a little untractable in his
shewing him, drew a hatchet out of a frog belt, in which
he wore it by his side, and fell upon the poor savage, not
3
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
349
to correct him, but to kill him. One of the Spaniards,
who was by, secing him give the fellow a barbarous cut
with the hatchet, which be aimed at his head, but struck
it into his shoulder, so that he thought he had cut the poor
creatures arin off, ran to him, and intreated him not to
kill the poor man, stept in between him and the savage.
to prevent the mischief.
The fellow being enraged the more at this, struck at.
the Spaniard with his hatchet, and swore he would serve
him as he intended to serve the savage; which the Spa-
niard perceiving, aroided the blow, and with a shovel,
which he had in his hand, (fer they were working in the
field about their corn-land) knocked the brute down;
another of the Englishmen, running at the same time to
help his comrade, knocked the Spaniard down; and then
two Spaniards more came to help their man, and a third
Englishman fell upon them. They had none of them
any fire-arms, or any other weapons but hatchets and
other tools, except the third Englishuan; he had one of
my old rusty cutlasses, with which he made at the last
Spaniards, and wounded them both. This fray set the
whole family in an uproar, and more help coming in, they
took the three Englishmen prisoners. The next question
was, What should be done with them? They had been
so often mutinous, and were so furious, so desperate and
so idle withal, that they knew not what course to take
with thein, for they were mischievous to the highest de-
grée, and valued not what hurt they did any man; so that
in short, it was not safe to live with them.
The Spaniard who was governor, told them, that if
they had been his own countrymen, he would have
hanged them all; for all laws, and all governors were to
preserve society; and those who were dangerous to the
society, ought to be expelled out of it: but, as they were
Englishmen, and it was to the generous kindness of an
Euglishman that they all owed their preservation aud
deliverance, he would use them with all possible lenity,
and leave them to the judgment of the other two English-
men, who were their countrymen. One of the two ho-
nest Englishmen stood up, and said, they desired it
}
2 Y
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ADVENTURES OF
6
might not be left to them: For (says he) I am sure we
ought to sentence them to the gallows.' And with that
gave an account, how Will Atkins, one of the three, had
proposed to have all the five Englishmen join together,
and murder all the Spaniards when they were asleep.
When the Spanish governor heard this, he calls to
Will Atkins. How, Seignior Atkins,' (says he) will
you murder us all! What have you to say to that? That
hardened villain was so far from denying it, that he said
it was true; and G-d damn him, they would do it still
before they had done with them. Well, but Seiguior
Atkins, (said the Spaniard) what have we done to you,
that you will kill us? And what would you get by kill-
ing us? And what must we do to prevent your killing
us? Must we kill you, or will you kill us? Why will
you put us to the necessity of this, Seignior Atkins?'
says the Spaniard calmly, and smiling.
Seignior Atkins was in such a rage at the Spaniard's
making a jest of it, that, had he not been held by three
men, and withal had no weapons with him, it was thought
he would have attempted to have killed the Spaniard in
the middle of all the company.
This hair-brained conduct obliged them to consider
seriously what was to be done. The two Englishmen,
and the Spaniard who saved the poor savage, were of
opinion, that they should hang one of the three for an
example for the rest; and that particularly it should be
he that had twice attempted to commit murder with his
hatchet; and indeed there was some reason to believe
he had done it, for the poor savage was in such a mise-
rable condition with the wound he had received, that it
was thought he could not live.
But the governor Spaniard still said, no, it was an
Englishman that had saved all their lives, and he would
never consent to put an Englishman to death, though he
had murdered half of them; nay, he said, if he had been
killed himself by an Englishman, and had time left to
speak, it should be, that they should pardon him.
This was so positively insisted on by the governor
Spaniard, that there was no resisting it; and, as merci-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
351
ful counsels are most apt to prevail, where they are so
earnestly pressed, so they all came into it; but then it
was to be considered, what should be done to keep them
from the mischief they designed; for all agreed, governor
and all, that means were to be used for preserving the
society from danger. After a long debate it was agreed,
First, That they should be disarined, and not permitted
to have either gun, or powder, or shot, or sword, or any
weapon, and should be turned out of the society, and left
to live where they would, and how they could, by them-
selves; but that none of the rest, either Spaniards or
English, should converse, or have any thing to do with
tizem; that they should be forbid to come within a cer-
tain distance of the place where the rest dwelt; and that
if they offered to commit any disorder, so as to spoil,
burn, kill, or destroy any of the corn, plantings, build-
ings, fences, or cattle belonging to the society, that they
should die without mercy, and they should shoot them
wherever they could find them.
The governor, a man of great humanity, musing upon
the sentence, considered a little upon it; and, turning
to the two honest Englishmen, said, 'Hold! you must
reflect, that it will be long ere they can raise corn and
cattle of their own, and they must not starve; we must
therefore allow them provisions.' So he caused to be
added, That they should have a proportion of corn
given to them to last them eight months, and for seed to
sow, by which time they might be supposed to raise
some of their own; that they should have six milch-goats,
four he-goats, and six kids given them, as well for pre-
sent subsistence, as for a store; and that they should
have tools given them for their work in the field; such
as, six hatchets, an ax, a saw, and the like: but they
should have none of these tools or provisions, unless they
would swear solemnly, that they would not hurt or in-
jure any of the Spaniards with them, or of their fellow
Englishmen.
Thus they dismissed them the society, and turned
them out to shift for themselves. They went away sullen
and refractory, as neither contented to go away, or to
2 Y 2
352
ADVENTURES OP´
4
stay; but, as there was no remedy, they went, pretending
to go and choose a place where they should settle them-
selves, to plant and live by themselves: and some provi-
sions were given them, but no weapons.
About four or five days after, they came again for some
victuals, and gave the governor an account where they
had pitched their tents, and marked themselves out a
habitation or plantation.. It was a very convenient place,
indeed, on the remotest part of the island, N. E. much
about the place where I providentially landed after my
first voyage, when I was driven out to sea, the Lord
alone knows whither, in my foolish attempt to, surround
the island.
Here they built themselves two handsome huts, and
contrived them in a manner like my first habitation, being
close under the side of a hill, having some trees growing
already to the three sides of it; so that, by plauting others
it would be very easily covered from the sight, unless
narrowly searched for. They desired some dry goat-
skins for beds and covering, which were given them;
and, upon their giving their words that they would not
disturb the rest, or injure any of their plantations, they
gave them hatchets, and what other tools they could
spare: some peas, barley, and rice, for sowing; and, in
a word, any thing they wanted, but arms and amunition.
They lived in this separate condition about six months,
and had got in their first harvest, though the quantity
was but small, the parcel of land they planted being but
little; for, indeed, having all their plantation to form,
they had a great deal of work upon their hands; and
when they came to make boards, and pots, and such
things, they were quite out of their element, and could
make nothing of it; and when the rainy season came on,
for want of a cave in the earth, they could not keep their
grain dry, and it was in great danger of spoiling: and
this humbled them much; so they came and begged the
Spaniards to help them, which they very readily did;
and in four days worked a great hole in the side of the
hill for thein, large enough to secure their corn and other
things from the rain; but it was but a poor place at best,
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
353
compared to mine; and especially as mine was then;
for the Spaniards had greatly enlarged it, and made se-
veral new apartments in it.
About three quarters of a year after this separation,
a new frolic seized these rogues, which, together with
the former villany they had cominitted, brought mischief
enough upon them, and had very near been the ruin of
the whole colony. The three new associates began, it
seems, to be weary of the laborious life they led, and that
without hope of bettering their circumstances, and a whim
took them, that they would make a voyage to the con-
tinent from whence the savages came, and would try if
they could not seize upon some prisoners among the na-
tives there, and bring them home, so as to make them do
the laborious part of the work for them.
The project was not so preposterous had they gone
no farther; but they did nothing, and proposed nothing,
but what had either mischief in the design, or mischief
in the event: and, if I may give my opinion, they seemed
to be under a judgment from Heaven; for if we will not
allow a visible curse to pursue visible crimes, how shall
we reconcile the events of things with Divine Justice?
It was, certainly an apparent vengeance on their crime
of mutiny and piracy, that brought them to the state
they were in; and as they shewed not the least remorse
for the crime, but added new villanies to it, such as, par-
ticularly, that piece of monstrous cruelty of wounding a
poor slave, because he did not, or perhaps could not, un-
derstand to do what he was directed: and to wound him
in such a manner, as made him a cripple all his life; and
in a place where no surgeon or medicine could be had for
his cure; and what was still worse, the murderous in-
tent; or, to do justice to the crime, the intentional mur-
der; for such to be sure it was, as was afterwards the
formed design they all laid, to murder the Spaniards in
cold blood, and in their sleep.
But to return to the story. The three fellows came
down to the Spaniards one morning, and in very humble
terms desired to be admitted to speak with them. The
Spaniards very readily heard what they had to say, which
354
ADVENTURES OF
was this, that they were tired of living in the manner
they did; that they were not handy enough to make the
necessaries they wanted; and that, having no help, they
found they should be starved: but, if the Spaniards would
give them leave to take one of the canoes that they came
over in, and give them arts and ammunition propor-
tioned for their defence, they would go over to the main
and seek their fortunes, and so free them from the trou-
ble of supplying them with any other provisions.
The Spaniards were glad enough to be rid of them;
but yet, very honestly, represented to them the certain
destruction they were running into: told them, they had
suffered such hardships upon that very spot, that they
could (without any spirit of prophecy) tell them, that
they would be starved or murdered; and bade them
consider of it.
The men replied, audaciously, they should be starved
if they staid here, for they could not work, and would
not work; and they could but be starved abroad; and,
if they were murdered, there was an end of them, they
had no wives or children to cry after them: and, in short,
insisted importunately upon their demand, declaring that
they would go, whether they would give them any arms
or not.
The Spaniards told them, with great kindness, that if
they were resolved to go, they should not go like naked
men, and be in no condition to defend themselves; and
that though they could ill spare their fire arms, having
not enough for themselves, yet they would let them have
two musquets, a pistol, and a cutlass, and each man a
hatchet; which they thought was sufficient for them.
In a word, they accepted the offer; and, having baked
them bread enough to serve them a month, and given
them as much goats-flesh as they could eat while it was
sweet, and a great basket full of dried grapes, a pot full
of fresh water, and a young kid alive to kill, they boldly
set out in a canoe for a voyage over the sea, where it was
at least forty miles broad.
The boat was, indeed, a large one, and would have
very well carried fifteen or twenty men; and, therefore,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
355
was rather too big for them to manage: but, as they had
a fair breeze, and the flood-tide with them, they did well
enough. They had made a mast of a long pole, and a
sail of four large goat skins dried, which they had sewed
or laced together; and away they went, merrily enough.
The Spaniards called after them- Bon veajo!' and no
man ever thought of seeing them more.
The Spaniards would often say to one another, and to
the two honest Englishmen who remained behind, how
quiet and comfortable they lived, now those three turbu-
lent fellows were gone. As for their ever coming again,
that was the remotest thing from their thoughts, that
could be imagined: when, behold! after twenty-two
days absence, one of the Englishmen (being abroad on
his planting work) saw three strange men coming to-
wards him, at a distance, two of them with guns upon
their shoulders.
Away ran the Englishman, as if he was bewitched,
and came frighted and amazed to the governor Spaniard,
telling him, they were all undone; for there were strang-
ers landed upon the island, he could not tell who. The
Spaniard, pausing awhile, said to him, 'How do you
mean, you cannot tell who? they are savages, to be sure.'
No, no,' says the Englishman, they are men in clothes,
with arms.' Nay, then,' says the Spaniard, why are
you concerned? if they are not savages, they must be
friends; for there is no Christian nation upon earth but
will do us good, rather than harm.'
૬
While they were debating thus, came the three English-
men; and, standing without the wood, which was new
planted, hallooed to them. They presently knew their
voices; and so all wonder of that kind ceased. But now
the admiration was turned upon another question, wiz.
What could be the matter, and what made them come
back again?
It was not long before they brought the men in, and
enquired where they had been, and what they had been
doing; they gave them a full account of their voyage, in
a few words; viz. That they reached the land in two days,
or something less; but, finding the people alarmed at
1
356
ADVENTURES OF
their coming, and preparing with bows and arrows to
fight them, they durst not go on shore, but sailed ou to
the northward six or seven hours, till they came to a great
opening, by which they perceived, that the land they saw
from our island, was not the main, but an island; that,
entering that opening of the sea, they saw another island
on the right hand, north, and several more west; and,
being resolved to land somewhere, they put over to one
of the islands which lay west, and went boldly on shore;
that they found the people were courteous and friendly
to them, and they gave them several roots and some dried
fish, and appeared very sociable; and the women, as well
as the men, were very forward to supply them with any
thing they could get for them to eat, and brought it to
them a great way upon their heads.
They continued here four days; and enquired, as well
as they could of them by signs, what nations were this
way, and that way; and were told of several fierce and
terrible people, who lived almost every way; who, as
they made known by signs to them, used to eat men:
but, as for themselves, they said that they never eat men
or women, except only such as they took in the wars;
and then they owned, that they made a great feast, and
eat their prisoners.
The Englishmen enquired, when they had a feast of
that kind. They told them, two moons ago, pointing to.
the moon, and then to two fingers; and that their great
king had two hundred prisoners now, which he had taken
in his war, and that they were feeding them to make them
fat for the next feast. The Englishmen seemed very de-
sirous to see those prisoners; but the others, mistaking
them, thought they were desirous to have some of thein,
to carry away for their own eating. So they beckoned
to them, pointing to the setting of the sun, and then to
the rising, which was to signify, that the next morning,
at sun-rising, they would bring some for them; and, ac-
cordingly, the next morning, they brought down five wo-
men and eleven men, and gave them to the Englishmen,
to carry with them on their voyage, just as we would bring
so many cows and oxen down to a sea-port town to vic-
tual a ship.
},
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
357
1
As brutish and barbarous as these fellows were, at
home, their stomachs turned at this sight, and they did
not know what to do: to refuse the prisoners, would have
been the highest affront to the savage gentry who offered
them; and, what to do with them, they knew not. How-
ever, upon some debate, they resolved to accept of them;
and, in return, they gave the savages who brought them,
one of their hatchets, an old key, a knife, and six or se-
ven of their bullets, which, though they did not under-
stand, they seemed extremely pleased with; and then,
tying the poor creatures hauds behind them, they (the
people) dragged the prisoners into the boat, for our men.
The Englishmen were obliged to come away, as soon
as they had them; or else they who gave them this noble
present, would certainly have expected that they should
have gone to work with them, have killed two or three
of them the next morning, and perhaps have invited the
donors to dinner.
But, having taken their leave, with all the respects
and thanks that could well pass between people, where,
on either side, they understood not one word they could
say, they put off with their boat, and came back towards
the first island; where, when they arrived, they set eight
of their prisoners at liberty, there being too many of
them for their occasion.
In their voyage, they endeavoured to have some com-
munication with their prisoners; but it was impossible
to make them understand any thing: nothing they could
say to them, or give them, or do for them, but was looked
upon as going about to murder them. They first of all
unbound them; but the poor creatures screamed at that,
especially the women, as if they had just felt the knife
at their throats: for they immediately concluded, they
were unbound on purpose to be killed.
If they gave them any thing to eat, it was the same
thing: then they concluded, it was for fear they should
sink in flesh, and so not be fat enough to kill. If they
looked at one of them more particularly, the party pre-
sently concluded, it was to see whether he or she was
fattest and fittest to kill first. Nay, after they had
2Z
358
ADVENTURES OF
13
។
brought them quite over, and began to use them kindly
and treat them well, still they expected, every day, to
make a dinner or supper for their new masters,
When the three wanderers had given this unaccount
able history or jourual of their voyage, the Spaniards
asked them, where their new family was? and, being told
that they had brought them on shore, and put them into
one of their huts, and were come to beg some victuals
for them; they (the Spaniards) and the other two English-
men (that is to say, the whole colony) resolved to go down
to the place, and see them: they accordingly did so, and
took Friday's father with them.
When they came into the hut, there they sat, all bound;
for, when they had brought them on shore, they bound
their hands, that they might not take the boat and make
their escape; there, I say, they sat, all of them stark-.
naked. First, there were three men, lusty, comely fel-
lows, well shaped, straight, and fair limbs, about thirty
to thirty-five years of age; and five women, whereof two
might be from thirty to forty, two more not above twenty-
four or twenty-five, and the fifth a tall, comely maiden,
about sixteen or seventeen. The women were well-fa-
voured, agreeable persons, both in shape and features,
only tawny and two of them, had they been perfectly
white, would have passed for handsome women, even in
London itself; having very pleasant, agreeable counte-
nances, and of a very modest behaviour, especially when
they came afterwards to be cloathed and dressed, as they
called it, though that dress was very indifferent, it must
be confessed; of which hereafter.
The sight, you may be sure, was something uncouth
to our Spaniards, who were (to give them a just charac-
ter) men of the best behaviour, of the most calm, sedate
tempers, and perfect good-humour, that ever I met with;
and, in particular, were possessed of a great share of
modesty. I say, the sight was very uncouth, to see two
naked men, and five naked women, all together, bound,
and in the most miserable circumstances that human na-
ture could be supposed to be; expecting every moment
to be dragged out, and have their brains knocked out,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
359
and then to be eaten up, like a calf that is killed for a
dainty.
The first thing they did, was, to canse the old Indian,
Friday's father, to go in and see arst if he knew any of
them, and then if he understood any of their speech.
As soon as the old man came in, he looked seriously at
them, but knew none of them; neither could any of them
understand a word he said, or a sign he could make, ex-
cept one of the women.
However, this was enough to answer the end, which
was to satisfy them, that the men into whose hands they
were fallen, were Christians; that they abhorred eating
men or women, and that they might be sure they would
not be killed. As soon as they were assured of this,
they discovered such a joy, and by such aukward and
various ways, as is hard to describe; for it seems they
were of several nations.
The woman, who was their interpreter, was bade, in the
next place, to ask them, if they were willing to be ser-
vants, and to work for the men who had brought them
away to save their lives? At which they all fell a danc-
ing; and, presently, one fell to taking up this, and another
that, any thing that lay next, to carry on their shoulders,
to intimate that they were willing to work.
The governor, who found that the having women
among them would presently be attended with some in-
convenience, and might occasion some strife, and perhaps
blood; asked the three men, what they intended to do
with these women, and how they proposed to use thein,
whether as servants, or as women? One of the English-
men auswered, very boldly and readily, that they would
use them as both. To which the governor said, 'I am
not going to restrain you from it; you are your own
masters, as to that: but this I think is but just, for avoid-
ing disorders and quarrels among you, and I desire it of
you for that reason only; viz. That you will all engage,
that if any of you take any of those women, as a woman
or wife, he shall take but one; and that, having taken
one, none else shall touch her: for, though we cannot
marry any of you, yet it is but reasonable, that, while
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360
ADVENTURES, OF
U
you stay here, the woman any of you takes, should be
maintained by the man who takes ber, and should be
his wife; I meau,' says he, while he continues here;
and that none else should have any thing to do with her.'
All this appeared so just, that every one agreed to it
without any difficulty.
Then the Englishmen asked the Spaniards, if they de-
signed to take any of them? But every one auswered
No!' Some of them said they had wives in Spain,
and others did not like women who were not Christians;
and altogether declared, that they would not touch one
of them; which was an instance of such virtue as I have
not met with in all my travels. On the other hand, to
be short, the five Englishmen took each of them a wife,
that is to say, a temporary wife; and so they set up a
new form of living: for the Spaniards and Friday's fa-
ther lived in my old habitation, which they had enlarged
exceedingly within; the three servants, which they had
taken in the late battle of the savages, lived with them;
and these carried on the main part of the colony, supply-
ing all the rest with food, and assisting them with any
thing they could, or as they found necessity required.
But the wonder of this story was, how five such re-
fractory, ill-matched fellows should agree about these
women, and that two of them should not pitch upon the
same woman, especially seeing two or three of them
were, without comparison, more agreeable than the
others: but they took a good way enough to prevent
quarrelling among themselves; for they set the five wo-
men by themselves in one of their huts, and they went
all into another hut, and drew lots among them who
should chuse first.
He who drew to chuse first, went away by himself to
the hut where the poor naked creatures were, and fetched
out her he chose; and it was worth observing, that he
who chose first, took her that was reckoned the homeliest
and ugliest of the five, which made mirth enough among
the rest; and even the Spaniards laughed at it: but the
fellow considered better than any of them, that it was
application and business that they were to expect assist-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
361
!
ance in, as much as any thing else; and she proved the
best wife among them.
When the poor women saw themselves set in a row
thus, and fetched out one by one, the terrors of their
condition returned upon them again, and they firmly be-
lieved that they were now going to be devoured. Accord-
ingly, when the English sailor came in and fetched out
one of them, the rest set up a most lamentable cry, and
hung about her, and took their leave of her with such
agonies, and such affection as would have grieved the
hardest heart in the world; nor was it possible for the
Englishmen to satisfy them that they were not to be im-
mediately murdered, till they fetched the old man, Fri-
day's father, who instantly let them know, that the five
men, who had fetched them out one by one, had chosen
them for their wives.
·
When they had done this, and the fright the women
were in was a little over, the men went to work, and
the Spaniards came and helped them; and, in a few
hours they had built them every one a new hut or tent
for their lodging apart; for those they had already, were
crouded with their tools, household-stuff, and provi-
sious: the three wicked ones had pitched farthest off,
and the two honest ones nearer, but both on the north
shore of the island, so that they continued separate as
before and thus my island was peopled in three places,
and, as I might say, three towns were began to be
planted.
And here it is very well worth observing, that, as it
often happens in the world, (what the wise ends of God's
Providence are, in such a disposition of things, I cannot
say) the two honest fellows had the two worst wives:
and the three reprobates, that were scarce worth hang-
ing, that were fit for nothing, and neither seemed born
to do themselves good, or any one else, had three cle-
ver, diligent, careful, and ingenious wives; not that
the two first were ill wives as to their temper or hu-
mour; for all the five were most willing, quiet, passive
and subjected creatures, rather like slaves than wives;
but my meaning is, they were not alike capable, or in-
genious, or industrious, or alike cleanly and neat.
1
+
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362
ADVENTURES OF
Another observation I must make, to the honour of
a diligent application on the one hand, and to the dis-
grace of a slothful, negligent, idle temper on the other,
that when I came to the place, and viewed the several
improvements, planting, and management of the several
little colonies; the two men had so far outgone the
three, that there was no comparison: they had indeed
both of them as much ground laid out for corn as
they wanted; and the reason was, because, according
to my rule, nature dictated, and that it was to no pur-
pose to sow more corn than they wanted; but the dif
ference of the cultivation, of the planting, of the fences,
and indeed every thing else, was easy to be seen at first
view.
The two men had innumerable young trees planted
about their huts, that when you came to the place, no-
thing was to be seen but a wood; and though they had
their plantation twice demolished, once by their own
countrymen, and once by the enemy, as shall be shewn
in its place; yet they had restored all again, and every
thing was flourishing and thriving about them; they had
grapes planted in order, and managed like a vineyard,
though they had themselves never seen any thing of that
kind; and by their good ordering their vines, their
grapes were as good again as any of the others. They
had also formed themselves a retreat in the thickest part
of the woods, where, though there was not a natural
cave, as I had found, yet they made one with incessant
labour of their hands, and where, when the mischief
which followed happened, they secured their wives and
children, so as they could never be found: they having
by sticking innumerable stakes and poles of the wood,
which, as I said, grew so easily, made a grove impassa-
ble, except in one place, where they climbed up to get
over the outside part; and then went in by ways of their
own leaving.
As to the three reprobates, as I justly call them, tho'
they were much civilized by their new settlement, com-
pared to what they were before, and were not so quar-
relsome, having not the same opportunity, yet one of
RÖBINSON CRusoe.
363
the certain companions of a profligate mind, never left
them, and that was their idleness; it is true, they
planted corn, and made fences; but Solomon's words
were never better verified than in them; I went by the
vineyard of the slothful, and it was overgrown with
thorns; for, when the Spaniards came to view their crop,
they could not see it in some places for weeds; the
hedge had several gaps in it, where the wild goats had
gotten in, and eaten up the corn; perhaps here and
there a dead bush was crammed in, to stop them out for
the present, but it was only shutting the stable-door
after the steed was stolen: whereas, when they looked
on the colony of the other two, there was the very face
of industry and success upon all they did; there was
not a weed to be seen in all their corn, or a gap in any
of their hedges: and they, on the other hand, verified
Solomon's words in another place: The diligent band
maketh rich;' for every thing grew and thrived, and
they had plenty within and without; they had more
tame cattle than the others, more utensils and neces-
saries within doors, and yet more pleasure and diver-
Bion too.
It is true, the wives of the three were very handy and
cleanly within doors; and, having learned the English
way of dressing and cooking from one of the other En-
glishmen, who, as I said, was a cook's mate on board
the ship, they dressed their husband's victuals very
nicely; whereas the other could not be brought to un-
derstand it; but then the husband, who, as I said, had
been cook's mate, did it himself; but, as for the hus-
bands of the three wives, they loitered about, fetched
turtles' eggs, and caught fish and birds: in a word, any
thing but labour; and they fared accordingly. The di-
ligent lived well and comfortably, and the slothful lived
hard and beggarly: and so I believe, generally speak-
ing, it is all over the world.
But now I come to a scene, different from all that
had happened before, either to them or me, and the
origin of the story was this:
364
ADVENTURES OF
1
Early one morning there came on shore five or six
canoes of Indians, or savages, call them which. you
please; and there is no room to doubt that they came
upon the old errand, of feeding upon their slaves; but
that part was now so familiar to the Spaniards, and to
our men too, that they did not concern themselves about
it, as I did; but, having been made sensible by their
experience, that their only business was to lie concealed,
and that, if they were not seen by any of the savages,
that they would go off again quietly when their business
was done, having as yet not the least notion of there
being any inhabitants in the island; I say, having been
made sensible of this, they had nothing to do but to
give notice to all the three plantations to keep within
doors, and not to shew themselves; only placing a-
scout in a secure place, to give notice when the boats
went off to sea again.
This was, without doubt, very right; but a disaster
spoiled all these measures, and made it known among
the savages, that there were inhabitants there; which
was, in the end, the desolation of almost the whole colony.
After the canoes with the savages were gone off, the Spa-
niards peeped abroad again, and some of them had the
curiosity to go to the place where they had been, to see
what they had been doing. Here, to their great surprise,
they found three savages left behind, and lying fast asleep
upon the ground. It was supposed, they had either been
so gorged with their inhuman feast, that, like beasts, they
were asleep, and would not stir when the others went;
or, they were wandered into the woods, and did not come
back in time to be taken in.
The Spaniards were greatly surprised at this sight,
and perfectly at a loss what to do. The Spanish gover-
nor, as it happened, was with them; and his advice was
asked: but he professed, he knew not what to do. As
for slaves, they had enough already; and as to killing
them, they were none of them inclined to that. The
Spaniard governor told me, they could not think of shed-
ding innocent blood; for, as to them, the poor creatures
had done no wrong, invaded none of their property, and
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
365
they thought they had no just quarrel against them, to
take away their lives.
And here I must, in justice to these Spaniards, ob-
serve, that, let all the accounts of Spanish cruelty in
Mexico and Peru be what they will, I never met with
seventeen men, of any nation whatsoever, in any foreign
country, who were so universally modest, temperate, vir-
tuous, so very good-humoured, and so courteous as these
Spaniards; and, as to cruelty, they had nothing of it in
their very nature; no inhumanity, no barbarity, no out-
rageous passions, and yet all of them men of great cou-
rage and spirit.
Their temper and calmness had appeared, in their
bearing the unsufferable usage of the three Englishmen ;
and their justice and humanity appeared now in the case
of the savages, as above. After some consultation, they
resolved upon this,-that they would lie still, awhile
longer, till, if possible, these three men might be gone:
but then the governor Spaniard recollected, that the
three savages had no boat; and that, if they were left to
rove about the island, they would certainly discover that
there were inhabitants in it; and so they should be un-
done that way.
Upon this, they went back again; and there lay the
fellows, fast asleep still: so they resolved to awake them,
and take them prisoners; and they did so. The poor
fellows were strangely frighted, when they were seized
upon and bound; and afraid (as the women had been)
that they should be murdered and eaten; for it seems,
those people think all the world do as they do-eating
human flesh; but they were soon made easy, as to that,
and away they carried them.
It was very happy for them, that they did not carry
them home to their castle; I mean, to my palace under
the hill: but they carried them first to the bower, where
was the chief of their country-work; such as keeping the
goats, planting the corn, &c.; and, afterwards, they car-
ried them to the habitation of the two Englishmen.
Here they were set to work, though it was not much
they had for them to do: and, whether it was by negli
3 A
366
ADVENTURES OF
gence in guarding them, or that they thought the fellows
could not mend themselves, I know not, but one of them
ran away; and, taking into the woods, they could never
hear of him more.
They had good reason to believe he got home again
soon after, in some other boats or canoes of savages,
who came on shore three or four weeks afterwards, and
who, carrying on their revels as usual, went off again in
two days time: this thought terrified them exceedingly,
for they concluded, and that not without good cause in-
deed, that if this fellow got safe home among his com-
rades, he would certainly give them an account that
there were people in the island, as also how weak and
few they were; for this savage, as I observed before,
had never been told, as it was very happy he had not,
how many they were, or where they lived, nor had he
ever seen or heard the fire of any of their guns, much
less had they shewn him any other of their retired places,
such as the cave in the valley, or the new retreat which
the Englishmen had made, and the like.
The first testimony they had that this fellow had
given intelligence of them was, that about two months
after this, six canoes of savages, with about seven or
eight, or ten men in a canoe, came rowing along the
north side of the island, where they never used to come
before, and landed about an hour after sun-rise, at a
convenient place, about a mile from the habitation of
the two Englishmen, where this escaped man had been
kept: as the Spanish governor said, had they been all
there, the damage would not have been so much, for
not a man of them would have escaped; but the case
differed now very much for two men to fifty were too
much odds: the two men had the happiness to discover
them about a league off, so that it was above an hour
before they landed; and as they landed about a mile
from their huts, it was some time before they could
come at them. Now having great reason to believe that
they were betrayed, the first thing they did was, to bind
the slaves which were left, and cause two of the three
men, whom they brought with the women, who, it
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
367
seems, proved very faithful to them, to lead them with
their two wives, and whatever they could carry away
with them to their retired place in the woods, which I
have spoken of above, and there to bind the two fellows
hand and foot till they heard farther.
In the next place, seeing the savages were all come
on shore, and that they bent their course directly that
way, they opened the fences where their milch-goats
were kept, and drove them all out, leaving their goats
to straggle into the wood, whither they pleased, that
the savages might think they were all bred wild; but
the rogue who came with them was too cunning for
that, and gave them an account of it ali; for they went
directly to the place.
When the two poor frightened men had secured their
wives and goods, they sent the other slave they had of
the three, who came with the women, and who was at
their place by accident, away to the Spaniards, with all
speed, to give them the alarm, and desire speedy help;
and in the mean time they took their arms, and what
ammunition they had, and retreated toward the place
in the wood, where their wives were sent keeping at a
distance; yet so they might see, if possible, which way
the savages took.
They had not gone far, but that, from a rising ground,
they could see the little army of their enemies come on
directly to their habitation, and in a moment more could
see all their huts and household-stuff flaming up together
to their great grief and mortification; for they had a very
great loss, and to them irretrievable, at least for some
time. They kept their station for a while, till they
found the savages, like wild beasts, spread themselves
all over the place, rummaging every way, and every
place they could think of, in search for prey; and, in
particular, for the people, of whom it plainly appeared
they had intelligence.
The two Englishmen seeing this, thinking themselves
not secure where they stood, because, as it was likely
some of the wild people might come that way, so they
might come too many together, thought it proper to
3A2
368.
ADVENTURES OF
make another retreat about half a mile farther, believing,
as it afterwards happened, that the farther they strolld,
the fewer would be together.
The next halt was at the entrance into a very thick
grown part of the woods, and where an old trunk of a
tree stood, which was hollow, and very large, and
in this tree they both took their standing, resolving to
see what might offer.
They had not stood there long but two of the savages
appeared running directly that way, as if they had al-
ready noticed where they stood, and were coming up to
attack them; and a little further they espied three more
coming after them, and five more beyond them, all
coming the same way; besides which, they saw seven
or eight more at a distance, running another way; for,
in a word, they ran every way, like sportsmen beating
for their game.
The poor men were now in great perplexity, whether
they should stand and keep their posture, or fly; but,
after a very short debate with themselves, they consider-
ed, that, if the savages ranged the country thus, before
help came, they might, perhaps, find out their retreat in
the woods, and then all would be lost; so they resolved
to stand them there; and if there were too many to deal
with, then they would get to the top of the tree, from
whence they doubted not to defend themselves, fire ex-
cepted, as long as their ammunition lasted, though all
the savages that were landed, which were near fifty,
were to attack them.
Having resolved upon this, they next considered whe
ther they should fire at the two first, or wait for the
three, and so take the middle party, by which the two
and the five that followed would be separated; at lengh
they resolved to let the two first pass by, unless they
should spy them in the tree, and come and attack them.
The two first savages also confirmed them in this reso-
lution, by turning a little from them towards another
part of the wood; but the three and the five after them,
came forwards directly to the tree, as if they had known
the Englishmen were there.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
369
Seeing them come so strait towards them, they re-
solved to take them in a line as they came; and as they
resolved to fire but one at a time, perhaps the first shot
might hit them all three; to which purpose, the man
who was to fire, put three or four bullets into his piece,
and having a fair loop-hole as it were, from a broken
hole in the tree, he took a sure aim, without being
seeu, waiting all they were within about thirty yards of
the tree, so that he could not miss.
While they were thus waiting, and the savages came
on, they plainly saw that one of the three was the run-
away savage that had escaped from them, and they
both knew him distinctly, and resolved that, if possible,
he should not escape, though they should both fire; so
the other stood ready with his piece, that if he did not
drop at the first shot, he should be sure to have a
second.
But the first was too good a marksman to miss his
aim; for the savages kept near one another, a little be-
hind in a line; in a word, he fired, and hit two of them
directly the foremost was killed outright, being shot
in the head; the second, which was the run-away In-
dian, was shot through the body, and fell, but was not
quite dead; and the third had a little scratch in the
shoulder, perhaps by the same ball that went through
the body of the second; and, being dreadfully frighted,
though not much hurt, sat down upon the ground,
screaming and yelling in a hideous manner.
The five that were behind, more frighted with the
noise than sensible of their danger, stood still at first:
;;
for the woods made the sound a thousand times louder
than it really was; the echoes rattling from one side to
another, and the fowls rising from all parts, screaming
and making several kinds of noise, according to their
kind; just as it was when I fired the first gun that,
perhaps, was ever shot off in that place, since it was an
island.
However, all being silent again, and they not know-
ing what the matter was, came on unconcerned, till
they came to that place where their companions lay, in
370
ADVENTURES OF
a condition miserable enough: and here the poor igno-
rant creatures, not sensible that they were within reach
of the same mischief, stood all of a huddle over the
wounded man. talking, and, as may be supposed, en-
quiring of him how he came to be hurt; and who, it is
very rational to believe, told them that a flash of fire
first, and immediately after that, thunder from their gods,
had killed those two, and wounded him: this, I say, is
rational; for nothing is more certain than that, as they
saw no man near them, and had never heard a gun in all
their lives, or ever so much as heard of one; neither
knew they any thing of killing or wounding at a distance
with fire and bullets; if they had, one might reasonably
believe that they would not have stood so uncon-
cerned in viewing the fate of their fellows, without some
apprehension of their own.
Our two men, though, as they confessed to me, it
grieved them to be obliged to kill so many poor crea-
tures, who at the same time had no notion of their
danger; yet, having them all thus in their power, and
the first having loaded his piece again, resolved to let
fly both together among them; and singling out by
agreement which to aim at, they shot together, and
killed, or very much wounded, four of them; the fifth,
frighted even to death, though not hurt, fell with the
rest; so that our men seeing them all fall together,
thought they had killed them all.
The belief that the savages were all killed, made our
two men come boldly out from the tree before they had
charged their guns again, which was a wrong step; and
they were under some surprise when they came to the
place, and found no less than four of the men alive,
and of them, two very little hurt, and one not at all:
this obliged them to fall upon them with the stocks of
their muskets: aud, first, they made sure of the runaway
savage, who had been the cause of all the mischief, aud
of another who was hurt in his knee, and put them out
of their pain. Then, the man who was not hurt at all,
came and kneeled down to them, with his two hands
held up, and made piteous moan to them, by gestures
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
371
and signs, for his life; but could not say one word to
them, which they could understand.
However, they made signs to him to sit down at the
foot of a tree; and one of the Englishmen, with a piece
of rope-twine, which he had by great chance in his poc-
ket, tied his feet fast together, and his hands behind him,
and there they left him; and, with what speed they could,
made after the other two who were gone before, fearing
they, or any more of them, should find the way to their
covered place in the woods, where their wives, and the
few goods they had left, lay. They came once in sight
of the two men, but it was at a great distance; however,
they had the satisfaction to see them cross over a valley,
towards the sea, the quite contrary way from that which
Fed to their retreat, which they were afraid of; and, being
satisfied with that, they went back to the tree where they
left their prisoner; who, as they supposed, was delivered
by his comrades: for he was gone, and the two pieces of
rope-yarn, with which they had bound him, lay just at
the foot of the tree.
They were now in as great a concern as before, not
knowing what course to take, or how near the enemy
might be, or in what number; so they resolved to go
away to the place where their wives were, to see if all
was well there, and to make them easy, who were in
fright enough to be sure: for, though the savages were
their own country-folk, yet they were most terribly afraid
of them, and perhaps the more so from the knowledge
they had of them.
}
When they came thither, they found the savages had
been in the wood, and very near the place, but had not
found it; for, indeed, it was inaccessible, by the trees
standing so thick, as before, unless the persons seeking
it, had been directed by those who knew it, which these
were not: they found, therefore, every thing very safe,
only the women in a terrible fright. While they were
here, they had the comfort of seven of the Spaniards
coming to their assistance. The other ten, with their
servants, and old Friday, (I mean, Friday's father,) were
gone in a body to defend their bower, and the corn and
372
ADVENTURES OF
t
!
cattle that were kept there, in case the savages should
have rowed over to that side of the country; but they
did not spread so far. With the seven Spaniards, came
one of the savages, who, as I said, were their prisoners
formerly; and, with them, also came the savage whom.
the Englishmen had left bound hand and foot at the
tree: for, it seems, they came that way, saw the slaughter.
of the seven mien, and unbound the eighth, and brought
him along with them; where, however, they were obliged
to bind him again, as they had done the two others who
were left when the third ran away.
The prisoners began now to be a burden to them; and
they were so afraid of their escaping, that they thought
they should be under an absolute necessity to kill them,
for their own preservation. However, the Spaniard, go-
vernor would not consent to it; but ordered
that they
should be sent out of the way to my old cave in the val-
ley, and be kept there, with two Spaniards to guard them
and give them food; which was done: and they were
bound there, hand and foot, for that night.
When the Spaniards came, the two Englishmen were
so encouraged, that they could not satisfy themselves to
stay any longer there; but, taking five of the Spaniards
with them, with four musquets and a pistol among them,
and two stout quarter-staves, away they went in quest
of the savages. And first, they came to the tree where
the men lay that had been killed; but it was easy to see,
that some more of the savages had been there; for they
attempted to carry their dead men away, and had drag-
ged two of them a good way, but had given it over.-
From thence they advanced to the first rising ground,
where they had stood and seen their camp destroyed,
and where they had the mortification still to see some of
the smoke; but neither could they here see any of the
savages. They then resolved, though with all possible
caution, to go forward towards their ruined plantation:
but, a little before they arrived there, coming in sight
of the sea shore, they plainly saw the savages all embark-
ing in their canoes, in order to be gone.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
373
}
They seemed sorry at first that there was no way to
come at them to give them a parting blow; but, upon
the whole, were very well satisfied to be rid of them.
The poor Englishmen being now twice ruined, and
all their improvements destroyed, the rest all agreed to
come and help them to rebuild, and to assist them with
needful supplies. Their three countrymen, who were
not yet noted for having the least inclination to do any
good; yet, as soon as they heard of it (for they, living
remote eastward, knew nothing of the matter till all was
over) came and offered their help and assistance, and
did very friendly work for several days, to restore their
habitations, and make necessaries for them; and thus
in a little time they were set upon their legs again.
About two days after this, they had the farther satis-
faction of seeing three of the savages canoes come
driving on shore, and, at some distance from them,
with two drowned men, by which they had reason to
believe that they had met with a storm at sea, which had
overset some of them; for it blew very hard the night
after they went off.
However, as some might miscarry, so on the other
hand enough of them escaped to inform the rest, as
well of what they had done, as of what happened to
them; and to urge them on to another enterprise of
the same nature, which they, it seems, resolved to at-
tempt with sufficient force to carry all before them; for,
except what the first man had told them of the inhabit-
ants, they could say little to it of their own knowledge, for
they never saw one man, and the fellow being killed
that had affirmed it, they had no other witness to con-
firm it to them.
It was five or six months after this before they heard
any more of the savages, in which time our men were
in hopes they had not forgot their former bad luck, or
had given over the hopes of better; when, on a sudden,
they were invaded with a most formidable fleet of no
less than twenty-eight canoes full of savages, armed
with bows and arrows, great clubs, wooden swords,
and such like engines of war; and they brought such
3 B
374
ADVENTURES OF
numbers with them, that, in short, it put all our people
into the utmost consternation.
As they came on shore in the evening, and at the
eastermost side of the island, our men had that night
to consult and consider what to do; and, in the first
place, knowing that their being entirely concealed was
their only safety before, and would much more be so
now, while the number of their enemies were so great;
they therefore resolved, first of all, to take down the
huts which were built for the two Englishmen, and drive
away their goats to the old cave, because they supposed
the savages would go directly thither as soon as it was
day, to play the old game over again, though they did
not now land within two leagues of it.
In the next place, they drove away all the flock of
goats they had at the old bower, as I called it, which
belonged to the Spaniards; and, in short, left as little.
appearance of inhabitants any where as possible; and
the next morning early they posted themselves with all
their force, at the plantation of the two men, waiting
for their coming. As they guessed, so it happened;
these new invaders leaving their canoes at the east end
of the island, came ranging along the shore directly to-
wards the place to the number of two hundred and
fifty, as near as our men could judge. Our army was
but small indeed; but that which was worse, they had
not arms for all their numbers neither; the whole ac-
count, it seems, stood thus: First, as to men:
17 Spaniards.
11 Muskets.
5 Englishmen.
1 Old Friday, or Friday's
father.
3 Slaves, taken with the
women, who proved very
faithful.
3 Other slaves who lived
with the Spaniards.
29
To arm these, they had
5 Pistols.
3 Fowling-pieces.
5 Muskets, or fowling-
pieces, which were ta-
ken by me from
the mutinous seamen
whom I reduced.
2 Swords.
3 Old halberts.
|
29
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
375
J
{'་"""Aaཏྭཾ༦ཉྙ
To their slaves they did not give either musket or
fusil, but they had every one an halbert, or a long staff,
like a quarter-staff, with a great spike of iron fasteued
into each end of it, and by his side a hatchet; also
every one of our men had hatchets. Two of the women
could not be prevailed upon but they would come into
the tight; and they had bows and arrows, which the
Spaniards had taken from the savages when the first
action happened which I have spoken of, where the
Indians fought with one another, and the women had
hatchets too.
The Spaniard governor whom I bave described so of
ten, commanded the whole; and William Atkins, who,
though a dreadful fellow for wickedness, was a most da
ring bold fellow, commanded under him. The savages
came forward like lions, and our men, which was the
worst of their fate, had no advantage in their situation;
only that Will Atkins, who now proved a most useful
fellow, with six men, was planted just behind a small
thicket of bushes, as an advanced guard, with orders to
let the first of them pass by, and then fire into the mid-
dle of them; and, as soon as he had fired, to make his
retreat as nimbly as he could, round a part of the wood,
and so come in behind the Spaniards where they stood,
having a thicket of trees all before them.
When the savages came on, they ran straggling about
every way in heaps, out of all manner of order; and
Will Atkins let about fifty of them pass by him; then
seeing the rest come in a very thick throng, he ordered
three of his men to fire, having loaded their muskets
with six or seven bullets a-piece, about as big as large
pistol-bullets. How many they killed or wounded they
knew not; but the consternation and surprize was inex-
pressible among the savages, who were frighted to the
Îast degree to hear such a dreadful noise, and see their
men killed, and others hurt, but see nobody that did it;
when in the middle of their fright, William Atkins, and
his other three, let fly again among the thickest of them
and in less than a minute, the first three being loaded
again, gave them a third volley.
;
་
•
酆
​3B2
376
ADVENTURES OF
Had William Atkins and his men retired immediately,
as soon as they had fired, as they were ordered to do,
or had the rest of the body been at hand to have poured
in their shot continually, the savages had been effectually
routed; for the terror that was among them came prin-
cipally from this, viz. That they were killed by the Gods
with thunder and lightning,and could see nobody that
hurt them; but William Atkins staying to load again,
discovered the cheat; some of the savages who were at
a distance, spying them, came upon them behind; and
though Atkins and his men fired at them also, two or
three times, and killed above twenty, retiring as fast as
they could, yet they wounded Atkins himself, and
killed one of his fellow Englishmen with their arrows, as
they did afterwards one Spaniard, and one of the Indian
slaves who came with the women. This slave was a
most gallant fellow, and fought most desperately, kill-
ing five of them with his own hand, having no weapon
but one of the armed staves and a hatchet.
Our men being thus hard laid at, Atkins wounded,
and two other men killed, retreated to a rising groud in
the wood; and the Spaniards, after firing thrce vollies
upon them, retreated also, for their number was so
great, and they were so desperate, that though above
fifty of them were killed, and more than as many wound-
ed, yet they came on in the face of our men, fearless
of danger, and shot their arrows like a cloud; and it
was observed that their wounded men, who were not
quite disabled, were made outrageous by their wounds,
and fought like madmen.
When our men retreated, they left the Spaniard and
the Englishman that were killed, behind them; and the
savages, when they came up to them, mangled their bo-
dies in a wretched manner, breaking their arms, legs,
and heads, with their clubs and wooden swords, like
true savages; but finding our men were gone, they did
not seem to pursue them, but drew themselves 'up in a
kind of ring, which is, it seems, their custom, and
shouted twice in token of their victory; after which
they had the mortification to see several of their
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
377
wounded men fall, dying with the mere loss of
blood.
The Spaniard governor having drawn his little body
up together upon a rising ground, Atkins, though he
was wounded, would have had him marched and char-
ged them again altogether at once; but the Spaniard
replied, Seignior Atkins, you see how their wounded
men fight; let them alone till morning; all these wound-
ed men will be stiff and sore with their wounds, and
faint with the loss of blood, and so we shall have the
fewer to engage.
The advice was good; but Will Atkins replied mer-
rily, That's true, Seignior, and so shall I too; and that's
the reason I would go on while I am warm. Well,
Seignior Atkins, says the Spaniard, you have behaved
gallantly, and done your part, we will fight for you if
you cannot come on, but I think it best to stay till
morning; so they waited.
But as it was a clear moon-light night, and they
found the savages in great disorder about their dead and
wounded men, and a great hurry and noise among them
where they lay, they afterwards resolved to fall upon
them in the night, especially if they could come to give
them but one volley before they were discovered. This
they had a fair opportunity to do; for one of the two
Englishmen in whose quarter it was where the fight be-
gan, led them round between the woods and the sea-
side, westward, and turning short south, they came so
near where the thickest of them lay, that before they
were seen or heard, eight of them fired in among them,
and did dreadful execution upon them; in half a minute
more eight others fired after them, pouring in their small
shot in such a quantity, that abundance were killed and
wounded; and all this while they were not able to see
who hurt them, or which way to fly.
The Spaniards charged again with the utmost expe-
dition, and then divided themselves into three bodies,
and resolved to fall in among them altogether. They
had in each body eight persons, that is to say 24,
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ADVENTURES OF
whereof were 22 men, and the two women, who, by
the way, fought desperately.
They divided the fire-arms equally in each party, and
so of the halberts and staves. They would have had
the women keep back, but they said they were resolved
to die with their husbands. Having thus formed their
little army, they marched out from among the trees and
came up to the face of the enemy, shouting and halloo-
ing as loud as they could; the savages stood altogether,
but were in the utmost confusion, hearing the noise of
our men shouting from three quarters together; they
would have fought if they had seen us; and as soon as
we came near enough to be seen, some arrows were shot,
and poor old Friday was wounded, though not danger-
ously: but our men gave them no time; but running
up to them, fired among them three ways, and then fell
in with the but end of their musquets, their swords,
armed staves, and hatchets; and laid about them so
well, that, in a word, they set up a dismal screaming
and howling, flying to save their lives which way soever
they could.
Our men were tired with the execution, and killed or
mortally wounded, in the two fights, about 180 of them,
the rest, being frighted out of their wits, scoured
through the woods and over the hills with all the speed
that fear and nimble feet could help them to do; and
as we did not trouble ourselves much to pursue them,
they got altogether to the sea-side, where they landed,
and where their canoes lay. But their disaster was not
at an end yet; for it blew a terrible storm of wind that
evening from the sea-ward, so that it was impossible for
them to put off; nay, the storm continuing all night,
when the tide came up, their canoes were most of them
driven by the surge of the sea so high upon the shore,
that it required infinite toil to get them off, and some of
them were even dashed to pieces against the beach, or
against one another.
Our men, though glad of their victory, yet got little
rest that night; but having refreshed themselves as well
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
379
as they could, they resolved to march to that part of
the island where the savages were fled, and see what
posture they were in. This necessarily led them over
the place where the fight had been, and where they found
several of the poor creatures not quite dead, and yet
past recovering life; a sight disagreeable enough to ge-
nerous minds; for a truly great man, though obliged by
the law of battle to destroy his enemy, takes no delight
in his misery.
However, there was no need to give any order, in this
case; for their own savages, who were their servants, dis-
patched those poor creatures with their hatchets.
At length they came in view of the place where the
more miserable part of the savages' army lay, where
there appeared about one hundred still. Their posture
was, generally, sitting on the ground; with their knees
up towards their mouths, and their heads put between
their hands, leaning down upon their knees.
When our men came within two musquet-shot of them,
the Spaniard governor ordered two musquets to be fired.
without ball, to alarm them. This he did, that, by their
countenances, he might know what to expect; viz. whe-
ther they were still in heart to fight, or were so heartily
beaten as to be dispirited and discouraged, and so he
might manage accordingly.
This stratagem took: for, as soon as the savages heard
the first gun, and saw the flash of the second, they started
up upon their feet in the greatest consternation imagina-
ble; and, as our men advanced swiftly towards them,
they all ran screaming and yawling away, with a kind of
howling noise, which our men did not understand, and
had never heard before, and thus they ran up the hills
into the country.
At first, our men had much rather the weather had
been calm, and they had all gone away to sea.
But they
did not then consider, that this might probably have been
the occasion of their coming again in such multitudes as
not to be resisted; or, at least, to come, so many and so
often, as would quite desolate the island, and starve them.
Will Atkins, therefore, who, notwithstanding his wound,
380
ADVENTURES OF
+
case.
kept always with them, proved the best counsellor in this
His advice was, to take the advantage that offer-
ed, and clap in between them and their boats, and so de-
prive them of the capacity of ever returning to plague
the island.
They considered long about this, and some were
against it, for fear of making the wretches fly into the
woods, and live there desperate; and so they should
have them to hunt like wild beasts, be afraid to stir
about their business, and have their plantation continu-
ally rifled, all their tame goats destroyed, and, in short,
be reduced to a life of continual distress.
Will Atkins told them, they had better have to do with
one hundred men, than with one hundred nations; that,
as they must destroy their boats, so they must destroy
the men, or be all of them destroyed themselves. In a
word, he shewed them the necessity of it so plainly, that
they all came into it: so they went to work immediately
with the boats; and, getting some dry wood together
from a dead tree, they tried to set some of them on fire;
but they were so wet that they would scarcely burn.
However, the fire so burned the upper part, that it soon
made them unfit for swimming in the sea as boats. When
the Indians saw what they were about, some of them
came running out of the woods; and, coming as near as
they could to our men, kneeled down, and cried,—' Oa,
oa, waramakoa,' and some other words of their language,
which none of the others understood any thing of: but,
as they made pitiful gestures and strange noises, it was
easy to understand, they begged to have their boats
spared, and that they would be gone and never come
thither again.
But our men were now satisfied, that they had no way
to preserve themselves or save the colony, but effectually
to prevent any of these people from ever going home
again; depending upon this, that, if ever so much as one
of them got back into their country to tell the story, the
colony was undone. So that, letting them know that
they should not have any mercy, they fell to work with
their canoes, and destroyed them every one that the
S
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
381
storm had not destroyed before; at the sight of which,
the savages raised a hideous cry in the woods, which our
people heard plain enough; after which, they ran about
the island like distracted men: so that, in a word, our
men did not really know, at first, what to do with them.
Nor did the Spaniards with all their prudence, con-
sider that while they made those people thus desperate,
they ought to have kept good guard at the same time
upon their plantations; for though it is true they had
driven away their cattle, and the Indians did not find
their main retreat, I mean my old castle at the hill, nor
their cave in the valley, yet they found out my planta-
tion at the bower, and pulled it all to pieces, and all
the fences and planting about it, trod all the corn under
foot, tore up the vines and grapes, being then almost
ripe, and did our men an inestimable damage, though
to themselves not one farthing's worth of service.
Though our men were able to fight them upon all oc-
casions, yet they were in no condition to pursue them,
or hunt them up and down; for, as they were too nim-
ble of foot for our men when they found them single, so
our men durst not go about singly for fear of being sur-
rounded with their numbers; the best was, they had no
weapons; for though they had bows, they had no ar-
rows left, nor any materials to make any, nor had they
edged tool or weapon among them.
The extremity and distress they were reduced to was
great, and indeed deplorable; but at the same time our
men were also brought to very hard circumstances by
them; for though their retreats were preserved, yet
their provision was destroyed, and their harvest spoiled;
and what to do, or which way to turn themselves, they
knew not; the only refuge they had now, was the stock
of cattle they had in the valley by the cave, and some
little corn which grew there. The three Englishmen,
William Atkins and his comrades, were now reduced
to two, one of them being killed by an arrow, which
struck him on the side of his head just under the tem-
ple, so that he never spoke more; and it was very re-
markable, that this was the same barbarous fellow who
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ADVENTURES OF
cut the poor savage slave with his hatchet, and who
afterwards intended to have murdered the Spaniards.
I looked upon their case to have been worse at this
time, than mine was at any time after I first discovered
the grains of barley and rice, and got into the method of
planting and raising my corn and my tame cattle; for
now they had, as I may say, an hundred wolves upon
the island, which would devour every thing they could
come at, yet could be very hardly come at themselves.
au
The first thing they concluded when they saw what
their circumstances were, was, that they would, if pos-
sible, drive them up to the farthest part of the island,
south-east, that if any more savages come on shore, they
might not find one another; then, that they would daily
hunt and harass them, and kill as many of them as
they could come at, till they had reduced their number;
and if they could at last tame them and bring them to
any thing, they would give them corn, and teach them
how to plant and live upon their daily labour.
In order to this, they followed thein, and so terrified
them with their guns, that in a few days, if any of them
fired a gun at an Indian, if he did not hit him, yet he
would fall down for fear, and so dreadfully frighted
were they, that they kept out of sight farther and far-
ther, till at last our men following them, and every day
almost killing and wounding some of them, they kept
up in the woods and hollow places so much, that it re-
duced them to the utmost misery for want of food; and
many were afterwards found dead in the woods, with-
out any hurt, but merely starved to death.
When our men found this, it made their hearts relent,
and pity moved them, especially the Spaniard governor,
who was the most gentleman-like, generous-minded
man that ever I met with in my life; and he proposed,
if possible, to take one of them alive, and bring him to
understand what they meant, so far as to be able to
act as an interpreter, and go among them, and see if
they might be brought to some conditions that might
be depended upon to save their lives, and to do us
no injury.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
383
It was some time before any of them could be taken;
but, being weak and half-starved, one of them was at
last surprised and made a prisoner: he was sullen at
first, and would neither eat nor drink; but finding him-
self kindly used, and victuals given him, and no vio-
lence offered him, he at last grew tractable, and came
to himself.
They brought old Friday to him, who talked often
with him, and told him how kind the others would be
to them all; that they would not only save their lives
but would give them a part of the island to live in, pro-
vided they would give satisfaction that they should
keep their own bounds and not come beyond them, to
iojure or prejudice others, and that they should have
corn given them to plant and make it grow for their
bread, and some bread given them for their present sub-
sistence; and old Friday bade the fellow go and talk
with the rest of his countrymen, and see what they said
to it, assuring them, that if they did not agree imme-
diately, they should all be destroyed.
The poor wretches thoroughly humbled, and reduced
in number to about thirty-seven, closed with the pro-
posal at the first offer, and begged to have some food
given them; upon which twelve Spaniards and two Eng-
lishmen, well armed, and three Indian slaves and old
Friday, marched to the place where they were, the three
Indian slaves carried them a large quantity of bread,
and some rice boiled up to cakes and dried in the sun,
and three live goats; and they were ordered to go to
the side of an hill, where they sat down, eat the provi-
sions very thankfully, and were the most faithful fel-
lows to their words that could be thought of; for, ex-
cept when they came to beg victuals and directions,
they never came out of their bounds; and there they
lived when I came to the island, and i went to see them.
They had taught them both to plant corn, make bread,
breed tame goats, and milk them; they wanted nothing
but wives, and they soon would have been a nation.
They were confined to a neck of land, surrounded with
high rocks behind them, and lying plain towards the
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ADVENTURES OF
sea before them, on the south-east corner of the island:
they had land enough, and it was very good and fruit-
ful, for they had a piece of land about a mile and half
broad, and three or four miles in length.
Our men taught them to make wooden spades, such
as I made for myself; and gave among them twelve
hatchets, and three or four knives; and there they lived
the most subjected innocent creatures that were ever
heard of
After this the colony enjoyed a perfect tranquillity with
respect to the savages, till I came to re-visit them, which
was in about two years, not but that now and then
some canoes of savages came on shore for their tri-
umphal feasts; but as they were of several nations, and
perhaps had never heard of those who came before, or
the reason of it, they did not make any search or en-
quiry after their countrymen; and if they had, it would
have been very hard for them to have found them out.
Thus, I think, I have given a full account of all that
happened to then, to my return, at least, that was
worth notice. The Indians, or savages, were wonder-
fully civilized by them, and they frequently went among
them; but forbid, on pain of death, any of the Indians
coming to them, because they would not have their set-
tlement betrayed again.
One thing was very remarkable, viz. that they taught
the savages to make wicker-work, or baskets, but they
soon out-did their masters, for they made abundance of
most ingenious things in wicker work, particularly all
sorts of baskets, sieves, bird-cages, cupboards, &c.; as
also chairs to sit on, stools, beds, couches, aud abun-
dance of other things, being very ingenious at such work
when they were once put in the way of it.
My coming was a particular relief to these people,
because we furnished them with knives, scissors, spades,
shovels, pick-axes, and all things of that kind which
they could want.
With the help of these tools they were so very handy,
that they came, at last, to build up their huts or houses,
very handsomely, raddling or working it up like basket-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
385
1
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​•
•
work all the way round, which was a very extraordi-
nary piece of ingenuity, and looked very odd; but was
an exceeding good fence, as well against heat as against
all sorts of vermin; and our men were so taken with it,
that they got the wild savages to come and do the like
for them; so that when I come to see the two English-
men's colonies, they looked, at a distance, as if they
lived all like bees in a hive; and as for Will Atkins,
who was now become a very industrious, necessary, and
sober fellow, he had made himself such a tent of bas-
ket-work, as, I believe, was never seen; it was 120
paces round on the outside, as I measured by my steps:
the walls were as close worked as a basket, in pannels
of squares, thirty-two in number, and very strong,
standig about seven feet high: in the middle was ano-
ther not above twenty-two paces round, but built
stronger, being eight-square in its form, and in the eight
corners stood eight very strong posts, round the top of
which he laid very strong pieces, joined together with
wooden pins, from which he raised a pyramid before
the roof of eight rafters, very handsome, I assure you,
and joined together very well, though he had no nails,
and only a few iron spikes, which he had made himself
out of the old iron that I had left there; and, indeed,
this fellow shewed abundance of ingenuity in several
things which he had no knowledge of; he made himself
a forge, with a pair of wooden bellows to blow the fire
he made himself charcoal for his work, and he formed
out of one of the iron crows a midling good anvil to
hammer upon; in this manner he made many things,
but especially hooks, staples, and spikes, bolts, and
hinges. But to return to the house: after he pitched
the roof of his innermost tent, he worked it up between
the rafters with basket-work, so firm, and thatched that
over again so ingeniously with rice-straw, and over that
a large leaf of a tree, which covered the top, that his
house was as dry as if it had been tiled or slated. In-
deed, he owned that the savages made the basket-work
for him.
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386
ADVENTURES OF
The outer circuit was covered, as a lean-to all round
this inner apartment, and long rafters lay from the 32
angles to the top posts of the inner house, being about
20 feet distant; so that there was a space like a walk
within the outer wicker-wall, and without the inner,
near 20 feet wide.
The inner place he partitioned off with the same
wicker-work, but much fairer, and divided into six
apartments, so that he had six rooms on a floor, and
out of every one of these there was a door; first, into
the entry, or coming into the main tent, and another
door into the space or walk that was round it, so that
this walk was also divided into six equal parts, which
served not only for a retreat, but to store up any neces-
saries which the families had occasion for. The six spaces
not taking up the whole circumference, what other
apartments the outer circle had, were thus ordered: as
soon as you were in at the door of the outside circle, you
had a short passage straight before you to the door of
the inner house, but on either side was a wicker parti-
tion, and a door in it by which you went, first, into a
large room or storehouse, 20 feet wide, and about 30 feet
long, and through that into another not quite so long;
so that in the outer circle were ten handsome rooms,
six of which were only to be come at through the apart-
ments of the inner tent, and served as closets or retired
rooms to the respective chambers of the inner circle,
and four large warehouses or barns, or what you please
to call them, which went in through one another, two
on either side of the passage that led through the outer
door to the inner tent.
Snch a piece of basket-work, I believe, was never seen
in the world, nor a house or tent so neatly contrived,
much less so built. In this great bee-hive lived the three
families, that is to say, Will Atkins and his companion :
the third was killed, but his wife remained with three
children; for she was, it seems, big with child when he
died, and the other two were not at all backward to give
the widow her full share of every thing, I mean as to
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ROBINSON CRUSOE.
387
their corn, milk, grapes, &c.; and when they killed a
kid, or found a turtle on the shore, so that they all lived
well enough; though it was true, they were not so in-
dustrious as the other two, as has been observed al-
ready.
One thing, however, cannot be omitted, viz. that, as
for religion, I don't know that there was any thing of that
kind among them. They pretty often, indeed, put one
another in mind that there was a God, by the very com-
mon method of seamen, viz. swearing by his name.
Nor
were their poor ignorant savage wives much the better
for having been married to Christians, as we must call
them; for, as they knew very little of God themselves,
so they were utterly incapable of entering into any dis-
course with their wives about a God, or to talk any thing
to them concerning religion.
The utmost of all the improvement which I could say
the wives had made from them, was, that they had taught
them to speak English pretty well; and all the children
they had, which were nearly twenty in all, were taught
to speak English, too, from their first learning to speak;
though they, at first, spoke it in a very broken manner,
like their mothers. There were none of these children
above six years old, when I came there; for it was not
much above seven years that they had fetched these five
savage ladies over; but they had all been pretty fruitful,
for they had all children, more or less. I think the cook's
mate's wife was big of her sixth child; and the mothers
were all a good sort of well-governed, quiet, laborious
women, modest and decent, helpful to one another,
mighty observant and subject to their masters, (I cannot
call them husbands,) and wanted nothing, but to be well
instructed in the Christian religion, and to be legally
married: both which were happily brought about after-
wards, by my means; or, at least, by the consequence of
my coming among them.
Having thus given an account of the colony in general,
and particularly noticed my five runagate Englishmen,
I shall now mention some circumstances relative to the
Spaniards, who were the chief body of the family, and in
388
ADVENTURES OF
whose relation there are some very remarkable inci-
dents.
I had a great deal of conversation with them, about-
their circumstances, when they were among the savages.
They told me, readily, that they had no instances to give
of their application or ingenuity in that country; that
they were a poor, miserable, dejected handful of people;
that if means had been put into their hands, they had yet
so abandoned themselves to despair, and so sunk under
the weight of their misfortunes, that they thought of no-
thing but starving. One of them, a grave and very sen-
sible man, told me, he was convinced they were in the
wrong; that it was not the part of wise men to give up
themselves to their misery, but always to take hold of
the helps which reason offered, as well for present sup-
port as future deliverance. He told me, that grief was
the most senseless, insignificant passion in the world; for
that it regarded only things past, which were generally
impossible to be recalled or to be remedied, but had no
view to things to come, and had no share in any thing
that looked like deliverance, but rather added to the af-
fliction than proposed a remedy: and, upon this, he re-
peared a Spanish proverb; which, though I cannot re-
collect just in the same words lie spoke it, yet I remem-
ber I made it into an English proverb of my own, thus:
In trouble to be troubled,
Is to have your trouble doubled.
He ran on then in remarks upon all the little improve-
ments I made in my solitude; my unwearied application,
as he called it; and how I had made a condition, which,
in its circumstances, was at first much worse than their's,
a thousand times more happy than their's was, even now,
when they were all together. He told me, it was remark-
able, that Englishmen had a greater presence of mind in
their distress than any people that he ever met with: and
their unhappy nation, and the Portugueze, were the worst
men in the world to struggle with misfortunes; for, that
their first step in dangers, after common efforts are over,
was always to despair, lie down under it and die, without
rousing their thoughts up to proper remedies for cscape.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
389
I told him, their case and mine differed exceedingly;
that they were cast upon the shore without necessaries,
without a supply of food, or of present sustenance, till
they could provide it: that it is true, I had this disad-
vantage and discomfort, that I was alone; but then, the
supplies I had providentially thrown into my hands, by
the unexpected driving of the ship on shore, was such a
help, as would have encouraged any creature in the
world to have applied himself as I had done. Seignior,'
said the Spaniard, had we poor Spaniards been in your
case, we never should have got half those things out of
the ship as you did. Nay,' said he, we should never
have found means to have got a raft to carry them, or to
have got a raft on shore without boat or sail; and how
much less should we have done,' said he, if any of us
had been alone?" Well, I desired him to abate his com-
pliments, and go on with the history of their coming on
shore, where they landed. He told me, they unhappily
landed at a place where there were people without provi-
sions; whereas, had they had the common sense to have
put off to sea again, and gone to another island a little
farther, they had found provisions, though without peo-
ple; there being an island that way, as they had been
told, where there were provisions, though no people: that
is to say, that the Spaniards of Trinidad had frequently
been there, and filled the island with goats and hogs at
several times; where they had bred in such multitudes,
and where turtle and sea-fowls were in such plenty, that
they could have been in no want of flesh, though they
had found no bread; whereas, here they were only sus-
tained with a few roots and herbs, which they understood
not, which had no substance in them, and which the in-
habitants gave them sparingly enough, who could treat
them no better, unless they would turn cannibals, and
eat men's flesh, which was the greatest dainty of their
country.
They gave me an account how many ways they strove
to civilize the savages they were with, and to teach them
rational customs in the ordinary way of living, but in
vain; and how they retorted it upon them as unjust, that
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they, who came there for assistance and support, should
attempt to set up for instructors of those who gave them
bread; intimating, it seems, that none should set up for
instructors of others, but those who could live without
them.
They gave me dismal accounts of the extremities they
were driven to; how, sometimes, they were, for many
days, without any food at all; the island they were upou
being inhabited by a sort of savages who lived more in-
dolent, and, for that reason, were less supplied with the
necessaries of life, than, they had reason to believe, others
were in the same part of the world: and yet they found,
that these savages were less ravenous and voracious than
those who had better supplies of food.
Also they added, that they could not but see with what
demonstrations of wisdom and goodness, the governing
providence of God directs the events of all things in the
world; which, they said, appeared in their circumstances:
for, if pressed by the hardships they were under, and
the barrenuess of the country where they were, they had
searched after a better place to live in, they had been out
of the way of the relief that happened to them by my
means.
Then they gave me an account, how the savages, whom
they lived among, expected them to go out with them
into their wars. And it was true, that, as they had fire-
arms with them, had they not had the disaster to lose
their ammunition, they should not have been serviceable
only to their friends, but have made themselves terrible
both to friends and enemies; but, being without powder
and shot, and yet in a condition that they could not (in
reason) deny to go out with their landlords to their wars,
when they came into the field of battle, they were in a
worse condition than the savages themselves; for they
had neither bows nor arrows, nor could they use those
the savages gave them; so that they could do nothing but
stand still and be wounded with arrows, till they came
up to the teeth of their enemy; and then, indeed, the
three halberts they had were of use to them, and they
would often drive a little army before them, with those
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
391
1
halberts and sharpened sticks put into the muzzles of
their musquets: but that, for all this, they were sometimes
surrounded by multitudes, and in gteat danger from their
arrows; till, at last, they found the way to make them-
selves large targets of wood, which they covered with
the skins of wild beasts, whose names they knew not;
and these covered them from the arrows of the savages.
That, notwithstanding these, they were sometimes in
great danger, and were once five of them knocked down
together, with the clubs of the savages, which was the
time when one of them was taken prisoner; that is to say,
the Spaniard whom I had relieved. That, at first, they
thought he had been killed; but, when afterwards they
heard he was taken prisoner, they were under the great-
est grief imaginable, and would willingly have all ven-
tured their lives to have rescued him.
They told me, that, when they were so knocked down,
the rest of their company rescued them, and stood over
them, fighting, till they were come to themselves, all but
him whom they thought had been dead; and then they
made their way with their halberts and pieces, standing
close together in a line, through a body of above a thous-
and savages, beating down all that came in their way,
got the victory over their enemies, but to their great sor-
row, because it was with the loss of their friend, whom
the other party, finding him alive, carried off with some
others, as I gave an account formerly. They described,
most affectionately, how they were surprised with joy at
the return of their friend and companion in misery, who
they thought had been devoured by wild beasts of the
worst kind, viz. by wild men; and yet, how much more
were they surprised at the account he gave them of his
errand, and that there was not a Christian in any place
near, much less one who was able, and had humanity
enough to contribute to their deliverance.
They described how they were astonished at the sight
of the relief I sent them, and at the appearance of loaves
of bread, things they had not seen since their coming to
that miserable place; how often they crossed it, and bles-
sed it as bread sent from heaven; and what a reviving
3D 2
392
ADVENTURES OF
1
cordial it was to their spirits to taste it; as also of the
other things I had sent for their supply. And, after all,
they would have told me something of the joy they were
in, at the sight of a boat and pilots to carry them away
to the person and place from whence all these new com-
forts came: but they told me, it was impossible to express
it by words; for, their excessive joy naturally driving
them to unbecoming extravagancies, they had no way to
describe them, but by telling me that they bordered upon
lunacy, having no way to give vent to their passion, suit-
able to the sense that was upon them; that in some it
worked one way, and in some another; and that some of
them, through a surprise of joy, would burst into tears,
others be half mad, and others immediately faint. This
discourse extremely affected me, and called to my mind
Friday's extacy when he met his father, and the poor
people's extacy when I took them up at sea after their
ship was on fire; the mate of the ship's joy, when he
found himself delivered in the place where he expected
to perish; and my own joy, when, after twenty-eight
years' captivity, I found a good ship ready to carry ine
to my own country. All these things made me more
sensible of the relation of these poor men, and more af-
fected with it.
Having thus given a view of the state of things, as I
found them, I must relate the particulars of what I did
for these people, and the condition in which I left them.
It was their opinion, and mine too, that they would be
troubled no more with the savages; or that, if they were,
they would be able to cut them off, if they were twice as
many as before; so that they had no concern about that,
Then I entered into a serious discourse with the Spaniard,
whom I called governor, about their stay in the island;
for, as I was not come to carry any of them off, so it
would not be just to carry off some, and leave others,
who, perhaps, would be unwilling to stay, if their strength
was diminished.
On the other hand, I told them, I came to establish
them there, not to remove them: and then I let them
know, that I had brought with me relief of various kinds
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
393
for them; that I had been at a great charge to supply
them with all things necessary, as well for their conve-
nience as their defence; and that I had such and such
particular persons with me, as well to increase and re-
cruit their number, as, by the necessary employments
which they were bred to, being artificers, to assist them in
those things, in which, at present, they were to seek.
They were all together when I talked thus to them;
and before I delivered to them the stores I had brought,
I asked them, one by one, if they had entirely forgot
and buried the first animosities that had been among
them, and could shake hands with one another, and
engage in a strict friendship and union of interest, so
that there might be no more misunderstandings or jea-
lousies.
William Atkins, with abundance of frankness and
good humour, said, they had met with afflictions enough
to make them all sober, and enemies enough to make
them all friends; that, for his part, he would live and
die with them; and was so far from designing any thing
against the Spaniards, that he owned they had done
nothing to him but what his own bad humour made ne-
cessary, and what he would have done, and, perhaps,
much worse, in their case; and that he would ask
them pardon, if I desired it, for the foolish and brutish
things he had done to them; and was very willing and
desirous of living in terms of entire friendship and union
with them; and would do any thing that lay in his
power to convince them of it: and as for going to Eng-
land, he cared not if he did not go thither these twenty
years.
The Spaniards said, they had, indeed, at first, dis-
armed and excluded William Arkins and his two coun-
trymen, for their ill couduct, as they had let me know,
and they appealed to me for the necessity they were
under to do so; but that William Atkins had behaved
himself so bravely in the great ight they had with the
savages, and on several occasions since, and had shewed
himself so faithful to, and concerned for the general in-
394
ADVENTURES OF
terest of them all, that they had forgotten all that was
past, and thought he merited as much to be trusted
with arms, and supplied with necessaries, as any of
them; and that they had testified their satisfaction in
him by committing the command to him, next to the
governor himself: and as they had an entire confidence
in him and all his countrymen, so they acknowledged
they had merited that confidence by all the methods
that honest meu could merit to be valued and trusted:
and they most heartily embraced the occasion of giving
me this assurance, that they never would have any in-
terest separate from one another.
Upon these frank and open declarations of friend-
ship, we appointed the next day to dine all together;
and, indeed, we made a splendid feast. I caused the
ship's cook and his mate to come on shore and dress
our dinner; and the old cook's mate we had on shore
assisted. We brought on shore six pieces of good beef,
and four pieces of pork, out of the ship's provision,
with our punch-bowl and materials to fill it; and, in
particular, I gave them ten bottles of French claret, and
ten bottles of English beer; things, that neither the
Spaniards or the Englishmen had tasted for many years,
and which, it may be supposed, they were exceeding
glad of.
The Spaniards added to our feast five whole kids,
which the cooks roasted; and three of them were sent,
covered up close, on board our ship, to the seamen,
that they might feed on fresh meat from on shore, as we
did with their salt meat from on board.
After this feast, at which we were very innocently
merry, I brought out my cargo of goods, wherein, that
there might be no dispute about dividing, I shewed
them there was sufficient for them all; and desired, that
they might all take an equal quantity of the goods that
were for wearing; that is to say, equal when made up.
At first I distributed linen sufficient to make every-one
of them four shirts; and, at the Spaniard's request,
afterwards made them up six; these were exceeding
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
395
comfortable to them, having been what, as I may say,
they had long since forgot the use of, or what it was to
wear them.
I allotted the thin English stuffs, which I mentioned
before, to make every one of them a light coat, like a
frock, which I judged fittest for the heat of the season,
cool and loose; and ordered that, whenever they decay-
ed, they should make more as they thought fit: the like
for pumps, shoes, stockings, hats, &c.
I cannot express what pleasure, what satisfaction, sat
upon the countenances of all these poor men, when they
saw the care I had taken of them, and how well I had
furnished them. They told me, I was a father to them;
and that, having such a correspondent as I was, in so
remote a part of the world, it would make them forget
that they were left in a desolate place: and they all vo-
luntarily engaged to me, not to leave the place without
my consent.
Then I presented to them, the people I had brought
with me; particularly the taylor, the smith, and the two
carpenters, all of them most necessary people: but above
all, my general artificer, than whom they could not name
any thing that was more needful to them. And the tay-
lor, to shew his concern for them, went to work immedi-
ately; and, with my leave, made them every one a shirt,
the first thing he did: and, what was still more, he taught
the women not only how to sew, and use the needle, but
made them assist to make the shirts for their husbands,
and for all the rest.
As to the carpenters, I scarce need mention how use-
ful they were; for they took in pieces all my clumsy, un-
handy things, and made them convenient tables, stools,
bedsteads, cupboards, lockers, shelves, and every thing
they wanted, of that kind.
But, to let them see how nature made artificers at first,
I carried the carpenters to see William Atkins's basket-
house, as I called it; and they both owned, they never
saw an instance of such natural ingenuity before; nor
any thing so regular, and so conveniently built, at least
of its kind: and one of them, when he saw it, after mus-
396
ADVENTURES OF
<
"
ing a good while, turning about to me, I am sure,' said
he, that man has no occasion of us; you need do nothing
but give him tools.'
Then I brought them out all my store tools, and gave
every man a digging-spade, a shovel, and a rake, for
we had no harrows or ploughs; and, to every separate
place a pick-axe, a crow, a broad axe, and a saw: al-
ways appointing that as often as any were broken or
worn out, they should be supplied, without grudging,
out of the general stores that I left behind.
Nails, staples, hinges, hammers, chissels, knives,
scissars, and all sorts of tools and iron-work, they had
without reserve, as they required; for no man would
care to take more than he wanted; and he must be a
fool that would waste or spoil them on any account
whatever: and, for the use of the smith, I left two tons
of unwrought iron for a supply.
My magazine of powder and arms, which I brought
them, was so ample, that they could not but rejoice at
them; for now they could march, as I used to do, with
a musket upon each shoulder, if there was occasion;
and were able to fight a thousand savages, if they had
but some little advantages of situation; which also they
could not miss of if they had occasion.
I carried on shore with me the young man whose mo-
ther was starved to death, and the maid also. She was
a sober, well-educated, religious young woman; and be-
haved so inoffensively, that every one gave her a good
word. She had, indeed, an unhappy life with us, there
being no woman in the ship but herself; but she bore it
with patience. After a while, seeing things so well or-
dered, and in so fine a way of thriving upon my island;
and considering that they had neither business nor ac-
quaintance in the East-Indies, or reason for taking so
long a voyage; I say, considering all this, both of them
came to me, and desired I would give them leave to re-
main on the island, and be entered among my family, as
they called it.
I agreed to it readily, and they had a little plot of
ground allotted them, where they had three tents or
!
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
397
houses set up surrounded with a basket-work, pallisa-
doed like Atkins's, and adjoining to his plantation:
their tents were contrived so that they had each of them
a room apart to lodge in, and a middle tent, like a great
store-house, to lay all their goods in, and to eat and
drink in. And now the other two Englishmen removed
their habitation to the same place; so that the island
was divided into three colonies, and no more: viz. the
Spaniards, with old Friday, and the first servants, at
my old habitation under the hill, which was, in a word,
the capital city, and where they had so enlarged and ex-
tended their works, as well under, as on the outside of
the hill, that they lived, though perfectly concealed,
yet full at large. Never was there such a little city in a
wood, and so hid, I believe, in any part of the world;
for 1 verily believe, a thousand men might have ranged
the island for a month, and, if they had not known
there had been such a thing, and looked on purpose for
it, they would not have found it; for the trees stood so
thick and so close, and grew so fast matted into one
another, that nothing but cutting them down first could
discover the place: no avenue except the two narrow
entrances where they went in and out could be found,
which was not very easy. One of them was just down
at the water's edge, on the side of the creek; and it was
afterwards above two hundred yards to the place; and
the other was up the ladder at twice, as I have already
formerly described it; and they had a large wood, thick
planted also, on the top of the hill, which contained
above an acre, grew apace, and covered the place from
all discovery there, with only one narrow place be-
tween two trees, not easy to be discovered, to enter on
that side.
The other colony was that of Will Atkins, where there
were four families of Englishmen; I mean those I had
left there, with their wives and children; three savages
that were slaves; the widow and children of the Eng-
lishman that was killed; the young man and the maid,
whom we made a wife of, also, before we went away:
therewere also the two carpenters and the tailor, who
3 E
141
1.
}
398
ADVENTURES OF
I brought with me for them; also the smith, who was a
very necessary man to them, especially as a gunsmith,
to take care of their arms; and my other man, whom I
called 'Jack of all Trades,' (who was, himself, as good,
almost, as twenty men,) for he was not only a very inge-
nious, but a very inerry fellow; and, before I came away,
we married him to the honest maid who came with the
youth in the ship, whom I mentioned before.
And, now I speak of marrying, it brings me naturally
to say something of the French ecclesiastic whom I had
brouglit with me out of the ship's crew, which I took at
sea. It is true, this man was a Roman; and, perhaps,
it may give offence to some hereafter, if I leave any thing
extraordinary upon record, of a man, whom, before I be-
gin, I must (to set him out in just colours) represent in
terms very much to his disadvantage, in the account of
Protestants: at first, that he was a Papist; secondly, a
popish priest; and, thirdly, a French popish priest.
But justice demands of me, to give him a due charac-
ter: and I must say, he was a grave, sober, pious, and
most religious person; exact in his life, extensive in his
charity, and exemplary in every thing he did. What then
can any one say, against my being very sensible of the
value of such a man, notwithstanding his profession?
though it may be my opinion, perhaps, as well as the
opinion of others, who shall read this, that he was mis-
taken.
The first hour that I began to converse with him, after
he had agreed to go with me to the East Indies, I found
reason to delight exceedingly in his conversation: and he
first began with me about religion, in the most obliging
manner possible.
Sir,' said he, you have not only, under God, (and,
at that, he crossed his breast,) saved my life, but you
have admitted me to go this voyage in your ship; and,
by your obliging civility, have taken me into your family,
giving me an opportunity of a free conversation. Now,
Sir,' said he, you see, by my habit, what my profession
is; and I guess, by your nation, what your's is. I may
think it my duty, and doubtless it is so, to use my utmost
6.
ROBINSON CRUsoe.
399
endeavours, on all occasions, to bring all the souls that
I can to the knowledge of the truth, and to embrace the
Catholic doctrine: but, as I am here under your permis-
sion, and in your family, I am bound, in justice to your
kindness, as well as in decency and good manners, to be
under your government; and, therefore, I shall not, with-
out your leave, enter into any debates on the points of
religion in which we may not agree, farther than you
shall give me leave.'
I told him, his carriage was so modest, that I could
not but acknowledge it: that it was true, we were such
people as they called heretics; but that he was not the
first Catholic that I had conversed with, without falling
into any inconveniencies, or carrying the questions to any
height in debate; that he should not find himself the
worse used, for being of a different opinion from us; and,
if we did not converse without any dislike on either side,
upon that score, it would be his fault, not our's.
He replied, that he thought our conversation might be
easily separated from disputes; that it was not his bu-
siness to introduce principles with every man he con-
versed with; that he rather desired me to converse with
him as a gentleman than as religieux; that, if I would
give him leave, at any time, to discourse upon religious
subjects, he would readily comply with it; and that then
he did not doubt but I would allow him also to defend
his own opinions as well as he could: but that, without
my leave, he would not break in upon me with any such
thing.
He told me, farther, that he would not cease to do all
that became him in his office, as a priest, as well as a
private Christian, to further the good of the ship, and
the safety of all that was in her; and though, perhaps,
we would not join with him, and he could not pray with
us, he hoped he might pray for us, which he would do
upon all occasions. In this manner we conversed; and,
as he was of a most obliging, gentleman-like behaviour,
so he was, if I may be allowed to say so, a man of good
sense, and, as I believe, of great learning.
I
3E2
400
ADVENTURES OF
i.
He gave me a most diverting account of his life, and
of the many extraordinary events of it; of the many ad-
ventures which had befallen him, in the few years that
he had been abroad in the world; and particularly this,
which was very remarkable, viz. That, during the voyage
he was now engaged in, he had the misfortune to be five
times shipped and unshipped, and never to go to the place
whither any of the ships he was in were at first design-
ed: that his first intent was to have gone to Martinico;
and that he went on board a ship, bound thither, at St.
Malo's; but, being forced into Lisbon in bad weather,
the ship received some damage, by running aground in
the mouth of the river Tagus, and was obliged to unload
her cargo there: that, finding a Portuguese ship there
bound to the Madeiras, and ready to sail, and supposing
he should easily meet with a vessel there bound to Mar-
tinico, he went on board in order to sail to the Madeiras;
but the master of the Portuguese ship, being but an in-
different mariner, had been out of his reckoning, and
they drove to Fial; where, however, be happened to find
a very good market for his cargo, which was corn, and
therefore resolved not to go to the Madeiras, but to load
salt at the Isle of May, to go away to Newfoundland.-
He had no remedy in this exigence, but to go with the
ship; and had a pretty good voyage as far as the Banks,
(so they called the place where the fish are caught,) where
meeting with a French ship bound from France to Que-
bec, in the river of Canada, and from thence to Martini-
co, to carry provisions, he thought he should have an op-
portunity to complete his first design; but, when he came
to Quebec, the master of the ship died, and the ship pro-
ceeded no farther. The next voyage, he shipped him-
self for France, in the ship that was on fire, when we took
them up at sea; and then shipped himself with us for the
East Indies, as I have already said. Thus he had been
disappointed in five voyages, all, as I may call it, in one
voyage, besides what I shall have occasion to mention
farther of the same person.
But I shall not make digressions into other men's sto-
ries, which have no relation to my own: I shall return
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
401
:
to what concerns our affairs in the island. He came to
me one morning, (for he lodged among us all the while
we were upon the island,) and it happened to be just
when I was going to visit the Englishmen's colony at the
farthest part of the island. I say, he came to me, and
told me, with a very grave countenance, that he had, for
two or three days, desired an opportunity of some con-
versation with me, which, he hoped, would not be dis-
pleasing, because he thought it might, in some measure,
correspond with my general design, which was the pros-
perity of my new colony; and, perhaps, might put it, at
least more than he thought it was, in the way of God's
blessing.
I looked somewhat surprised at the last part of his
discourse; and, turning a little short, How, Sir!' said I,
'can it be said that we are not in the way of God's bles-
sing, after such visible assistances and wonderful deliver-
ances as we have seen here, and of which I have given
you an ample account?'
(
C
If you had pleased, Sir,' said he, (with great modes-
ty, and yet with great readiness,) to have heard me, you
would have found no room to have been displeased, much
less to think so hard of me, that I should suggest you
have not had wonderful assistances and deliverances :
and I hope, on your behalf, that you are.in the way of
God's blessings, and your design is exceedingly good,
and will prosper. But, Sir,' said he, though it were
more so than is even possible to you, yet there may be
some among you who are not equally right in their ac-
tions and you know, that, in the story of Israel, one
Achan, in the camp, removed God's blessing from them,
and turned his hand so against them, that thirty-six of
them, though not concerned in the crime, were the ob-
jects of Divine Vengeance, and bore the weight of that
punishment.'
I was sensibly touched with this discourse; and told
him, his inference was so just, and the whole design
seemed so sincere, and was really so religious in its own
nature, that I was sorry I had interrupted him, and beg-
402
ADVENTURES OF
ged him to go on; and, in the mean time, because it
seemed that what we had both to say might take up
some time, I told him I was going to the Englishmen's
plantations, and asked him to go with me, and we might
discourse of it by the way. He told me, he would
more willingly wait on me thither, because there partly,
the thing was acted which he desired to speak to me
about. So we walked on, and I pressed him to be free
and plain with me in what he had to say.
<
6
Why then, Sir,' said he, be pleased to give me
leave to lay down a few propositions, as the founda-
tion of what I have to say, that we may not differ in
'the general principles, though we may of some differ-
ent opinions in the practice of particulars. First, Sir,
though we differ in some of the doctrinal articles of
religion, and it is very unhappy that it is so, especially
in the case before us, as I shall shew afterwards, yet
there are some general principles in which we both
agree, viz. First, that there is a God; and that this
God, having given us some stated general rules for our
service and obedience, we ought not willingly and
knowingly to offend him, either by neglecting to do
'what he has commanded, or by doing what he has ex-
pressly forbid, and let our notions of religion, be what
they will, this general principle is readily owned by
us all; that the blessing of God does not ordinarily
'follow a presumptuous sinning against his command;
and every good Christian will be affectionately con-
'cerned to prevent any that are under his care living in
a total neglect of God and his commands. It is not
men being Protestants, whatever my opinion may be
' of such, that discharges me from being concerned for
their souls, and from endeavouring, if it lies before
me, that they should live in as little distance from,
and enmity with, their Maker, as possible; especially
if you give me leave to meddle so far in your credit.'
I could not yet imagine what he aimed at, and told
him, I granted all he had said; and thanked him, that
he would so far concern himself for us. I begged he
<
<
"
C
ROBINSON CRusoe.
403
would explain the particulars of what he had observed,
that, like Joshua, (to take his own parable,) I might put
away the accursed thing from us.
Why then, Sir,' said he, I will take the liberty you
give me; and there are three things which, if I am
right, must stand in the way of God's blessing upon
your endeavours here, and which I should rejoice, for
your sake and their own, to see removed. And, Sir,'
said he, I promise myself that you will fully agree
with me in them all, as soon as I shall name them;
especially, because I shall convince you that every one
of them may with great ease, and very much to your
satisfaction, be remedied.'
He gave me no leave to put in any more civilities,
but went on. First, Sir,' said he, " you have here
four Englishmen, who have brought women from among
the savages, and have taken them as their wives, and
have had many children by them all, and yet are not
married to them after any stated legal manner, as the
laws of God and man require, and therefore are yet, in
the sense of both, no less than adulterers, and living in
adultery. To this, Sir, (said he,) I know you will object,
that there was no clergyman, or priest of any kind, or
of any profession, to perform the ceremony; nor any
pen and ink, or paper, to write down a contract of mar-
riage, and have it signed between them. And I know
also, Sir, what the Spaniard governor has told you;
I mean of the agreement that he obliged them to make
when they took these women, viz. That they should
chuse them out by consent, and keep separately to them:
which, by the way, is nothing of a marriage, no agree-
ment with the women, as wives; but only an agreement
among themselves, to keep them from quarrelling.'
But, Sir, the essence of the sacrament of matrimony
(so he called it, being a Roman) consists not only in
the mutual consent of the parties to take one another
as man and wife, but in the formal and legal obligation
that there is in the contract, to compel the man and
woman, at all times, to own and acknowledge each
other; obliging the man to abstain from all other wo-
404
ADVENTURES OF
!
r
men, to engage in no other contract while this subsists,
and, on all occasions, as ability allows, to provide ho-
nestly for them and their children; and to oblige the
woman to the same, or like conditions, mutatis mutandis,
on her side.'
6
C
Now, Sir,' said he, these men may, when they
please, or when occasion presents, abandon these wo-
men, disown their children, leave them to perish, and
take other women and marry them whilst they are
living.' And here he added, with some warmth, How,
Sir, is God honoured in this unlawful liberty? And
how shall a blessing succeed your endeavours in this
place, however good in themselves, and however sincere
in your design, while these men, who at present are
your subjects, under your absolute government and do-
minion, are allowed by you to live in open adultery.'
I confess I was struck at the remark, but much more
with the convincing arguments with which he supported
it; for it was certainly true, that though they had no
clergyman on the spot, yet a formal contract on both
sides, made before witnesses, and confirmed by any
token which they had all agreed to be bound by. though
it had been but the breaking a stick between them, en-
gaging the men to own these women for their wives,
upon all occasions, and never to abandon them or their
children, and the women to the same with their hus-
bands, had been an effectual lawful marriage in the
sight of God; and it was a great neglect that it was not
done.
But I thought to have gotten off with my young priest,
by telling him that all that part was done when I was
not here; and they had lived so many years with them
now, that if it was an adultery, it was past remedy;
they could do nothing in it now.
Sir,' said he, asking your pardon for such free-
dom, you are right in this; that it being done in your
absence, you could not be charged with that part of the
crime but I beseech you, flatter not yourself that you
are not therefore under an obligation to do your utter-
most now to put an end to it. How can you think but
!
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
405
that, let the time past lie on whom it will, all the guilt,
for the future, will lie entirely upon you? because it is
certainly in your power now to put an end to it; and in
no person's power but yours.'
:
I was so dull still that I did not take him right; but I
imagined, that, by putting an end to it he meant that I
should part them, and not suffer them to live together
any longer and I said to him I could not do that by
any means, for that it would put the whole island in con-
fusion. He seemed surprised that I should so far mis-
take him. No, Sir,' said he, 'I do not mean that you
should separate them, but legally and effectually marry
them now: and, Sir, as my way of marrying may not be
so easy to reconcile them to, though it will be as effectual,
even by your own laws; so your way may be as well
before God, and as valid among men; I mean, by a writ-
ten contract, signed by both man and woman, and by all
the witnesses present; which all the laws of Europe
would decree to be valid.'
I was amazed to see so much true piety, and so much
sincerity of zeal, besides the unusual impartiality in his
discourse, as to his own party or church; and such a
true warmth for the preservatiou of people whom he had
no knowledge of, or relation to; I say, for preserving
them from transgressing the laws of God: the like of
which I had, indeed, not met with any where. But, re-
collecting what he had said, of marrying them by a writ-
ten contract, which I knew would stand, too; I returned
it upon him, and told him, I granted all that he had said
to be just, and (on his part) very kind; that I would
discourse with the men upon the point, now, when I
came to them; and I knew no reason why they should
scruple to let him marry them all: which I knew, well
enough, would be granted to be as authentic and valid
in England, as if they were married by one of our own
clergymen. What was afterwards done in this matter,
I shall speak of by itself.
I then pressed him to tell me, what was the second
complaint which he had to make; acknowledging, that
I was very much his debtor for the first, and sincerely
3F
老
​406
ADVENTURES OF
i
thanked him for it. He told me, he would use the same
freedom and plainness in the second, and hoped I would
take it as well; and this was, that, notwithstanding these
English subjects of mine, as he called them, had lived
with these women for almost seven years, and had taught
them to speak English, and even to read it; and that
they were, as he perceived, women of tolerable under-
standing, and capable of instruction; yet they had not,
to this hour, taught them any thing of the Christian reli-
gion; no, not so much as to know that there was a God,
or a worship, or in what manner God was to be served;
or that their own idolatry, and worshipping they knew
not who, was false and absurd.
He
This, he said, was an unaccountable neglect, and what
God would certainly call them to an account for; and,
perhaps, at last, take the work out of their hands.
spoke this very affectionately and warmly. I am per-
suaded,' said he, had those men lived in the savage
country whence their wives came, the savages would
have taken more paius to have brought them to be ido-
laters, and to worship the devil, than any of these men,
so far as I can see, have taken to teach their wives the
knowledge of the true God. Now, Sir,' said he, though
I do not acknowledge your religion, nor you mine, yet
we should be all glad to see the devil's servants, and the
subjects of his kingdom, taught to know the general
principles of the Christian religion; that they might, at
least, hear of a God, and of a Redeemer, and of the re-
surrection, and of a future state,-things which we all
believe; they had, at least, been so much nearer coming
into the bosom of the true church, than they are now in
the public profession of idolatry and false worship.'
I could hold no longer; I took him in my arms, and
embraced him with an excess of passion.
How far,'
said I to him, 'have I been from understanding the most
essential part of a Christian, viz. to love the interest of
the Christian church, and the good of other men's souls?
I scarce have known what belongs to being a Christian!
'O, Sir! do not say so,' replied he, this thing is not
your fault.' 'No!' said I, 'but why did I never lay it to
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
407
1
:
<
6
6
heart, as well as you?' "Tis not too late, yet;' said he,
be not too forward to condemn yourself.' . But, what
can be done now?' said I, you see I am going away.'
Will you give me leave,' said he, to talk with these
poor men about it? Yes, with all my heart,' said I,
and will oblige them to pay due obedience to what you
say.' 'As to that,' said he, we must leave them to the
mercy of Christ; but it is our business to assist them,
encourage them, and instruct them: and, if you will give
me leave, and God his blessing, I do not doubt, but the
poor ignorant souls will be brought home into the great
circle of Christianity, if not into the particular faith that
we all embrace; and that, even while you stay here.'
Upon this, I said, I shall not only give you leave, but
give you a thousand thanks for it. What followed, on
this account, I shall mention also again in its place.
I now pressed him for the third article in which we
were to blame. Why, really,' said he, it is of the
same nature, and I will proceed (asking your leave) with
the same plainness as before. It is about your poor sa-
vages yonder, who are, as I may say, your conquered
subjects. It is a maxim, Sir, that is, or ought to be re-
ceived among all Christians, of what church or pretended
church soever; viz. that Christian knowledge ought to
be propagated, by all possible means, and on all possible
occasions. It is on this principle that our church sends
missionaries into Persia, India, and China; and that our
clergy, even of the superior sort, willingly engage in the
most hazardous voyages, and the most dangerous resid-
ence among murderers and barbarians, to teach them the
knowledge of the true God, and to bring them over to
embrace the Christian faith. Now, Sir, you have such
an opportunity here to have six or seven and thirty poor
savages brought over from idolatry to the knowledge of
God, their Maker and Redeemer, that I wonder how you
can pass such an occasion of doing good, which is really
worth the expence of a man's whole life."
I was now struck dumb indeed, and had not one word
to say. I had here a spirit of true Christian zeal for God
and religion before me, let his particular principles be of
3F2
408
ADVENTURES OF
6
as
what kind they may. As for me, I had not so much a
entertained a thought of this in my heart before; and, I
believe, should not have thought of it; for I looked upon
these savages as slaves, and people whom, had we any
work for them to do, we would have used as such, or
would have been glad to have transported them to any
other part of the world: for our business was to get rid
of them; and we would all have been satisfied, if they
had been sent to any country, so they had never seen
their own. But to the case; I say, I was confounded at
his discourse, and knew not what answer to make him.
He looked earnestly at me; and, seeing me in some dis-
order, Sir,' said he, I shall be very sorry, if what I
have said gives you any offence.' No, no,' said I,
I am offended with nobody but myself; but I am per-
fectly confounded, not only to think that I should never
take any notice of this before, but with reflecting what
notice I am able to take of it now. You know, Sir,'
said I, what circumstances I am in; I am bound to
the East Indies, in a ship freighted by merchants, and
to whom it would be an insufferable piece of injustice
to detain their ship here, the men lying all this while at
victuals and wages upon the owners' account. It is
true, I agreed to be allowed twelve days here; and if I
stay more I must pay 31. sterling per diem demurrage;
nor can I stay upon demurrage above eight days more;
and I have been here thirteen already; so that I am per-
fectly unable to engage in this work, unless I would
suffer myself to be left behind here again; in which
case, if this single ship should miscarry in any part of
her voyage, I should be just in the same condition that
I was left in here at first, and from which I have been so
wonderfully delivered."
He owned the case was very hard upon me as to my
voyage; but laid it home upon my conscience, whether
the blessing of saving seven and thirty souls was not
worth venturing all I had in the world for. I was not
so sensible of that as he was; and 1 replied thus-
Why, Sir, it is a valuable thing indeed, to be an in-
strument in God's hand to convert seven and thirty hea-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
409
thens to the knowledge of Christ; but as you are an
ecclesiastic, and are devoted to that work, so that it
seems naturally to fall into the way of your profession,
how is it then that you do not rather offer yourself to
undertake it than press me to it?
Upon this he turned about, just before me, as he
walked along, and putting me to a full stop, made me a
very low bow. I most heartily thank God and you,
Sir,' says he, for giving me so evident a call to so
blessed a work; and if you think yourself discharged
from it, and desire me to undertake it, I will most rea-
dily do it, and think it a happy reward for all the ha-
zards and difficulties of such a broken disappointed
voyage as I have met with, that I have dropped at last
into so glorious a work.'
I discovered a kind of rapture in his face while he
spoke this, his eyes sparkled like fire, his face glowed,
and his colour came and went as if he had been falling
into fits; in a word, he was fired with the joy of being
embarked in such a work. I paused a considerable
time before I could tell what to say; for I was really
surprised to find a man of such sincerity and zeal, and
carried out in his zeal beyond the ordinary rate of men,
not of his profession only, but even of any profession
whatever; but after I had considered it some time, I
asked him seriously, if he was in earnest, and if he
would venture on the single consideration of an attempt
on those poor people, to be locked up in an unplanted
island for, perhaps, his life; and, at last, might not
know whether he should be able to do them any good
or not?
C
<
6
He turned short upon me, and asked what I called a
venture. Pray, Sir,' said he, What do you think I
consented to go in your ship to the East Indies for?
Nay,' said I, that I know not, unless it was to preach
to the Indians. Doubtless it was,' said he, and do
you think, if I can convert these seven and thirty men
to the faith of Christ, it is not worth my time, though I
should never be taken off the island again? Nay, is it
not of infinitely more worth to save so many souls, than
410
ADVENTURES OF
*
}
my life is, or the life of twenty more of the same profes-
sion? Yes, Sir,' said he, I would give Christ and the
blessed Virgin thanks all my days, if I could be made
the least happy instrument in saving the souls of these
poor men, though I was never to set my foot off this
island, or see my native country any more. But since
you will honour me,' said he, with putting me into this
work, (for which I will pray for you all the days of my
life) I have one humble petition to you besides."
6
C
· What
is that?' said I. Why,' said he, it is that you will
leave your man Friday with me to be my interpreter to
them, and to assist me; for, without some help, I can-
not speak to them, or they to me.'
I was greatly distressed at his requesting Friday, be-
cause I could not think of parting with him, and that for
many reasons. He had been the companion of my tra-
vels; he was not only faithful to me, but sincerely affec-
tionate to the last degree; and I had resolved to do
something considerable for him, if he outlived me, as it
was probable he might. I then knew, that as I had
bred Friday up to be a Protestant, it would quite con-
found him, to bring him to embrace another profession;
and he would never, while his eyes were open, believe
that his old master was an heretic, and would be damned,
and this might, in the end, ruin the poor fellow's princi-
ples, and so turn him back again to his first idolatry.
However, a sudden thought relieved me in this strait,
and it was this: I told him I could not say that I was
willing to part with Friday on any account whatever;
though a work, that to him was of more value than his
life, ought to me to be of much more value than the
keeping or parting with a servant. But, on the other
hand, I was persuaded that Friday would by no means
consent to part with me; and then to force him to it,
without his consent, would be manifest injustice; be-
cause I had promised I would never put him away; and
he had promised and engaged to me that he would never
leave me, unless I put him away.
He seemed very much concerned at it; for he had no
rational access to these poor people, seeing he did not
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
411
understand one word of their language, nor they one
word of his. To remove this difficulty I told him, Fri-
day's father had learned Spanish, which I found he also
understood, and he should serve him for an interpreter;
so he was much better satisfied, and nothing could
persuade him but he would stay to endeavour to con-
vert them: but Providence gave another, and very happy
turn to all this.
I come back now to the first part of his objections.
When we came to the Englishmen, I sent for them alto-
gether; and after some accounts given them of what I
had doue for them, viz. what necessary things I had
provided for them, and how they were distributed,
which they were sensible of, and very thankful for, I
began to talk to them of the scandalous life they led,
and gave them a full account of the notice the clergy-
man had already taken of it; and, arguing how un-
christian and irreligious a life it was, I first asked them,
if they were married men or bachelors. They soon ex-
plained their condition to me, and shewed me that two
of them were widowers, and the other three were single
men or bachelors. I asked them, with what conscience
they could take these women, and lie with them, as
they had done, call them their wives, and have so
many children by them, and not to be married lawfully
to them.
They all gave me the answer that I expected, viz. that
there was nobody to marry them; that they agreed be-
fore the governor to keep them as their wives; and they
thought, as things stood with them, they were as legally
married as if they had been married by a parson, and
with all the formalities in the world.
I told them, that no doubt they were married in the
sight of God, and were bound in conscience to keep
them as their wives; but that the laws of men being
otherwise, they might pretend they were not married,
and so desert the poor women and children hereafter;
and that their wives, being poor desolate women, friend-
less and moneyless, would have no way to help them-
selves. I therefore told them, that unless I was as-
1
412
ADVENTURES OF
sured of their honest intent, I could do nothing for
them; but would take care that what I did should be
for the women and children, without them; and that
unless they would give some assurances that they would
marry the women, I could not think it was convenient
that they should continue together as man and wife; for
that it was both scandalous to men and offensive to God,
whom they could not think would bless them if they-
went on thus.
All this took the effect I expected; and they told me,
especially Will Atkins, who seemed now to speak for
the rest, that they loved their wives as well as if they
had been born in their own native country, and would
not leave them on any account whatever; and they did
verily believe their wives were as virtuous and as mo-
dest, and did, to the utmost of their skill, as any wo-
men could possibly do; and they would not part with
them on any account. And William Atkins, for him-
self in particular, added, if any man would take him
away, and offer to carry him home to England, and
make him captam of the best man of war in the navy,
he would not go with him, if he might not carry his
wife and children with him; and if there was a clergy-
man in the ship, he would be married to her now with
all his heart.
This was just as I wished it. The priest was not
with me at that moment, but was not far off: so, to try
him farther, I told him I had a clergyman with me, and
if he was sincere, I would have him married the next
morning, and bade him consider of it, and talk with the
rest. He said, as for himself, he need not consider of
it at all, for he was ready to do it, and was glad I had a
minister with me; and he believed they would be all
willing also. I then told him that my friend, the mi-
nister, was a Frenchman, and could not speak English,
but that I would act as clerk between them. He never so
much as asked me whether he was a Papist or a Pro-
testant, which was indeed what I was afraid of; but I
say, they never enquired about it; so we parted.
went back to my clergyman, and Will Atkins went to
I
1
ROBINSON crusoe.
413
talk with his companions. I desired the French gentle-
man not to say any thing to them till the business was
thoroughly ripe; and I told him what answer the men
had given me.
Before I went from their quarter, they all came to me,
and told me, they had been considering what I had
said; that they were very glad to hear I had a clergy-
man in my company, and they were very willing to give
me the satisfaction I desired, and to be formally mar-
ried as soon as I pleased, for they were far from de-
siring to part from their wives, and that they meant
nothing but what was very honest when they chose them;
so I appointed them to meet me the next morning;
and that in the mean time they should let their wives
know the meaning of the marriage-law, and that it was
not only to prevent any scandal, but also oblige them,
that they should not forsake them, whatever might
happen.
The women were easily made sensible of the mean-
ing of the ordinance, and were very well satisfied with
it, as, indeed, they had reason to be; so they failed not
to attend all together, at my apartment the next morn-
ing, where I brought my clergyman before them; and
though he had not on a minister's gown after the manner
of England, or the habit of a priest, after the manner
of France, yet having a black vest, something like a
cassock, with a sash round it, he did not look very
unlike a minister; and as for his language, I was inter-
preter.
But the seriousness of his behaviour to them, and the
scruples he made of marrying the women, because they
were not baptized, and professed Christians, gave them
an exceeding reverence for his person; and there was no
need after that to enquire whether he was a clergyman
or not.
Indeed I was afraid his scruple would have been car-
ried so far as that he would not have married them at
all; nay, notwithstanding all I was able to say to him,
he resisted me, though modestly, yet very steadily; and
at last, refused absolutely to marry them, unless he had
3 G
414
ADVENTURES OF
first talked with the men, and the women too: and
though at first I was a little backward to it, yet at last I
agreed to it with a good will, perceiving the sincerity of
his design.
When he came to them, he let them know that I had
acquainted him with their circumstance, and with the
present design; that he was very willing to perform that
part of his function, and marry them as I had desired;
but that before he could do it, he must take the liberty
of talking with them. He told them, that in the sight
of all different men, and in the sense of the laws of so-
ciety, they had lived all this while in an open state of
adultery; and that it was true, that nothing but the con-
senting to marry, or effectually separating them from one
another now, could put an end to it; but there was a
difficulty in it too with respect to the laws of Christian
matrimony, which he was not fully satisfied about, viz.
that of marrying one that is a professed Christian, to a
savage, an idolater, and a heathen, one that is not bap-
tized and yet that he did not see that there was time
left for it to endeavour to persuade the women to be bap-
tized, or to profess the name of Christ, whom they had,
he doubted, heard nothing of, and withont which they
could not be baptized.
He told me, he doubted they were but indifferent
Christians themselves, and therefore he could not ex-
pect that they had said much to their wives on that head
yet; but that unless they would promise to use their
endeavours with their wives to persuade them to be-
come Christians, and would, as well as they could, in-
struct them in the knowledge and belief of God that
made them, and to worship Jesus Christ that redeemed
them, he could not marry them; for he would have no
hand in joining Christians with savages; nor was it
consistent with the principles of the Christian religion;
and was, indeed, expressly forbidden in God's law.
They heard all this very attentively, and I delivered
it very faithfully to them from his mouth, as near in his
own words as I could, only sometimes adding some-
thing of my own, to convince them how just it was, and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
415
how I was of his mind; and I always very faithfully
distinguished between what I said from myself, and
what were the clergyman's words. They told me it was
very true what the gentleman had said, that they were
but very indifferent Christians themselves, and that they
had never talked to their wives about religion. 'Lord, Sir!'
says Will. Atkins, how should we teach them religion?
Why, we know nothing of it ourselves; and besides,
Sir,' said he, should we go to talk to them of God and
Jesus Christ, and heaven and hell, it would but make
them laugh at us, and ask us what we believe ourselves?
And if we should tell them we believe all the things that
we speak of to them, such as of good people going to
heaven, and wicked people to the devil, they would ask
us where we intended to go ourselves who believe all
this, and yet are such wicked fellows, as we indeed are.
Why, Sir,' said Will, it is enough to give them a sur-
feit of religion at first hearing. Folks must have some
religion themselves before they pretend to teach other
people.' Will. Atkins,' said I to him, though I am
afraid what you say has too much truth in it, yet can
you not tell your wife that she is in the wrong? that
there is a God, and a religion, better than her own; that
her gods are idols, that can neither hear nor speak; that
there is a great Being who made all things, and who can
destroy all which he has made; that he rewards the good,
and punishes the bad; that we are to be judged by him,
at last, for all we do here? You are not so ignorant, but
even nature itself will teach you, that all this is true;
and I am satisfied you know it all to be true, and believe
it yourself.'
<
That's true, Sir,' said Atkins, but with what face
can I say any thing to my wife of all this, when she will
tell me, immediately,-it cannot be true!"
Not true!' said I, what do you mean by that?'-
Why, Sir,' said he, she will tell me--it cannot be true,
that this God (I shall tell her of) can be just, or can pu-
nish or reward, since I am not punished and sent to the
devil, who have been such a wicked creature as she
knows I have been, even to her and to every body else
3G2
416
ADVENTURES OF
and that I should be suffered to live, who have been al-
ways acting so contrary to what I must tell her is good,
and to what I ought to have done.'
6
Why, truly, Atkins,' said I, I am afraid thou speak-
est too much truth.' And, with that, I let the clergyman
know what Atkins had said; for he was impatient to
know. 'O!' said the priest, tell him, there is one
thing will make him the best minister in the world to his
wife; and that is, repentance: for none teach repentance
like true penitents. He wants nothing, but to repent;
and then he will be so much the better qualified to in-
struct his wife. He will then be able to tell her, that
there is not only a God, and that he is the just rewarder
of good and evil, but that he is a merciful Being, and,
with infinite goodness and long-suffering, forbears to pu-
nish those who offend; waiting to be gracious, and willing
not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should re-
turn and live; that he often suffers wicked men to go on
a long time, and even reserves damnation to the general
day of retribution. That it is a clear evidence of God,
and of a future state, that righteous men receive not their
reward, or wicked men their punishment, till they come
into another world; and this will lead him to teach his
wife the doctrine of the resurrection, and of the last
judgment. Let him but repent for himself, he will be
an excellent preacher of repentance to his wife.'
I repeated all this to Atkins, who looked very serious
all the while; and who, we could easily perceive, was
more than ordinarily affected with it: when, being eager,
and hardly suffering me to make an end, I knew all
this, Master,' said he, and a great deal more: but 1
ha'n't the impudence to talk thus to my wife; when God
and my own conscience knows, and my wife will be an
undeniable evidence against me, that I have lived as if I
had never heard of a God, or a future state, or any thing
about it; and, to talk of my repenting, alas! (and with
that he fetched a deep sigh, and I could see that tears
stood in his eyes,) it is past all that, with me.'
• Past
it! Atkins,' said I,'' what dost thou mean by that?'-
'I know well enough what I mean, Sir,' said he, ‘I
mean, it is too late, and that is too true.'
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
417
A
I told my clergyman, word for word, what he said.-
The poor, zealous priest, (I must call him so; for, be his
opinion what it will, he had certainly a most singular af-
fection for the good of other men's souls, and it would
be hard to think he had not the like for his own;) I say,
this zealous, affectionate man, could not refrain from tears
also. But, recovering himself, he said to me, 'Ask him
but one question,-Is he easy, that it is too late; or is he
troubled, and wishes it were not so?' I put the question
fairly to Atkins; and he answered, with a great deal of
passion, how could any man be easy, in a condition that
certainly must end in eternal destruction! That he was
far from being easy; but that, on the contrary, he be-
lieved it would, one time or other, ruin him.
What do you mean by that?' said I. Why, he said,
he believed he should, one time or another, cut his own
throat, to put an end to the terror of his mind.
The clergyman shook his head, with a great concern
in his face, when I told him all this; but, turning quick
to me upon it, said, If that be his case, you may assure
him it is not too late; Christ will give him repentance.
But pray,' said he, explain this to him, that, as no
man is saved, but by Christ, and the merit of his passion
procuring Divine Mercy for him, how can it be too late
for any man to receive mercy? does he tkink he is able
to sin, beyond the power or reach of Divine Mercy?-
Pray tell him, there may be a time when provoked Mercy
will no longer strive, and when God may refuse to hear;
but, that it is never too late for men to ask mercy; and
we, who are Christ's servants, are commanded to preach
mercy, at all times, in the name of Jesus Christ, to all
those who sincerely repent; so that it is never too late to
repent.'
I told Atkins all this, and he heard me with great ear-
nestness; but it seemed as if he turned off the discourse
to the rest: for he said to me, he would go and have some
talk with his wife. So he went out, for some time, and
we talked to the rest. I perceived they were all stupidly
ignorant, with respect to matters of religion, as I was
when I went rambling away from my father; and yet,
418
ADVENTURES OF
that there were none of them backward to hear what had
been said: and all of them seriously promised, they would
talk with their wives about it, and do their endeavour to
persuade them to turn Christians.
The clergyman smiled upon me, when I reported what
answer they gave, but said nothing for some time; but,
at last, shaking his head, We, who are Christ's servants,
said he, can go no farther than to exhort and instruct;
and, when men comply, submit to the reproof, and pro-
mise what we ask, it is all we can do; we are bound to
accept their good words. But, believe me, Sir,' said he,
'whatever you may have known of that man you call
William Atkins, I believe he is the only sincere convert
among them; I take that man to be a true penitent. I
won't despair of the rest: but that man is perfectly struck
with the sense of his past life; and I doubt not, but,
when he comes to talk religion to his wife, he will talk
himself effectually into it; for, attempting to teach others,
is, sometimes, the best way of teaching ourselves. I
knew a man,' added he, who, having nothing but a
summary notion of religion himself, and, being wicked
and profligate to the last degree in his life, made a tho-
rough reformation of himself by labouring to convert a
Jew. And if that poor Atkins begins but once to talk
seriously of Jesus Christ to his wife, my life for it, he
talks himself into a thorough convert, makes himself a
penitent, and who knows what may follow!'
C
Upon this discourse, however, and their promising to
endeavour to persuade their wives to embrace Christian-
ity, he married the other three couple; but Will Atkins
and his wife were not yet come in. After this, my cler-
gyman, waiting some time, was curious to know where
Atkins was gone; and, turning to me, said, I intreat
you, Sir, let us walk out of your labyrinth here, and look;
I dare say we shall find this poor man, somewhere or
other, talking seriously with his wife, and teaching her,
already, something of religion.' I began to be of the
same mind: so we went out together; and I carried him
a way which none knew but myself, and where the trees
were so thick set, as that it was not easy to see through
i
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
419
T
the thicket of leaves, and far more difficult to see in, than
to see out. When, coming to the edge of the wood, I
saw Atkins and his tawny, savage wife, sitting under
the shade of a bush, very eager in discourse.
I stop-
ped short, till my clergyman came up to me; and then
having shewed him where they were, we stood and
looked steadily at them for some time.
6
We observed him very earnest with her, pointing up
to the sun, and to every quarter of the heavens; then
down to the earth, then out to the sea, then to him-
self, then to her, to the woods, to the trees. 'Now,'
said my clergyman, you see my words are made good.
The man preaches to her; mark him! Now he is tell-
ing her, that our God has made him, and her, and the
heavens, the earth, the sea, the woods, the trees, &c.*
I believe he is,' said I. Immediately we perceived
Will Atkins start up upon his feet, fall down upon his
knees, and lift up both his hands. We supposed he
said something, but we could not hear him; it was too
far for that. He did not continue kneeling half a mi-
nute, but came and sat down again by his wife, and
talked to her again. We then perceived the woman
very attentive, but whether she said any thing or no, we
could not tell. While the poor fellow was upon his
knees, I could see the tears run plentifully down my
clergyman's cheeks; and I could hardly forbear myself.
But it was a great affliction to us both, that we were
not near enough to hear any thing that passed between
them.
We did not, however, chuse to advance farther, for
fear of disturbing them: so we resolved to see an end
of this piece of still conversation; and it spoke loud
enough to us without the help of voice. He sat down
again, as I have said, close by her, and talked again ear-
nestly to her; and two or three times we could see him
embrace her passionately; another time we saw him
take out his handkerchief and wipe her eyes, and then
kiss her again, with a kind of transport very unusual.
And after several of these things, we saw him on a sud-
den jump up again, and lend her his hand to help her
5
420
ADVENTURES OF
}
up, when immediately, leading her by the hand a step
or two, they both kneeled down together, and continued
so about two minutes.
-
My friend could bear it no longer, but cried out aloud,
Saint Paul! Saint Paul! behold he prayeth! I was
afraid Atkins would hear him; therefore I intreated him
to withhold himself awhile, that we might see an end of
the scene, which, to me, I must confess, was the most
affecting, and yet the most agreeable I ever saw in my
life. Well, he strove with himself, and contained him-
self for a time, but was in such raptures of joy, to
think that the poor heathen woman was become a Chris-
tian, that he was not able to contain himself; he wept
several times; then raising up his hands, and crossing
his breast, said over several things ejaculatory, and by
way of giving God thanks for so miraculous a testimony
of the success of our endeavours; some he spoke softly,
and I could not well hear; others audibly; some in
Latin, some in French: then two or three times the
tears of joy would interrupt him, that he could not
speak at all. But I begged he would compose himself,
and let us more narrowly and fully observe what was be-
fore us; which he did for a time, and the scene was not
ended there yet; for, after the poor man and his wife
were risen again from their knees, we observed he
stood talking still eagerly to her, and we observed by
her motion that she was greatly affected with what he
said, by her frequent lifting up her hands, laying her
hand to her breast, and such other postures as usually
express the greatest seriousness and attention. This
continued about half a quarter of an hour, and then they
walked away too; so that we could see no more of
them in that situation.
!
I took this interval to talk with my clergyman; and
first, I told him, I was glad to see the particulars we
had both been witnesses to; that though I was hard
enough of belief in such cases, yet that I began to think
it was all very sincere, both in the man' and his wife,
however ignorant they both might be; and I hoped
such a beginning, would have yet a more happy end.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
421
6
6
And who knows,' said I, but these two may in time,
by instruction and example, work upon some of the
others? Some of them!' said he, turning quick upon
me, aye upon all of them. Depend upon it, if those
two savages, (for he has been but little better as you
relate it) should embrace Jesus Christ, they will never
remain easy till they work upon all the rest; for true
religion is naturally communicative, and he that is once
made a Christian, will never leave a Pagan behind him
if he can help it.' I owned it was a most Christian
principle to think so, and a testimony of a true zeal, as
well as a generous heart in him. But, my friend,' said
I, will you give me liberty to start one difficulty here?
I cannot tell how to object the least thing against that
affectionate concern which you shew for the turning the
poor people from their Paganism to the Christian reli-
gion. But how does this comfort you, while these peo-
ple are, in your account, out of the pale of the Catholic
church; without which you believe there is no sal-
vation; so that you esteem these but heretics still,
and, for other reasons, as effectually lost as the Pagans
themselves.'
C
To this he answered with abundance of candour and
Christian charity, thus: Sir, I am a Catholic of the
Roman church, and a priest of the order of St. Bene-
dict, and 1 embrace all the principles of the Roman
faith; but yet, if you will believe me, and this I do not
speak in compliment to you, or in respect to my circum-
stances or your civilities; I say, nevertheless, I do not
look upon you, who call yourselves Reformed, without
some charity. I dare not say, though I know it is our
opinion in general; yet, I dare not say, that you cannot
be saved, will by no means limit the mercy of Christ, so
far as to think that he cannot receive you into the bosom
of his church, in a manner, to us, imperceivable, and
which it is impossible for us to know; and I hope you
have the same charity for us. I pray daily for your
being all restored to Christ's church, by whatsoever
methods He, who is All-wise, is pleased to direct. In
the mean time, sure you will allow it consistent with
3 H
422
ADVENTURES OF
me, as a Roman, to distinguish far between a Protestant
and a Pagan; between one that calls on Jesus Christ,
though in a way which I do not think is according to the
true faith; and a savage, a barbarian, that knows no
God, no Christ, no Redeemer at all; and if you are not
within the pale of the Catholic church, we hope you are
nearer being restored to it than those that know nothing
at all of God or his church. I rejoice, therefore, when I
see this poor man, who, you say, has been a profligate,
and almost a murderer, kneel down and pray to Jesus
Christ, as we suppose he did, though not fully en-
lightened; believing that God, from whom every such
work proceeds, will sensibly touch his heart, and bring
him to the further knowledge of the truth in his own
time; and if God shall influence this poor man to con-
vert and instruct the ignorant savage, his wife, I can
never believe that he shall be cast away himself. And
have I not reason then to rejoice, the nearer they are
brought to the knowledge of Christ, though they may
not be brought quite home into the bosom of the Catho-
lic church, just at the time when I may desire it; leav-
ing it to the goodness of Christ to perfect his work in
his own time and his own way? Certainly I would re-
joice if all the savages in America were brought, like
this poor woman, to pray to God, though they were to
be all Protestants at first, rather than they should con-
tinue Pagans and Heathens; firmly believing, that He
who had bestowed that first light upon them, would far-
ther illuminate them with a beam of his heavenly grace,
and bring them into the pale of his church when he
should see good.'
I was astonished at the sincerity and temper of this
truly pious Papist, as much as I was affected by the
power of his reasoning: and it presently occurred to
my thoughts, that if such a temper was universal, we
might be all Catholic Christians, whatever church or
particular profession we joined to, or joined in; that a
spirit of charity would soon work us all up into right
principles; and, in a word, as he thought, that the like
charity would make us all Catholics, so I told him, I
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
423
believed, had all the members of his church the like
moderation, they would soon be all Protestants. And
there we left that part, for we never disputed at all.
However, I talked to him another way; and, taking
him by the hand- My friend,' said I, I wish all the
clergy of the Roman church were blessed with such mo-
deration, and an equal share of your charity. I am en-
tirely of your opinion: but I must tell you, that if you
should preach such doctrine in Spain or Italy, they
would put you into the Inquisition.'
It may be so,' said he, I know not what they might
do in Spain and Italy; but I will not say they would be
the better Christians for that severity; for I am sure
there is no heresy in too much charity.
Well, as Will. Atkins and his wife were gone, our
business there was over: so we went back our own way,
and when we returned, we found them waiting to be
called in. Observing this, I asked my clergyman if we
should discover to him that we had seen him under the
bush, or no; and it was his opinion, we should not;
but that we should talk to him first, and hear what he
would say to us. So we called him in alone, nobody
being in the place but ourselves; and I began with him thus:
Will. Atkins,' said I, 'pr'ythee what education had
you? What was your father?"
W. A. A better man than I shall be. Sir, my father
was a clergyman.
R. C. What education did he give you?
W. A. He would have taught me well, Sir; but I de-
spised all education, instruction, or correction, like a
beast as I was.
<
R. C. It is true, Solomon says- He that despiseth
reproof is brutish.'
W. A. Aye, Sir, I was brutish indeed; I murdered
my poor father. For God's sake, Sir, talk no more
about that Sir; I murdered my poor father!
PRIEST. Ha! a murderer?
[Here the priest started, (for I interpreted every word
as he spoke it) and looked pale. It seems he believed
that Will had really killed his own father.]
3 H 2
424
ADVENTURES OF
R. C. No, no, Sir; I do not understand him so.-
Will. Atkins, explain yourself; you did not kill your
father, did you, with your own hands?
W. A. No, Sir; I did not cut his throat; but I cut
the thread of all his comforts, and shortened his days. I
broke his heart by the most ungrateful, unnatural return
for the most tender, affectionate treatment, that ever
father gave, or child could receive.
R. C. Well, I did not ask you about your father, to
extort this confession; I pray God give you repentance
for it, and forgive you that, and all your other sins; but
I asked you, because I see, that though you have not
much learning, yet you are not so ignorant as some are
in things that are good; that you have known more of
religion a great deal than you have practised.
W. A. Though you, Sir, did not extort the confes-
sion that I made about my father, conscience does, and
whenever we come to look back upon our lives, the sins
against our indulgent parents are certainly the first that
touch us; the wounds they make lie deepest; and the
weight they leave will lie heaviest upon the mind, of all
the sins we can commit.
R. C. You talk too feelingly and sensible for me, At-
kins; I cannot bear it.
W. A. You bear it, Master! I dare say you know no-
thing of it.
R. C. Yes, Atkins; every shore, every hill, nay, I
may say, every tree in this island, is witness to this an-
guish of my soul, for my ingratitude and base usage of a
good tender father; a father much like yours by your de-
scription; and I murdered my father as well as you,
Will. Atkins; but think, for all that, my repentance is
short of yours too, by a great deal.
[I would have said more if I could have restrain-
ed my passions; but I thought this poor man's
repentance was so much more sincere than mine,
that I was going to leave off the discourse, and
retire: for I was surprized with what he said,
and thought, that instead of my going about to
teach and instruct him, the man was made a teach-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
425
er and instructor to me, in a most surprizing and
unexpected manner.]
I laid all this before the young clergyman, who was
greatly affected with it, and said to me,' Did I not say,
Sir, that when this man was converted, he would preach
to us all? I tell you, Sir, if this one man be made a
true penitent, here will be no need of me; he will make
Christians of all in the island.' But, having a little
composed myself, I renewed my discourse with Will.
Atkins.
"
1,
<
But Will.' said I, how comes the sense of this
matter to touch you just now?'
W. A. Sir, you have set me about a work that has
struck a dart through my very soul. I have been talk-
ing about God and religion to my wife, in order, as you
directed me, to make a Christian of her; and she has
preached such a sermon to me, as I shall never forget
while I live.
R. C. No; it is not your wife has preached to you,
but when you were moving religious arguments to her,
conscience has retorted them upon you.
W. A. Aye, Sir, with such a force as is not to be re-
sisted.
R. C. Pray, Will, let us know what passed between
you and your wife; for I know something of it already?
W. A. Sir, it is impossible to give you a full ac-
count of it; I am too full to hold it, and yet have no
tongue to express it; but let her have said what she will,
and though I cannot give you any account of it, this I
can tell you of it, that I resolve to amend and reform
my life.
R. C. But tell us some of it. How did you begin,
Will? For this has been an extraordinary case, that is
certain; she has preached a sermon, indeed, if she has
wrought this upon you.
W. A. Why, I first told her the nature of our laws
about marriage, and what the reasons were that men
and women were obliged to enter into such compacts,
as it was neither in the power of one or other to break;
that otherwise order and justice could not be maintained,
426
ADVENTURES OF
1
and men would run from their wives, and abandon their
children, mix confusedly with one another, and neither
families be kept entire, nor inheritances be settled by a
legal descent.
R. C. You talk like a civilian, Will. Could you
make her understand what you meant by inheritance and
families? they know no such thing among the savages,
but marry any how, without any regard to relation, con-
sanguinity, or family; brother and sister; nay, as I have
been told, even the father and daughter, and the son
and the mother.
W. A. I believe, Sir, you are misinformed; and my
wife assures me of the contrary, and that they abhor it;
perhaps, for any farther relations, they may not be so
exact as we are; but she tells me, they never touch one
another in the near relations you speak of.
R. C. Well, what did she say to what you told her?
W. A. She said, she liked it very well, and it was
much better than in her country.
R. C. But did you tell her what marriage was?
W. A. Aye, aye; there began all our dialogue. I
asked her if she would be married to me in our way?
She asked me what way that was? I told her, marriage
was appointed of God; and here we had a strange talk
together, indeed, as ever man and wife had, I believe.
[N. B. This dialogue between Will. Atkins and his
wife, as I took it down in writing, just after he told
it me, was as follows:]
WIFE. Appointed by your God! Why, have you a
God in your country?
W. A. Yes, my dear; God is in every country.
WIFE. No your God in my country; my country have
the great old Benamuckee God.
W. A. Child, I am very unfit to shew you who God
is. God is in Heaven, and made the Heaven and the
earth, the sea, and all that in them is.
WIFE. No makee de earth; no you God makee de
earth; no makee my country.
[Will. Atkins laughed a little at her expression of
God not making her country.]
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
427
WIFE. No laugh; why laugh me! This no ting to
laugh.
[He was justly reproved by his wife; for she was
more serious than he at first.]
W. A. That's true, indeed; I will not laugh any
more, my dear.
WIFE. Why you say you God make all?
W. A. Yes, child; our God made the whole world,
and you, and me, and all things; for he is the only
true God; there is no God but he; he lives for ever in
Heaven.
WIFE. Why you no tell me long ago?
W. A. That's true, indeed; but I have been a wicked
wretch, and have not only forgotten to acquaint thee
with any thing before, but have lived without God in
the world myself.
WIFE. What have you de great God in your country,
you no know him? No say O! to him? No do good ting
for him? That no impossible!
W. A. It is too true, though, for all that, we live ast
if there was no God in Heaven, or that he had no power
on earth.
WIFE. But why God let you do so? Why he no make
you good live?
W. A. It is all our own fault.
WIFE. But you say me he is great, much great, have
much great power; can make kill when he will; why he
no makee kill when you no serve him? No say O? to
him? No be good mans!
W. A. That is true; he might strike me dead, and I
ought to expect it; for I have been a wicked wretch,
that is true; but God is merciful, and does not deal
with us as we deserve.
WIFE. But then, do not you tell God tankee for
that too.
W. A. No, indeed; I have not thanked God for his
mercy, any more than I thanked God for his power.
WIFE. Then you God no God; me no think, believe
he be such one, great much power, strong; no makee
kill you, though you makee him much angry.
ન
ལྔ་པ་
428
ADVENTURES OF
W. A. What! will my wicked life hinder you from
believing in God! What a dreadful creature am I! And
what a sad truth is it, that the horrid lives of Christians
hinders the conversion of heathens !
WIFE. How me think you have great much God up
there, and yet no do well, no do good ting? Can he tell?
Sure he no tell what you do.
[She points up to heaven.]
W. A. Yes, yes, he knows and sees all things; he
hears us speak, sees what we do, knows what we think,
though we do not speak.
WIFE. What! he no hear you swear, curse, speak the
great damu?
W. A. Yes, yes; he hears it all.
WIFE. Where be then the muchee great power
strong?
7
W. A. He is merciful; that is all we can say for it;
and this proves him to be the true God; he is God, and
not man; and therefore we are not consumed.
[Here, Will. Atkins told us he was struck with
horror, to think how he could tell his wife so
clearly that God sees, and hears, and knows the
secret thoughts of the heart, and all that we do;
and yet that he had dared to do all the vile things
he had done.]
WIFE. Merciful! What you call dat?
W. A. He is our Father and Maker; and he pities
and spares us.
WIFE. So then he never makee kill, never angry
when you do wicked; then he no good himself, or no
great able?
W. A. Yes, yes, my dear, he is infinitely good, and
infinitely great, and able to punish too; and sometimes,
to shew his justice and vengeance, he lets fly his anger
to destroy sinners, and make examples; many are cut
off in their sins.
WIFE. But no makee kill you yet. Then he tell you,
may be, that he no makee you kill; so you makee de
bargain with him, you do bad ting, he no be angry at
you when he be angry at other mans?
ROBINSON Crusoe.
429
5
W. A. No, indeed, my sins are all presumptions upon
his goodness; and he would be infinitely just if he de-
stroyed me, as he had done other men.
WIFE. Well, and yet no kill, no makee you dead!
What you say to him for dat? You no tell him tankee
for all dat too!
W. A. I am an unthankful, ungrateful dog, that is
true.
WIFE. Why he no makee you much good better?
You say he makee you?
W. A. He made me as he made all the world; it is I
have deformed myself, and abused his goodness, and
have made myself an abominable wretch.
WIFE. I wish you makee God know me; I no makee
him angry; I no do bad wicked ting.
[Here Will. Atkins said, his heart sunk within him,
to hear a poor untaught creature desire to be taught
to know God; and he such a wicked wretch that
he could not say one word to her about God, but
what the reproach of his own carriage would make
most irrational to her to believe; nay, that already
she could not believe in God, because he that was
so wicked was not destroyed.]
W. A. My dear, you mean you wish I could teach you
to know God, not God to know you; for he knows you
already, and every thought in your heart.
WIFE. Why then he know what I say to you now ; he
know me wish to know him. How shall me know who
makee me?
W. A. Poor creature! he must teach thee; I cannot
teach thee; I will pray to him to teach thee to know
him; and to forgive me that I am unworthy to teach
thee.
[The poor fellow was in such an agony at her desiring
him to make her know God, and her wishing to
know him, that he said, he fell down on his knees
before her, and prayed to God to enlighten her
mind with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ,
and to pardon his sins, and accept of his being
the unworthy instrument of instructing her in the
3 I
430
ADVENTURES OF
principles of religion; after which he sat down by
her again, and their dialogue went on.
N. B. This was the time when we saw him kneel down
and lift up his hands.]
WIFE. What you put down the knee for? What you
hold up the haud for? What you say? Who you speak
to? What is dat?
W. A. My dear, I bow my knees in token of my sub-
mission to him that made me. I said O! to him, as you
call it, and as you say your old men do to their idol
Benamuckee; that is, I prayed to him.
• WIFE. What you say O! to him for?
W. A. I prayed to him to open your eyes and your
understanding, that you may know him, and be accept-
ed by him.
WIFE. Can he do dat too?
W. A. Yes, he can; he can do all things.
WIFE. But he no hear what you say?
W. A. Yes, he has bid us pray to him, and promised
to hear us.
WIFE. Bid you pray! When he bid you? How he bid
you? What! you hear him speak?
W. A. No, we do not hear him speak; but he has
revealed himself many ways to us.
[Here he was at a great loss to make her understand
that God had revealed himself to us by his word,
and what his word was; but at last he told her
thus:]
W. A. God has spoken to some good men in former
days, even from heaven, by plain words; and God has
inspired good men by his spirit; and they have written
all his laws in a book.
WIFE. Me no understand dat. Where is book.
W. A. Alas! My poor creature! I have not this book;
but I hope I shall one time or other get it for you to
read.
[Here he embraced her with great affection, but with
inexpressible grief that he had not a Bible.]
WIFE. But how you makee me know that God teachee
them to write that book?
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
431
W. A. By the same rule that we know him to be God.
WIFE. What rule; what way you know?
W. A. Because he teaches and commands nothing
but what is good, righteous, and holy; and tends to
make us perfectly good, as well as perfectly happy; and
because he forbids, and commands us to avoid, all that
is wicked, that is evil in itself or evil in its consequences.
WIFE. That ine would understand; that me fain see;
if he reward all good thing, punish all wicked thing, he
teachee all good thing, forbid all wicked thing, he make
all thing, he give all thing; he hear me when I say O!
to him, as you go to do just now; he makee me good;
if I wish be good he spare me, no makee kill me when I
no be good; all this you say he do; yes, he be great
God; me take, me tink, believe him be great God; me
say O! to him too, with you, my dear.
[Here, the poor man said, he could forbear no longer;
but raising her up, made her kneel by him; and he
prayed to God aloud, to instruct her in the know-
ledge of Himself by his Spirit; and that by some
good providence, if possible, she might some time
or other come to have a Bible, that she might read
the word of God, and be taught by him to know
him:
This was the time that we saw him lift her up by the
hand, and saw him kneel down by her as above.]
They had several other discourses, it seems, after this,
too long to set down here; and particularly she made
him promise, that since he confessed his own life had
been a wicked abominable course of provocation against
God, that he would reform it, and not make God angry
any more, lest he should makee him dead,' as she
called it, and then she should be left alone, and never be
taught to know this God better; and lest he should be
miserable, as he had told her wicked men would be after
death.
This was a strange account, and very affecting to us
both, but particularly the young clergyman: he was, in-
deed, wonderfully surprized at it; but under the greatest
affliction imaginable, that he could not talk to her: that
.
312
432
ADVENTURES OF
he could not speak English to make her understand him,
and, as she spoke but very broken English, he could not
understand her. However, he turned himself to me, and
told me, that he believed there must be more to do with
this woman than to marry her. I did not understand
him, at first: but, at length, he explained himself: viz.
that she ought to be baptized.
I agreed with him in that part, readily; and was for
going about it presently. No, no; hold! Sir,' said he,
though I would have her baptized by all means, yet I
must observe, that Will Atkins, her husband, has, indeed,
brought her, in a wonderful manner, to be willing to em-
brace a religious life; and has given her just ideas of the
being of a God, of his power, justice, and mercy: yet, I
desire to know of him, if he has said any thing to her
of Jesus Christ, and of the salvation of sinners; of the
nature of faith in him, and the redemption by him; of
the Holy Spirit, the resurrection, the last judgment, and
a future state.
I called Will Atkins again, and asked him: but the
poor fellow fell immediately into tears, and told us, he
had said something to her of all those things, but that
he was himself so wicked a creature, and his own con-
science so reproached him with his horrid ungodly life,
that he trembled at the apprehension, that her knowledge
of him should lessen the attention she should give to
those things, and make her rather contemn religion than
receive it: but he was assured, he said, that her mind
was so disposed to receive due impressions of all those
things, that, if I would but discourse with her, she would
make it appear to my satisfaction, that my labour would
not be lost upon her.
Accordingly, I called her in; and, placing myself as
interpreter between my religious priest and the woman,
I intreated him to begin with her: but sure such a ser-
mon was never preached by a popish priest, in these lat-
ter ages of the world; and, as I told him, I thought he
had all the zeal, all the knowledge, all the sincerity of a
Christian, without the errors of a Roman Catholic; and
that I took him to be such a clergyman as the Roman

Hancock Sc
Baptism & Marriage
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
435
bishops were, before the church of Rome assumed spiri-
tual sovereignty over the consciences of men.
In a word, he brought the poor woman to embrace the
knowledge of Christ, and of redemption by him; not
with wonder and astonishment only, as she did the first
notions of a God, but with joy and faith, with an affec-
tion, and a surprising degree of understanding, scarcely
to be imagined, much less expressed: and, at her own
request, she was baptized.
When he was preparing to baptize her, I entreated him
that he would perform that office with some caution, that
the man might not perceive he was of the Roman church,
if possible; because of other ill consequences which
might attend a difference among us, in that very religion
which we were instructing the other in. He told me,
that, as he had no consecrated chapel, nor proper things
for the office, I should see he would do it in a manner,
that I should not know, by it, that he was a Roman Ca-
tholic, myself, if I had not known it before: and so he
did; for, saying only some words over to himself, in Latin,
which I could not understand, he poured a whole dish-full
of water upon the woman's head, pronouncing in French,
very loud, Mary; which was the name her husband de-
sired me to give her, for I was her godfather, I baptize
thee, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost:' so that none could know any thing by
it, what religion he was of. He gave the benediction
afterwards, in Latin; but, either Will Atkins did not
know but it was French, or else did not take notice of it
at that time.
As soon as this was over, he married them: and, after
the marriage was over, he turned himself to Will Atkins;
and, in a very affectionate manner, exhorted him, not
only to persevere in that good disposition he was in, but
to support the convictions that were upon him, by a re-
solution to reform his life; told him, it was in vain to say
he repented, if he did not forsake his crimes; represented
to him-how God bad honoured him, with being the in-
strument of bringing his wife to the knowledge of the
Christian religion; and that he should be careful he did
t
484
ADVENTURES OF
not dishonour the grace of God; and that, if he did, he
would see the Heathen a better Christian than himself,-
the savage converted, and the instrument cast away.
He said a great many good things to them both, and
then recommended them, in a few words, to God's good-
ness, gave them the benediction again, (I repeating every
thing to them in English,) and thus ended the ceremony.
I think it was the most pleasant, agreeable day, to me,
that ever I passed in my whole life.
But my clergyman had not done, yet. His thoughts
hung, continually, upon the conversion of the thirty-seven
savages; and fain he would have staid upon the island,
to have undertaken it: but I convinced him, first, that
his undertaking was impracticable in itself; and, second-
ly, that, perhaps, I should put it into a way of being done,
in his absence, to his satisfaction.
Having thus brought the affairs of the island to a nar-
row compass, I was preparing to go on board the ship,
when the young man whom I had taken out of the fa-
mished ship's company, came to me, and told me, he un-
derstood I had a clergyman with me; and that I had
caused the Englishmen to be married to the savages,
whom they called wives: that he had a match, too, which
he desired might be finished before I went, between two
Christians; which, he hoped, would not be disagreeable
to me.
I knew this must be the young woman who was his
mother's servaut, for there was no other Christian woman
on the island; so I began to persuade him not to do any
thing of that kind rashly, or because he found himself in
this solitary circumstance. I represented, that he had
some considerable substance in the world, and good
friends, as I understood by himself, and by his maid al-
so; that the maid was not only poor, and a servant, but
was unequal to him, she being twenty-six or twenty-seven
years old, and he not above seventeen or eighteen; that
he might, very probably, with my assistance, make a re-
move from this wilderness, and come into his own coun-
try again; and then it would be a thousand to one but
he would repent his choice, and the dislike of that cir-
ROBINSON CRusoe.
435
cumstance might be disadvantageous to both. I was
going to say more, but he interrupted me, smiling, and
told me, with great modesty, that I mistook in my gues-
ses, that he had nothing of that kind in his thoughts, his
present circumstances being melancholy and disconso-
late enough, and he was very glad to hear, that I had
thoughts of putting them in a way to see their own
country again, and that nothing should have set him up-
on staying there, but the voyage I was going was exceed-
ing long and hazardous, and would carry him quite out
of the reach of all his friends; that he had nothing to
desire of me, but that I would settle him in some little
property in the island where he was, give him a servant
or two, and some few necessaries, and he would settle
himself here like a planter, waiting the good time when,
if ever I returned to England, I would redeem him, and
hoped I would not be unmindful of him when I came to
England; that he would give me some letters to his
friends in London, to let them know how good I had
been to him, and what part of the world, and what cir-
cumstances I had left him in: and he promised me, that,
whenever I redeemed him, the plantation, and all the
improvements he had made upon it, let the value be what
it would, should be wholly mine.
His discourse was well delivered, considering his
youth; and was the more agreeable to me, because he
told me positively the match was not for himself. I gave
gave him all possible assurances, that if I lived to get
safe to England, I would deliver his letters, and do his
business effectually; and that he might depend I would
never forget the circumstances I left him in; but still I
was impatient to know who was the person to be mar-
ried upon which he told me it was my Jack of all Trades
and his maid Susan.
:
I was most agreeably surprized when he named the
match; for, indeed, I thought it very suitable. The
character of that man I have given already; and as for
the maid, she was a very honest, modest, sober, and
religious young woman; had a very good share of sense;
was agreeable enough in her person; spoke very hand-
436
ADVENTURES OF
somely, and to the purpose; always with decency and
good manners, and not backward to speak when any
thing required it, or impertinently forward to speak
when it was not her business; very handy and house-
wifely in any thing that was before her; an excellent ma-
nager, and fitted indeed to have been governess of the
whole island; she knew very well how to behave her-
self to all kind of folks she bad about her, and to better,
if she had found any there.
The match being made in this manner, we married
them the same day; and, as I was father at the altar,
and gave her away, so I gave her a portion; for I ap-
pointed her and her husband a handsome large space of
ground for their plantation; and, indeed, this match,
and the proposal the young gentleman made to me, to
to give him a small property in the island, put me upon
parcelling it out among them, that they might not
quarrel afterwards about their situation.
This sharing out the land to them I left. to Will. At-
kins; who, indeed, was now grown a sober, grave, ma-
naging fellow, perfectly reformed, exceedingly pious and
religious, and, as far as I may be allowed to speak po-
sitively in such a case, I verily believe, was a true, sin-
cere penitent.
He divided things so justly, and so much to every
one's satisfaction, that they only desired .one general
writing under my hand for the whole; which I caused
to be drawn up, and signed and sealed to them, setting
out the bounds and situation of every man's plantation,
and testifying, that I gave them thereby, severally, a
right to the whole possession and inheritance of the re-
spective plantations or farms, with their improvements,
to them and their heirs, reserving all the rest of the
island as my own property, and a certain rent for every
particular plantation, after eleven years, if I or any one
from me, or in my name, came to demand it; producing
an attested copy of the same writing.
As to the government and laws among them, I told
them I was not capable of giving them better rules than
they were able to give themselves; only made them pro-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
437.
mise me, to live in love and good neighbourhood with
one another; and so I prepared to leave them.
One thing I must not omit, and that is, that being
now settled in a kind of commonwealth among them-
selves, and having much business in hand, it was but
odd to have seven and thirty Indians live in a nook of
the island, independent, and indeed unemployed; for,
excepting the providing themselves food, which they
had difficulty enough at sometimes, they had no manner
of business or property to manage. I proposed there-
fore to the Governor Spaniard, that he should go to
them with Friday's father, and propose to them to re-
move, and either plant for themselves, or take them into
their several families as servants, to be maintained for
their labour, but without being absolute slaves; for I
would not permit them to make them slaves by force, by
any means, because they had their liberty given by capi-
tulation, and, as it were, articles of surrender, which
they ought not to break.
They most willingly embraced the proposal, and came
all very cheerful along with him: so we allotted them
land and plantations, which three or four accepted of,
but all the rest chose to be employed as servants in the
several families we had settled; and thus my colony
was in a manner settled as follows. The Spaniards
possessed my original habitation, which was the capital
city, and extended their plantation all along the side of
the brook, which made the creek that I have so often
described, as far as my bower; and as they increased
their culture, it went always eastward; the English lived
in the north-east part, where Will Atkins and his com-
rades began, and came on, southward and south-west,
towards where the Spaniards began: and every planta-
tion had a great addition of land to take in, if they found
occasion; so that they need not incommode one another
for want of room.
All the west end of the island was left uninhabited;
that, if any of the savages should come on shore there,
only for their usual customary barbarities, they might
come and go; if they disturbed nobody, nobody would
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438
ADVENTURES OF
disturb them: and no doubt but they were often ashore,
and went away again; for I never heard that the planters
were attacked or disturbed any more.
It now came into my thoughts, that I had hinted to
my friend the clergyman, that the work of converting
the savages might, perhaps, be set on foot in his absence,
to his satisfaction: and I told him, that now I thought
it was put in a fair way; for, the savages being thus di-
vided among the Christians, if they would but every one
of them do their part with those who came under their
hands, I hoped it might have a very good effect.
He agreed presently in that, If (said he) they will
do their part; but how shall we obtain that of them?'-
I told him, we would call them all together, and leave
it in charge with them, or go to them one by one, which
he thought best: so we divided it; he to speak to the
Spaniards, who were all papists, and I to the English,
who were all protestants. And we recommended it ear-
nestly to them, and made them promise, that they would
never make any distinction of papist or protestant, in
their exhorting the savages to turn Christians, but teach
them the general knowledge of the true God, and of
their Saviour Jesus Christ; and they likewise promised
us, that they never would have any difference or disputes,
one with another, about religion.
When I came to Will Atkins's house, (if I may call it
so, for such a house, or such a piece of basket-work, I be-
lieve, was not standing in the world again,) I found the
young woman I have mentioned above, and Will Atkins's
wife, were become intimates; and this prudent, religious
young woman, had perfected the work Will Atkins had
begun; and, though it was not above four days after
what I have related, yet the new baptized savage woman
was made such a Christian, as I have seldom heard of
any like her in all my observation and conversation in
the world.
It next came into my mind, in the morning before I
went to them, that, among all the needful things I had to
leave with them, I had not left a Bible; in which I shewed
myself less considerate for them, than my good friend
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
439
the widow was for me, when she sent me the cargo of
100%. from Lisbon, where she packed up three Bibles and
a Prayer-book. However, the good woman's charity had
a greater extent than ever she imagined; for they were
reserved for the comfort and instruction of those, who
made much better use of them than I had done.
I took one of the Bibles in my pocket; and, when I
came to William Atkins's tent or house, I found the
young woman, and Atkins's baptized wife, had been dis-
coursing of religion together; (for William Atkins told
it me with a great deal of joy.) I asked, if they were
together now, and he said, 'Yes.' So I walked into the
house, and he with me, and we found them together, very
earnest in discourse. O, Sir!' said William Atkins,
' when God has sinners to reconcile to himself, and aliens
to bring home, he never wants a messenger: my wife has
got a new instructor; I knew I was unworthy, as I was
incapable of that work. That young woman has been
sent hither from heaven; she is enough to convert a whole
island of savages.' The young woman blushed, and rose
up to go away; but I desired her to sit still. I told her,
she had a good work upon her hands, and I hoped God
would bless her in it.
6
We talked a little, and I did not perceive they had any
book among them, though I did not ask; but I put my
hand in my pocket, and pulled out my Bible. Here,'
said I to Atkins, I have brought you an assistant, that,
perhaps, you had not before.' The man was so con-
founded, that he was not able to speak for some time;
but, recovering himself, he took it with both his hands,
and, turning to his wife, Here, my dear,' said he, did
not I tell you, our God, though he lives above, could
hear what we said! Here is the book I prayed for, when
you and I kneeled down under the bush; now God has
heard us, and sent it.' When he had said thus, the man
fell into such transports of passionate joy, that, between
the joy of having it, and giving God thanks for it, a tor-
rent of tears ran down his face.
The woman was surprised, and was like to have run
into a mistake that none of us were aware of, for she
3K2
440
ADVENTURES OF
firmly believed God had sent the book upon her hus-
band's petition. It is true, that providentially it was so,
and might be taken so in a consequent sense; but I be-
lieve it would have been no difficult matter, at that time,
to have persuaded the poor woman to have believed,
that an express messenger came from heaven, on purpose
to bring that individual book: but it was too serious a
matter, to suffer any delusion to take place; so I turned
to the young woman, and told her, we did not desire to
impose upon the new couvert, in her first and more ig-
norant understanding of things; and begged her to ex-
plain to her, that God may be very properly said to an-
swer our petitions, when, in the course of his providence,
such things are, in a particular manner, brought to pass
as we petitioned for; but we do not expect returns from
Heaven in a miraculous and particular manner, and that
it is our mercy it is not so.
This the young woman did afterwards, effectually: so
that there was, I assure you, no priestcraft used here;
and I should have thought it one of the most unjustifi-
able frauds in the world, to have had it so. But the sur-
prise of joy upon Will Atkins, is, really, not to be expres-
sed; and there was, we may be sure, no delusion. Sure
no man was ever more thankful in the world, for any
thing of its kind, than he was for this Bible; and, I be-
lieve, never any man was glad of a Bible from a better
principle. And, though he had been a most profligate
creature, desperate, headstrong, outrageous, furious, and
wicked, to a great degree, yet this man is a standing rule
to us all, for the well instructing children; viz. That pa-
rents should never give over to teach and instruct, or ever
despair of the success of their endeavours, let the child-
ren be ever so obstinate, refractory, or (to appearance) in-
sensible of instruction: for, if ever God in his providence
touches the consciences of such, the force of their educa-
tion returns upon them, and the early instruction of pa-
rents is not lost, though it may have been many years
laid asleep; but, some time or other, they may find the
benefit of it.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
441
However ignorant
Thus it was with this poor man.
he was, or divested of religion and Christian knowledge,
he found he had some to do with, now, more ignorant
than himself; and that the least part of the instruction
of his good father, that could now come to his mind,
was of use to him.
Among the rest, it occurred to him, he said, how his
father used to insist much upon the inexpressible value
of the Bible; the privilege and blessing of it to nations,
families, and persons: but he never entertained the least
notion of the worth of it, till now; when, being to talk
to heathens, savages, and barbarians, he wanted the help
of the written oracle for his assistance.
The young woman was very glad of it also, for the
present occasion, though she had one, and so had the
youth, on board our ship, among the goods which were
not yet brought on shore. And now, having said so ma-
ny things of this young woman, I cannot omit telling one
story more of her and myself, which has something in it
very informing and remarkable.
I have related to what extremity the poor young wo-
man was reduced; how her mistress was starved to death,
and died on board that unhappy ship we met at sea;
and how the whole ship's company, being reduced to
the last extremity,-the gentlewoman, her son, and this
maid, were first hardly used, as to provisions; and, at last,
totally neglected and starved: that is to say, brought to
the last extremity of hunger.
One day, being discoursing with her upon the extre-
mities they suffered, I asked her, if she could describe,
by what she felt, what it was to starve, and how it ap-
peared. She told me, she believed she could; and she
told her tale very distinctly, thus:
First, Sir,' said she, we had, for some days, fared
exceedingly hard, and suffered very great hunger; but
now, at last, we were wholly without food of any kind,
except sugar, a little wine, and some water. The first
day, after I had received no food at all, I found myself,
towards evening, first, empty and sickish at my stomach;
and, nearer night, much inclined to yawning, and sleepy.
442
ADVENTURES OF
I laid down on a couch in the great cabin, to sleep; and
slept about three hours, and awaked a little refreshed,
having taken a glass of wine when I laid down. After
being about three hours awake, it being about five o'clock
in the morning, I found myself empty, and my stomach
sickish again, and laid down again, but could not sleep
at all, being very faint and ill: and thus I continued all
the second day, with a strange variety; first hungry, then
sick again, with reachings to vomit. The second night,
being obliged to go to bed again without any food, more
than a draught of fair water, and being asleep, I dreamed
I was at Barbadoes, and that the market was mightily
stocked with provisions; that I bought some for my mis-
tress, and went and dined very heartily.
I thought my stomach was as full, after this, as it
would have been after, or at a good dinner; but, when I
waked, I was exceedingly sunk in my spirits, to find my-
self in the extremity of famine. I drank the last glass
of wine we had, and put sugar into it, because of its hav-
ing some spirit to supply nourishment; but, there being
no substance in the stomach for the digesting power to
work upon, I found the only effect of the wine was, to
raise disagreeable fumes from the stomach into the head;
and I lay, as they told me, stupid and senseless, as one
drunk, for some time.
The third day in the morning, after a night of strange
and confused inconsistent dreams, and rather dozing
than sleeping, I awoke, ravenous and furious with hun-
ger; and I question, had not my understanding returned
and conquered it, I say, I question whether, if I had been
a mother, and had had a little child with me, its life
would have been safe or no.
This lasted about three hours; during which time I
was twice raging mad as any creature in Bedlam, as my
young master told me, and as he can now inform you.
<
In one of these fits of lunacy or distraction, whether
by the motion of the ship, or some slip of my foot, I
know not, I fell down, and struck my face against the
1
corner of a pallet-bed, in which my mistress lay: with
the blow, the blood gushed out of my nose; and, the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
443
cabin-boy bringing me a little bason, I sat down, and
bled into it a great deal. As the blood ran from me, 1
came to myself; and the violence of the flame, or the
fever I was in, abated, and so did the ravenous part of
the hunger.
Then I grew sick, and reached to vomit, but could
not; for I had nothing on my stomack to bring up. After
I had bled some time, I swooned, and they all believed
I was dead; but I came to myself soon after, and then
had a most dreadful pain in my stomach, not to be de-
scribed; not like the cholic, but a gnawing eager pain
for food; and, towards night, it went off with a kind of
earnest wishing or longing for food; something, as I sup-
pose, like the longing of a woman with child. I took
another draught of water, with sugar in it; but my sto-
mach loathed the sugar, and brought it all up again.
Then I took a draught of water, without sugar, and that
stayed with me; and laid me down upon the bed, pray-
ing most heartily-that it would please God to take me
away; and, composing my mind in hopes of it, I slum-
bered a while, and then waking, thought myself dying,
being light with vapours from an empty stomach. I re-
commended my soul to God, and earnestly wished that
somebody would throw me into the sea.
6
All this while, my mistress lay by me, just (as I
thought) expiring: but bore it with much more patience
than 1, and gave the last bit of bread she had to her
child, my young master, who would not have taken it, but
she obliged him to eat it, and I believe it saved his life.
Towards the morning, I slept again: and first, when
I awoke, I fell into a violent passion of crying, and, after
that, had a second fit of hunger; so that I got up raven-
ous, and in a most dreadful condition. Had my mistress
been dead, as much as I loved her, I am certain I should
have eaten a piece of her flesh with as much relish, and
as unconcerned, as ever I did the flesh of any creature
appointed for food; and, once or twice, I was going to
bite my own arm. At last. I saw the bason in which was
the blood that issued from my nose the day before; I ran
to it, and swallowed it with such haste, and such a greedy
444
ADVENTURES OF
་
appetite, as if I had wondered nobody had taken it be-
fore, and afraid it should be taken from me now.
<
Though, after it was down, the thoughts of it filled
me with horror, yet it checked the fit of hunger; and I
drank a draught of fair water, and was composed and
refreshed for some hours after it. This was the fourth
day, and thus I held it till towards night; when, within
the compass of three hours, I had all these several cir-
cumstances over again, one after another; viz. sick,
sleepy, eagerly hungry, pain in the stomach, then raven-
ous again, then sick again, then lunatic, then crying, then
ravenous again, and so every quarter of an hour; and my
strength wasted exceedingly. At night I laid me down,
having no comfort, but in the hope that I should die be-
fore morning.
C
All this night I had no sleep, but the hunger was
now turned into a disease, and I had a terrible cholic
and griping; wind, instead of food, having found its way
into the bowels; and in this condition I lay till morn-
ing, when I was surprized with the cries and lamenta-
tions of my young master, who called out to me, that
his mother was dead. I lifted myself up a little, for I
had not strength to rise, but found she was not dead,
though she was able to give very little signs of life.
I had then such convulsions in my stomach for want
of some sustenance, that I cannot describe them; with
such frequent throbs and pangs of appetite, that nothing
but the tortures of death can resemble. And this con-
dition I was in, when I heard the seamen above cry out,
A sail! a sail!' and halloo and jump about as if they
were distracted.
'I was not able to get off from the bed, and my mis-
tress much less; and my master was so sick, that I
thought he had been expiring. So we could not open
the cabin-door, or get any account what it was that oc-
casioned such a noise; nor had we any conversation with
the ship's company for two days, they having told us,
they had not a mouthful of any thing to eat in the ship.
And they told us afterwards, they thought we had been
dead.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
445
It was this dreadful condition we were in, when you
were sent to save our lives. And how you found us,
Sir, you know as well as I, and better too.'
This was her own relation, and is such a distinct ac-
count of starving to death, as, I confess, I never met
with, and was exceedingly affecting. I am the rather
apt to believe it to be a true account, because the youth
gave me an account of a good part of it; though I
must own not so distinct and so feelingly as his maid;
and the rather, because, it seems, his mother fed him at
the price of her own life: but the poor maid, though
her constitution being stronger than that of her mistress,
who was in years, and a weakly woman too, might be
supposed to feel the extremity something sooner than
her mistress, who might be allowed to keep the last bite
longer than she parted with any to relieve the maid. No
question, as the case is here related, if our ship, or
some other, had not so providentially met with them, a
few days more would have ended all their lives, unless
they had prevented it by eating one another; and even
that, as their case stood, would have served them but a
little while, they being five hundred leagues from any
land, or any possibility of relief, other than in the mira-
culous manner it happened. But I return to relate my
disposition of things among the people.
And first, it is to be observed here, that, for many
reasons, I did not think fit to let them know any thing
of the sloop I had framed, and which i thought of set-
ting up among them; for I found, at least at my first
coming, such divisions among them, that I saw it plainly,
had I set up the sloop, and left it among them, they
would, upon very light disgust, have separated, and
gone away from one another, or perhaps have turned
pirates, and so made the island a den of thieves, instead
of a plantation of sober and religious people, as I in-
tended it to be; nor did I leave the two pieces of brass
cannon that I had on board, or the two quarter-deck
guns that my nephew took extraordinary, for the same
reason. I thought they had enough to qualify them for
a defensive war against any that should invade them;
3 L
446
ADVENTURES OF
but I was not to set them up for an offensive war, or to
encourage them to go abroad to attack others, which,
in the end, would only bring ruin and destruction upon
themselves, and all their undertakings. I reserved the
sloop, therefore, and the guns, for their services ano-
ther way.
I have now done with the island. I left them all in
good circumstances, and in a flourishing condition, and
went on board my ship again the fifth day of May, hav-
ing been five and twenty days among them; and, as they
were all resolved to stay upon the island till I came to
remove them, I promised to send some farther relief
from the Brazils, if I could possibly find an opportunity;
and particularly, I promised to send them some cattle,
such as sheep, hogs, and cows; for as to the two cows
and calves which I brought from England, we had been
obliged, by the length of our voyage, to kill them at
sea, for want of hay to feed them.
The next day, giving them a salute of five guns at
parting, we set sail, and arrived at the Bay of All
Saints, in the Brazils, in about twenty-two days; meet-
ing nothing remarkable in our passage, but this: that
about three days after we sailed, being becalmed, and
the current very strong to the E. N. E. running, as it
were, in a bay or gulph on the land side, we were dri-
ven something out of our course; and once or twice our
men cried, 'Land to the westward!' but whether it was
the continent, or islands, we could not tell by any means.
But the third day, towards evening, the sea being
smooth, and the weather calm, we saw the sea, as it
were, covered, towards the land, with something very
black, not being able to discover what it was; but,
after some time, our chief mate going up the main
shrouds, and looking at them with a perspective-glass,
cried out it was an army. I could not imagine what he
meant by an army, and spoke a little hastily, calling
the fellow a fool. Nay, Sir,' says he, don't be an-
gry, for it is an army, and a fleet too; for I believe
there are a thousand canoes, and you may see them
paddle along, and they are coming towards us too
apace, and full of men.
·
ROBINSON Crusoe.
447
I was a little surprised then, indeed, and so was my
nephew the captain; for he heard such terrible stories of
them in the island: and, having never been in those seas
before, he could not tell what to think of it, but said,
two or three times, we should all be devoured. I must
confess, considering we were becalmed, and the current
set strong towards the shore, I liked it the worse. How-
ever, I bade him not be afraid, but bring the ship to an
anchor, as soon as we came so near as to know that we
must engage them.
The weather continued calm, and they came on apace
towards us; so I gave orders to come to an anchor, and
furl all our sails. As for the savages, I told them, there
was nothing to fear from them but fire; and, therefore,
they should get their boats out, and fasten them, one
close by the head and the other by the stern, and man
them both well, and wait the issue in that posture. This
I did, that the men in the boats might be ready, with
sheets and buckets, to put out any fire these savages
might endeavour to fix on the outside of the ship.
In this posture we lay by for them, and, in a little while
they came up with us; but never was such a horrid sight
seen by Christians. My mate was much mistaken in his
calculation of their number, I mean-of a thousand ca-
noes; the most we could make of them, when they came
up, being about 126, and a great many of them too: for
some of them had sixteen or seventeen men in them,
some more, and the least six or seven.
When they came nearer to us, they seemed to be struck
with wonder and astonishment, at a sight which they had,
doubtless, never seen before; nor could they, at first, as
we afterwards understood, know what to make of us.
They came boldly up, however, very near to us, and pre-
pared to row round us; but we called to our men in the
boats, not to let them come too near them.
-
This very order brought on an engagement with them,
without our designing it; for five or six of their large ca-
noes came so near our long-boat, that our men beckoned
with their hands to them to keep back; which they un-
derstood very well, and went back: but, at their retreat
3L2
448
ADVENTURES OF
about five hundred arrows came on board us from those
boats, and one of our men in the long-boat was very
much wounded.
However, I called to them not to fire, by any means;
but we handed down some deal boards into the boat,
and the carpenter presently set up a kind of a fence, like
waste-boards, to cover them from the arrows of the sa-
vages, if they should shoot again.
About an hour afterwards, they came all up in a body
astern of us, and pretty near, so near that we could eas-
ily discern what they were, though we could not tell
their design. I easily found they were some of my old
friends, the same sort of savages that I had been used
to engage with; and, in a little time more, they rowed
somewhat farther out to sea, till they came directly broad-
side with us, and then rowed down straight upon us, till
they came so near that they could hear us speak. Upon
this, I ordered our men to keep close, and make all the
guns ready, lest any more arrows should be shot; but,
being so near as to be within hearing, I made Friday go
out upon the deck, and call aloud to them, in his lan-
guage, to know what they meant; which accordingly he
did. Whether they understood him, I know not; but,
as soon as he had called to them, six of them, who were
in the foremost or nighest boat to us, turned their canoes
from us, and, stooping down, shewed us their backsides;
just as if, in English, they bade us kiss
Whether
this was a defiance or challenge, we knew not; or whe-
ther it was done in mere contempt, or a signal to the rest:
but immediately Friday cried out, they were going to
shoot; and, unhappily for him, (poor fellow!) they let
fly about three hundred of their arrows; and, to my in-
expressible grief, killed poor Friday, no other man being
in their sight. The poor fellow was shot with no less than
three arrows, and about three more fell very nigh him.
I was so enraged with the loss of my old servant, the
companion of all my sorrows and solitudes, that I im-
mediately ordered five guns to be loaded with small shot,
and four with great; and gave them such a broadside as
they never had in their lives before.
A
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
449
They were not above half a cable's length off, when
we fired; and our gunners took their aim so well, that
three or four of their canoes were overset, as we had rea-
son to believe, by one shot only.
The ill manners of turning up their bare backsides to
us, gave us no great offence; neither did I know, for cer-
tain, whether that which would pass for the greatest con-
tempt among us, might be understood so by them or not;
therefore, in return, I had only resolved to have fired
four or five guns, with powder only, which I knew would
fright them sufficiently. But, when they shot at us di-
rectly, with all the fury they were capable of, and espe-
cially as they had killed my poor Friday, whom I so en-
tirely loved and valued, and who indeed was so deserv-
ing, I not only had been justified before God and man,
but would have been very glad, if I could, to have overset
every canoe there, and drowned every one of them.
I can neither tell how many we killed, or how many
we wounded, at this broadside; but sure such a fright
and burry never was seen among such a multitude.-
There were thirteen or fourteen of their canoes split and
overset in all, and the men all set a swimming. The rest,
frighted out of their wits, scoured away as fast as they
could, taking but little care to save those whose boats
were split or spoiled by our shot; so that I suppose many
of them were lost: and our men took up one poor fellow
who was swimming for his life, above an hour after they
were all gone.
The small shot from our cannon must needs kill and
wound a great many: but, in short, we never knew any
thing how it went with them; for they fled so fast, that,
in three hours, or thereabouts, we could not see above
three or four straggling canoes: nor did we ever see the
rest any more; for, a breeze of wind springing up the
same evening, we weighed and set sail for the Brazils.
We had a prisoner, indeed; but the creature was so
sulleu, that he would neither eat nor speak, and we all
fancied he would starve himself to death: but I took a
way to cure him; for I made them take him and turn him
into the long-boat, and make him believe they would toss
450
ADVENTURES OF
him into the sea again, and so leave him where they found
him, if he would not speak; nor would that do, but they
really did throw him into the sea, and came away from
him; and then he followed them, for be swam like a cork,
and called to them in his tongue, though they knew not
one word of what he said. However, at last, they took
him in again, and then he began to be more tractable: ;
nor did I ever design they should drown him.
We were now under sail again: but I was the most
disconsolate creature alive, for want of my man Friday;
and would have been very glad to have gone back to the
island, to have taken one of the rest from thence for my
occasion; but it could not be, so we went on. We had
one prisoner, as I have said, and it was a long while be-
fore we could make him understand any thing; but, in
time, our men taught him some English, and he began
to be a little tractable. Afterwards, we enquired what
country he came from, but could make nothing of what
he said; for his speech was so odd, all gutturals, and
spoken in the throat in such a hollow and odd manner,
that we could never form a word from him; and we were
all of opinion, that they might speak that language as
well, if they were gagged, as otherwise; nor could we
perceive they had any occasion either for teeth, tongue,
lips, or palate; but forming their words just as a hunting-
horn forms a tune, with an open throat: he told us, how-
ever, some time after, when we had taught him to speak
a little English, that they were going, with their kings,
to fight a great battle. When he said kings, we asked
him, how many kings? He said, there were five nation,
(we could not make him understand the plural s,) and
that they all joined to go against two nation. We asked
him, what made them come ap to us? He said, to makee
te great wonder look. Here it is to be observed, that all
those natives, as well as those of Africa, when they learn
English, always add two e's at the end of words, where
we use one, and place the accent upon the last of them;
as makee, takce, and the like; and we could not break
them of it: nay, I could scarcely make Friday leave it
off, though at last he did.
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
451
And now I name the poor fellow once more, I must
take my last leave of him. Poor honest Friday! We
buried him with all decency and solemnity possible, by
putting him into a coffin, and throwing him into the sea;
and I caused them to fire eleven guns for him; aud so
ended the life of the most grateful, faithful, honest, and
affectionate servant that ever man had.
We now went away with a fair wind for Brazil: and,
in about twelve days time, we made land in the latitude
of five degrees south of the line, being the north-east-
ermost land of all that part of America. We kept on
S. by E. in sight of the shore four days, when we made
the Cape Saint Augustine, and in three days came to
an anchor off the Bay of All Saints, the old place of
deliverance, from whence came both my good and evil
fate.
Never ship came to this part that had less business
than I had; and yet it was with great difficulty that we
were admitted to hold the least correspondence on
shore; not my partner himself, who was alive, and
made a great figure among them; not my two merchant
trustees, nor the fame of my wonderful preservation in
the island could obtain me that favour. But my part-
ner remembering that I had given five hundred moidores
to the prior of the monastery of the Augustines, and
three hundred and seventy-two to the poor, went to
the monastery, and obliged the prior to go to the gover-
nor, and beg leave for me, with the captain and one
more, besides eight seamen, to come on shore, and no
more; and this upon condition absolutely capitulated
for, that we should not offer to land any goods out of
the ship, or to carry any person away without licence.
They were so strict with us, as to landing any goods,
that it was with extreme difficulty I got on shore three
bales of English goods, such as fine broad-cloths, stuffs,
and some linen, which I had brought for a present for
my partner.
7
He was a very generous open-hearted man, though
(like me) he came from little at first; and though he
knew not that I had the least design of giving him any
1
452
ADVENTURES OF
thing, he sent me on board a present of fresh provi-
sions, wine, and sweetmeats, worth above thirty moi-
dores, including some tobacco, and three or four fine
medals in gold. But I was even with him in my pre-
sent, which consisted of fine broad-cloth, English stuffs,
lace, and fine Hollands; also I delivered him about
1001. sterling, in the same goeds, for other uses; and:
I obliged him to set up the sloop which I had brought
with me from England, for the use of my colony, in
order to send the refreshments I intended to my plan-
tation.
Accordingly, he got hands and finished the sloop in
a very few days, for she was already framed, and I gave
the master of her such instructions as he could not miss
the place; nor did he miss it, as I had an account from
my partner afterwards. I got him soon loaded with the
small cargo I had sent them; and one of our seamen,
that had been on shore with me there, offered to go
with the sloop, and settle there, upon my letter to the
governor Spaniard to allot him a sufficient quantity of
land for a plantation, and giving him some clothes and
tools for his planting-work, which, he said, he under-
stood, having been an old planter in Maryland, and a
buccancer also.
I encouraged the fellow by granting all he desired;
and, as an addition, gave him the savage which we had
taken prisoner of war, to be his slave; and ordered the
governor Spaniard to give him his share of every thing
he wanted with the rest.
<
When we came to fit this man out, my old partner
told me, that there was a certain very honest fellow, a
Brazil planter of his acquaintance, who had fallen into:
the displeasure of the church. I know not what the
matter is with him,' says he, but, on my conscience, I
think he is a heretic in his heart, and that he has been
obliged to conceal himself for fear of the Inquisition :'
that he would be very glad of such an opportunity to
make his escape, with his wife and two daughters;
and if I would let them go to the island, and allot them
a plantation, he would give them a small stock to begin
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
453
with; for the officers of the Inquisition had seized all
his effects and estate, and he had nothing left but a
little houshold stuff and two slaves. 'And,' added he,
though I hate his principles, yet I would not have
him fall into their hands, for he will assuredly be burnt
alive if he does.'
I granted this presently, and joined my Englishman
with them, and we concealed the man, and his wife
and daughters, on board our ship, till the sloop put
out to sea; and then (having put all their goods on
board the sloop some time before) we put them on board
the sloop after she was got out of the bay.
Our seaman was mightily pleased with this new part-
ner; and their stock, indeed, was much alike in tools,
in preparations, and a farm. However, they carried
over with them (which was worth all the rest) some
materials for planting sugar-canes, with some plants of
canes, which he (I mean the Portuguese man) under-
stood very well.
Among the rest of the supplies sent my tenants in the
island, I sent them by this sloop three milch-cows, and
five calves; about twenty-two hogs among them; three
sows, big with pig; two mares, and a stallion.
For my Spaniards, according to my promise, I en-
gaged three Portuguese women to go; and recommend-
ed it to them to marry them, and use them kindly.
I could have procured more women, but I remembered
that the poor persecuted man had two daughters, and
there were but five of the Spaniards that wanted; the
rest had wives of their own, though in another country.
This cargo arrived safe; and, as you may easily sup-
pose, very welcome to my old inhabitants, who were
now (with this addition) between sixty and seventy peo-
ple, besides little children, of which there were a great
many. I found letters at London from them, all by way
of Lisbon, when I came back to England, being sent
back to the Brazils by this sloop, of which I shall take
some notice in its place.
I have now done with my island, and all manner of
discourse about it; and whoever reads the rest of my
SM
454
ADVENTURES OF
memorandums, would do well to turn his thoughts
entirely from it, and expect to read only of the follies
of an old man, not warned by his own harms, much
less by other men, to beware of the like; not cooled
by almost forty years misery and disappointments;
not satisfied with prosperity beyond expectation; not
made cautious by affliction, and distress beyond imi-
tation.
I had no more business to go to the East Indies,
than a man at full liberty, and having committed no
crime, has to go to the turnkey at Newgate, and desire
him to lock him up among the prisoners there, and
starve him. Had I taken a small vessel from Eugland,
and went directly to the island; had 1 loaded her, as
I did the other vessel, with all the necessaries for the
plantation, and for my people; took a patent from
the Government here, to have secured my property,
in subjection only to that of England, which, to be sure,
I might have obtained, had I carried over cannon and
ammunition, servants, and people to plant, and taking
possession of the place, strengthened and fortified it in
the name of England, and increased it with people, as
I might easily have done, had I then settled myself
there, and sent the ship back loaden with good rice, as
I might also have done in six months time, and ordered
my friends to have fitted her out again for our supply;
had I done this, and stayed there myself, I had, at
least, acted like a man of common sense; but I was
possessed with a wandering spirit, scorned all advan-
tages, pleased myself with being the patron of these
people I had placed there, and doing for them in a kind
of haughty majestic way, like an old patriarchal mo-
narch, providing for them as if I had been father of the
whole family as well as of the plantation. But I never
intended to plant in the name of auy government or na-
tion, or to acknowledge any prince, or to call my people
subjects to any one nation more than another: nay, I
never so much as gave the place a name; but left it as I
found it, belonging to no man, and the people under no
discipline or government but my own, who, though I
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
455
had an influence over them as father and benefactor,
had no authority or power to act or command one way
or other, farther than voluntary consent moved them to
comply; yet even this, had I stayed there, would have
done well enough; but as I rambled from them, and
came thither no more, the last letters I had from any of
them were by my partner's means, who afterwards sent
another sloop to the place, and who sent me word,
though I had not the letter till five years after it was
written, that they went on but poorly, were malcontent.
with their long stay there; that Will Atkins was dead;
that five of the Spaniards were come away; and that
though they had been much molested by the savages, yet
they had some skirmishes with them; that they begged
of him to write to me to think of the promise I had made
to fetch them away, that they might see their own coun ·
try again before they died.
But I was gone a wild-goose chace indeed; and they
who will have any more of me, must be content to fol-
low me through a new variety of follies, hardships, and
wild adventures, wherein the justice of Providence may
be duly observed, and we may see how easily Heaven
can make the strongest of our wishes to be our affliction,
and punish us most severely with those very things
which we think it would be our utmost happiness to be
allowed in.
Let no wise man flatter himself with the strength of
his own judgment, as if he was able to chuse any parti-
cular station of life for himself. Man is a short-sighted
creature, sees but a very little way before him; and as
his passions are none of his best friends, so his particu-
lar affections are generally his worst counsellors.
I say this with respect to the impetuous desire I had
from a youth to wander into the world; and how evi-
dent it now was, that this principle was preserved in
me for my punishment. How it came on, the manner,
the circumstance, and the conclusion of it, it is easy
to give you historically, and with its utmost variety of
particulars. But the secret ends of Divine Providence
in thus permitting us to be hurried down the stre
3 M2
456
ADVENTURES OF
of our own desires, are only to be understood of
those who can listen to the voice of Providence, and
draw religious conclusions from God's justice, and their
own mistakes.
Whether I had business or no business, away I went.
It is no time now to enlarge any farther upon the reason
or absurdity of my own conduct; but to come to the
history, I was embarked for the voyage, and the voyage
I went.
I shall only add here, that my honest and truly pious
clergyman left me here; a ship being ready to go to
Lisbon, he asked me leave to go thither; being still, as
he observed, bound never to finish any voyage he began.
How happy had it been for me, if I had gone with
him!
But it was now too late: all things Heaven appoints
are best. Had I gone with him, I had never had so
many things to be thankful for, and you had never
heard of the second part of the Travels and Adven-
tures of Robinson Crusoe. So I must here leave the
fruitless task of exclaiming at myself, and go on with
my voyage.
From the Brazils we made directly away over the
Atlantic Sea, to the Cape de Bonne Esperance, or, as
we call it, the Cape of Good Hope; and had a tolerable
good voyage, our course generally south-east; now and
then a storm, and some contrary winds. But my dis-
asters at sea were at an end; my future rubs and cross
events were to befal me on shore, that it might appear
the land was as well prepared to be our scourge as the
sea, when Heaven, who directs the circumstances of
things, pleases to appoint it to be so.
Our ship was on a trading voyage, and had a super-
cargo on board, who was to direct all her motions after
she arrived at the Cape; only being limited to a certain
number of days for stay, by charter-party, at the several
ports she was to go. This was none of my business,
neither did I meddle with it at all; my nephew, the
captain, and the supercargo, adjusting all those things
between them, as they thought fit.
7
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
457
We made no stay at the Cape, longer than was needful
to take in fresh water; but made the best of our way for
the coast of Coromandel. We were indeed informed,
that a French man of war of fifty guns, and two large
merchant ships were gone for the Indies; and, as I knew
we were at war with France, I had some apprehensions
of them: but they went their own way, and we heard no
more of them.
I shall not tire the reader with descriptions of places,
journals of our voyages, variations of the compass, lati-
tudes, meridian distances, trade winds, situation of ports,
and the like; such as almost all the histories of long na-
vigation are full of, and which make the reading very
tiresome, and are wholly unprofitable, except only to
those who are to go to those places themselves.
It is enough to name the ports and places we touched
at, and what occurred to us on our passing from one to
another. We touched first at the island of Madagascar:
where, though the people are fierce and treacherous,
and, in particular, very well armed with lances and bows,
which they use with inconceivable dexterity, yet we fared
very well with them, for some time; they treated us very
civilly; and, for some trifles which we gave them, such
as knives, scissars, &c. they brought us eleven good fat
bullocks, middling in size, but very good in flesh; which
we took in, partly for fresh provisions for our present
spending, and the rest to salt for the ship's use.
We were obliged to stay here for some time, after we
had furnished ourselves with provisions; and I, who was
always curious to look into every nook of the world,
wherever I came, was for going on shore as often as I
could. It was on the east side of the island that we went
on shore, one evening; and the people, who, by the way.
are very numerous, came thronging about us, and stood
gazing at us, at a distance. As we had traded freely
with them, and had been kindly used, we thought our-
seves in no danger: but, when we saw the people, we cut
three boughs out of a tree, and stuck them up at a dis-
tance from us; which, it seems, is a mark in that coun-
try, not only of truce and friendship, but, when it is ac-
u
458
ADVENTURES OF
cepted, the other side set up three poles or boughs, also;
but then this is a known condition of the truce, that you are
not to pass beyond their three poles towards them, nor they
come past your three poles or boughs towards you so
that you are perfectly secure within the three poles; and
all the space between your poles and their's, is allowed
like a market, for free converse, traffic, and commerce.
When you go thither, you must not carry your weapons
with you; and, if they come into that space, they stick up
their javelins and laaces, all at the first poles, and come
on unarmed: but, if any violence is offered them, and the
truce thereby broken, away they run to the poles, and
lay hold of their weapons, and then the truce is at an
end.
It happened one evening, when we went on shore, that
a greater number of their people came down than usual,
but were all very friendly and civil. They brought with
them several kinds of provisions, for which we satisfied
them with such toys as we had; their women also brought
us milk and roots, and several things very acceptable to
us, and all was quiet: and we made us a little tent, or
hut, of some boughs of trees, and lay on shore all that
night.
I know not what was the occasion, but I was not so
well satisfied to lie on shore as the rest; and, the boat
lying at an anchor, about a stone's cast from the land,
with two men in her to take care of her, I made one of
them come on shore; and, getting some boughs of trees
to cover us also in the boat, I spread the sail on the bot-
tom of the boat, and lay on board, under the cover of
the branches of the trees, all night.
About two o'clock in the morning, we heard one of
our men making a terrible noise on the shore, calling out,
for God's sake, to bring the boat in, and come and help
them, for they were all like to be murdered. At the same
time, I heard the firing of five musquets, which was the
number of the guns they had, and that three times over;
for, it seems, the natives here were not so easily frighted
by guns, as the savages were in America, where I had to
do with them.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
459
All this while, I knew not what was the matter; but,
rousing immediately from sleep with the noise, I caused
the boat to be thrust in, and resolved, with three fusils
we had on board, to land and assist our men.
We got the boat soon to the shore, but our men were
in too much haste; for, being come to the shore, they
plunged into the water, to get to the boat with all the ex-
pedition they could, being pursued by between three
and four hundred men. Our men were but nine in all,
and only five of them had fusils with them: the rest,
indeed, had pistols and swords, but they were of small
use to them.
We took up seven of our men, and with difficulty.
enough too, three of them being very much wounded:
and that which was still worse was, that, while we stood
in the boat to take our men, we were in as much danger
as they were in on shore; for they poured in their ar-
rows upon us so thick, that we were fain to barricade the
side of the boat up with the benches and two or three
loose boards, which, to our great satisfaction, we had,
by mere accident, or Providence rather, in the boat.
And yet, had it been day-light, they are, it seems, such
exact marksmen, that, if they could have seen but the
least part of any of us, they would have been sure of us.
We had, by the light of the moon, a little sight of them,
as they stood pelting us from the shore with darts and
arrows; and, having got ready our fire-arms, we gave
them a volley; and we could hear, by the cries of some
of them, that we had wounded several: however, they
stood thus in battle-array on the shore till break of day,
which we suppose was, that they might see the better to
take their aim at us.
In this condition we lay, and could not tell how to
weigh our anchor, or set up our sail, because we must
needs stand up in the boat, and they were as sure to hit
us, as we were to hit a bird in a tree with small shot.
We made signals of distress to the ship, which, though
she rode a league off, yet my nephew the captain, hear-
ing our firing, and, by glasses, perceiving the posture we
lay in, and that we fired towards the shore, pretty well
460
ADVENTURES OF
understood us; and, weighing anchor with all speed, he
stood as near the shore as he durst with the ship, and
then sent another boat, with ten hands in her, to assist
us, but we called to them not to come too near, telling
them what condition we were in: however, they stood in
nearer to us; and one of the men, taking the end of a
tow-line in his hand, and, keeping our boat between me
and the enemy, so that they could not perfectly see him,
swam on board us, and made the line fast to the boat;
upon which we slipt our little cable, and, leaving our an-
chor behind, they towed us out of the reach of the ar-
rows, we all the while lying close behind the barricado
we had made.
As soon as we were got from between the ship and the
shore, that she could lay her side to the shore, we ran
along just by them, and poured in a broadside among
them, loaded with pieces of iron and lead, small bullets,
and such stuff, besides the great shot, which made a ter-
rible havock among them.
When we were got on board, and out of danger, we
had time to examine into the occasion of this fray: and,
indeed, our supercargo, who had been often in those
parts, put me upon it; for he said, he was sure the inha-
bitants would not have touched us, after we had made a
truce, if we had not done something to provoke them to
it. At length it came out, viz. that an old woman who
had come to sell us some milk, had brought it within
our poles, with a young woman with her, who had also
brought some roots and herbs; and, while the old woman
(whether she was mother to the young woman or no they
could not tell) was selling us the milk, one of our men
offered some rudeness to the girl that was with her; at
which the old woman made a great noise. However,
the seaman would not quit his prize, but carried her out
of the old woman's sight among the trees, it being almost
dark. The old woman went away without her, and, as
we supposed, made an outcry among the people she came
from; who, upon notice, raised this prodigious army
upon us in three or four hours, and it was great odds but
we had been all destroyed.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
461
One of our men was killed with a lance that was
thrown at him, just at the beginning of the attack, as he
sallied out of the tent we had made; the rest came off
free, all but the fellow who was the occasion of the mis-
chief; who paid dear enough for his black mistress, for
we could not hear what became of him, a great while.
We lay upon the shore two days after, though the wind
presented, and made signals for him; made our boat sail
up shore and down shore several leagues, but in vain;
so we were obliged to give him over: and if he alone had
suffered for it, the loss had been the less.
I could not satisfy myself, however, without venturing
on shore once more, to try if I could learn any thing of
him or them. It was the third night after the action,
that I had a great mind to learn, if I could by any means,
what mischief we had done, and how the game stood on
the Indian side. I was careful to do it in the dark, lest
we should be attacked again; but I ought, indeed, to
have been sure that the men I went with had been under
my command, before I engaged in a thing so hazardous
and mischievous, as I was brought into it without my
knowledge or desire.
We took twenty as stout fellows with us as any in the
ship, besides the supercargo and myself; and we landed
two hours before midnight, at the same place where the
Indians stood drawn up the evening before. I landed
here, because my design, as I have said, was chiefly to
see if they had quitted the field, and if they had left any
marks behind them, or of the mischief we had done
them; and I thought, if we could surprise one or two of
them, perhaps we might get our man again by way of
exchange.
We landed without any noise, and divided our men
into two companies, whereof the boatswain commanded
one, and I the other. We neither could hear nor see
any body stir, where we landed; so we marched up, one
body at a distance from the other, to the field of battle.
At first we could see nothing, it being very dark; but,
by and by, our boatswain, who led the first party, stum-
bled and fell over a dead body: this made them halt
3 N
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ADVENTURES OF
there some time; for knowing, by all the circumstances,
that they were at the place where the Indians had stood,
they waited for my coming up. Here we concluded to
halt till the moon began to rise, which we knew would
Le in less than an hour; and then we could easily dis-
cern the havock we had made among them. We told
two and dirty bodies upon the ground, whereof two
were not quite dead; some had an arm and some a leg,
shot off, and one his head; those that were wounded,
we supposed, they had carried away.
When we had made, as I thought, a full discovery of
all we could come at the knowledge of, I was going on
board again; but the boatswain and his party sent me
word, that they were resolved to make a visit to the
Indian town, where these dogs, as they called them,
dwelt, and desired me to go along with them; and if
they could find them, as they still fancied they should,
they did not doubt, they said, getting a good booty; and
it might be, they might find Thomas Jeffries there, that
was the man's name we had lost.
Had they sent to ask me leave to go, I knew well
enough what answer to have given them; for I would
have commanded them instantly on beard, knowing it
was not a hazard fit for us to run, who had a ship and
a ship's loading in our charge, and a voyage to make,
which depended very much upon the lives of the men;
but as they sent me word they were resolved to go, and
only asked me and my company to go along with them,
I positively refused it, and rose up, (for I was sit-
ting on the ground) in order to go to the boat. One
or two of the men began to importune me to go;
and, when I still refused positively, began to grumble,
and said they were not under my command, and they
would go.
Come, Jack,' says one of the men, ' will
you go with me? I will go for one.' Jack said he
would, and another followed, and then another: and, in
a word, they all left me but one, whom, with much dif-
ficulty, too, 1 persuaded to stay. So the supercargo
and I, with one man, went back to the boat; where,
I told them, we would stay for them, and take care
6
į
i
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
463
to take in as many of them as should be left: for I
told them, it was a mad thing they were going about,
and supposed most of them would meet the fate of Tho-
mas Jeffries.
They told me, like seamen, they would warrant me
they would come off again, and they would take care,
&c. so away they went. I intreated them to consider
the ship and the voyage; that their lives were not their
own, and that they were entrusted with the voyage, in
some measure; that if they miscarried, the ship might
be lost for want of their help; and that they could
not answer it to God or man. I said a great deal more
to them on that head, but I might as well have talked to
the main-mast of the ship: they were mad upon their
journey only they gave me good words, and begged I
would not be angry said they would be very cautious,
and they did not doubt but they would be back again in
about an hour at farthest; for the Indian town, they said,
was not above half a mile off; though they found it
above two miles before they got to it.
Well, they all went away as above; and though the
attempt was desperate, and such as none but madmen
would have gone about, yet, to give them their due, they
went about it warily as well as boldly. They were well
armed, that is certain; for they had every man a fusil or
musket, a bayonet, and a pistol; some of them hangers,
and the boatswain and two more had pole-axes; besides
all which they had among them thirteen hand-granadoes.
Bolder fellows, and better provided, never went about
any wicked work in the world.
When they went out, their chief design was plunder;
and they were in hopes of finding gold there; but a cir-
cumstance which none of them were aware of, set them
on fire with revenge, and made devils of them all. When
they came to the few Indian houses, which they thought
had been the town, which was not above half a mile off,
they were under a great disappointment; for there were
not above twelve or thirteen houses; and where the
town was, or how big, they knew not; they consulted,
therefore, what to do, and were some time before they
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ADVE NTURES OF
could resolve; for if they fell upon these, they must cut
all their throats; and it was ten to one but some of them
might escape, it being in the night, though the moon
was up; and if one escaped, he would run away and
raise all the town, so they should have a whole army
upon them. Again, on the other hand, if they went
away, and left those untouched (for the people were
all asleep) they could not tell which way to look for
the town.
However, the last was the best advice; so they re-
solved to leave those houses, and look for the town as
well as they could. They went on a little way, and
found a cow tied to a tree. This they presently con-
cluded would be a good guide to them; for, they said,
the cow certainly belonged to the town before them, or
the town behind them; and if they untied her, they
should see which way she went: if she went back, they
had nothing to say to her; but if she went forward, they
had nothing to do but to follow her. So they cut the
cord, which was made of twisted flags, and the cow
went on before them. In a word, the cow led them di-
rectly to the town, which, as they reported, consisted
of about two hundred houses or huts; and in some of
these they found several families living together.
Here they found all silent, as profoundly secure as
sleep and a country that had never seen an enemy of
that kind could make them. Upon this they called
another council, to consider what they had to do: and,
in a word, they resolved to divide themselves into three
bodies, and to set three houses on fire in three parts of
the town, and as the men came out to seize them and
bind them; (if any resisted, they need not be asked what
to do then,) and search the rest of the houses for plunder;
but resolved to march silently first through the town,
and see what dimensions it was of, and consider if they
might venture upon it or no.
They did so, and desperately resolved that they would
venture upon them. But while they were animating
one another to the work, three of them that were a little
before the rest, called out aloud, and told them, they
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
465
had found Thomas Jeffries. They all ran up to the place,
and so it was indeed; for there they found the poor fel-
low hanged up naked by one arm, and his throat cut.
There was an Indian house just by the tree, where they
sixteen or seventeen of the principal Indians, who had
been concerned in the fray with us before, and two or
three of them wounded with our shot; and our men found
they were awake, and talking one to another in that
house, but knew not their number.
The fight of their poor mangled comrade so enraged
them as before, that they swore to one another, they
would be revenged, and that not an Indian who came
into their hands should have quarter; and to work they
went immediately; and yet not so madly as by the rage
and fury they were in might be expected. Their first
care was to get something that would soon take fire;
but after a little search, they found that would be to no
purpose, for most of the houses were low, and thatched
with flags or rushes, of which the country was full; so
they presently made some wild fire, as they call it, by wet-
ting a little powder in the palms of their hands; and, in
a quarter of an hour, they set the town on fire in four
or five places; and particularly that house where the
Indians were not gone to bed. As soon as the fire began
to blaze, the poor frighted creatures began to rush out
to save their lives; but met with their fate in the attempt,
and especially at the door, where they drove them back;
the boatswain himself killing one or two with his pole-
ax; the house being large, and many in it, he did not
care to go in, but called for a handgrenado, and threw
it among them, which, at first, frighted them; but when
it burst, made such havock among them, that they cried
out in a hideous manner.
In short, most of the Indians who were in the open
part of the house, were killed or hurt with the grenado,
except two or three more, who pressed to the door,
which the boatswain and two more kept with the bayo-
nets in the muzzles of their pieces, and dispatched all
who came that way. But there was another apartment
in the house, where the prince or king, or whatsoever
466
ADVENTURES OF
he was, and several others, were; and they kept in, till
the house, which was by this time all of a light flame,
fell in upon them, and they were smothered, or burnt to-
gether.
All this while they fired not a gun, because they would
not waken the people faster than they could master
them; but the fire begrn to awaken them fast enough,
and our fellows were glad to keep a little together in
bodies; for the fire grew so raging, all the houses be-
ing made of light combustible stuff, that they could
hardly bear the street between them; and their business
was to follow the fire for the surer execution: as fast as
the fire either forced the people out of those houses which
were burning, or frighted them out of others, our peo-
ple were ready at their doors to knock them on the head,
still calling and hallooing to one another to remember
Tho. Jeffries.
While this was doing, I must confess I was very un-
easy, and especially, when I saw the flames of the town,
which, it being night, seemed to be just by me.
My nephew, the captain, who was roused by his men
too, seeing such a fire, was very uneasy, not knowing
what the matter was, or what danger I was in; especi-
ally hearing the guns too: for by this time they began
to use their fire arms: a thousand thoughts oppressed
his mind concerning me and the supercargo, what would
become of us: and at last though he could ill spare any
more men, yet, not knowing what exigence we might be
in, he in another boat, and with thirteen men came on
shore.
He was surprised to see me and the supercargo in the
boat, with no more than two men, for one had been left
to keep the boat; and though he was glad that we were
well, yet he was in the same impatience with us to.
know what was doing; for the noise, continued, and the
flame increased: I confess it was next to an impossibility
for any men in the world to restrain their curiosity of
knowing what had happened, or their concern for the
safety of the men. In a word, the captain told me, he
would go and help his men, let what would come.
I
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
467
argued with him, as I did before with the men, the safety
of the ship, and the danger of the voyage, the interest
of the owners and the merchants, &c. and told him I
would go, and the two men only, and see if we could, at
a distance learn what was like to be the event, and come
back and tell him.
It was all one to talk to my nephew, as it was to talk
to the rest before; he would go, he said, and he only
wished he had left but ten men in the ship; for he could
not think of having his men lost for want of help: he had
rather he said lose the ship, the voyage, and his life, and
all; and so away he went.
Nor was I any more able to stay behind now, than I
was to persuade them not to go before; so, in short, the
captain ordered two men to row back the pinnace, and
fetch twelve men more from the ship, leaving the long-
boat at an anchor; and that when they came back, six
men should keep the two boats, and six more come after
us; so that he left only sixteen men in the ship; for the
whole ship's company consisted of sixty-five men, where-
of two were lost in the first quarrel, which brought this
mischief on.
Being now on the march, you may be sure we felt lit-
tle of the ground we trod on; and being guided by the
fire, we kept no path, but went directly to the place of
the flame. If the noise of the guns was suprising to us
before, the cries of the poor people were now quite of
another nature, and filled us with horror. I must con-
fess, I never was at the sacking of a city, or at the taking
of a town by storm. I have heard of Oliver Crom-
well taking Drogheda in Ireland, and killing man, wo-
man and child; and I had read of Count Tilly sacking
of the city of Magdeburg, and cutting the throats of
twenty-two thousand of both sexes, but I never had an
idea of the thing itself before; nor is it possible to des-
cribe it, or the horror which was upon our minds at hea-
ring it.
However we went on, and at length came to the town,
though there was no entering the streets of it for the fire.
The first object we met with was the ruins of a hut or
468
ADVENTURES OF
!
house, or rather the ashes of it, for the house was con-
sumed; and just before it, plain now to be seen by the
light of the fire, lay four men and three women killed;
and as we thought, one or two more lay in the heap a
mong the fire. In short, these were such instances of
rage altogether barbarous, and of a fury something be-
yond what was human, that we thought it impossible
our men could be guilty of it; or if they were the authors
of it, we thought that every one of them ought to be put
to the worst of deaths: but this was not all; we saw the
fire increased forward, and the cry went on just as the
fire did, so that we were in the utmost confusion. We
advanced a little way farther; and beheld to our asto-
nishment, three women naked, crying in a most dreadful
manner, and flying as if they had, indeed, had wings,
and after them, sixteen or seventeen men, natives, in the
same terror and consternation, with three of our English
butchers, (for I can call them no better) in the rear;
who, when they could not overtake them, fired in among
them, and one that was killed by their shot fell down
in our sight; when the rest saw us, believing us to be
their enemies, and that we would murder them, as well
as those that pursued them, they set up a most dreadful
shriek, especially the women, and two of them fell down
as if already dead with the fright.
My very soul shrunk within me, and my blood ran
cold in my veins when I saw this; and I believe, had
the three English sailors that pursued them come on, I
had made our men kill them all. However, we took
some ways to let the poor flying creatures know that we
would not hurt them: and immediately they came up to
us, and kneeling down, with their hands lifted up, made
piteous lamentations to us to save them which we let
them know we would do; whereupon they kept all to-
gether in a huddle, close behind us, for protection. I
left my men drawn up together, and charged them to
hurt noboby, but, if possible, to get at some of our peo-
ple, and see what fury it was possessed them, and what
they intended to do; and, in a word, to command them
off; asuring them, that if they stayed till day-light, they
་
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
469
would have a hundred thousand men about their ears:
I say I left them, and went among those flying people,
taking only two of our men with me; and there was in-
deed, a piteous spectacle among them; some of them
had their feet terribly burnt with trampling and running
through the fire; others their hands burnt, one of the
women had fallen down in the fire, and was almost burnt
to death before she could get out again; two or three of
the men had cuts in their backs and thighs, from our
men pursuing, and another was shot through the body,
and died while I was there.
I would fain have learned what the occasion of all this
was, but I could not understand one word they said:
though by signs I perceived that some of them knew not
what was the occasion themselves. I was so terrified
in my thoughts at this outrageous attempt, that I could not
stay there, but went back to my own men; I told them
my resolution, and commanded them to follow me,
when in the very moment came four of our men, with
the boatswain at their head, running over the heaps of
bodies they had killed, all covered with blood and dust,
as if they wanted more people to massacre; when our
men hallooed to them as loud as they could halloo; and,
with much ado, made one of them hear; so that they
knew who we were, and came up to us.
As soon as the boatswain saw us, he set up a halloo
like a sort of triumph, for having, as he thought, more
help come; and without stopping to hear me, 'captain,'
says he, 'noble captain, I am glad you are come; we
have not half done yet; villians! hell hound dogs! I
will kill as many of them as poor Tom has hairs upon his
head. We have sworn to spare none of them; we will
root out the very nation of them from the earth,' and thus
he ran ou, out of breath too with action, and would not
give us leave to speak a word,
At last, raising my voice that I might silence him a
little: Barbarous dog!' said I, what are you doing? I
won't have one creature touched more, upon pain of death.
I charge you, upon your life, to stop your hands, and
stand still here, or you are a dead man this minute.
30
470
ADVENTURES OF
#
Why Sir,' says he, 'do you know what you do, or
why they have done? If you want a reason for what we
have done, come hither; and with that he shewed me the
poor fellow hanging upon a tree with his throat cut.
I confess I was urged then myself, and at another
time should have been forward enough: but I thought
they had carried their rage too far, and their conduct
reminded me of Jacob's words to his sons Simeon and
Levi,Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce: and their
wrath, for it was cruel.' But I had now a new task up-
on my hands; for when the men I took with me saw the
sight, as I had done, I had as much to do to restrain them,
as I should have had with the others; nay, my nephew
himself fell in with them, and told me, in their hearing,
that he was only concerned for fear of the men being
overpowered; for as to the people, he thought not one of
them ought to live; for they had all glutted themselves
with the murder of the poor man, and that they ought to be
used like murderers; upon these words, away ran eight
of my men with the boatswain and his crew, to complete
their bloody work; and I, seeing it quite out of my pow-
er to restrain them, came away pensive and sad: for I
could not bear the sight, much less the horrible noise and
cries of the poor wretches that fell into their hands,
I got nobody to come back with me but the supercargo
and two men, and with these I walked back to the
boats. It was a very great piece of folly in me, I confess,
to venture back, as it were alone: for, as it began now
to be almost day, and the alarm had run over the coun-
try, there stood about forty men armed with lances and
bows at the little place where the twelve or thirteen
houses stood mentioned before; but by accident I mis-
sed the place, and came direcly to the sea-side; and by
that time I got to the sea-side it was broad day; I imme-
diately took the pinnace, and went aboard, and sent
her back to assist the men in what might happen.
I observed, that about the time I came to the boat-
side, the fire was pretty well out, and the noise abated;
but in about half an hour after I got on board, I heard a
volley of our men's fire-arms, and saw a great smoke.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
471
This, as I understool afterwards, was our men falling
upon the forty men, who, as I said, stood at the few
houes in the way, of whom they killed sixteen or seven-
teen, and set all those houses on fire, but did not med-
dle with the women or children.
By that time the men got to the shore again with the
pinnace, our men began to appear: they came drop-
ping in, some and some; not in two bodies, and in form
as they went out, but all in heaps, straggling here and
there, in such a manner, that a small force of resolute
men might have cut them all off.
But the dread of them was upon the whole country.
The people were amazed and surprized, and so frighted,
that I believe a hundred of them would have fled at the
sight of but five of our men. Nor in all this terrible
action was there a man who made any considerable de-
fence: they were so surprized between the terror of fire,
and the sudden attack of our men in the dark, that they
knew not which way to turn themselves; for if they filed
one way, they were met by one party; if back again, by
another; so that they were every where knocked down.
Nor did any of our men receive the least hurt, except
one, who strained his foot, and another had one of his
hands very much burnt.
I was very angry with my nephew, the captain, and
indeed, with all the men, in my mind, but with him in
particular, as well for his acting so out of his duty, as
commander of the ship, and having the charge of the
voyage upon him, as in his prompting, rather than cool-
ing, the rage of his men in so bloody and cruel an enter-
prise. My nephew answered me very respectfully, but
told me, that when he saw the body of the poor seaman,
whom they had murdered in such a cruel and barbarous
manner, he was not master of himself, neither could he
govern his passion. He owned he should not have done
so, as he was commander of the ship; but, as he was a
man, and nature moved him, he could not bear it. As
for the rest of the men, they were not subject to me at
all, and they knew it well enough, so they took no no-
tice of my dislike.
1
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ADVENTURES OF
1
!
The next day we set sail; so we never heard any more
of it. Our men differed in the account of the number
they killed; some said one thing, some another; but,
according to the best of their accounts, put altogether,
they killed or destroyed about a hundred and fifty peo-
ple, men, women, and children, and left not a house
standing in the town.
As for the poor fellow, Thomas Jeffries, as he was
quite dead, for his throat was so cut that his head
was half off, it would do him no service to bring him
away; so they left him where they found him, only
took him down from the tree where he was hanged by
one hand.
However just our men thought this action to be, I
was against them in it; and I always, after that time,
told them I feared the voyage would be unsuccessful;
for I looked upon the blood they shed that night to
be murder in them; for though it was true that they
killed Thomas Jeffries, yet it was as true that Jef-
fries was the aggressor, had broken the truce, and had
violated or debauched a young woman of theirs, who
came to their camp innocently, and on the faith of their
capitulation.
The boatswain defended his quarrel when we were
afterwards on board. He said, it was true, that we
seemed to break the truce, but really had not; and
that the war was begun the night before by the natives
themselves, who had shot at us, and killed one of our
men without any just provocation; so that, as we were
in a capacity to fight them, we might also be in a capa-
city to do ourselves justice upon them in an extraor-
dinary manner; that though the poor man had taken
liberty with a wench, he ought not to have been mur-
dered, and that in such a villainous manner; and that
they did nothing but what was just, and that the laws
of God allowed to be done to murderers.
One would think this should have been enough to
have warned us against going on shore among heathens
and barbarians; but it is impossible to make mankind
wise but at their own experience, and their experience
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
473
seems to be always of most use to them when it is
dearest bought.
We were now bound to the Gulph of Persia, and
from thence to the coast of Coromandel, only to touch
at Surat; but the chief of the supercargo's design lay at
the Bay of Bengal, where, if he missed of the business
outward-bound, he was to go up to China, and return
to the Coast as he came home.
The first disaster that befel us was in the Gulph of
Persia, where five of our men, venturing on shore on
the Arabian side of the Gulph, were surrounded by the
Arabs, and either all killed, or carried away into sla-
very. The rest of the boat's crew were not able to
rescue them, and had but just time to get off their
boat. I begun to upbraid them with the just retribu-
tion of Heaven in this case; but the boatswain very
warmly told me, he thought I went farther in my cen-
sures than I could shew any warrant for in Scripture,
and referred to the 13th of St. Luke, ver. 4, where our
Saviour intimates, that those men on whom the Tower
of Siloam fell, were not sinners above all the Galileans.
But that which indeed put me to silence in this case
was, that none of these five men who were now lost,
were of the number of those who went on shore to the
massacre of Madagascar, (so I always called it, though
our men could not bear the word massacre with any pa-
tience;) and, indeed, this last circumstance, as I have
said, put me to silence for the present.
But my frequent preaching to them on this subject
had worse consequences than I expected; and the boat-
swain, who had been at the head of the attempt, came
up boldly to me one time, and told me, he found that I
continually brought that affair upon the stage; that I
made unjust reflections upon it, and had used the men
very ill on that account, and himself in particular; that
as I
was but a passenger, and had no command in the
ship, or concern in the voyage, they were not obliged
to bear it; that they did not know but I might have
some ill design in my head, and, perhaps, call them
to an account for it when they came to England; and
}
474
ADVENTURES OF
that, therefore, unless I would resolve to have done
with it, and also not to concern myself farther with
him, or any of his affairs, he would leave the ship;
for he did not think it was safe to sail with me among
them.
I heard him patiently enough till he had done, and
then told him, that I did confess I had all along opposed
the massacre at Madagascar, for such I would always
call it; and that I had on all occasions spoken my mind
freely about it, though not more to him than any of the
rest; that as to my having no command in the ship, that
was true, nor did I exercise any authority, only took
the liberty of speaking my mind in things which pub-
licly concerned us all. As to what concern I had in the
voyage, that was none of his business; I was a consi-
derable owner of the ship, and in that claim I conceived
I had a right to speak, even farther than I had yet done,
and would not be accountable to him or any one else;
and began to be somewhat warm with him. He made
but little reply to me at that time, and I thought the
affair had been over. We were at this time on the road
to Bengal: and, being willing to see the place, I went
on shore with the supercargo, in the ship's boat, to di-
vert myself, and, towards evening, was preparing to go
on board, when one of the men came to me, and told
me, he would not have me trouble myself to come down
to the boat, for they had orders not to carry me on
board. Any one may guess what a surprize I was in at
so insolent a message; and I asked the man, who bade
him deliver that errand to me? He told me, the cock-
swain. I said no more to the fellow, but bid him let
them know he had delivered his message, and that I
had given him no answer to it.
I immediately went and found out the supercargo, and
told him the story, adding, what I presently foresaw,
viz. that there would certainly be a mutiny in the ship;
and intreated him to go immediately on board the ship
in an Indian boat, and acquaint the captain of it. But
I might have spared this intelligence; for, before I had
spoken to him on shore, the matter was effected on
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
475
board. The boatswain, the gunner, the carpenter, and
in a word, all the inferior officers, as soon as I was gone
off in the boat, came up to the quarter-deck, and de-
sired to speak with the captain; and there the boat-
swain making a long harangue, (for the fellow talked
very well) and repeating all he had said to me, told the
captain in a very few words, that as I was now gone
peaceably on shore, they were loth to use any violence
with me,; which, if I had not gone on shore, they would
otherwise have done, to oblige me to have gone. They
therefore thought fit to tell him, that as they shipped
themselves to serve in the ship under his command,
they would perform it faithfully; but if I would not
quit the ship, or the captain oblige me to quit it, they
would all leave the ship, and sail no farther with him.
And at that word ALL, he turned his face about to-
wards the main-mast, which was, it seems, the signal
agreed on between them; at which all the seamen
being got together, they cried out- One and all! one
and all!
My nephew, the captain, was a man of spirit, and of
great presence of mind; and though he was surprized,
you may be sure, at this behaviour, yet he told them
calmly, he would consider of the matter; but that he
could do nothing in it till he had spoken to me about
it. He used some arguments with them, to shew them
the unreasonableness and injustice of their wishes; but
it was all in vain; they swore, and shook hands round,
before his face, that they would go all on shore, unless
he would engage to them, not to suffer me to come on
board the ship.
This was a hard injunction upon him, who knew his
obligation to me, and did not know how I might take
it. So he began to talk cavalierly to them: told them,
that I was a very considerable owner of the ship, and
that in justice he could not put me out of my own.
house; that this was serving me as bad as the famous
pirate Kid had done, who made the mutiny in the ship,
set the captain on shore in an uninhabited island, and
ran away with the ship; that, let them go into what
476
ADVENTURES OF
ship they would, if ever they came to England again
it would cost them dear; that the ship was mine, and
that he would not put me out of it; and that he would
rather lose the ship, and the voyage too, than disoblige
me so much; so they might do as they pleased. How-
ever, he would go on shore and talk with me there,
and invited the boatswain to go with him, and perhaps
they might accommodate the matter with me.
But they all rejected the proposal, and said, they
would have nothing to do with me any more, neither on
board nor on shore; and if I came on board, they
would go on shore. 'Well,' said the captain, if you
are all of this mind, let me go on shore, and talk with
him.' So away he came to me with this account, a lit-
tle after the message had been brought to me from the
cocks wain.
I was very glad to see my nephew, 1 must confess;
for I was not without apprehension that they would con-
fine him by violence, set sail, and run away with the
ship; and then I had been stripped naked in a remote
country, and nothing to help myself: in short, I had
been in a worse case than when I was all alone in
the island.
But they had not come to that length, it seems, to my
great satisfaction. And when my nephew told me what
they had said to him, and how they had sworn, and
shook hands, that they would one and all leave the
ship, if I was suffered to come on board, I told him he
should not be concerned at it at all, for I would stay on
shore. I only desired he would take care and send me
all my necessary things on shore, and leave me a suf-
ficient sum of money, and I would find my way to
England as well as I could.
This was a heavy piece of news to my nephew;
but there was no way to help it. So, in short, he
went on board the ship again, and satisfied the men
that his uncle had yielded to their importunity, and had
sent for his goods from on board the ship. So the matter
was over in a very few hours; the men returned to their
duty, and I began to consider what course I should steer.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
477
I was now alone in the remotest part of the world, as
I think I may call it, for I was near three thousand
leagues by sea farther off from Englaud than I was at
my island; only, it is true, I might travel here by land
over the Great Mogul's country to Surat; might go
from thence to Bassora by sea, up the Gulph of Persia,
and from thence night take the way of the caravans,
over the Deserts of Arabia to Aleppo and Scanderoon ;
from thence by sea again to Italy, and so over land
into France; and this, put together, might be, at
least, a full diameter of the globe; but, if it were to
be measured, I suppose it would appear a great deal
more.
I had another way before me, which was to wait for
some English ships, which were coming to Bengal, from
Achin, on the island of Sumatra, and get a passage
on board one of them for England. But as I came hither
without any concern with the English East-India Com-
pany, so it would be difficult to go from hence without
their licence, unless with great favour of the captains of
the ships, or of the company's factors; and to both I
was an utter stranger.
Here I had the particular pleasure; (speaking by con-
trarieties,) to see the ship set sail without me; a treat-
ment, I think, a mau in my circumstances scarce ever
met with, except from pirates running away with a ship,
and setting those that would not agree with their vil
lainy on shore: indeed, this was similar to it both
ways. However, my nephew left me two servants, or
rather one companion and one servant: the first was
clerk to the purser, whom he engaged to go with me,
and the other was his own servant. I took me also a
good lodging in the house of an English woman, where
several merchants lodged, some French, two Italiaus,
or rather Jews, and one Englishman. Here I was hand-
somely entertained; and, that I might not be said to
run rashly upon any thing, I staid above nine months,
considering what course to take, and how to conduct
myself. I had some English goods with me of valpe,
and a considerable sum of money. My nephew furnish-
3 P
478
ADVENTURES OF
ed me with a thousand pieces of eight, and a letter of
credit for more, if I had occasion, that I might not be
straitened, whatever might happen.
I quickly disposed of my goods, and to advantage
too; and, as I originally intended, I bought here some
very good diamonds, which, of all other things, was the
most proper for me, in my circumstances, because I
might always carry my whole estate about me.
After a long stay here, and many proposals made for
my return to England, but none being agreeable to my
mind, the English merchant who lodged with me, and
with whom I had contracted an intimate acquaintance,
came to me one morning, and said, Countryman, I
have a project to communicate to you, which, as it
suits with my thoughts, may, for aught I know, suit
with yours also, when we shall have thoroughly con-
sidered it.
Here we are posted,' says he; yon by accident, and
1 by my own choice, in a part of the world very remote
from our own country; but it is in a country where, by
us who understand trade and business, a great deal of
money is to be got. If you will put a thousand pounds
to my thousand pounds, we will hire a ship here, the
first we can get to our minds: you shall be captain, I'l
be merchant, and we will go a trading voyage to Chi-
na, for wherefore should we stand still? The whole
world is in motion, rolling round and round; all the
creatures of God are busy and diligent: why should
we be idle? There are no drones,' said he, living
in the world but men: why should we be of that
number?'
I liked this proposal very well, and the more, be-
cause it seemed to be expressed with so much good-
will, and in so friendly a manner. I will not say but
that I might, by my loose and deranged circumstances,'
be the fitter to embrace a proposal for trade, and, in-
deed, for any thing else; or otherwise trade was none
of my element: however, I might perhaps say, with
some truth, that if trade was not my element, ram-
bling was; and no proposal for seeing any part of the
!
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
479
world which I had never seen before could possibly come
amiss to me.
It was, however, some time before we could get a
ship to our mind; and when we got a vessel, it was
not easy to get English sailors; that is to say, so many
as were necessary to proceed on the voyage, and manage
the sailors which we should pick up there. After some
time we got a mate, a boatswain, and a gunner. Eug-
lish; a Dutch carpenter, and three Portugueze fre-
With these we found we could do well
enough, having Indian seamen, such as they are, to
make up.
mast men.
There are so many travellers who have written the
history of their voyages and travels this way, that it
would be but very little amusement to any body, to
give a long accomit of the places we went to, and the
people who inhabit them. Those things I leave to
others, and refer the reader to those journals and travels
of Englishmen, many of which I und are published,
and more promised every day. It is enough for me to
tell you, that we made the voyage to Achin, in the
island of Sumatra, first; and from thence to Siam, where
we exchanged some of our wares for opium, and for
some arrack; the first, a commodity which bears a great
price among the Chinese, and which, at that time, was
very much wanted there. In a word, we went up to
Susham, made a very good voyage, were eight months
out, and returned to Bengal: and I was very well satis-
fied with my adventure. I observe, that our people in
England often wonder how the officers which the com-
pany send to India, and the merchants which generally
stay there, get such very good estates as they do, and
sometimes come home worth sixty or seventy, and a
hundred thousand pounds at a time.
But we shall see so much farther into it, when we
consider the innumerable ports and places where they
have a free commerce, that it will then be no wonder;
and much less will it be so when we consider, that at all
those places and ports where the English ships come,
there is so much and such constant demand for the
ચૂં
3P2
480
Aðventures or
کم
growth of all other countries, that there is a certain vent
for the return, as well as a market abroad for the goods
carried out.
In short, we made a very good voyage, and I got so
much money by the first adventure, and such an insight
into the method of getting more, that, had I been twenty
years younger, I should have been tempted to have staid
here and sought no farther for making my fortune: but
what was all this to a man ou the wrong side of three-
score; that was rich enough, and came abroad more in
obedience to a restless desire of seeing the world, than a
covetous desire of getting in it? And, indeed, I think,
it is with great justice that I now call it a restless desire;
for it was so when I was at home, I was restless to go
abroad; and now I was abroad, I was restless to be at
home. I say, what was this gain to me? I was rich
enough already; nor had 1 any uneasy desires about
getting more money; and therefore, the profits of the
Voyage were things of no great force to me, for the
prompting me forward to farther undertakings: hence
I thought, that hy this voyage I had made no progress
at all; because I was come back, as I might call it, to
the place from whence I came, as to a home; whereas
my eye, which, like that which Solomom speaks of was,
never satisfied with, seeing, was still more desirous of
wandering and seeing. I was come into a part of the
world I never was in before, and that part in particular
which I had heard much of; and was resolved to see as
much of as I could; and then I thought I might say, I
had seen all the world that was worth seeing.
But my fellow-traveller and I had different notions ; I
do uot name this to insist upon my own, for I acknow
ledge his was most just, and the most suited to the end
of a merchant's life; who, when he is abroad upon ad-
ventures, it is wisdom to stick to that, as the best thing
for him, which he is like to get the most money by: my
friend kept himself to the nature of the thing, and would
have been content to have gone like a carrier's horse, als
ways to the same inn. back and forward, provided hé
could, as he called it, ind his account in it on the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
481
other hand, mine, as old as I was, the notion of a mad
rambling-boy, that never cares to see a thing twice over.
But this was not all: I had a kind of impatience upon
me to be nearer home, and yet the most unsettled reso-
lution imaginable, which way to go: in the interval of
these consultations, my friend, who was always upon
the search for business, proposed another voyage to
me, viz. among the spice-islands; and to bring home
à load of cloves from the Manillas, or thereabouts ;
places where, indeed, the Dutch do trade, but the islands
belong partly to the Spaniards; though we went not, so
far, but to some other, where they have not the whole
power as they have at Batavia, Ceylou, &c. We were
not long in preparing for this voyage; the chief difficul-
ty was in bringing me to come into it: however, at last,
nothing else offering, and finding that really stirring
about and trading, the profit being so great, and as
may say, certain; had more pleasure in it, and more sa-
tisfaction to the mind, than sitting still; which to me
especially, was the unhappiest part of life, I resolved on
this voyage too: which we made very successfully,
touching at Borneo, and several islands, whose names I
do not remember, and caine home in ahout five months:
we sold our spice, which was chiefly cloves, and some
nutmegs, to the Persian merchants, who carried them
away for the Gulph; and making near five of one, we
really got a great deal of money.
My friend, when he made up this account, smiled at
me; Well now, said he, with a sort of an agreeable
sarcasm upon my indoleut temper, is not this better than
walking about here, like a man who has nothing to do,
and spending our time in staring at the nosense and ig
norance of the Pagans? Why truly, said I my friend, I
think it is; and I begin to be a convert to the princi-
ples of merchandizing; but I must tell you, said I by
the way, you do not know what I am doing; for if once
I conquer my backwardness, and embark heartily, as
old as I am, I shall harass you up and down the world
till I tire you; for I shall pursue it so eagerly, I shall
never let you lie still.
482
ADVENTURES OF
i
But to be brief with my speculations; a short time after
this there came in a Dutch ship from Batavia; she
was a coaster, not an European trader, and of about
two hundred tons burden: the crew as they pretended,
having been so sickly, that the captain had not men
enough to go to sea with, he lay at Bengal; and, as if
having got money enough, or being willing, for other
reasons, to go for Europe, he gave public notice, that
he would sell his ship: this caine to my ears before my
new partner heard of it: and I had a great mind to buy
it: so I went home to him, and told him of it; he con-
siders a little for he was no rash man neither: but, mu-
sing some time, he replied, She is a little too big: but,
however, we will have her. Accordingly we bought the
ship: and, agreeing with the master, we paid for her,
and took possession: when we had done so, we resolved
to entertain the men, if we could, to join them with
those we had, for the pursuit of our business; but on a
sudden, they not having received their wages, but their
share of the money, as we afterwards learnt, not one of
them was to be found. We enquired much about them,
and at length were told, that they were all gone toge-
ther by land to Agra, the great city of the Mogul's resi-
dence; and from thence were to travel to Surat, and so
by sea to the gulph of Persia.
!
Nothing had so heartily troubled me a good while, as
that I missed the opportunity of going with them; for
such a ramble, I thought, and in such company as would
both have guarded me, and diverted me, would have
suited mightily with my great design; and I should both
have seen the world, and gone homewards too: but I
was much better satisfied a few days after, when I came
to know what sort of fellows they were; for, in short,
their history was, that this man they called captain
was the gunner only, not the commander; that they
had been a trading voyage, in which they were attacked
on the shore by some of the Malaccans, who had kil
led the captian and three of his men, and that after
the Captain was killed these men eleven in number,
had resolved to run away with the ship, which they did;
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
483
and had brought her into the bay of Bengal, leaving
the mate and five men more on shore; of whom we shall
speak hereafter.
Well let them come by the ship how they would,
we came honestly by her, as we thought; though we did
not, I confess, examine into things so exactly as we
ought; for we never enquired any thing of the seamen,
who, if we had examined, would certainly have faul-
tered in their accounts, contradicted one another, and,
perhaps, contradicted themselves; or, by some means or
other, we should have seen reason to suspect them;
but the man shewed us a bill of sale for the ship, to one
Emanuel Clostershoven, or some such name (for I sup- ·
pose it was all a forgery,) and called himself by that
name; and we could not contradict him; and being with-
all a little too unwary, or at least, having no suspicion
of the thing, we went through with our bargain.
However, we picked up some English seamen, after
this, and some Dutch; and we resolved on a se-
cond voyage to the south-east, for cloves, &c. that is
to say, among the Phillippine and Malacca isles; and
in short, not to fill this part of my story with trifles, when
what is yet to come is so remarkable, I spent, from first
to last, six years in this country, trading from port to port
backward and forward, and with very good success; and
was now the last year with my partner, going in the ship
above mentioned, on a voyage to China; but designing
first to stop at Siam, to buy rice.
In this voyage, being, by contrary winds, obliged to
beat up and down a great while in the straights of Ma-
lacca, and among the islands, we were no sooner got
clear of those difficult seas, but we found our ship had
sprung a leak, and we were not able, by all our indus-
try, to find out where it was. This forced us to make
for some port; and my partner, who knew the coun-
try better than I dil, directed the captain to put into the
river of Cambodia; for I had made the English mate,
one Mr. Thompson, captain, not being willing to take the
charge of the ship upon myself: This river lies on the
north-side of the great bay or gulph, which goes up to Siam,
!
484
ADVENTURES OF
While we were here, and going often on shore for re-
freshment, there came to me one day an Englishman,
who was, it seemed, a gunner's, mate on board an En-
glish East-India ship, which rode in the same river, up,
at, or near the city of Cambodia. What brought him hi-
ther we knew not; but he came up to me, and, speak-
ing English-Sir,' says he,' you are a stranger to me,
and I to you; but I have something to tell you that very
pearly concerns you.'
I looked steadily at him a good while, and he thought
at first I had known him, but I did not. If it very
nearly concerns we,' said I, and not yourself, what
moves you to tell it to me?—I am moved,' said he,
by the imminent danger you are in; and, for ought I
see, you have no knowledge of it. I know no dan-
ger I am in,' said I, but that my ship is leaky, and I
cannot find it out; but I purpose to lay her aground
to-morrow, to see if I can find it.' But, Sir,' said
he, leaky or not leaky, find it or not find it, you will
be wiser than to lay your ship on shore to-morrow, when
you hear what I have to say to you. Do you know,
Sir,' said he, the town of Cambodia lies about sixteen
leagues up this river? and there are two large English
ships about five leagues on this side, and three Dutch.'
Well!'' said I, and what is that to me?—' Why,
Sir,' said he,' is it for a man that is upon such ad-
ventures as you are, to come into a port, and not ex-
amine first what ships there are there, and whether he is
able to deal with them? I suppose you think you are
a match for them.'-I was amused very much at his
discourse, but not amazed at it; for I could not conceive
what he meant; and I turned short upon him, and said
Sir, I wish you would explain yourself'; I cannot imas
gine what reason I have to be afraid of any of the com-
pany's ships, or Dutch ships; I am no interloper ;--
what can they have to say to me?'
He looked like a man half angry, half pleased; and
pausing a while, but smiling Well, Sir,' said he, if
you think yourself secure, you must take your chance;
I am sorry your fate should blind you against good ad-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
485
<
vice; but assure yourself, if you do not put to sea im-
mediately, you will, the very next tide, be attacked by
five long-boats full of men; and perhaps, if you are
taken, you will be hanged for a pirate, and the parti-
culars be examined into afterwards.' 'I thought Sir,'
added he, I should have met with a better reception
than this, for doing you a piece of service of such im-
portance. I can never be ungrateful,' said I, for any
service, or to any man that offers me any kindness, but
it is above my comprehension, what they should have
such a design upon me for. However, since you say
there is no time to be lost, and that there is some vil-
lainous design in hand against me, I will go on board
this minute, and put to sea immediately, if my men can
stop the leak, or if we can swim without stopping it.'-
But, sir,' said I, shall I go away ignorant of all the
reason of this? Can you give me no farther light into
it?
&
'I can tell you but a part of the story, Sir,' says he,
'but I have a Dutch seaman here with me, and I believe
I could persuade him to tell you the rest; but there is
scarce time for it: the short of the story is, the first part
of which I suppose you know well enough, viz. that
you were with this ship at Sumatra; that there your
captain was murdered by the Malaccans, with three
of his men; and that you or some of those that were
on board with you, ran away with the ship, and are
since turned pirates. This is the sum of the story,
and you will all be seized as pirates, I can assure you,
and executed with very little ceremony; for you know
merchant ships shew but little law to pirates, if they
get them in their power.'
'Now you speak plain English,' said I, and I thank
you; and though I know nothing that we have done
like what you talk of, for I am sure we came honestly
and fairly by the ship, yet seeing such work is doing
as you say, and that you seem to mean honestly, I
will be upon my guard.'-' Nay. Sir,' said he, 'do not
talk of being upon your guard; the best defence is
to be out of the danger. If you have any regard to
3 Q
486
ADVENTURES OF
1
!
your life, and the lives of all your men, put out to
sea without fail at high water; and as you have a whole
tide before you, you will be gone too far out before they
can come down; for they will come away at high water,
and as they have twenty miles to come, you get near two
hours of them by the difference of the tide, not reckon-
ing the length of the way; besides, as they are only
boats, and not ships, they will not venture to follow
you far out to sea, especially if it blows.'
2
C
'Well,' said 1, " you have been very kind in this:
what shall I do for you to make you amends? Sir,'
said he, you may not be so willing to make me amends,
because you thay not be convinced of the truth of it: I
will make an offer to you.. I have nineteen months pay
due to me on board the ship which I came out of
England in, and the Dutchman that is with me has
seven months pay due to him, if you will make good our
pay to us, we will go along with you; if you find no-
thing more in it, we will desire no more; but if we do
convince you, that we have saved your life and the ship,
and the lives of all the men in her, we will leave the
rest to you.
“
C
"
I consented to this readily, and went immediately on
board, and the two men with me. As soon as I came
to the ship's side, my partner, who was on board, came
out on the quarter-deck, and called to me with a great
deal of joy Oho! O ho! we have stopped the leak!
we have stopped the leak !'-Say you so?" said I,
thank God! Weigh the anchor then immediately.
Weigh?' said he, what do you mean by that? What
is the matter? Ask no questions,' said I, put all
hands to work, and weigh without losing a minute.
He was surprised; but, however, he called the captain,
and he immediately ordered the anchor to be got up;
and though the tide was not quite done, yet a little land
breeze blowing, we stood out to sea. Then I called
him into the cabin, and told him the story at large; and
we called in the men, and they told us the rest of it;
but as it took up a great deal of time before we had
done, a seaman came to the cabin door, and called out
$1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
487
M
6
.
to us, that the captain bade him tell us we were chased.
Chased,' said I, by whom and by what?' By five
sloops or boats,' said the fellow, full of men.' Very
well,' said I, then it is apparent there is something in
it.' In the next place I ordered all our men to be called
up, and told them, there was a design to seize the ship,
and to take us as pirates, and asked them if they would
stand by us and by one another? The men answered
cheerfully, that one and all, they would live and die
with us. Then I asked the captain, what way he thought
best for us to manage a fight with them; for resist them
I resolved we would, and that to the last drop. He
said, readily, that the way was to keep them off with
our great shot as long as we could, and then to fire at
them with our small arms, to keep them from boarding
us; but when neither of these would do any longer,
we should retire to our close quarters, perhaps they had
not materials to break open our bulk-heads, or get in
upon us.
The gunner had in the mean time orders to bring two
guns to bear fore and aft out of the steerage, to clear the
deck, and load them with musket-bullets and small
pieces of old iron, and what next came to hand; and
thus we made ready for fight; and all this while kept
out to sea with wind enough, and could see the boats at
a distance, being five large long-boats following us with
all the sail they could make.
Two of these boats, which by our glasses we could
see were English, had out-sailed the rest, were near
two leagues a-head of them, and gained upon us con-
siderably, so that we found they would come up with
us: upon which we fired a gun without a shot, to inti-
mate that they should bring to; and we put out a flag
of truce as a signal of parley; but they kept crowding
after us till they came within shot. Upon this we took
in our white flag. they having made no answer to it,
hung out the red flag, and fired at them with shot. Not-
withstanding this, they came on till they were near
enough for us to call to them with a speaking trumpet,
3Q2
488
ADVENTURES OF
which we had on board; so we called to them, and bade
them keep off at their peril,
It was all one, they crowded after us, and endeavour-
ed to come under our stern, so as to board us in our
quarter. Upon which, seeing they were resolute for
mischief, and depending upon the strength that followed
them, I ordered to bring the ship to, so that they lay
upon our broadside, when immediately we fired five guns
at them, one of which had been levelled so true as to
carry away the stern of the hindermost boat, and bring
them to the necessity of taking down their sail, and run-
ning all to the head of the boat to keep her from sink-
ing; so she lay by very much disabled'; but seeing the
foremost boat still crowd on after us, we made ready to
fire at her in particular,
While this was doing, one of the three boats that was
behind, being forwarder than the other two, made up
to the boat which we had disabled, to relieve her, and
we could afterwards see her take out the men. We
called again to the foremost boat, and offered a truce to
parley again, and to know what was her business with
us, but had no answer, only she crowded close under
our stern. Upon this our gunner, who was a very
dexterous fellow, run out his two chace guns, and fired
at her; but the shot missing, the men in the boat shout-
ed, waved their caps, and came on; but the gunner get-
ting quickly ready again, fired among them a second
time; one shot of which, though it missed the boat it-
self, yet fell in among the men, and we could easily see
had done a great deal of mischief among them; but we,
taking no notice of that, weared the ship again, and
brought our quarter to bear upon them, and firing three
guns more, we found the boat was split almost to pieces;
in particular, her rudder and a piece of her stern were
shot quite away; so they handed their sails immediately,
and were in great disorder; but to complete their mis-
fortune, our gunner let fly two guns at them again;
where he hit them we could not tell, but we found the
boat was sinking, and some of the men already in the
water. Upon this, I immediately manned out our pin-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
489
nace, which we had kept close by our side, with orders
to pick up some of the men, if they could, and save them
from drowning, and immediately to come on board with
them, because we saw the rest of the boats began to come
up. Our men in the pinnace followed their orders, and
took up three men; one of which was just drowning,
and it was a good while before we could recover him,
As soon as they were on board, we crowded all the sail
we could make, and stood farther ont to sea; and we
found, that when the other three boats came up to the
first two, they gave over their chace.
Being thus delivered from a danger which, though I
knew not the reason of it, yet seemed to be much greater
than I apprehended; I took care that we should change
our course, and not let any one imagine whither we
were going. So we stood out to sea eastward, quite out
of the course of all European ships, whether they were
bound to China, or any where else within the commerce
of the European nations.
When we were now at sea, we began to consult with
the two seamen, and enquire, urst, what the meaning
of all this could be. The Dutchman let us into the
secret of it at once, telling us, that the fellow that sold
us the ship, as we said, was no more than a thief that
had run away with her. He then told us how the cap-
tain, whose name too he mentioned, though I do not re-
member it now, was treacherously murdered by the na-
tives on the coast of Malacca, with three of his men, and
that he (this Dutchman) and four more, got into the
woods, where they wandered about a great while; till at
length he, in particular, in a miraculous manner, made
his escape, and swam off to a Dutch ship, which sail-
ing near the shore, in its way from China, had sent
their boat on shore for fresh water: that he durst not
come to that part of the shore where the boat was,
but made shift in the night to take in the water farther
off, and swimming a great while, at last the ship's boat
took him up.
He then told us, that he went to Batavia, where two
of the seamen belonging to the ship had arrived, having
490
ADVENTURES OF
deserted the rest in their travels and gave an ac-
count, that the fellow who had run away with the ship,
sold her at Bengal to a set of pirates, which were gone a
cruising in her; and that they had already taken an En-
glish ship, and two Dutch ships, very richly laden.
This latter part we found to concern ús directly, and
though we knew it to be false, yet as my partner said,
very well, if we had fallen into their hands, and they had
such a prepossession against us before hand, it had been
in vain for us to have attempted to defend ourselves, or to
hope for any god quarter at their hands, especially
considering that our accusers had been our judges, and
that we could have expected nothing from them but
what rage would have dictated, and ungoverned passion
have executed and therefore it was his opinion, that we
should go directly back to Bengal, from whence we came
without putting in at any port whatever; because there
we could give an account of ourselves, and could prove
where we were when the ship put in, whom we bought
her of, and the like: and what was more than all the
rest, if we were put to the necessity of bringing it before
the proper judges, we should be sure to have some jus-
tice: and not be hanged first, and judged afterwards.
I was for some time of my partner's opinion; but after
a little more serious consideration, I told him, I thought
it was a very great hazard for us to attempt returning
to Beugal, for that we were on the wrong side of the
streights of Malacca; and that if the alarm was given,
we should be sure to be way-laid on every side, as
well by the Dutch of Batavia, as the English elsewhere;
that if we should be taken, as it were, running away, we
should even condemn ourselves, and there would want
no more evidence to destroy us. I also asked the English
sailor's opinion, who said, he was of my mind, and that
we should certainly be taken.
This danger a little startled my partner, and all the
ship's company; and we immediately resolved to go
away to the coast of Tonquin, and so on to China; and
from thence pursuing the first design, as to trade, find
some way or other to dispose of the ship, and come

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
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:
محمد
back in some of the vessels of the country, such as we
could get. This was approved of as the best method
for our security; and accordingly we steered away N.
N. E. keeping above fifty leagues off from the usual
course to the eastward.
This, however, put us to some inconvenience; for
first, the winds, when we came to that distance from
the shore, seemed to be more steadily against us blow-
ing almost trade, as we call it, from the East, and E. N
E. so that we were a long while upon our voyage; and
we were but ill provided with provisions for so long a
run; and, which was still worse, there was some danger,
that those English and Dutch ships, whose boats pursued
us, whereof some were bound that way, might be got in
before us; and if not, some other ship, bound to China,
might have information of us from them, and pursue us
with the same vigour.
I must confess, I was now very uneasy, and thought
myself, including the late escape from the long boats,
to have been in the most dangerous condition that ever
I was in through all my past life; for, whatever il cir-
cumstances I have been in, I was never pursued for a
thief before; nor had I ever done any thing that me-
rited the name of dishonest, or fraudulent, much less
thievish. I had chiefly been mine own enemy, or, as I
might rightly say, I had been nobody's enemy but my
Own. But now I was embarrassed in the worst condi-
tion imaginable; for though I was perfectly innocent, I
was in no condition to make that innocence appear. And
if I had been taken, it had been under a supposed guilt
of the worst kind; at least, a crime esteemed.so among
the people I had to do with.
This made me very anxious to endeavour to effect an
escape, though which way to do it, I knew not; or what
port or place we should go to. My partner seeing me
thus dejected, though he was the most concerned at
first, began to encourage me; and describing to me the
several ports of that coast, told me, he would put in
on the coast of Cochinchina, or the bay of Tonquin; in-
tending to go afterwards to Macao, a, town once in pos-
492
ADVENTURES OF
1
:
session of the Portuguese, and where still a great many
European families resided; and particularly the mis-
sionary priests usually went thither, in order to their go-
ing forward to China.
Hither then we resolved to go; and accordingly
though after a tedious and irregular course, and very
much straitened for provisions, we came within sight
of the coast very early in the morning; and upon re-
flection upon the past situation we had been in, and the
danger, if we had not escaped, we resolved to put into a
small river, which, however, had depth enough of wa-
ter for us, and to see if we could, either over land,
or by the ship's pinuace, come to know what ships were
in any port thereabouts. This happy step was, indeed,
our deliverance; for though we did not immediately see
any European ships in the bay of Tonquin, yet, the next
morning, there came into the bay two Dutch ship's, and
a third without any colours spread out, but which we
believed to be a Dutchman, passed by at about two
leagues distance, steering for the coast of China; and
in the afternoon went by two English ships, steering
the same course; and thus we thought we saw ourselves
beset with enemies, both one way and the other. The
place we were in was wild and barbarous, the people
thieves, even by occupation or profession; and though
it is true, we had not much to seek of them, and except-
ing getting a few provisions, cared not how little we
had to do with them, yet it was with much difficulty
that we kept ourselves from being insulted by them se-
veral ways.
We were in a small river of this country, within a
few leagues of its utmost limits northward; and by
our boat we coasted north-east to the point of land
which opens to the great bay of Tonquin; and it was
in this beating up along the shore, that we discovered as
above, that in a word, we were surrounded with ene-
mies. The people we were among were the most bar-
barous of all the inhabitants of the coast; having no
correspondence with any other nation, and dealing only
in fish and oil, and such gross commodities; and it
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
493
may be particularly observed, that they are, as I said,
the most barbarous of any of the inhabitants, viz. that
among other customs they have this one; that if any
vessel has the misfortune to be shipwrecked upon their
coast, they presently make the men all prisoners, that
is to say, slaves. And it was not long before we found
an instance of their kindness this way on the following
occasion:-
I have observed above, that our ship sprung a leak
at sea, and that we could not find it out; and, however
it happened, that, as I have said, it was stopped unex-
pectedly, in the happy minute of our being to be seized
by the Dutch and English ships near the Bay of Siam;
yet, as we did not find the ship so perfectly tight and
sound as we desired, we resolved, while we were in this
place, to lay her on shore, take out what heavy things
we had on board, which were not many, and to wash
and clean her bottom; and, if possible, to find out where
the leaks werc.
Accordingly, having lightened the ship, and brought
all our guns and other moveable things to one side, we
tried to bring her down, that we might come at her bot-
tom; for, on second thoughts, we did not care to lay
her dry aground; neither could we find out a proper
place for it.
The inhabitants, who had never been acquainted with
such a sight, came down to the shore, looking at us
with wonder; and seeing the ship lie down on one side
in such a manner, and heeling towards the shore, and
not seeing our men, who were at work on her bottom
with stages, and with their boats on the off side, they
presently concluded, that the ship was cast away, and
lay so very fast on the ground.
On this supposition they all came about us in two or
three honrs time, with ten or twelve large boats, having
some of them eight, some ten men in a boat, intending,
no doubt, to have come on board and plundered the
ship; and if they had found us there, to have carried us
away for slaves, to their king, or whatever they called
him, for we knew nothing who was their governor.
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ADVENTURES OF
When they came up to the ship, and began to row
round her, they discovered us all hard at work on the
outside of the ship's bottom and side, washing and
graving, and stopping, as every seafaring man under-
stands.
They stood for a while gazing at us; and we, who
were a little surprised, could not imagine what their de-
sign was; but being willing to be sure, we took this
opportunity to get some of us into the ship, and others
to hand down arms and ammunition to those that were
at work, to defend themselves with if there should be
occasion; and it was no more than necessary, for, in less
than a quarter of an hour's consultation, they agreed, it
seems, that the ship was really a wreck, and that we
were all at work, endeavouring to save her, or to save
our lives by the help of our boats; and when we handed
our arms into the boats, they concluded, by that mo-
tion, that we were endeavouring to save some of our
goods. Upon this they took it for granted, they all be-
longed to them; and away they came directly upon our
men, as if it had been in a line of battle.
Our men seeing so many of them, began to be fright-
ened, for we lay but in an ill posture to fight, and cried
out to us to know what they should do. I immediately
called to the men who worked upon the stages, to slip
them down, and get up the side into the ship; and bade
those in the boat to row round and come on board; and
those few of us who were on board worked with all the
strength and hands we had to bring the ship to rights;
but, however, neither the men upon the stage, nor those
in the boats, could do as they were ordered, before the
Cochinese were upon them, and with two of their boats
boarded our long-boat, and began to lay hold of our
men as their prisoners.
The first man they laid hold of was an English sea-
man, a stout young fellow, who having a musket in his
hand, never offered to fire it, but laid it down in the
boat, like a fool, as I thought; but he understood his
business better than I could teach him; for he grappled
the Pagan, and dragged him by main force out of their
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
495
own boat into ours; where, taking him by the two ears,
he beat his head so against the ship's gunwhale, that
the fellow died instantly in his hands; and in the mean-
time a Dutchman, who stood next, took up the musket
and with the butt end of it so laid about them, that he
knocked down five of them who attempted to enter the
boat; but this was little towards resisting thirty or forty
men, who, fearless, because ignorant of their danger,
began to throw themselves into the long-boat, where
we had but five men to defend it. But one accident
gave our men a complete victory, which deserved our
laughter rather than any thing else, and that was
this:-
Our carpenter being prepared to grave the outside of
the ship, as well as to pay the seams where he had
caulked her to stop the leaks, had got two kettles just
let down into the boat. one filled with boiling pitch,
and the other with rosin, tallow, and oil, and such stuff,
as shipwrights use for that work; and the man that at-
tended the carpenter had a great iron ladle in his hand,
with which he supplied the men that were at work with
that hot stuff. Two of the enemy's men entered the
boat just where this fellow stood, being in the foresheets;
he immediately saluted them with a ladleful of the stuff,
boiling hot; which so burnt and scalded them, being
half naked, that they roared out like two bulls, and
enraged with the fire, leaped both into the sea. The
carpenter saw it, and cried out- Well done, Jack!
give them some more of it;' when stepping forward
himself, he took one of their mops, and dipping it in
the pitch pot, he and his men threw it among them so
plentifully, that, in short, of all the men in three boats,
there was not one that was not scalded and burned with
it in a most frightful, pitiful manner, and made such
a howling and crying, that I never heard a worse noise,
and, indeed, nothing like it; for it was worth obser-
ving, that though pain naturally makes all people cry
out, yet every nation have a particular way of exclama-
tion, and make noises as different from one another as
their speech. I cannot give the noise these creatures
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ADVENTURES OF
made a better name than howling, nor a name more
proper to the tone of it; for I never heard any thing
more like the noise of the wolves, which, as I have said,
I heard howl in the forest on the frontiers of Lan-
guedoc.
I was never better pleased with a victory in my life;
not only as it was a perfect surprise to me, and that our
danger was imminent before; but as we got it with-
out any bloodshed, except that of the man the fellow
killed with his naked hands, and which I was very much
concerned at, for I was sick of killing such poor savage
wretches, even though it was in my own defence, know-
ing they came on errands which they thought just, and
knew no better; and that, though it may be a just thing,
because necessary (for there is no necessary wickedness
in nature) yet I thought it was a sad life when we must
be always obliged to be killing our fellow-creatures to
preserve ourselves; and indeed, I think so still; and I
would even now suffer a great deal rather than I would
take away the life even of the worst person injuring me.
I believe also, all considerate people who know the value
of life, would be of my opinion, if they entered seriously
into the consideration of it.
But to return to my story. All the while this was
doing, my partner and I, who managed the rest of the
men on board, had, with dexterity, brought the ship
almost to rights; and having gotten the guns into their
places again, the gunner called to me to bid our boat
get out of the way, for he would let fly among them. I
called back again to him, and bid him not offer to fire,
for the carpenter would do the work without him; but
bade him heat another pitch-kettle, which our cook, who
was on board, took care of. But the enemy was so ter-
rified with what they met with in their first attack, that
they would not come on again; and some of them that
were farthest off, seeing the ship swim as it were up-
right, began, as we supposed, to see their mistake, and
gave over the enterprize, finding it was not as they ex-
pected. Thus we got clear of this merry fight; and,
having gotten some rice, and about sixteen good large
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
497
hogs on board, we resolved to stay here no longer, but
go forward, whatever came of it, for we made no doubt
but we should be surrounded the next day by rogues
enough, perhaps more than our pitch-kettle would dis-
pose of for us.
We therefore got all our things on board the same
evening, and the next morning were ready to sail. In
the mean time, lying at anchor some distance from the
shore, we were not so much concerned, being now in a
fighting posture, as well as in a sailing posture, if any
enemy had presented. The next day, having finished our
work within board, and finding our ship was perfectly
healed of all her leaks, we set sail. We would have gone
into the bay of Tonquin, for we wanted to inform our-
selves of what was to be known concerning the Dutch
ships that had been there; but we durst not stand
in there, because we had seen several ships go in, as we
supposed, but a little before; so we kept on N. E. to-
wards the isle of Formosa, as much afraid of being seen
by a Dutch or English merchant ship, as a Dutch or
English merchant ship in the Mediterranean is of an
Algerine man of war.
When we were thus got to sea, we kept on N. E. as
if we would go to the Manillas or the Philippine islands,
and this we did that we might not fall into the way of
any of the European ships; and then we steered north
again, till we came to the latitude of 22 degrees 20 mi-
nutes, by which means we made the island of Formosa
directly, where we came to an anchor, in order to get
water and fresh provisions, which the people there, who
are very courteous and civil in their manners, supplied
us with willingly, and dealt very fairly and punctually
in all their agreements and bargains; which is what we
did not find among other people, and may be owing to
the remains of Christianity which was once planted here
by a Dutch missionary of Protestants, and is a testi-
mony of what I have often observed, viz. that the Chris-
tian religion always civilizes the people, and reforms
their manners, where it is received, whether it works
saving effects upon them or no.
498
ADVENTURES OF
From hence we sailed still north, keeping the coast of
China, at an equal distance, till we knew we were be-
yond all the ports of China where our European ships
generally come; being resolved, if possible, not to fall
into any of their hands, especially in this country, where
as our circumstances were, we could not fail of being
entirely ruined; nay, so great was my fear in particular,
as to my being taken by them, that I believe firmly, I
would much rather have chosen to fall into the hands of
the Spanish Inquisition.
Being now come to the latitude of 30 degrees, we were
resolved to put into the first trading port we should
come at; and, standing in for the shore, a boat came off
two leagues to us, with an old Portuguese pilot on
board, who, knowing us to be an European ship, came
to offer his service; which, indeed, we were very glad
of, and took him on board; upon which, without asking
us whither we would go, he dismissed the boat he came
in, and sent it back.
I thought it was so much in our choice to make the
old man carry us whither we would, that I began to talk
with him about carrying us to the Gulph of Nanquin,
which is the most northern part of the coast of China.
The old man said he knew the Gulph of Nanquin
very well; but, smiling, asked us what we would do
there?
I told him we would sell our cargo, and purchase
China wares, calicoes, raw silks, tea, &c. and so would
return by the same course we came. He told us, our
best port had been to have put in at Macao, where we
could not fail of a market for our opium to our sa-
tisfaction, and might, for our money, have purchased
all sorts of China goods as cheap as we could at
Nanquin.
Not being able to put the old man out of his talk, of
which he was very opiniated or conceited, I told him we
were gentlemen as well as merchants, and that we had a
mind to go and see the great city of Pekin, and the fa-
mons court of the Monarch of China. Why, then,'
said the old man, you should go to Ningpo, where, by
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
499
the river that runs into the sea there, you may go up
within five leagues of the great canal.' This canal is a
navigable made stream, which goes through the heart of
all that vast empire of China, crosses all the rivers,
passes some considerable hills by the help of sluices and
gates, and goes up to the city of Pekin, being in length
near two hundred and seventy leagues.
C
Well,' said I, Seignior Portugueze, but that is not
our business now. The great question is, if you can
carry us up to the city of Nanquin, from whence we
can travel to Pekin afterwards?' 'Yes,' he said, he
could do so very well, and there was a great Dutch
ship gone up that way just before.' This gave me a lit-
tle shock; a Dutch ship was now our terror, and we
had much rather have met the devil, at least if he had
not come in too frightful a figure. We depended upon
it that a Dutch ship would be our destruction, for we
were in no condition to fight them; all the ships they
trade with in those parts being of great burden, and of
much greater force than we were.
The old man found me a little confused, and under
some concern, when he named a Dutch ship, and said
to me-- Sir, you need be under no apprehension of the
Dutch; I suppose they are not now at war with your
nation. 'No,' said I, that's true; but I know not
what liberties men may take when they are out of
the reach of the laws of their own country.' 'Why,'
said he, you are no pirates; and what need you
fear? They will not meddle with peaceable merchants,
sure!'
my
If I had any blood in my body that did not fly up into
face at that word, it was hindered by some stop in
the vessels appointed by nature to circulate it; for it
put me into the greatest disorder and confusion imagin-
able; nor was it possible for me to conceal it, so but
that the old man easily perceived it.
Sir,' said he, I find you are, in some disorder in
your thoughts at my talk; pray be pleased to go which
way you think fit; and, depend upon it, I'll do you all
the service I can. Why, Seignior,' said I, it is true
500
ADVENTURES OF
+
I am a little unsettled in my resolution at this time whi-
ther to go in particular; and I am something more so for
what you said about pirates, I hope there are no pirates
in these seas: we are but in an ill condition to meet with
them; for you see we have but a small force, and are
but very weakly manned.'
Oh! Sir,' said he, do not be concerned, I do not
know that there have been any pirates in these seas
these fifteen years, except one, which was seen, as I
hear, in the Bay of Siam, about a month since; but you
may be assured she is gone to the southward; nor was
she a ship of any great force, or fit for the work; she
was not built for a privateer, but was ran away with by
a reprobate crew that were on board, after the captain
and some of his men had been murdered by the Malac-
cans, at or near the island of Sumatra.'
6
What!' said I, seeming to know nothing of the
matter, did they murder the captain? No,' said
he, I do not understand that they murdered him;
but as they afterwards ran away with the ship, it is ge-
Berally believed that they betrayed him into the hands
of the Malaccans, who did murder him; and, perhaps
they procured them to do it.'-Why then,' said 1, they
deserve death as much as if they had done it them-
selves. Nay,' said the old man, they do deserve it;
and they will certainly have it, if they light upon any
English or Dutch ship; for they have agreed toge-
ther, that if they meet that rogue, they will give him
Do quarter.'
"
But,' said I to him, you say the pirate is gone out
of these seas; how can they meet with him then?-
Why, that's true,' said he, they do say so; but he
was, as I tell you, in the Bay of Siam, in the river Cam-
bodia, and was discovered there by some Dutchmen
who belonged to the ship, and who were left on shore,
when they ran away with her; and some English and
Dutch traders being in the river, they were within a
little of taking him. Nay,' said he, if the foremost
boats had been well seconded by the rest, they had cer-
tainly taken him; but he, finding only two boats within.
*
...
13
、
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
501
reach of him, tacked about, and fired at these two, and
disabled them before the others came up; and then
standing off to sea, the others were not able to follow
him, and so he got away. But they have all so exact a
description of the ship that they will be sure to know
him; and wherever they find him, they have vowed to
give no quarter, (to either the captain or seamen) but
to bang them all up at the yard-arin.'
What!' said 1, will they execute them right or
wrong; hang them first, and judge them afterwards?'-
O! Sir,' said the old pilot, there is no need to make
a formal business of it with such rogues as those; let
them tie them back to back, and set them a diving, it is
no more than they rightly deserve.'
I knew I had my old man fast on board, and that he
could do me no harm; so that I turned short upon him
Well, now Seignior,' said I, and this is the very
reason why I would have you carry us to Nanquin,
and not to put back to Macoa, or to any other part of
the country where the English and Dutch ships come;
for, be it known to you, Seignior, those captains of the
English and Dutch ships are a parcel of rash, proud,
insolent fellows, that neither know what belongs to jus-
tice, or how to behave themselves as the laws of God
and nature direct; but being proud of their offices, and
not understanding their power, they would act the mur-
derers to punish robbers; would take upon them to in-
sult men falsely accused, and determine them guilty
without due enquiry; and perhaps I may live to call
some of them to an account for it, where they may
be taught how justice is to be executed, and that
no man ought to be treated as a criminal, till some
evidence may be had of the crime, and that he is the
man.'
With this I told him, that this was the very ship
they had attacked; and gave a full account of the skir
mish we had with their boats, and how foolishly and
coward-like they had behaved. I told him all the story
of our buying the ship, and how the Dutchmen served
ns. I told him the reasons I had to believe that this
3 S
502
ADVENTURES OF
story of killing the master by the Malaccans was not
true, as also the running away with the ship; but that
it was all a fiction of their own, to suggest that the men
were turned pirates; and they ought to have been sure
it was so before they had ventured to attack us by sur-
prize, and oblige us to resist them, adding, that they
would have the blood of those men who were killed
there, in our just defence to answer for.
The old man was amazed at this relation, and told
us, we were very much in the right to go away to the
north; and that if he might advise us, it should be
to sell the ship in China, which we might very well do,
and buy or build another in the country. 'And,' said
he, though you will not get so good a ship, yet you
may get one able enough to carry you and all your goods
back again to Bengal, or any where else.'
I told him I would take his advice when I came to
any port where I could find a ship for my turn, or get
any customer to buy this.' He replied, I should meet
with customers enough for the ship at Nanquin, and
that a Chinese junk would serve me very well to go
back again; and that he would procure me people both
to buy one and sell the other.'
Well, but, Seignior,' said I, as you say they know
the ship so well, I may, perhaps, if I follow your mea-
sures, be instrumental to bring some honest, innocent
men into a terrible broil, and, perhaps, be murdered in
cold blood; for wherever they find the ship, they will
prove the guilt upon the men, by proving this was the
ship; and so innocent men may probably be overpow-
ered and murdered.'-' Why,' said the old man, I'll
find out a way to prevent that also; for as I know all
those commanders you speak of very well, and shall
see them all as they pass by, I will be sure to set them
to rights in this matter, and let them know that they
had been so much in the wrong, that though the people
who were on board at first might run away with the
ship, yet it was not true that they had turned pirates ;
and that, in particular, those were not the men that first
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
503
6
went off with the ship, but innocently bought her for
their trade; and I am persuaded they will so far believe
me, as, at least, to act more cautiously for the time to
come. Well,' said I, and will you deliver one mes-
sage to them from me? Yes, I will,' said he,
if you
will give it under your hand in writing, that I may be
able to prove it came from you, and not out of my own
head.' 'I answered, that I would readily give it under
my hand. So I took a pen, and ink, and paper, and
wrote at large the story of assaulting me with the long-
boats, &c. the pretended reason of it, and the unjust
cruel design of it; and observed to the commanders,
that they had done what they not only should have been
ashamed of, but also, that if ever they came to Eng-
land, and I lived to see them there, they should all pay
dearly for it, if the laws of my country were not grown
out of use before I arrived there.
My old pilot read this over and over again, and asked
me several times if I would stand to it. I answered, I
would stand to it as long as I had any thing left in the
world; being sensible that I should, one time or other,
find an opportunity to retaliate on them. But we had
no occasion ever to let the pilot carry this letter; for
he never went back again. While these things were
passing between us by way of discourse, he went for-
ward directly for Nanquin; and in about thirteen days
sail, came to an anchor at the south-west point of the
great Gulph of Nanquin, where, however, I came by ac-
cident to understand, that the two Dutch ships were
gone that length before me, and that I should certainly
fall into their hands. I consulted my partner again in
this exigency, and he was as much at a loss as I was,
and would very gladly have been on shore almost any
where. However, I was not in such perplexity neither,
but I asked the old pilot if there was no creek or har-
bour which I might put into, and pursue my business
with the Chinese privately, and be in no danger of the
enemy. He told me, if I would sail to the southward
about two and forty leagues, there was a little port
called Quinchang, where the fathers of the mission
3S2
504
ADVENTURES OF
usually landed at Macao, on their progress to teach the
Christian religion to the Chinese, and where no Euro-
pean ships ever put in; and, if I thought proper to put
in there, I might consider what farther course to
when I was on shore. He confessed, he said, it was
not a place for merchants, except that at some cer-
tain times they had a kind of a fair there, when the
merchants from Japan came over thither to buy the Chi-
nese merchandizes.
We all agreed to go back to this place. The name of
the port, as he called it, I may perhaps spell wrong;
for I do not particularly remember it, having lost this,
together with the names of many other places set down
in my little pocket-book, which was spoiled by the water
on an accident which I shall relate in its order; but this
I remember, that the Chinese or Japanese merchants we
correspond with, call it by a different name from that
which our Portuguese pilot gave it, aud pronounced it
as above, Quinchang.
As we were unaniinous in our resolutions to go to this
place, we weighed the next day, having only gone twice
on shore, where we were to get fresh water; on both
which occasions the people of the country were very
civil to us, and brought us abundance of things to sell
to us; I mean of provisions, plants, roots, tea, rice, and
some fowls, but nothing without money.
We came not to the other port (the wind being con-
trary) till five days; but was very much to our satis-
faction, and I was joyful, and I may say thankful, when
I set my foot safe on shore; resolving, together with
my partner, that if it was possible to dispose of our-
selves and effects any other way, though not every way
to our satisfaction, we would never set one foot on board
that unhappy vessel more; and, indeed, I must acknow-
ledge, that of all the circumstances of life that ever I
had any experience of, nothing makes mankind so com-
pletely miserable as that of being in constant fear. Well
does the scripture say- The fear of man brings a
snare; it is a life of death; and the mind is so en-
tirely suppressed by it, that it is capable of no relief;
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
505
the animal spirits sink, and all the vigour of nature,
which usually supports men under other afflictions,
and is present to them in the greatest exigencies, fails
them here.
Nor did it fail of its usual operations upon the fancy,
by heightening every danger; representing the English
and Dutch captains to be men incapable of hearing rea-
son, or distinguishing between honest men and rogues,
or between a story calculated for our own turn, made
out of nothing, on purpose to deceive, and a true gen
ine account of our whole voyage, progress, and design;
for we might many ways have convinced any reasonable
being that we were not pirates; the goods we had on
board would make it appear the ship had been at Ben-
gal; the Dutchmen, who it was said, had the names of
all the men that were in the ship might easily see that
we were a mixture of English, Portuguese, and Indians,
and but two Dutchmen on board. These, and many
other particular circumstances might have made it evi-
dent to the understanding of any commander, whose
hands we might fall into, that we were no pirates.
But fear, that blind tormenting passion, worked ano-
ther way, and threw us into the vapours; it bewildered
our understanding, and set the imagination at work to
form a thousand terrible things that, perhaps, might
never happen. We first supposed, as indeed every body
had related to us, that the seamen on board the English
and Dutch ships, but especially the Dutch, were so en-
raged at the name of a pirate, and especially at our
beating off their boats and escaping, that they would not
give themselves time to enquire whether we were pirates
or no, but would execute us off hand, as we call it,
without giving us any room for a defence. We reflected
that there was really so much apparent evidence before
them, that they would scarce enquire after any mere; as
first, That the ship was certainly the same, and that
some of the seamen among them knew her, and had
been on board her; and secondly, That when we had
intelligence at the River Cambodia, that they were
coming down to examine us, we fought their boats and
506
ADVENTURES OF
3
fled; so that we made no doubt but they were as fully
satisfied of our being pirates, as we were satisfied of the
contrary; and I often said, I knew not but I should
have been apt to have taken these little circumstances
for evidence, if the tables were turned, and my case
was their's; and have made no scruple of cutting all
the crew to pieces, without believing, or, perhaps
considering, what they might have to offer in their
defence.
But be that how it will, those were our apprehen-
sions; and both my partner and I scarce slept a night
without dreaming of haiters and yard-arms; that is to
say, gibbets, of fighting, and being taken; of killing,
and being killed: and one night I was in such a fury in
my dream, fancying the Dutchmen had boarded us,
and I was knocking one of their seamen down, that I
struck my double fist against the side of the cabin I lay
in with such force, as wounded my hand most griev-
ously, broke my buttons, and cut and bruised the flesh;
so that it not only waked me out of my sleep, but I was
once afraid I should have lost two of my fingers.
Another apprehension I had was, of the cruel usage
we should meet with from them if we fell into their
hands. Then the story of Amboyna came into my head,
and that the Dutch might perhaps torture us, as they
did our countrymen there, and make some of our men,
by extremity of torture, confess those crimes they never
were guilty of; own themselves and all of us to be pi-
rates, and so they would put us to death with a formal
appearance of justice; and that they might be tempted
to do this for the gain of our ship and cargo, which was
worth four or five thousand pounds put all together.
These things tormented me and my parner night and
day; nor did we consider, that the captains of ships
have no authority to act thus; and if we had surren-
dered ourselves prisoners to them, they could not an-
swer the destroying us or of torturing us, but would
be accountable for it when they came into their own
country. This I say, gave me no satisfaction; for if
they will act thus with us, what advantage would it be
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
507
to us that they would be called to an account for it;
or if we were first to be murdered, what satisfaction
would it be to us to have them punished when they
came home?
I cannot refrain taking notice here, what reflections I
now had upon the past variety of my particular circum-
stances, how hard I thought it was, that I who had
spent forty years in a life of continued difficulties, and
was at last come as it were, at the port or haven which
all men drive at, viz. to have rest and plenty, should be
a volunteer in new sorrows by my own unhappy choice;
and that I, who had escaped so many dangers in my
youth, should now come to be hanged in my old age,
and in so remote a place, for a crime I was not in the
least inclined to, much less guilty of; and in a place and
circumstance where innocence was not like to be any
protection at all to me.
After these thoughts, something of religion would
come in; and I would be considering, that this seemed
to me to be a disposition of immediate Providence, and
I ought to look upon it, and submit to it as such; that
although I was innocent as to men, I was far from being
innocent as to my Maker, and I ought to look in, and
examine what other crimes in my life were most obvious
to me, and for which Providence might justly inflict
this punishment as a retribution, and that I ought to
submit to this just as I would to a shipwreck, if it had
pleased God to have brought such a disaster upon
me.
In its turn, natural courage would sometimes take
its place, and then I would be working myself up to vi-
gorous resolutions, that I would not be taken, to be
barbarously used by a parcel of merciless wretches in
cold blood; that it was much better to have fallen into
the hands of savages, who were men-eaters, and who I
was sure, would feast upon me when they had taken
me, than by those who would, perhaps, glut their rage
upon me, by inhuman tortures and barbarities, thau in
the case of the savages, I always resolved to die fighting
}
to the last gasp; and why should I not do so now, see-
508
ADVENTURES OF
ing it was much more dreadful to me, at least, to think
of falling into these men's hands, than ever it was to
think of being eaten by men; for the savages, give them
their due, would not eat a man till he was dead, and
killed him first, as we do a bullock; but that these men
had many arts beyond the cruelty of death. Whenever
those thoughts prevailed, I was sure to put myself into
a kind of fever, with the agitations of a supposed
fight; my blood would boil, and my eyes sparkled,
as if I was engaged; and I always resolved that I
would take no quarter at their hands; but even at last,
if I could resist no longer, I would blow up the ship
and all that was in her, and leave them but little booty
to boast of.
But how much the greater weight, the anxiety and
perplexities of these things were to our thoughts while
we were at sea, by so much the greater was our satis-
faction when we saw ourselves on shore; and my part-
ner told me, he dreamed that he had a very heavy load
upon his back, which he was to carry up a hill, and
found that he was not able to stand long under it;
but the Portuguese pilot came and took it off his
back, and the hill disappeared; the ground before
him shewing all smooth and plain. And truly it was
so; we were all like men who had a load taken off
their backs.
For my part, I had a weight taken off from my heart
that I was not able any longer to bear; and, as I said
before, we resolved to go no more to sea in that ship.
When we came on shore, the old pilot, who was now
our friend, got us a lodging, and a warehouse for our
goods, which, by the way, was much the same; it was
a little house or hut, with a large house joining to it,
all built with canes, and pallisadoed round with large
canes, to keep out pilfering thieves, of which it seems
there were not a few in the country. However, the
magistrates allowed us also a little guard, and we had
a soldier with a kind of halbert or half-pike, who stood
sentinel at our door, to whom we allowed a pint of
rice, and a little piece of money, about the value of
#*
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
509
three-pence per day, so that our goods were kept very
safe.
The fair or mart, usually kept at this place, had been
over for some time; however, we found that there were
three or four juuks in the river, and two Japaners, I
mean ships from Japan with goods, which they had
bought in China, and were not gone away, having Japan-
ese merchants on shore.
The first thing our old Portuguese pilot did for us
was, to bring us acquainted with three missionary Ro-
mish priests, who were in the town, and who had been
there some time, converting the people to Christianity;
but we thought they made but poor work of it, and
made them but sorry Christians when they had done.
However, that was not our business. One of these was
a Frenchman, whom they called Father Simon; he was
a jolly, well-made man, very free in his conversation,
not seeming so serious and grave as the other two did;
(one of whom was a Portuguese, and the other a Ge-
noese) but Father Simon was courteous, easy in his
manner, and very agreeable company; the other two
were more reserved, seemed rigid and austere, and ap-
plied seriously to the work they came about, viz. to talk
with and insinuate themselves among the inhabitants,
wherever they had opportunity.
We often eat and
drank with those men; and though I must confess the
conversion, as they call it, of the Chinese to Christianity
is so far from the true conversion required to bring hea-
then people to the faith of Christ, that it seems to amount
to little more than letting them know the name of Christ,
say some prayers to the Virgin Mary and her Son in a
tongue which they understand not, and to cross them-
.selves and the like; yet it must be confessed, that these
religious, whom we call missionaries, have a firm be
lief that these people shall be saved, and that they are
instruments of it; and, on this account, they undergo
not only the fatigue of the voyage, and hazards of
living in such places, but oftentimes death itself, with
the most violent tortures, for the sake of this work;
and it would be a great want of charity in us, what-
3 T
510
ADVENTURES OF
3
ever opinion we have of the manner of their doing
it, if we should not have a good opinion of their zeal,
who undertake it with so many hazards, and who have
no prospect of the least temporal advantage to them-
selves.
But to return to my story; This french priest, father,
Simon, was appointed, it seems, by order of the chief
of the mission, to go up to Pekin, the royal seat of the
Chinese emperor; and waited only for another priest,
who was ordered to come to him from Macao, to go
along with him; and we scarce ever met together, but
he was inviting me to go that journey with him, telling
me, how he would shew me all the glorious things of that
mighty empire: and among the rest, the greatest city
in the world; a city, said he, that your London, and
our Paris, put together, cannot be equal to. This was
the city of Pekin, which, I confess, is very great, and
infinitely full of people: but, as I looked on those
things with different eyes from other men, so I shall
give my opinion of them in few words, when I come,
in the course of my travels, to speak more particularly
of them.
C
But first, I come to my friar or missionary; Dining
with him one day, and being very merry together, I
Shewed some little inclination to go with him; and he
pressed me and my partner very hard, and with a great
inany persuasions to consent. Why, father Simon, says
my partner,' why should you desire our company so
much? You know we are heretics, and you do not
love us, nor can keep us company with any pleasure,'
'O!' said he, 'you may, perhaps, be good catholics in
time; my business here is to convert heathens; and who
knows but I may convert you too? Very well father,
said 1, so you will preach to us all the way. I won't be
troublesome to you,' said he; our religion does not di-
vest us of good manners; besides, said he, we are here
like countrymen; and so we are, compared to the place
we are in; and if you are Hugonots, and I a Catholic,
we may be all Christians at last; at least,' said he, we
are all gentlemen, and we may converse so, without be-
•
6
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
511
ing disagreeable to one another.' I liked this part of
his discourse very well, and it put me in mind of my
priest that I had left in the Brasils; but this father Si-
mon did not come up to his character by a great deal;
for though father Simon had no appearance of a criminal
levity in him neither, yet he had not that fund of Chris-
tian zeal, strict piety, and sincere affection to religion,
that my other good ecclesiastic had, of whom I have
said so much.
But to leave him a little, though he never left us, nor
soliciting us to go with him, we had something else
before us at that time; for we had, all this while,
our ship and our merchandize to dispose of; and we
began to be very doubtful what we should do, for we
were now in a place of very little business; and once I
was about to venture to sail for the river of Kilam; and
the city of Nanquin. But Providence seemed now more
visibly, as I thought, than ever, to concern itself in our
affairs; and I was encouraged from this very time to
think, I should, one way or other, get out of this en-
tangled circumstance, and be brought home to my own
country again; though I had not the least view of the
manner; and when I begau sometimes to think of it,
could not imagine by what method it was to be done,
Providence, I say, began here to clear up our way a
little; and the hrst thing that offered was, that our old
Portuguese pilot brought a Japan merchant to us, who
began to enquire what goods we had; and, in the first
place, he bought all our opium, and gave us a very
good price for it, paying us in gold by weight, some in
small pieces of their own coin, and some in small wedges,
of about ten or eleven ounces each. While we were deal-
ing with him for our opium, it came into my head, that
he might perhaps, deal with us for the ship too; and
I ordered the interpreter to propose it to him. Heshrunk
up
his shoulders at it, when it was first proposed to
him; but in a few days after he came to me, with one of
the missionary priests for his interpreter, and told me, he
had a proposal to make to me, and that was this: He
had bought a great quantity of goods of us when he had
512:
ADVENTURES OF
no thoughts (or proposals made to him) of buying the
ship; and that therefore, he had not money enough to
pay for the ship; but if I would let the same men who
were in the ship navigate her he would hire a ship to
go to Japan; and would send them from thence to the
Philippine islands with another loading, which he would
pay the freight of, before they went from Japan; and
that, at their return, he would buy the ship. I began
to listen to this proposal, and so eager did my head still
run upon rambling, that I conld not but begin to enter-
tain a notion my self of going with him, and so to sail
from the Phillippine islands away to the South Seas;
and accordingly I asked the Japanese merchant, if he
would not hire us to the Philippine islands, and dis-
charge us there. He said, no he could not do that; for
then he could not have the return of his cargo; but he
would discharge us in Japan, he said, at the ship's re-
turn, Well, still I was for taking him at that proposal,
and going myself; but my partner, wiser than myself,
persuaded me from it, representing the dangers, as
well of the seas, as of the Japanese, who are a false,
crel, and treacherous people; and then of the Spa-
niards at the Philippines; more false, more cruel, more
treacherous, than they.
But to bring this long turn of our affairs to a conclu-
sion; the first thing we had to do, was to consult
with the captain of the ship, and with the men, and
know if they were willing to go to Japan; and, while
I was doing this, the young man, whom, as I said, my
nephew had left with me as my companion for my
travels, came to me and told me, that he thought that
voyage promised very fair, and that there was a great
prospect of advantage, and he would be very glad if I
undertook it; but that if I would not, and would give
him leave, he would go as merchant, or how I pleased
to order him; that if ever he came to England, and I
was there, and alive, he would render me a faithful ac-
count of his success, and it should be as much mine as
I pleased.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
513
I was really loth to part with him; but, considering
the prospect of advantage, which was really consider-
able, and that he was a young fellow as likely to do well
in it as any I knew, I inclined to let him go; but first I
told him I would consult my partner, and give him an
answer the next day. My partner and I discoursed
about it, and my partner made a most generous offer;
he said, you know it has been an unlucky ship, and we
both resolved not to go to sea in her again, if your
steward (so he called my man) will venture the voyage
I will leave my share of the vessel to him, and let him
make the best of it; and if we live to meet in England,
and he meets with success abroad, he shall account for
one half of the profits of the ship's freight to us, and the
other part shall be his own.
If my partner, who was no way concerned with my
young man, made him such an offer, I could do no less
than offer him the same; and all the ship's company
being willing to go with him, we made over half the
ship to him in property, and took a writing from him,
obliging him to account for the other; and away he
went to Japan. The Japan merchaut proved a very
punctual, honest man to him, protected him at Japan,
and got him a licence to come on shore, which the
Europeans in general have not lately obtained; paid him
his freight very punctually, sent him to the Philippines,
loaded with Japan and China wares, and a supercargo
of their own, who, trafficking with the Spaniards,
brought back European goods again, and a great quan-
tity of cloves and other spice; and there he was not only
paid his freight very well, and at a very good price, but
being not willing to sell the ship then, the merchant
furnished him with goods on his own account, that for
some money, and some spices of his own, which he
brought with him, he went back to the Manillas, to the
Spaniards, where he sold his cargo very well. Having
formed good connections at Manilla, he got his ship
made a free ship; and the Governor of Manilla hired
him to go to Acapulco, in America, on the coast of
514
ADVENTURES OF
Mexico, and gave him a licence to land there, and tra-
vel to Mexico, and to pass in any Spanish ship to Eu-
rope with all his men.
He made the voyage to Acapulco very fortunately, and
there sold his ship; and having there also obtained per-
mission to travel by land to Porto Bello, he found means
to go to Jamaica with all his treasure; and about eight
years after, came to England exceeding rich, of which
I shall take notice in its place. In the mean time,
I return to our own particular affairs.
Being now to part with the ship and ship's company,
it came before us, of course, to consider what recom-
pence we should give to the two men that gave us such
timely notice of the design against us in the river Cam-
bodia. The truth was, they had done us a considerable
service, and deserved well at our hands; though, by
the way, they were a couple of rogues too; for, as they
believed the story of our being pirates, and that we had
really run away with the ship, they came down to us,
not only to betray the design that was formed against
us, but to go to sea with us as pirates, and one of them
confessed afterwards, that nothing else but the hopes of
going a pillaging brought him to do it. However, the
service they did us was not the less; and therefore, as
I had promised to be grateful to them, I first ordered
the money to be paid to them, which they said was due
to them on board their respective ships; that is to say,
the Englishman nineteen months pay, and to the Dutch-
man seven, and over and above that, I gave each of
them a small sum of money in gold, which contented
them very well; then I made the Englishman gunner of
the ship, the gunner being now made second inate and
purser; the Dutchman I made boatswain; so they were
both very well pleased, and proved very serviceable, be-
ing able seamen, and very stout fellows.
We were now on shore in China. If I thought
myself banished, and remote from my own country
at Bengal, where I had many ways to get home for
my money, what could I think of myself now, when
I was got about a thousand leagues farther off from
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
515
home, and perfectly destitute of all manner of prospect
of return.
All we had for it was this, that in about four months
time there was to be another fair at that place where we
were, and then we might be able to purchase all sorts
of the manufactures of the country, and withal might
possibly find some Chinese junks or vessels from Nan-
quin that would be to be sold, and would carry us and
our goods whither we pleased. This I liked very well,
and resolved to wait; besides as our particular persons
were not obnoxious, so if any English or Dutch ships
came thither, perhaps we might have an opportunity to
load our goods, and get a passage to some other place
in India nearer home.
Upon these hopes we resolved to continue here; but
to divert ourselves, we took two or three journies into
the country. First, we went ten days journey to see
the city of Nanquin, a city well worth seeing indeed;
they say it has a million of people in it, which, however,
I do not believe. It is regularly built, the streets all ex-
actly straight, and cross one another in direct lines,
which gives the figure of it great advantage.
But when I came to compare the miserable people of
these countries with ours, their fabrics, their manner
of living, their government, their religion, their wealth,
and their glory, (as some call it), I must confess I
do not so much as think it worth naming, or worth
my while to write of, or any that shall come after me to
read.
It is very observable that we wonder at the grandeur,
the riches, the pomp, the ceremonies, the government,
the manufactures, the commerce, and the conduct of
these people; not that it is to be wondered at, or indeed
in the least to be regarded; but because, having first a
notion of the barbarities of those countries, the rudeness
and the ignorance that prevail there, we do not expect
to find any such things so far.off.
Otherwise, what are their buildings to the palaces
and royal buildings of Europe? What their trade to the
universal commerce of England, Holland, France, and
516
ADVENTURES OF
Spain? What their cities to ours for wealth, strength,
gaiety of apparel, rich furniture, and an infinite variety?
What are their ports, supplied with a few junks and
barks, to our navigation, our merchants' fleets, our
large and powerful navies? Our city of London has
more trade than all their mighty empire. One Eng-
lish or Dutch, or French man of war, of eighty guns,
would fight with, and destroy all the shipping of China.
But the greatness of their wealth, their trade, the power
of their government, the strength of their armies, is
surprizing to us, because, as I have said, considering
them as a barbarous nation of Pagans, little better than
savages, we did not expect such things among them;
and this indeed, is the advantage with which all their
greatness and power is represented to us; otherwise it
is in itself nothing at all; for, as I have said of their
ships, so it may be said of their armies and troops, all the
forces of their empire, though they were to bring two
millions of men into the field together, would be able
to do nothing but ruin the country and starve themselves.
If they were to besiege a strong town in Flanders, or to
fight a disciplined army, one line of German cuirasseurs,
or of French cavalry, would overthrow all the horse of
China; a million of their foot could not stand before
one embattled body of our infantry, posted so as to be
surrounded, though they were not to be one to twenty
in number; nay, I do not boast if I say, that thirty
thousand German or English foot, and ten thousand
French horse, would fairly beat all the forces of China.
And so of our fortified towns, and of the art of our
engineers, in assaulting and defending towns; there is
not a fortified town in China could hold out one month
against the batteries and attacks of an European army;
and at the same time all the armies of China could never
take such a town as Dunkirk, provided it was not
starved: no, not in ten years siege. They have fire-
arms, it is true; but they are aukward, clumsy, and
uncertain in going off; they have powder, but it is of
no strength. They have neither discipline in the field,
exercise to their arms, skill to attack, or temper to re-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
517
treat; and therefore, I must confess, it seemed strange
to me when I came home and heard our people say such
fine things of the power, and riches, glory, magnificence,
and trade of the Chinese, because I saw and knew that
they were a contemptible herd or crowd of ignorant sor-
did slaves, subjected to a government qualined only to
rule such a people; and in a word, (for I am now
launched quite beside my design) I say, in a word, were
not its distance inconceivably great from Muscovy, and
were not the Muscovite empire almost as rude, impotent
and ill-governed a crowd of slaves as they, the Czar of
Muscovy might, with much ease, drive them all out of
their country, and conquer them in one campaign; and
had the czar, who I since hear is a growing prince, and
begins to appear formidable in the world, fallen this
way instead of attacking the war-like Swedes, in which
attempt none of the powers of Europe would have en-
vied or interrupted him, he might by this time have
been Emperor of China, instead of being beaten by the
King of Sweden at Narva, when the latter was not one
to six in number. As their strength and their gran-
deur, so their navigation, commerce, and husbandry,
are imperfect and impotent, compared to the same things
in Europe. Also in their knowledge, their learning, and
their skill in the sciences; they have globes and spheres,
and a superficial knowledge of mathematics; but when
you come to enquire into their knowledge, how short
sighted are the wisest of the students! they know no-
thing of the motion of the heavenly bodies; and so
grossly, absurdly ignorant, that when the sun is eclipsed,
they think that a great dragon has assaulted and run
away with it, and they fall a clattering with all the
drums and kettles in the country, to fright the monster
away, just as we do to hive a swarm of bees.
As this is the only excursion of the kind which I
have made in all the account I have given of my travels,
so I shall give no more descriptions of countries and peo-
ple: it is none of my business, or any part of my de-
sign: but giving an account of my own adventures,
:
3 U
518
ADVENTURES OF
!
through a life of inimitable wanderings, and a long va-
riety of changes, which, perhaps, few have heard the like
of, Ishall say nothing of the mighty places, desert coun-
tries, and numerous people, I have yet to pass through,
more than relates to my own story, and which my con-
cern among them will make necessary. I was now, as
near as I can compute, in the heart of China, about the
latitude of thirty degrees north of the line, for we were
returned from Naquin: I had indeed a mind to see the
city of Pekin, which I had heard so much of, and father Si-
mon importuned me daily to do it; at length his time
of going away being set, and the other missionary, who
was to go with him, being arrived from Macao, it was
necessary that we should resolve either to go, or not to
go; so I referred him to my partner, and left it wholly
to his choice; who, at length resolved in the afirma-
tive; and we prepared for our journey. We set qut
with very great advantage, as to finding the way for
we got leave to travel in the retinue of one of their
mandarins, a kind of viceroy, or principle magistrate
in the province were they reside, and who take great
state upon them, travelling with prodigious attendance,
and receiving great homage from the people, who are
sometimes much impoverished by them, because all the
countries they pass through are obliged to furnish pro-
visions for them, and their attendants. That which I
particularly observed, as to our travelling with his bag-
gage, was this; that though we received sufficient pro-
visions, both for ourselves and our horses, from the
country, as belonging to the mandarin, yet we were ob-
liged to pay for every thing we had after the market-
price of the country, and the mandarin's steward, or
commissary of the provisions, collected it duly from us,
so that our travelling in the retinue of the mandarin,
though it was a very great kindness to us, was not such
a mighty favour in him, but was, indeed, a great advan-
tage to him, considering there were about thirty other
people travelling in the same manner besides us, under
the protection of his retiuue, or we may call it, under
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
519
his convoy. This, I say, was a great advantage to him,
for the country furnished all the provisions for nothing,
and he took all our money for them.
We were five and twenty days travelling to Pekin,
through a country infinitely populous, but miserably
cultivated: the husbandry, economy, and the way of
living, all very miserable, though they boast so much
of the industry of the people; I say, miserable; and so
1
it is, if we who understand how to live, were to endure
it, or to compare it with our own; but not so to those
poor wretches, who know no other. The pride of these
people is infinitely great, and exceeded by nothing but
their poverty, which adds to that I call their misery.
I must needs think the naked savages of America live
much more happy, because, as they have nothing so
they desire nothing; whereas these are proud and inso-
lent, and in the main are mere beggars and drudges.
Their ostentation is inexpressible, and is chiefly shewed
in their cloaths and buildings, and in their keeping
multitudes of servants or slaves, and, which is to the
last degree ridiculous, their contempt of all the world.
but themselves.
But
I must confess, I travelled more pleasantly afterwards
in the desarts and the vast wildernesses of Grand tartary
than here; and yet the roads here are well paved and
well kept, and very convenient for travellers.
nothing was more aukward to me, than to see such an
haughty, imperious, insolent people, in the midst of
the grossest simplicity and ignorance; for all their famed
ingenuity is no more. My friend, Father Simon, and
I, used to be very merry upon these occasions, to see the
beggarly pride of these people. For example :-
coming by the house of a country gentleman, as Father
Simon called it, about ten leagues off from the city of
Nanquin, we had, first of all, the honour to ride with
the master of the house about two miles. The state he
rode in was a perfect Don Quixotism, being a mixture
of pomp and poverty.
The habit of this greasy Don was very proper for a
3U2
520
ADVENTURES OF
Scaramouch or Merry-Andrew, being a dirty calico,
with all the tawdry trappings of a fool's coat, such as
hanging-sleeves, taffety, and cuts and flashes almost on
every side; it covered a rich taffety vest, as greasy as a
butcher, and which testined that his honour must needs
be a most exquisite sloven.
His horse was a poor, lean, starved, hobbling crea-
ture, such as in England might sell for about thirty or
forty shillings; and he had two slaves followed him on
foot, to drive the poor creature along; he had a whip in
his hand, and he belaboured the beast as fast about the
head as his slaves did about the tail; and thus he rode
by us with about ten or twelve servants; and we were
told he was going from the city to his country seat, about
half a league before us. We travelled on gently; but
this figure of a gentleman rode away before us; and as
we stopped at a village about an hour to refresh us,
when we came by the country seat of this great man,
we saw him in a little place before his door eating
his repast; it was a kind of garden, but he was easy
to be seen; and we were given to understand, that
the more we looked at him the better he would be
pleased.
He sat under a tree something like the palmetto-
tree, which effectually shaded him over the head and
on the south side; but under the tree also was placed
a large umbrella, which made that part look well
enough. He sat lolling back in a great elbow-chair,
being a heavy corpulent man, and his meat being
brought him by two women slaves; he had two more,
whose office, I think, few gentlemen in Europe would
accept of their service in, viz. one fed the 'squire with
a spoon, and the other held the dish with one hand, and
scraped off what he let fall upon his worship's beard
and taffety vest with the other; while the great fat
brute thought it below him to employ his own hands
in any of those familiar offices which kings and mo-
narchs would rather do, than be troubled with the
clumsy fingers of their servants.
ROBINSON CRUsoe.
521
I took this time to think what pain men's pride puts
them to; and how troublesome a haughty temper, thus
ill managed, must be to a man of common sense; and,
leaving the poor wretch to please himself with our look-
ing at him, as if we admired his pomp, whereas, we
really pitied and contemned him; we pursued our jour-
ney, only Father Simon had the curiosity to stay to in-
form himself what dainties the country justice had to
feed on in all his state, which, he said, he had the ho-
nour to taste of, and which was, I think, a dose that
an English hound would scarce have eaten, if it had
been offered him, viz. a mess of boiled rice, with a
great piece of garlick in it, and a little bag filled with
green pepper; another plant which they have there,
something like our ginger, but smelling like musk, and
tasting like mustard; all this was put together, a small
lump or piece of lean mutton boiled in it, and this was
his worship's repast, four or five servants more attend-
ing at a distance. If he fed them meaner than he was
fed himself, the spice excepted, they must fare very
coarsely indeed.
As for our mandarin with whom we travelled, he
was respected like a king; surrounded always with his
gentlemen, and attended in all his appearances with such
pomp, that I saw little of him but at a distance; but
this I observed, that there was not a horse in his retinue
but that our carriers pack-horses in England seem to me
to look much better; but they were so covered with
equipage, mantles, trappings, and such like trumpery,
that you cannot see whether they are fat or lean. In
a word, we could scarce see any thing but their feet
and their heads.
I was now light-hearted, and all my trouble and per-
plexity that I have given an account of being over, I
had no anxious thoughts about me, which made this
journey much the pleasanter to me; nor had I any
ill accident attended me, only in the passing or ford-
ing a small river my horse fell, and made me free of
the country, as they call it, that is to say, threw me
in. The place was not deep, but it wetted me all
522
ADVENTURES OF
over. I mention it, because it spoiled my pocket-
book, wherein I had set down the names of several
people and places which I had occasion to remember,
and which not taking due care of, the leaves rotted, and
the words were never after to be read, to my great
loss, as to the names of some places which I touched at
in this voyage.
At length we arrived at Pekin. I had nobody
with me but the youth whom my nephew the captain
had given me to attend me as a servant, and who
proved very trusty and diligent; and my partner had
nobody with him but one servant, who was a kinsman.
As for the Portuguese pilot, he bemg desirous to see
the court, we gave him his passage, that is to say,
bore his charges for his company, and to use him as an
interpreter, for he understood the language of the coun-
try, and spoke good French, and a little English; and,
indeed, this old man was a most useful assistant to us
every where; for we had not been above a week at
Pekin, when he came laughing. Ah, Seignior Inglese!"
said he, I have something to tell you will make your
heart glad. My heart glad!' said I, what can that
be? I do not know any thing in this country can either
give me joy or grief to any great degree.'—' Yes, yes,'
said the old man, in broken English; make you glad,
me sorrow;' sorry he would have said. This made me
more inquisitive. Why,' said I, will it make you
sorry? Because,' said he, 'you have brought me here
twenty-five days journey, and will leave me to go back
alone; and which way shall I get to my port afterwards
without a ship, without a horse, without pecune? So
he called money; being his broken Latin, of which he
had abundance to make us merry with.
6
In short, he told us there was a great caravan of
Muscovy and Polish merchants in the city, and they
were preparing to set out on their journey by land to
Muscovy, within four or five weeks, and he was sure
we would take the opportunity to go with them, and
leave him behind to go back aloue. I confess, I was
surprized with this news; a secret joy spread itself over
ROBINSON Crusoe.
523
my whole soul, which I cannot describe, and never felt
before or since, and I had no power for a great while to
speak a word to the old man
But at last I turned to
"
'
him- How do you know this?' said I, Are you sure
it is true? Yes,' said he; I met this morning in the
street an old acquaintance of mine, au Armenian, or one
you call a Grecian, who is among them; he came last
from Astracan, and was designing to go to Tonquin,
where I formerly knew him, but had altered his mind,
and is now resolved to go back with the caravan to Mos-
cow, and so down the river of Wolga to Astracan.'-
'Well, Seignior,' said I, do not be uneasy about being
left to go back alone; if this be a method for my return
to England, it shall be your fault if you go back to Ma-
cao at all.' We then consulted together what was to be
done; and I asked my partner what he thought of the
pilot's news, and whether it would suit with his affairs?
He told me, he would do just as I would; for he had
settled all his affairs so well at Bengal, and left his
effects in such good hands, that as we made a good
voyage here, if he could vest it in China silks, wrought
and raw, such as might be worth the carriage, he would
be content to go to Englaud, and then make his voyage
back to Bengal by the Company's ships.
Having resolved upon this, we agreed, that if our
Portuguese pilot would go with us, we would bear his
charges to Moscow, or to England if he pleased; nor,
indeed, were we to be esteemed over generous in that
part neither, if we had not rewarded him farther; for
the service he had done us was really worth all that
and more; for he had not only been a pilot to us at
sea, but he had been also like a broker for us on
shore; and his procuring for us the Japan merchant,
was some hundreds of pounds in our pockets. So
we consulted together about it; and being willing to
gratify him, which was, indeed, but doing him justice,
and very willing also to have him with us besides, for
he was a most necessary man on all occasions, we agreed
to give him a quantity of coined gold, which, as I com-
pute it, came to about 1751. sterling between us, and to
མ་
524
ADVENTURES OF
bear his charges both for himself and horse, except only
a horse to carry his goods.
Having settled this among ourselves, we called him,
to let him know what we had resolved. I told him,
he had complained of our being like to let him go
back alone, and I was now to tell him we were re-
solved he should not go back at all; that as we were
determined to go to Europe with the caravan, we re-
solved also he should go with us, and that we called
him to know his mind. He shook his head, and said
it was a long journey, and he had no pecune to carry
him thither. We told him we believed it was so, and
therefore we had resolved to do something for him,
that should let him see how sensible we were of the
service he had done us; and also how agreeable he was
to us; and then I told him what we had resolved to
give him here, which he might lay out as we would do
our own; and that as for his charges, if he would
go with us, we would set him safe on shore, (life and
casualties excepted) either in Muscovy or England,
which he would, at our own charge, except only the
carriage of his goods.
He received the proposal like a man transported, and
told us, he would go with us over the whole world:
in consequence of which we all prepared ourselves for
the journey. However, as it was with us, so it was
with the other merchants, they had many things to
do; and instead of being ready in five weeks, it was
four months and some odd days before all things were
got together.
It was the beginning of February, our style, when we
set out from Pekin. My partner and the old pilot
had gone express back to the port where we had first
put in, to dispose of some goods which we had left
there; and I, with a Chinese merchant, whom I had
some knowledge of at Nanquin, and who came to Pekin
on his own affairs, went to Nanquin, where I bought
ninety pieces of fine damasks, with about two hundred
pieces of other very fine silks, of several sorts, some
mixed with gold, and had all these brought to Pekin
મ
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
525
-
against my partner's return; besides this, we bought
a very large quantity of raw silk, and some other goods;
our cargo amounting, in these goods ouly, to about
three thousand five hundred pounds sterling, which, to-
gether with tea, and some Ene calicoes, and three camel
loads of nutmegs and cloves, loaded in all eighteen ca-
mels for our share, besides those we rode upon, which,
with two or three spare horses, and two horses loaded
with provisions, made us, in short, twenty-six camels
and horses in our retinue.
The company was very great; and, as near as I can re-
member, made between three and four hundred horses
and camels, and upwards of an hundred and twenty
men, very well armed, and provided for all events; for,
as the Eastern caravans are subject to be attacked by
the Arabs, so are these by the Tartars; but they are not
altogether so dangerous as the Arabs, nor so barbarous
when they prevail.
The company consisted of people of several nations,
but Muscovites chiefly; for there were above sixty of
them who were merchants or inhabitants of Moscow,
though of them some were Livonians, and to our parti-
cular satisfaction, five of them were Scots, who appeared
also to be men of great experience in business, and in
very good circumstances.
When we had travelled one day's journey, the guides,
(who were five in number) called all the gentlemen and
merchants; that is to say, all the passengers, except
the servants, to a great council, as they termed it. At
this great council, every one deposited a certain quan-
tity of money to a common stock, for the necessary ex-
pence of buying forage on the way, where it was not
otherwise to be had, and for satisfying the guides, get-
ting horses, and the like. And here they constituted
the journey, as they called it, viz. they named captains
and officers to draw us all up, and give the command in
case of an attack, and gave every one their turn of com-
mand. Nor was this forming us into order any more
than what we found needful upon the way, as shall be
observed in its place.
3 X
526
ADVENTURES OF
The road all on this side of the country is very po-
palous, and full of potters, and earth-makers, that is to
say, people that temper the earth for the China ware;
aud, as I was going along, our Portuguese pilot, who
had always something or other to say to make us merry
came sneering to me, and told me, he would shew me
the greatest rarity in all the country; and that I should
have this to say of China, after all the ill-humoured
things I had said of it, that I had seen one thing which
was not to be seen in all the world beside. I was
very importunate to know what it was; at last he told
me, it was a gentleman's house, built all with China
ware. 'Well,' said I are not the materials of their
building the product of their own country; and so it is
all China ware, is it not?' 'No, no,' said he, 'I mean,
t is a house all made of China ware, such as you call
o in England; or, as it is called in our country, por-
elain,' 'Well, 'said I, 'such a thing may be: How
ig is it; Can we carry it in a box upon a camel? If
we can, we will buy it.' Upon a camel!' said the old
pilot, holding up both his hands, why there is a family
of thirty people lives in it.'
I was then curious, indeed, to see it: and when I came
to it, it was nothing but this: it was a timber house,
or a house built, as we call it in England, with lath and
plaister, but all the plaistering was really China ware,
that is to say, it was plaistered with the earth that makes
China ware.
The outside, which the sun shone hot upon, was
glazed, and looked very well, perfectly white, and paint-
e with blue figures, as the large China ware in En-
glad is painted, and hard, as if it had been burnt. As to
the inside, all the walls, instead of the wainscot, were
lined up with hardened and painted tiles, like the little
square tiles we call gally-tiles in England, all made of
the finest China, and the figures exceeding fine indeed,
with extraordinary variety of colours, mixed with gold,
many tiles making but one figure, but joined so artifi-
cially with mortar being made of the same earth, that
it was very hard to see where the tiles met. The
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
527
!
floors of the rooms were of the same composition, and
as hard as the earthen floors we have in use in several
parts of England, especially Lincolnshire, Nottingham-
shire, Leicestershire, &c. as hard as stone, and smooth,
but not burnt and painted, except some smaller rooms,
like closets, which were all as it were paved with the
same tile; the ceilings, and in a word, all the plaistering-
work in the whole house, were of the same earth; and,
after all, the roof was covered with tiles of the same, but
of a deep shining black.
This was a China warehouse indeed, truly and lite-
rally to be called so; and, had I not been upon the
journey, I could have stayed some days to see and ex-
amine the particulars of it. They told me there were
fountains and fish-ponds in the garden, all paved at the
bottom and sides with the same, and fine statutes set up
in rows on the walks entirely formed of the porcelain
earth, and burnt whole.
As this is one of the singularities of China, so they
may be allowed to excel in it; but I am very sure
they excel in their accounts of it; for they told me such
incredible things of their performance in crockery-
ware for such it is, that I care not to relate, as know-
ing they could not be true; one told me, in particular,
of a workman that made a ship, with all its tackle,
and masts, and sails, in earthen ware, big enough to
carry fifty men. If he had told me he launched it, and
made a voyage to Japan in it, I might have said some-
thing to it indeed; but as it was, I knew the whole
story, which was, in short, asking pardon for the word,
that the fellow lied; so I smiled, and said nothing to it.
This odd sight kept me two hours behind the cara-
van, for which the leader of it for the day tined me about
the value of three shillings; and told me, if it had
been three days journey without the wall, as it was
three days within, he must have fined me four times as
much, and made me ask pardon the next council
day, so I promised to be more orderly; for, indeed,
I found afterwards the orders made for keeping all to-
gether were absolutely necessary for our common safety.
3 X 2
528
ADVENTURES OF
In two days more we passed the great China wall,
made for a fortification against the Tartars: and a very
great work it is, going over hills and mountains in an
endless track, where the rocks are impassable, and the
precipices such as no enemy could possibly enter, or,
indeed, climb up, or where, if they did, no wall could
hinder them. They tell us, its length is near a thou-
sand English miles, but that the country is five hun-
dred in a straight measured line, which the wall bounds,
without measuring the windings and turnings it takes;
it is about four fathom high, and as many thick in some
places.
I stood still an hour, or thereabouts, without tres-
passing on our orders, for so long the caravan was in
passing the gate; 1 say, I stood still an hour to look at
it on every side, near, and far off, I mean, what was
within my view; and the guide of our caravan, who
had been extolling it for the wonder of the world,
was mighty eager to hear my opinion of it. I told
him it was a most excellent thing to keep off the Tar-
tars, which he happened not to understand as I meant
it, and so took it for a compliment; but the old pilot
laughed; O Seignor Inglese,' said he 'you speak in co-
lours. In colours!' said I: what do you mean by
that? Why you speak what looks white this way, and
black that way; gay one way, and dull another way;
you tell him it is a good wall to keep out Tartars;
you tell me by that, it is good for nothing but to keep
out Tartars; for, it will keep out none but Tartars;' 'I
understand you, Seignor Inglese, I understand you,' said
he joking; but Segnior Chinese understand you his
6
own way.
'Well (said I) Segnior, do you think it would stand
out an army of our country people, with a good train
of artillery; or our engineers, with two companies of
miners? Would they not batter it down in ten days,
that an army might enter in battalia, or blow it up
into the air, foundation and all, that there should be
no sign of it left?Ay, ay (said he I know that.' The
Chinese wanted mightily to know what I said, and I
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
529
ނ
gave him leave to tell him a few days after, for we were
then almost out of their country, and he was to leave us
in a little time afterwards; but when he knew what I
had said, he was dumb all the rest of the way, and we
heard no more of his fine story of the Chinese power and
greatness while he staid.
After we had passed this mighty nothing, called
a wall, something like the Pict's wall, so famous in
Northumberland, and built by the Romaus, we began
to find the country thinly inhabited, and the people ra-
ther confined to live in fortified towns and cities, as
being subject to the inroads or depredations of the
Tartars, who rob in great armies, and therefore are
not to be resisted by the naked inhabitants of an open
country.
And here I began to find the necessity of keeping to-
gether in a caravan as we travelled; for we saw several
troops of Tartars roving about; but when I came to
see them distinctly, I wondered more that the Chinese
empire could be conquered by such contemptible fel-
lows; for they are a mere herd or crowd of wild fellows,
keeping no order, and understanding no discipline or
manner of fight.
Their horses are poor, lean, starved creatures, taught
nothing, and are fit for nothing; and this we found the'
first day we saw them, which was after we entered the
wilder part of the country. Our leader for the day gave
leave for about sixteen of us to go a hunting, as they
call it; and what was this but hunting of sheep! How-
ever, it may be called hunting too; for the creatures
are the wildest and swiftest of foot that ever I saw of
their kind; only they will not run a great way, and
you are sure of sport when you begin the chace; for they
appear generally by thirty or forty in a flock; and, like
true sheep, always keep together when they fly.
In pursuit of this odd sort of game, it was our hap
to meet with about forty Tartars; whether they were
hunting mutton as we were, or whether they looked for
another kind of prey, I know not; but as soon as they
530
ADVENTURES OF
saw us, one of them blew a kind of horn very loud, but
with a barbarous sound that I had never heard before;
and, by the way, never care to hear again. We all
supposed this was to call their friends about them;
and so it was; for in less than half a quarter of an
hour, a troop of forty or fifty more appeared at about
a mile distance; but our work was over first, as it hap-
pened.
One of the Scots merchants of Moscow happened to
be among us; and as soon as he heard the horn, he told
us, in short, that we had nothing to do, but to charge
them immediately, without loss of time; and drawing
us up in a line, he asked, if we were resolved. We told
him, we were ready to follow him; so he rode directly
up to them. They stood gazing at us like a mere
crowd, drawn up in no order, nor shewing the face
of any order at all; but as soon as they saw us ad-
vance, they let fly their arrows; which, however, missed
us very happily; it seems they mistook not their aim,
but their distance; for their arrows all fell a little short.
of us, but with so true an aim, that had we been about
twenty yards nearer, we must have had several men
wounded, if not killed.
Immediately we halted; and though it was at a great
distance we fired, and sent them leaden bullets for
wooden arrows, following our shot full gallop, resolv-
ing to fall in among them, sword in hand, for so our
bold Scot that led us directed. He was, indeed, but
a merchant, but he behaved with that vigour and bra-
very on this occasion, and yet with such a cool courage
too, that I never saw any man in action fitter for com-
mand. As soon as we came up to them, we fired our
pistols in their faces, and then drew; but they fled in
the greatest confusion imaginable; the only stand any
of them made was, on our right, where three of them
stood; and, by sigus, called the rest to come back to
them, having a kind of scymitar in their hands, and
their bows hanging at their backs. Our brave com-
mander, without asking any body to follow him, gal-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
531
lopped up to them, and with his fusil knocked one of
them off his horse, killed the second with his pistol,
and the third ran away, and thus ended our fight; but
we had this misfortune attending it, viz. that all our
mutton that we had in chace got away,
We had not
a man killed or hurt; but as for the Tartars, there were
about five of them killed; how many were wounded we
knew not; but this we knew, that the other party was
so frighted with the noise of our guns, that they fled,
and never made any attempt upon us.
We were all this while in the Chinese dominions, and
therefore the Tartars were not so bold as afterwards;
but, in about five days, we entered a vast great wild de-
sert, which held us the three days and night's march;
and we were obliged to carry our water with us in great
leather bottles, and to encamp all night, just as I have
heard they do in the deserts of Arabia.
I asked our guide whose dominion this was in; and
he told me, this was a kind of border, that might be
· called, No Man's Land, being part of the Great Ka-
rakathay, or Grand Tartary; but that, however, it
was reckoned to China; that there was no care taken
here to preserve it from the inroads of thieves; and
therefore it was reckoned the worst desert in the
whole march, though we were to go over some much
larger.
In passing this wilderness, which I confess was at
the first view very frightful to me, we saw two or three
times little parties of the Tartars, but they seemed to be
upon their own affairs, and to have no design upon us;
and so, like the man who met the devil, if they had no-
thing to say to us, we had nothing to say to them; so
we let them go.
Once, however, a party of them came so near, as to
stand and gaze at us; whether it was to consider what
they should do, viz. to attack us, or not attack us, we
knew not; but when we were passed at some distance
by them, we made a rear-guard of forty men, and stood
ready for them, letting the caravans pass half a mile or
532
ADVENTURES OF ·
>
thereabouts, before us. After some time they marched
off, only we found they assaulted us with five arrows at
their parting, one of which wounded a horse, so that it
disabled him; and we left him the next day, poor crea-
ture! in great need of a good farrier. We suppose
they might shoot more arrows, which might fall short
of us; but we saw no more arrows or Tartars at that
time.
We travelled near a month after this, the ways being
not so good as at first, though still in the dominions of
the Emperor of China; but lay, for the most part, in
villages, some of which were fortified because of the
incursions of the Tartars. When we came to one of
these towns (it was about two days and an half's jour-
ney before we were to come to the city of Naum) I
wanted to buy a camel, of which there are plenty to be
sold all the way upon that road, and of horses also,
such as they are, because of so many caravans com-
ing that way, they are very often wanted. The person
that I spoke to to get me a camel, would have gone
and fetched it for me, but I, like a fool, must be
officious, and go myself along with him.
The place
was about two miles out of the village, where, it
seems, they kept the camels and horses feeding under
a guard.
I walked it on foot, with my old pilot in company,
and a Chinese, being desirous, forsooth of a little variety.
When we came to this place, it was a low, marshy
ground, walled round with a stone wall, piled up dry,
without mortar or earth among it, like a park, with a
little guard of Chinese soldiers at the door. Having
bought a camel, and agreed for the price, I came away;
and the Chinese man that went with me led the camel,
when, on a sudden, came up five Tartars on horseback;
two of them seized the fellow, and took the camel from
him: while the other three stepped up to me and my
old pilot, seeing us, as it were unarmed, for I had no
weapon about me but my sword, which could but ill
defend me against three horsemen. The first that came
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
533
up, stopped short upon my drawing my sword (for they
are arrant cowards ;) but a second coming up upon my
left, gave me a blow on the head, which I never felt till
afterwards, and wondered, when I came to myself, what
was the matter with me, and where I was, for he laid
me flat on the ground: but my never-failing old pilot,
the Portuguese (so Providence unlooked for directs de-
liverances from dangers, which, to us, are unforeseen)
had a pistol in his pocket, which I knew nothing of, nor
the Tartars neither; if they had, I suppose they would
not have attacked us. But cowards are always boldest
when there is no danger.
The old man seeing me down, with a bold heart step-
ped up to the fellow that struck me, and laying hold of
his arm with one hand, and pulling him down by main
force a little towards him with the other, he shot him.
into the head, and laid him dead on the spot; he then
immediately stepped up to him who had stopped us, as
I said, and before he could come forward again (for it
was all done as it were in a moment) made a blow at
him with a scymitar, which he always wore; but mis
sing the man, cut his horse into the side of his head, cut
one of his ears off by the root, and a great slice down
the side of his face. The poor beast, enraged with the
wounds, was no more to be governed by his rider,
though the fellow sat well enough too; but away he
flew, and carried him quite out of the pilot's reach, and
at some distance rising upon his hind legs, threw down
the Tartar, and fell upon him.
In this interval the poor Chinese came in, who had
lost the camel, but he had no weapon; however, seeing
the Tartar down, and his horse fallen upon him, he ran
to him, and seizing an ugly ill-favoured weapon he had
by his side, something like a pole-axe (but not a pole-
axe neither), he wrenched it from him, and made shift
to knock his Tartarian brains out with it. But my old
man had the third Tartar to deal with still; and, seeing
he did not fly as he expected, nor come on to fight him
as he apprehended, but stood quite still, the old man
in
3 Y
534
ADVENTURES OF
1
stood still too, and fell to work with his tackle to charge
his pistol again; but as soon as the Tartar saw the pis-
tol, whether he supposed it to be the same or another,
I know not, but away he scoured, and left my pilot,
(my champion I called him afterwards), compleat vic-
tor.
By this time I was a little recovered; 1 thought at
first that I had been in a sweet sleep; and, when I awoke
as it were, I wondered where I was, how I came upou
the ground, and what was the matter; in a word, a few
minutes after, as sense returned, I felt pain, though I
did not know where; I clapped my hand to my head,
and took it away bloody; then I felt my head ache; and
then, in another moment, memory returned, and every
thing was present to me again.
I jumped upon my feet instantly, and got hold of my
sword, but no enemies were in view. I found a Tartar
lie dead, and his horse standing very quietly by him;
and looking farther, I saw my champion and deliverer,
who had been to see what the Chinese had done, coming
back with his hanger in his hand. The old man seeing
me on my feet, came running to me and embraced me
with a great deal of joy, being afraid before that I had
been killed; and seeing me bloody, would know how I
was hurt; but it was not much, only what we call a
broken head; neither did I afterwards find any great
inconvenience from the blow, other than the place which
was hurt, and which was well again in two or three
days.
We made no great gain, however, by this victory,
for we lost a camel and gained a horse; but that which
was remarkable when we came back to the village, the
man demanded to be paid for the camel. I disputed it,
and it was brought to a hearing before the Chinese
Judge of the place; that is to say, in English, we went
before a Justice of the Peace. Give him his due, he
acted with a great deal of prudence and impartiality;
and, having heard both sides, he gravely asked the Chi-
nese man that went with me to buy the camel, whose
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
535
servant he was. 'I am no servant,' said he, but went
with the stranger. At whose request?' said the Jus-
tice. At the stranger's request,' said he, " Why,
then,' said the Justice, you were the stranger's ser-
vant for the time; and the camel being delivered to his
servant, it was delivered to him, and he must pay
for it.'
I confess the thing was so clear, that I had not a word
to say; but admiring to see such just reasoning upon the
consequence, and so accurate a statement of the case,
I paid willingly for the camel, and sent for another; but
you may observe, I sent for it; I did not go to fetch it
myself any more-I had enough of that.
The city of Naum is a frontier of the Chinese empire;
they call it fortified, and so it is, as fortifications go
there; for this I will venture to affirm, that all the
Tartars in Karakathay, which, I believe, are some mil-
lions, could not batter down the walls with their bows
and arrows; but to call it strong if it were attacked with
cannon, would be to make those who understand it laugh
at you.
We wanted, as I have said, above two days journey
of this city, when messengers were sent express to every
part of the road to tell all travellers and caravans to halt
till they had a guard sent to them; for that an unusual
body of Tartars, making ten thousand in all, had ap-
peared in the way, about thirty miles beyond the
city.
This was very bad news to travellers; however, it
was carefully done of the governor, and we were very
glad to hear we should have a guard. Accordingly,
two days after, we had two hundred soldiers sent us
from a garrison of the Chinese on our left, and three
hundred more from the city of Naum, and with those we
advanced boldly; the three hundred soldiers from Naum
marched in our front, the two hundred in our rear, and
our men on each side of our camels with our baggage,
and the whole caravan in the centre. In this order, and
well prepared for battle, we thought ourselves a match
3Y2
536
ADVENTURES OF
for the whole ten thousand Mogul Tartars, if they had
appeared; but the next day when they did appear it
was quite another thing.
It was early in the morning, when marching from
a little well situated town, called Changu, we had a
river to pass, where we were obliged to ferry; and
had the Tartars had any intelligence, then had been
the time to have attacked us, when, the caravan being
over, the rear-guard was behind; but they did not ap-
pear there.
About three hours after, when we were entered upon
a desert of about fifteen or sixteen miles over, behold,
by a cloud of dust they raised, we saw an enemy was
at hand; and they were at hand indeed, for they came
on upon the spur.
The Chinese, our guard in the front, who had talked
so big the day before, began to stagger, and the soldiers
frequently looked behind them, which is a certain sign
in a soldier that he is just ready to run away. My old
pilot was of my mind; and, being near me, he called
out- Seiguior Inglese,' said he, those fellows must
be encouraged, or they will ruin us all; for, if the
Tartars come on, they will never stand it.' I am of
your mind,' said I, but what course must be taken?'
Taken,' said he, let fifty of our men advance, and
flank them on each wing, and encourage them, and they
will fight bravely in brave company; but without it
they will every man turn his back.' Immediately I rode
up to our leader, and told him, who was exactly of our
mind; and accordingly fifty of us marched to the right
wing, and fifty to the left, and the rest made a line of
reserve; so we marched, leaving the last two hundred
men to make another body by themselves, and to guard
the camels, only that, if need were, they should send a
hundred men to assist the last fifty.
In a word, the Tartars came on, and an innumera-
ble company they were; how many we could not tell,
but ten thousand we thought was the least. A party
of them came on first, and viewed our posture, traversing
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
537
the ground in the front of our line; and as we found
them within gun shot, our leader ordered the two wings
to advance swiftly, and give them a salvo on each ing
with their shot, which was done; but they went off,
and I suppose went back to give an account of the re-
ception they were like to meet with; and, indeed, that
salute clogged their stomachs; for they immediately hal-
tet, stood awhile to consider of it, aud, wheeling off to
the left, they gave over the design, and said no more to
us for that time, which was very agreeable to our circum-
stances, which were but very indifferent for a battle with
such a number.
Two days after this we came to the city of Naum, or
Nauum; we thanked the governor for his care for us,
and collected to the value of one hundred crowns, or there-
abouts, which we gave to the soldiers sent to guard us;
and here we rested one day. This is a garrison indeed,
and there were nine hundred soldiers kept here; but the
reason of it was, that formerly the Muscovite frontiers
lay nearer to them than they do now, the Muscovites
having abandoned that part of the country (which lies
from the city west, for about two hundred miles) as de-
solate and unfit for use; and more especially being so
very remote, and so difficult to send troops hither for its
defence? for we had yet above two thousand miles to
Muscovy, properly so called.
After this we passed several great rivers, and two
dreadful desarts, one of which we were sixteen days
passing over, and which, as I said, was to be called, No
Man's Land; and on the thirteenth of April, we came to
the frontiers of the Muscovite dominions. I think the
first city, town, or fortress, whatever it might be called,
that belonged to the Czar of Muscovy, was called Argun,
being on the west side of the river Argun.
I could not but discover an infinite satisfaction, that
I was now arrived in, as I called it, a Christian counter,
or, at least, in a country governed by Christians; for
though the Muscovites do, in my opinion, but just de-
serve the name of Christians, yet such they pretend to
538
ADVENTURES OF
be, and are very devout in their way. It would certainly
occur to any man who travels the world as I have done,
and who had any power of reflection; I say, it would
occur to him to reflect, what a blessing it is to be brought
into the world where the name of God and a Redeemer
is known, worshipped and adored, and not where the
people, given up by Heaven to strong delusions, worship
the devil, and prostrate themselves to stocks and stones;
worship monsters, elephants, horrible-shaped animals,
and statutes or images of monsters. Not a town or city
we passed through but had their pagods, their idols, and
their temples, and ignorant people worshipping even the
works of their own hands.
Now we came where, at least, a face of the Christian
worship appeared where the knee was bowed to Jesus
and whether ignoratly or not, yet the Christian reli-
gion was owned, and the name of the true God was
called upon and adored; and it made the very recesses
of my soul rejoice to see it. I saluted the brave Scotch
merchant I mentioned above, with my first acknowledg-
ment of this; and taking him by the hand, I said to
him, Blessed be God, we are once again come among
Christians! He smiled, and answered Do not rejoice
too soon, countryman; these Muscovites are but odd
sort of Christians: and but for the name of it you may
see very little of the substance for some months farther
of our journey.'
6
C
'Well,' said I, 'but still it is better than Paganism
and worshipping of devils. Why, I'll tell you,' said he,
except the Russian soldiers in garrisons, and a few of
the inhabitants of the cities upon the road, all the rest
of this country, for above a thousand miles farther, is in-
habited by the worst and the most ignorant of Pagans,'
And so indeed we found it.
We were now launched into the greatest piece of solid
earth, if I understand any thing of the surface of the
globe, that is to be found in any part of the world.
We had at least twelve hundred miles to the sea, east-
ward; we had at least two thousand to the Baltic Sea,
t
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
539
westward, and almost three thousand miles if we left
that sea, and went on West to the British and French
channels; we had full five thousand miles to the Indian
or Persian Sea, south; and about eight hundred miles
to the Frozen Sea, north: nay if some people may be be-
lieved, there might be no sea north-east, till we came
round the pole, andconsequently into the north-west, and
so had a continent of land into America, no mortal
kuows where: though I could give some reasons why I
believe that to be a mistake too.
As we entered into the Muscovite dominions, a good
while before we came to any considerable town, we had
nothing to observe there but this, first, that all the rivers
run to the east. As I understood by the charts which
some of our caravans had with them, it was plan, that
all those rivers ran into the great river Yamour, or Ga-
mour. This river, by the natural course of it, must
run into the East Sea, or Chinese ocean.
The story
they tell us, that the mouth of this river is choaked up
with bulrushes of a monstrous growth, viz. three feet
about, and twenty or thirty feet high, I must be allow-
ed to say, I believe nothing of, but as its navigation is
of no use, because there is no trade that way, the Tar-
tars, to whom alone it belongs, dealing in nothing but
cattle, so nobody that ever I heard of, has been curious
enough, either to go down to the mouth of it in boats,
or to come up from the mouth of it in ships; but this
is certain, that this river running due east, in the lati-
tude of sixty degrees, carries a vast concourse of rivers
along with it, and finds an ocean to empty itself in that
latitude; so we are sure of sea there.
Some leagues to the north of this river there are se-
veral considerable rivers, whose streams run as due
north as the Yarmour runs east; and these are all found
to join their waters with the great river Tartarus, named
so from the northernmost nations of the Mogul Tartars,
who, the Chinese say, were the first Tartars in the
world; and who, as our geographers alledge, are the
Gog and Magog mentioned in sacred History.
540
ADVENTURES OF
These rivers running all northward, as well as all the..
other rivers I am yet to speak of, make it evident that
the northern ocean bounds the land also on that side:
so that it does not seem rational in the least to think,
that the land can extend itself to join to America on.
that side, or that there is, not a communication between
the northern and the eastern ocean: but of this I shall
say no more; it was my observation at that time, and
therefore i take notice of it in this place. We now ad-
vanced from the river Arguna by easy and moderate
journeys, and were very visibly obliged to the care the
Czar of Muscovy has taken, to have cities and towns
built in as many places as are possible to place them,
where his soldiers keep garrison, something like the
stationary soldiers placed by the Romans in the remot
est countries of their empire, some of which I had read
were particularly placed in Britain for the security of
commerce, and for the lodging of travellers; and thus
it was here: for wherever we came, though at these
towns and stations the garrisons and governors were
Rusians, and professedly mere Pagans, sacrificing to idols,
and worshipping the sun, moon, and stars, or all the host
of heaven: and not only so, but were of all the heathens
and pagans that ever I met with, the most barbarous,
except only that they did not eat men's flesh, as our sa-
vages of America did.
Some instances of this we met with in the country
between Arguna, were we enter the Muscovite domini-
ons, and a city of Tartars and Russians together, called
Nertzinskay; in whick space is a continued desart or fo-
rest, which cost us twenty days to travel over it. In a
village, near the last of those places, I had the curiosity
to go and see their way of living; which is most brutish
and unsufferable; they had, I suppose, a great sacrifice
that day; for there stood out upon an old stump of a
tree, an idol made of wood, frightful as the devil; at
least as any thing we can think of to represent the de
vil can be made; it had an head certainly not so much
as resembling any creature that the world ever saw; ears
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
541
as big as goats' horns, and as high; eyes as big as a
crown piece, a nose like a crooked ram's horn, and a
mouth extended four-cornered like that of a lion, with
horrible teeth, hooked like a parrot's under bill; it
was dressed up in the althiest manner you can sup-
pose: its upper garment was of sheep-skin with the
wool outward; a great Tartar bonnet on the head, with
two horns growing through it. It was about eight feet
high, yet had no feet or legs, or any other proportion of
paris.
où
This scarecrow was set up at the outside of the vil
lage, and when I came near it, there were sixteen or
seventeen creatures, whether men or women, I could not
tell, for they make no distinction by their habits of body
or head; these lay all flat upon the ground round this
formidable block of shapeless wood. I saw no motion
among them, any more than if they had been logs of
wood like their idol. At first I really thought they had
been so; but when I caine a little nearer, they started
up on their feet, and raised an howling cry, as if it bad
been so many deep-mouthed hounds, and walked away
as if they were displeased at our disturbing them. A
little way off from this monster, and at the door of a
tent or hut, made all of sheep-skins, and cow-skins
dried, stood three butchers; I thought they were such;
for when I came nearer to them, I found they had long
knives in their hands, and in the middle of the tent ap-
peared three sheep killed, and one young bullock or
steer. These, it seems, were sacrifices to that senseless
log of an idol; and these three men priests belonging to
it, and the seventeen prostrated wretches were the people
who brought the offering, and were making their prayers
to that stock.
I confess I was more moved at their stupidity and
this brutish worship of an hobgoblin, than ever I was
at any thing in my life, to see God's most glorious and
best creature, to whom he had granted so many advau-
tages, even by creation, above the rest of the works of
his hand, vested with a reasonable soul, and that soul
32
542
· ADVENTURES OF
1
adorned with faculties adapted both to honour his Maker
and be honoured by him; I say, to see it sunk and de-
generated to a degree so more than stupid, as to pros-
trate itself to a frightful nothing, a mere imaginary ob-
ject, dressed up by themselves, and made terrible to
themselves by their own contrivance, adorned only with
clouts and rags; and that this should be the effect of
mere ignorance, wrought up into hellish devotion by the
devil himself, who envying his Maker the homage and
adoration of his creatures, had deluded them into such
gross, surfeiting, sordid and brutish things, as one should
think would shock nature itself.
But what signified all the astonishment and reflection
of thoughts! Thus it was, and I saw it before my eyes,
and there was no room to wonder at it, or think it im-
possible; all my admiration turned to rage, and I rode
up to the image or monster, call it what you will, and
with my sword cut the bonnet that was on its head in
two in the middle, so that it hung down by one of the
horns; and one of our men that was with me took hold
of the sheep skin that covered it, and pulled at it, when,
behold a most hideous outcry and howling ran through
the village, and two or three hundred people came about
my ears, so that I was glad to scour for it; for we saw
some had bows and arrows; but I resolved from that
moment to visit them again.
1
· Our caravan rested three nights at the town, which
was about four miles off, in order to provide some horses
which they wanted, several of the horses having been
lamed and jaded with the badness of the way, and our
long march over the last desert; so we had some leisure
here to put my design in execution. I communicated
my project to the Scots merchant of Moscow, of whose
courage I had had sufficient testimony as before men-
tioned. I told him what I had seen, and with what in-
dignation I had since thought, that human nature could
be so degenerate. I told him, I was resolved, if I could
get but four or five men well armed to go with me, to go
and destroy that vile, abominable idol; to let them see
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
543
that it had no power to help itself, and consequently
could not be an object of worship, or to be prayed to,
much less help them that offered sacrifices to it.
'
<
6
He laughed at me. Said be Your zeal may be
good, but what do you propose to yourself by it?'-
Propose,' said I, to vindicate the honour of God,
which is insulted by this devil-worship.'-' But how will
it vindicate the honour of God,' said he, while the peo-
ple will not be able to know what you mean by it, unless-
you could speak to them too, and tell them so? Anda
then they will fight you too, I will assure you, for they
are desperate fellows, and that especially in defence of
their idolatry.'- Can we not,' said I, do it in the
night, and then leave them the reasons in writing, in
their own language? Writing,' said he, why there.
is not, in five nations of them, one man that knows any
thing of a letter, or how to read a word in any language,
or in their own.'- Wretched ignorance,' said I to him;
however, I have a great mind to do it; perhaps nature
may draw inferences from it to them, to let them see
how brutish they are to worship such horrid things.'-
Look you, Sir,' said he, if your zeal prompts you
to it so warmly, you must do it; but, in the next place,
I would have you consider, these wild nations of people
are subjected, by force, to the Czar of Muscovy's do-
minions; and if you do this, it is ten to one but they
will come by thousands to the governor of Nertzinskay,
and complain, and demand satisfaction; and if he can-
not give them satisfaction, it is ten to one but they re-
volt; and it will occasion a new war with all the Tartars.
in the country.'
4
This, I confess, put new thoughts into my head for
a time; but I harped upon the same string still, and all
that day I was uneasy to put my project into execution.
Towards the evening, the Scots merchant met me by
accident in our walk about the town, and desired to
speak with me. "I believe,' said he, I have put you
off your good design; I have been a little concerned
about it since; for I abhor the idol and idolatry as much
<
1.
322
544
#
ADVENTURES OF
{.
:
1
#
<
as you can do' Truly,' said 1, you have put it off a
little as to the execution of it, but you have not put it
all out of my thoughts; and, I believe, I shall do it
still before I quit this place, though I were to be deli-
vered up to them for satisfaction.' No, no,' said he,
6
•
God forbid they should deliver you up to such a crew
of monsters! they shall not do that neither; that would
be murdering you indeed.' Why,' said I, how would
they use me?' Use you!' said he, I'll tell you how
they served a poor Russian who affronted them in their
worship just as you did, and whom they took prisoner
after they had lamed him with an arrow that he could
not run away; they took him and stripped him stark
naked, and set him upon the top of the idol monster,
and stood all round him, and shot as many arrows into
him as would stick over his whole body, and then they
burnt him and all the arrows sticking in him, as a sacri-
fice to the idol.' And was this the same idol?' said I
Yes,' said he, the very same. "Well,' said I, I will
tell you a story; so I related the story of our men at
Madagascar, and how they burnt and sacked the village
there, and killed man, woman, and child, for their
murdering of one of our men, just as it is related before;'
and when I had done, I added, that I thought we
ought to do so in this village.'
6
He listened very attentively to the story; but when I
talked of doing so to that village, he said, you mis-
take very much; it was not this village, it was almost
a hundred miles from this place; but it was the same
idol, for they carry him about in procession all over
the country.
'Well,' said I, then that idol ought to
be punished for it; and it shall,' said I, if I live this
night out.'
In a word, finding me resolute, he liked the design,
and told me I should not go alone, but he would go
with we; but he would go first, and bring a stout fel
low, one of his countrymen, to go also with us; and
one,' said he, as famous for his zeal as you can desire
any one to be against such devilish things as these. In
.
C
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
545
a word, he brought me his comrade, a Scotchman, whom
he called Captain Richardson, and I gave him a full
account of what I had seen, and also of what I intend-
ed; and he told me readily, he would go with me if it
cost bin his life. So we resolved to go, only we three.
I had, indeed, proposed it to my partner, but he de-
clined it. He said, he was ready to assist me to the
utmost, and upon all occasions, for my defence; but
that this was an adventure quite out of his way; so,
1 say, we resolved upon our work, only we three,
and my man servant, and to put it in execution
that might, about midnight, with all the secresy ima-
ginable.
However, upon second thoughts, we were willing to
delay it till the next night, because the caravan being
to set forward in the morning, we supposed the governor
could not pretend to give them any satisfaction relative
to us when we were out of his power. The Scots mer-
chant, as steady in his resolution to the enterprize, as
bold in the executing it, brought me a Tartar's robe or
gown of sheep-skins, and a bonnet, with a bow and
arrows, and had provided the same for himself and his
countryman, that the people, if they saw us, should not
be able to determine who we were.
All the first night we spent in mixing up some com-
bustible matter with aqua-vitæ, gunpowder, and such
other materials as we could get; and, having a good
quantity of tar in a little pot, about an hour after night
we set out upon our expedition.
We came to the place about eleven o'clock at night,
and found that the people had not the least jealousy of
danger attending their idol; the night was cloudy, yet
the moon gave us light enough to see that the idol
stood just in the same posture and place that it did
before. The people seemed to be all at their rest, only,
that in the great hut or tent, as we called it, where
we saw the three priests, whom we mistook for butchers,
we saw a light, and going up close to the door, we heard
people talking, as if there were five or six of them; we
546
AVDENTURES OF
concluded therefore, that if we set wildfire to the idol,.
these men would come ont immediately, and run up
to the place to rescue it from the destruction that we in-
tended for it; and what to do with them we knew not.
Once we thought of carrying it away, and setting fire to
it at a distance; but when we came to handle it, we found
it too bulky for our carriage; so we were at a loss again.
The second Scotchman was for setting fire to the tent or
hut, and knocking the creatures that were there on the
head when they came out; but I could not join with:
that; I was against killing them, if it was possible to be
avoided. Well then,' said the Scots merchant, I will
tell you what we will do; we will try to take them pri-
soners, tie their hands, and make them stand and see
their idol destroyed.'
6
J
As it happened we had twine or packthread enough
about us, which we used to tie our fire-works together
with; so we resolved to attack these people first and with
as little noise as we could. The first thing we did, we
knocked at the door; when one of the priests coming to
the door, we immediately seized upon him, stopped his
mouth and tied his hands behind him, and led him to.
the idol, were we gagged him that he might not make
a noise; tied his feet also together, and left him on the
ground.
Two of us then waited at the door, expecting that:
another would come out to see what the matter was;,
but we waited so long till the third man came back to
us: and then, nobody coming out, we knocked again.
gently, and immediately out came two more, and we
served them just in the same manner, but were obliged
to go all with them, and lay them down by the idol,
some distance from one another? when, going back we
found two more were come out to the door, and a third
stood behind them within the door. We seized the two
and immediately tied them, when the third stepping
back, and crying out, my Scots merchant went in after
him, and taking out a composition we had made, that
would only smoak and stink, he set fire to it, and threw
*
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
547
1
it in among them! by that time the other Scotchman and
my man taking charge of the two men already bound,
and tied together also by the arm, led them away to the
idol, left them there, to see if their idol would relieve
them, making haste back to us.
When the furze we had thrown in had filled the hut
with so much smoak that they were almost suffocated,
we then threw in a small leather bag of another kind,
which flamed like a candle, and following it in, we found
there were but four people left, who, it seems, were two
meu and two women: and, as we supposed, had been
about some of their diabolical sacrifices. They appear-
ed, in short, frighted to death, at least so as to sit
trembling and stupid, and not able to speak neither for
the smoak.
i
In a word, we took them, bound them as we had the
other, and all without any noise. I should have said,
we brought them out of the house or hut first; for in-
deed we were not able to bear the smoak any more than
they were. When we had done this, we carried them
all together to the idol. When we came there, we fell
to work with him; and first we daubed him all over,
and his robes also, with tar and such other stuff as we
had, which was tallow mixed with brimstone; then we
stopped his eyes, and ears and mouth full of gunpow-
der; then we wrapped up a great piece of wildfire in
his bonnet; and theu sticking all the combustibles we
had brought with us upon him, we looked about to see
if we could find any thing else to help to burn him;
when my Scotchman remembered, that by the tent or
hut where the men were, there lay a heap of dry forage,
whether straw or rushes I do not remember; away he
and the other Scotchman ran and fetched their arms full
of that. When we had done this, we took all our pri-
soners, and brought them, having untied their feet, and
ungagged their mouths, and made them stand up, and
set them just before their monstrous idol, and then set
fire to the whole.
We stayed by ita quarter of an hour, or thereabouts,
till the powder in the eyes, and mouth and ears of the
548
ADVENTURES OF
دولة.
She
idol blew up, and as we could perceive, had split and
deformed the shape of it; and, in a word, till we saw
it burn into a mere block or log of wood; and then
setting the dry forage to it, we found it would be soon
quite consumed, so we began to think of going away;
but the Scotchman said, no, we must not go; for
these poor deluded wretches will all throw themselves
into the fire, and burn themselves with the idol.' So we
resolved to stay till the forage was burnt down too, and
then we came away and left them.
In the morning we appeared among our fellow travel-
lers, exceeding busy in getting ready for our journey:
nor could any mau suggest that we had been any where
but in our beds, as travellers might be supposed to be,
to fit themselves for the fatigues of that days journey.
But it did not end so; for the next day came a great
multitude of the country people, not only of this village,
but of a hundred more, for aught I know, to the town-
gates; and in a most outrageous manner demanded satis-
faction of the Russian governor, for the insulting their
priests, and burning their great Cham-Chi-Thaungu :
such an hard name they gave they monstrous creature
they worshipped. The people of Nertzinskay were at
first in a great consternation; for they said the Tar-
tars were no less than thirty thousand, and that in
a few days more they will be one hundred thousand
strong.
The Russian governor sent out messengers to appease
them, and gave them all the good words imaginable.
He assured them he knew nothing of it, and that there
had not a soul of his garrison been abroad: that it
could not be from any body there: and if they would
let him know who it was, they should be exemplarilly
punished. They returned, haughtily, That all the coun-
try reverenced the great Cham-Chi-Thaungu, who
dwelt in the sun, and no mortal would have dared to
ofler violence to his image, but some Christian miscreant
so they called them, it seems, and they they therefore
denounced war against him, and all the Russians, who,
they said, were miscreants and Christians.
governo, still patient & unwilling to
meate as
ROBINSON crusoe.
549
breach, or to have any cause of war alleged to be given
by him, the Czar having strictly charged him to treat
the conquered country with gentleness and civility,
gave them still all the good words he could; at last
he told them, there was a caravan gone towards Rus-
sia that morning, and, perhaps, it was some of them
who had done them this injury; and that, if they would
be satisfied with that, he would send after them to en-
quire into it. This seemed to appease them a little;
and accordingly the governor sent after us, and gave us
a particular account of the state of affairs; intimating
withal, that if any in our caravan had done it, they
should make their escape; but that, whether they had
done it or no, we should make all the haste forward that
was possible; and that in the mean time, he would keep
them in play as long as he could.
This was very friendly in the governor. However,
when it came to the caravan, there was nobody knew
any thing of the matter; and, as for us who were guilty,
we were the least of all suspected; none so much as
asked us a question; however, the captain of the ca-
ravan for the time, took the hint that the governor
gave us, and we marched or travelled two days and
two nights without any considerable stop, and then
we lay at a village called Plothus: nor did we make
any long stay here, but hastened on to Jarawena, ano-
ther of the Czar of Muscovy's colonies, and where we
expected we should be safe; but it is to be observed,
that here we began, for two or three days march, to
enter upon a vast nameless desert, of which I shall say
more in its place; and which, if we had now been upon
it, it is more than probable we had been all destroyed.
It was the second day's march from Plothus, that, by
the clouds of dust behind us at a great distance, some
of our people began to be sensible we were pursued.
We had entered the desert, and had passed by a great
lake, called Schanks Oser, when we perceived a very
great body of horse appear on the other side of the lake
to the north, we travelling west. We observed they
4 A
550
ADVENTURES OF
ས་
went away west, as we did; but had supposed we
should have taken that side of the lake, whereas we
very happily took the south side, and in two days more
we saw them not; for they, believing we were still be-
fore them, pushed on till they came to the River Udda ;
this is a very great river when it passes farther north; but
when we came to it, we found it narrow and fordable.
The third day they either found their mistake, or had
intelligence of us, and came pouring in upon us towards
the dusk of the evening. We had, to our great satisfac-
tion, just pitched upon a place for our camp, which was
very convenient for the night; for as we were upon a de-
sert, though but at the beginning of it, that was above
five hundred miles over, we had no towns to lodge at,
and indeed, expected none but the city Jarawena, which
we had yet two days march to. The desert, however,
had some few woods in it on this side, and little rivers,
which ran all into the great river Udda. It was a nar-
row strait between two small but very thick woods, that
we pitched our little camp for that night, expecting to be
attacked in the night.
Nobody knew, but ourselves, what we were pursued
for; but as it was usual for the Mogul Tartars to go
about in troops in that desert, so the caravans always
fortify themselves every night against them, as against
armies of robbers; and it was therefore no new thing to
be pursued.
But we had this night, of all the nights of our travels
a most advantageous camp; for we lay between two
woods, with a little rivulet running just between our
front, so that we could not be surrounded or attack-
ed any way, but in our front or rear. We took care
also to make our front as strong as we could by placing
our packs, with our camels and horses, all in a line
on the inside of the river, and we felled some trees
in our rear.
In this posture we encamped for the night; but the
enemy was upon us before we had finished our situation;


ROBINSON CRUSOE.
551
?
they did not come on us like thieves, as we expected,
but sent three messengers to us, to demand the men to
be delivered to them that had abused their priests, and
burnt their god Cham-Chi-Thaungu, that they might
burn them with fire; and, upon this, they said they
would go away, and do us no farther harm, otherwise
they would burn us all with fire. Our men looked very
black at this message, and began to stare at one another
to see who looked with most guilt in their faces, but no-
body was the word, nobody did it. The leader of the
caravan sent word, he was well assured it was not done
by any of our camp; that we were peaceable merchants.
travelling on our business, that we had done no harm to
them or to any one else, and therefore they must look
farther for their enemies who had injured them, for we
were not the people, so desired them not to disturb us,
for if they did we should defend ourselves.
They were far from being satisfied with this for an
answer, and a great crowd of them came down in the
morning, by break of day, to our camp; but, seeing us
in such an advantageous situation, they durst come no
farther than the brook in our front, where they stood,
and shewed us such a number, as, indeed, terrified
us very much; for those that spoke least of them spoke
of ten thousand. Here they stood, and looked at us
for some time, and then setting up a great howl, they
let fly a crowd of arrows among us, but we were
well enough fortified for that, for we were sheltered
under our baggage; and I do not remember that one
man of us was hurt.
Some time after this we saw them move a little to our
right, and expecting them on the rear, when a cunning
fellow, a Cossack, as they call them, of Jarawena, in the
pay of the Muscovites, calling to the leader of the cara-
van, said to him, I will go send all these people away
to Sibeilka.' This was a city four or five days journey
at least, to the south, and rather behind us. So he took
his bow and arrows, and getting on horseback, rode
away from our rear directly, as it were, back to Nert-
4 A 2
552
ADVENTURES OF
zinskay; after this, he took a great circuit about, and
came to the army of the Tartars, as if he had been sent
express to tell them a long story, that the people
who had burnt their Cham-Chi-Thaungu were gone
to Sibeilka with a caravan of miscreants, as he called
them; that is to say, Christians; and that they were
resolved to burn the God Scal-Isar, belonging to the
Tonguese.
As this fellow was a mere Tartar, and spoke their
language perfectly, he counterfeited it so well, that
they all took it from him, and away they drove in a
violent hurry to Sibeilka, which, it seems, was five days
journey to the south, and in less than three hours they
were entirely out of our sight, and we never heard any
more of them, nor ever knew whether they went to Si-
beilka or not.
So we passed safely on to the city of Jarawena,
where there was a garrison of Muscovites; and there we
rested five days, the caravan being exceedingly fatigued
with the last five days' march, and with want of rest
in the night.
From this city we had a frightful desert, which held
us three and twenty days march. We furnished our-
selves with some tents here for the better accommoda.
ting ourselves in the night; and the leader of the caravan
procured sixteen carriages, or waggons of the country,
for carrying our water and provisions; and these car-
riages were our defence every night round our little
camp; so that had the Tartars appeared, unless they
had been very numerous indeed, they would not have
been able to hurt us.
We may well be supposed to want rest again after this
long journey; for in this desert we saw neither house
nor tree, nor scarce a bush; we saw, indeed, abun-
dance of the sable hunters, as they call them; these
are all Tartars of the Mogul Tartary, of which this
country is a part, and they frequently attack small ca-
ravans; but we saw no numbers of them together. I
was curious to see the sable-skins they catched; but I
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
553
could never speak with any of them, for they durst not
come near us, neither durst we straggle from our com-
pany to go near them.
After we had passed this desert, we came into a
country pretty well inhabited, that is to say, we found
towns and castles settled by the Czar of Muscovy, with
garrisons of stationary soldiers to protect the caravans,
and defend the country against the Tartars, who would
otherwise make it very dangerous travelling; and his
Czarish majesty has given such strict orders for the well
guarding the caravans and merchants, that if there are
any Tartars heard of in the country, detachments of the
garrison are always sent to see travellers safe from sta-
tion to station.
And thus the governor of Adinskoy, whom I had an
opportunity to make a visit to, by means of the Scotch
merchant who was acquainted with him, offered us a
guard of fifty men, if we thought there was any danger,
to the next station.
I thought, long before this, that as we came nearer
to Europe, we should find the country better peopled,
and the people more civilized, but I found myself mis-
taken in both; for we had yet the nation of the Ton-
guese to pass through, where we saw the same tokens
of Paganism and barbarity, or worse, than before;
only as they were conquered by the Muscovites, and
entirely reduced, they were not so dangerous, but for
rudeness of manners, idolatry, and polytheism, no peo-
ple in the world ever went beyond them. They are
cloathed all in skins of beasts, and their houses are
built of the same. You know not a man from a wo-
man, neither from the ruggedness of their countenances
or their cloaths; and in the winter, when the ground is
covered with snow, they live under ground in houses
like vaults, which have cavities or caves going from one
to another.
If the Tartars had their Cham-Chi-Thaungu for a
whole village or country, these had idols in every hut
and every cave; besides, they worship the stars, the
554
ADVENTURES OF
sun, the water, the snow; and in a word, every thing
that they do not understand, and they understand but
very little; so that almost every element, every uncom-
mon thing, sets them a sacrificing.
But I am no more to describe people than countries,
any more than my own story comes to be concerned in
them. I met with nothing peculiar to myself in all this
country, which I reckon was from the desert which I
spoke of last, at least four hundred miles, half of it
being another desert, which took us up twelve days,
hard travelling, without house, tree, or bush; but we
were obliged again to carry our own provisions, as well
water as bread. After we were out of this desert, and
had travelled two days, we came to Janezay, a Mus-
covite city or station, on the great River Janczay.
This river, they told us, parted Europe from Asia,
though our map-makers, as I am told, do not agree
to it; however, it is certainly the eastern boundary
of the ancient Siberia, which now makes a province
only of the vast Muscovite empire, but is itself equal
in size to the whole empire of Germany.
And yet here I observed ignorance and Paganism still
prevailed, except in the Muscovite garrisons. All the
country between the River Oby and the River Janezay
is as entirely Pagan, and the people as barbarous, as
the remotest of the Tartars; nay, as any nation, for
aught I know, in Asia or America. I also found,
which I observed to the Muscovite governors whom
I had an opportunity to converse with, that the Pa-
gans are not much the wiser, or the nearer Chris-
tianity, for being under the Muscovite government,
which they acknowledged was true enough; but they
said it was none of their business; that if the Czar
expected to convert his Siberian or Tonguese, or Tar-
tar subjects, it should be done by sending clergymen
among them, not soldiers; and they added, with
more sincerity than I expected, that they found it was
not so much the concern of their monarch to make the
people Christians, as it was to make them subjects.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
555
From this river to the great River Oby, we crossed
a wild uncultivated country; I cannot say it is a bar-
barous soil, it is only barren of people and good ma-
nagement, otherwise it is in itself a most pleasant,
fruitful, and agreeable country. What inhabitants we
found in it were all Pagans, except such as were sent
among them from Russia: for this is the country, I
mean on both sides the River Oby, whither the Mus-
covite criminals that are not put to death are banished,
and from whence it is next to impossible they should
ever come away.
I have nothing material to say of my particular affairs,
till I came to Tobolski, the capital of Siberia, where Í
continued some time on the following occasion.
We had been now almost seven months on our jour-
ney, and winter began to come on apace; whereupon
my partner and I called a council about our own par-
ticular affairs, in which we found it proper consider-
ing that we were bound for England, and not for
Moscow, to determine how to dispose of ourselves,
They told us of sledges and rein-deer to carry us over
the snow in the winter-time; and, indeed, they have
such things as it would be incredible to relate the par-
ticulars of, by which means the Russians travel more
in the winter than they can in summer; because in these
sledges they are able to run night and day: the snow
being frozen, is one universal covering to nature, by
which the hills, the vales, the rivers, the lakes,
are all smooth, and hard as a stone; and they run
upon the furface without any regard to what is under-
neath.
But I had no occasion to push at a winter journey of
this kind; I was bound to Eugland, not to Moscow,
and my route lay two ways; either I must go on as the
caravan went till I came to Jarislaw, and then go off west
for Narva and the gulph ef Finland, and so either by sea
or land to Dantzick, where I might possibly sell my
China cargo to good advantage; or I must leave the ca-
ravan at a little town on the Dwina, from whence I had
:
556
ADVENTURES OF
but six days by water to Archangel, and from thence
might be sure of shipping, either to England, Holland,
or Hamburgh.
Now, to go any of these journies in the winter would
have been preposterous; for as to Dantzick, the Baltick
would be frozen up, and I could not get passage; and
to go by land in these countries was far less safe than
among the Mogul Tartars: likewise to Archangel,
in October, all the ships would be gone from thence,
and even the merchants who dwell there in summer,
retire south to Moscow in the winter, when the ships
are gone; so that I should have nothing but extre-
mity of cold to encounter, with a scarcity of provi
sions, and must lie there in an empty town all the
winter. So that, upon the whole, I thought it much
my better way to let the caravan go, and to make pro-
vision to winter where I was; viz. at Tobolski, in
Siberia, in the latitude of 60 degrees, where I was
sure of three things to wear out a cold winter with;
viz. plenty of provisions, such as the country afforded; a
warm house, with fuel enough; and excellent company,
of all which I shall give a full account in its place.
I was now in a quite different climate from my be-
loved island, where I never felt cold, except when I
had my ague; on the contrary, 1 had much to do to
bear my clothes on my back, and never made any fire
but without doors, and from necessity, in dressing my
food, &c. Now I made me three good vests, with
large robes or gowns over them to hang down to the
feet, and button close to the wrists, and all these lined
with furs, to make them sufficiently warm.
As to a warm house, I must confess I greatly dislike
our way in England, of making fires in every room in
the house in open chimneys, which, when the fire
was out, always kept the air in the room cold as the
climate. But taking an apartment in a good house
in the town, I ordered a chimney to be built like a
furnace in the centre of six several rooms, like a stove;
the funnel to carry the smoke went up one way, the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
557
door to come at the fire went in another, and all the
rooms were kept equally warm, but no fire seen;
like as they heat the bagnios in England.
By this means we had always the same climate in
all the rooms, and an equal heat was preserved: and
how cold soever it was without, it was always warm
within; and yet we saw no fire, nor were ever inccm-
moded with any smoke.
The most wonderful thing of all was, that it should
be possible to meet with good company here, in a
country so barbarous as that of the most northerly parts
of Europe, near the Frozen Ocean, and within but a very
few degrees of Nova Zembla.
But this being the country where the state-criminals
of Muscovy, as I observed before, are all banished, this
city was full of noblemen, princes, gentlemen, colonels,
and, in short, all degrees of the nobility, gentry, soldiery,
and courtiers, of Muscovy, Here were the famous
Prince Galilfken, or Galoffken, and his son; the old Ge-
neral Robstesky, with several other persons of note, and
some ladies.
By means of my Scotch merchant, whom, never-
theless, I parted with here, I made an acquaintauce
with several of these gentlemen, and some of them of
the first rank; and from these, in the long winter
nights in which I staid here, I received several agree-
able visits. It was in conversation one night with a
certain prince, one of the banished ministers of state
belonging to the Czar of Muscovy, that I had the
opportunity of introducing some particulars relative
to the circumstances of my life. He had been tell-
ing me abundance of fine things, of the greatness,
the magnificence, and dominions, and the absolute pow-
er of the Emperor of the Russians. I interrupted him,
and told him, I was a greater and more powerful prince
than ever that Czar of Muscovy was, though my domi-
nious were not so large, or my people so many. The
Russian grandee looked a little surprised; and fixing his
eyes steadily upon me, began to wonder what I meant.
3 B
558
ADVENTURES OF
I told him, his wonder would cease when I had ex-
plained myself. First, I told him, I had the absolute
disposal of the lives and fortunes of all my subjects;
that, notwithstanding my absolute power, I had not
one person disaffected to my government or to my
person in all my dominious, He shook his head at
that and said, there, indeed, I out-did the Czar of
Muscovy. I told him, that all the lands in my king-
dom were my own, and all my subjects were not only,
my tenants, but tenants at will: that they would all
fight for me to the last drop; and that never tyrant-for
such I acknowledge myself to be-was ever so universal-
ly beloved, and yet so horribly feared, by his subjects.
After amusing them with these mysteries in govern-
ment for a while, I opened the case, and told them the
story at large, of my living in the island, and how I ma-
naged both myself and the people there that were under
me, just as I have since minuted it down. They were
exceedingly pleased with the story, and especially the
prince, who told me with a sigh, that the true greatness
of life was to be master of ourselves; that he would not
have exchanged such a state of life as mine to have been
Czar of Muscovy; and that he found more felicity in
the retirement he seemed to be banished to there, than
ever he found in the highest authority he enjoyed in the
court of his master of the Czar: that the height of hu-
man wisdom was to bring our tempers down to our cir-
cumstances, and to make a calm within, under the
weight of the greatest storm without. When he came
first hither, he said, he used to tear the hair from his
head, and the cloaths from his baek, as others had done
before him; but a little time, and consideration, had
made him look into himself, as well as round himself,
to things withont. That he found the mind of man, if it
was but once brought to reflect upon the state of uni-
versal life, and how little this world was concerned in
its true felicity, for itself, fully satisfying to itself, and
suitable to its own best ends and desires, with but very
little assistance from the world.
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
559
That air to breathe in, food to sustain life, cloaths for
warmth, and liberty for exercise, in order to health,
compleated, in his opinion, all the world could do for
us; and though the greatness, the authority, the riches,
and the pleasures, which some enjoyed in the world, and
which he had enjoyed his share of, had much in them
that was agreeable to us, yet he observed, that all those
things chiefly gratified the coarsest of our affections;
such as our ambition, our particular pride, our ava-
rice, our vanity, and our sensuality, (all which were,
indeed, the mere product of the worst part of man)
were in themselves crimes, and had in them the seeds
of all manner of crimes; but neither were related to,
or concerned with, any of those virtues that consti-
tuted us wise men, or of those graces which distin-
guished us as Christians. That being now deprived
of all the fancied felicity which he enjoyed in the fall
exercise of all those vices, he said, he was at leisure to
look upon the dark side of them, where he found ail
manner of deformity; and was now convinced that
virtue only makes a man truly wise, rich, and great,
and preserves him in the way to a superior happi-
ness in a future state; and in this, he said, they were
more happy in their banishment than all their ene-
mies were, who had the full possession of all the
wealth and power that they (the banished) had left be-
hind them.
4
८
Nor, Sir,' said he, do I bring my mind to this
politically, by the necessity of my circumstances, which
some call miserable; but, if I know any thing of my-
self, I would not go back, no, not though my master,
the Czar, should call me, and offer to reinstate me in
all my former grandeur; I say, I would no more go
back to it, than I believe my soul, when it shall be deli-
vered from this prison of the body, and has had a taste
of the glorious state beyond life, would come back to
the gaol of flesh and blood it is now inclosed in, and
leave Heaven to deal in the dirt and grime of human
affairs
3B2
560
ADVENTURES OF
He spoke this with so much warmth in his temper, so
much earnestness and motion of his spirits, which were
apparent in his countenance, that it was evident it was
the true sense of his soul; and, indeed, there was no
room to doubt his sincerity.
I told him, I once thought myself a kind of a
monarch in my old station, of which I had given
him an account, but that I thought he was not a
monarch ouly, but a great conqueror; for that he
who has got a victory over his own exorbitant de-
sires, and has the absolute dominion over himself, and
whose reason entirely governs his will, is certainly
greater than he who conquers a city.
But, my
lord,' said I, shall I take the liberty to
question? With all my heart,' said he.
door of your liberty was opened,' said I,
not you take hold of it to deliver yourself from this
exile?'
ask you a
• If the
· would
'Hold!' said he, your question is subtle, and re-
quires some serious just distinctions to give it a sincere
answer, and I will give it you from the bottom of my
heart. Nothing that I know of in this world would
move me to deliver myself from this state of banishment,
except these two: 1st, The enjoyment of my rela-
tions; and 2dly, A little warmer climate. But I pro-
test to you, that to go back to the pomp of the court,
the glory, the power, the hurry of a minister of state,
the wealth, the gaiety, and the pleasures, that is to say,
follies of a courtier; if my master should send me word
this moment, that be restored me to all he banished me
from, I protest, if I know myself at all, I would not
leave this wilderness, these deserts, and these frozen
lakes, for the palace of Moscow.
But, my lord,' said I, perhaps you not only are
banished from the pleasures of the court, and from
the power, and authority, and wealth you enjoyed be-
fore, but you may be absent too from some of the con,
veniencies of life; your estate, perhaps, confiscated,
and your effects plundered; and the supplies left you
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
561
here may not be suitable to the ordinary demands of
life.'
'Aye,' said he, that is as you suppose me to be a
lord, or a prince, &c. So, indeed, I am; but you are
now to consider me only as a man, a human creature,
not at all distinguished from another, and so I can suffer
no want, unless I should be visited with sickness and
distempers. However, to put the question out of dis-
pute, you see our manner. We are in this place five
persons of rank; we live perfectly retired as suited to a
state of banishment; we have something rescued from
the shipwreck of our fortunes, which keeps us from the
mere necessity of hunting for our food; but the poor
soldiers who are here, without that help, live in as much
plenty as we. They go into the woods and catch sables
and foxes; the labour of a month will maintain them a
year; and as the way of living is not expensive, so it is
not hard to get sufficient to ourselves. So that objection
is done away.'
I have not room to give a full account of the most
agreeable conversation I had with this truly great
man; in all which he shewed that his mind was so
inspired with a superior knowledge of things, so sup-
ported by religiou, as well as by a vast share of wisdom,
that his contempt of the world was really as much as
he had expressed, and that he was always the same
to the last, as will appear in the story I am going
to relate.
I had been here eight months, and a dark, dreadful
winter, 1 thought it to be; the cold was so intense,
that I could not so much as look abroad without
being wrapped in furs, and a mask of fur before my
face, or rather a hood, with only a hole for breath,
and two for sight. The little day-light we had was,
as we reckoned, for three months, not above five hours
a day, and six at most; only that the snow lying on
the ground continually, and the weather clear, it was
never quite dark. Our horses were kept (or rather
starved) under ground; and, as for our servants, for we
562
ADVENTURES OF
hired servants to look after our horses and seives) we
had every now and then their fingers and toes to thaw
and take care of, lest they should mortify and fall off.
It is true, within doors we were warm, the houses
being close, the walls thick, the lights small, and the
glass all double. Our food was chiefly the flesh of
deer, dried and cured in the season; good bread enough,
and baked as biscuits; dried fish of several sorts, and
some flesh of mutton and of buffaloes, which is pretty
good beef. All the stores of provisions for the winter
are laid up in the summer, and well cured; our drink
was water mixed with aqua vita, instead of brandy; and
for a treat, mead instead of wine, which, however, they
have excellent good. The hunters, who venture abroad
all weathers, frequently brought us in fresh venison,
very fat and good; and sometimes bears' flesh, but
we did not much care for the last. We had a good
stock of tea, with which we treated our friends; and,
in a word, we lived very cheerfully and well, all things
considered.
It was now March, the days grown considerably lon-
ger, and the weather at least tolerable; so other tra-
vellers began to prepare sledges to carry them over the
snow, and to get things ready to be going; but my
measures being fixed, as I said, for Archangel, and not
for Muscovy or the Baltic, I made no motion, knowing
very well, that the ships from the south do not set out
for that part of the world till May or June; and that
if I was there at the beginning of August, it would be
as soon as any ships would be ready to go away; and
therefore I say, I made no haste to be gone, as others
did: in a word, I saw a great many people; nay, all
the travellers, go away before me. It seems, every year
they go from hence to Moscow for trade, viz. to carry
furs, and buy necessaries with them, which they bring
back to furnish their shops; also others went on the
same errand to Archangel; but then they also being to
come back again above eight hundred miles, went all
out before me.
{
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
563
In short, about the latter end of May, I began to
make all ready to pack up; and as I was doing this, it
occurred to me, that seeing all these people were ba-
nished by the Czar of Muscovy to Siberia, and yet when
they came there, were at liberty to go whither they
would; why did they then not go away to any part of
the world wherever they thought fit. And I began to
examine what should hinder them from making such an
attempt.
But my wonder was over when I entered upon that
subject with the person I have mentioned, who an-
swered me thus:- Consider, Sir,' said he, the place
where we are; and 2dly, the condition we are in, espe-
cially the generality of the people who are banished hi-
ther. We are surrounded,' said he, with stronger
things than bars and bolts; on the north side is an un-
navigable ocean, where ship never sailed, and boat never
swam; neither if we had both, could we know whither
to go with them.'Every other way,' said he,
have above a thousand miles to pass through the Czar's
own dominious, and by ways utterly impassable, ex-
cept by the roads made by the government, and through
the towns garrisoned by his troops, so that we could
neither pass undiscovered by the road, or subsist any
other way; it is therefore in vain to attempt it.'
we
I was silenced, indeed, at once; and found that they
were in a prison, every jot as secure as if they had been
locked up in the castle of Moscow; however, it came
into my thoughts, that I might certainly be made an in-
strument to procure the escape of this excellent person,
and that it was very easy for me to carry him away,
there being no guard over him in the country; and as I
was not going to Moscow, but to Archangel, and that
I went in the nature of caravan, by which I was not
obliged to lie in the stationary towns in the desert, but
could encamp every night where I would, we might
easily pass uninterrupted to Archangel, where I could
immediately secure him on board an English or Dutch
ship, and carry him off safe along with me; and, as te
564
ADVENTURES OF
his subsistence and other particulars, that should be my
care, till he should better supply himself.
He heard me very attentively, and looked earnestly
on me all the while I spoke; nay, I could see in his very
face that what I said put his spirits into an exceeding
ferment; his colour frequently changed, his eyes looked
red, and his heart fluttered, that it might be even per-
ceived in his countenance; nor could he immediately
answer me when I had done, and as it were, expected
what he would say to it; but after he had paused a lit-
tle, he embraced me, and said- How unhappy are we,
unguided creatures as we are, that even our greatest
acts of friendship are madc snares to us, and we are
made tempters of one another! My dear friend,' said
he, your offer is so sincere, has such kindness in it, is
so disinterested in itself, and calculated for my advan-
tage, that I must have very little knowledge of the
world, if I did not both wonder at it, and acknowledge
the obligation I have upon me to you for it. But did
you believe I was sincere in what I have so often said to
you of my contempt of the world? Did you believe I
spoke my very soul to you, and that I had really main-
tained that degree of felicity here, that had placed me
above all that the world could give me, or do for me?
Did you believe I was sincere when I told you I would
not go back, if I was recalled even to be all that once
I was in the court, and with the favour of the Czar, my
master? Did you believe me, my friend, to be an ho-
Best man, or did you think me a boasting hypocrite?'
Here he stopped, as if he would hear what I would
say; but, indeed, I soon after perceived that he stop-
ped because that his spirits were in motion; his heart
I was,
was full of struggles, and he could not go on.
I confess, astonished at the incident as well as at the
man, and used some arguments with him to urge him to
set himself free; that he ought to look upon this as a
door opened by Heaven for his deliverance, and a sum-
mons by Providence, who has the care and good disposi
tion of all events, to do himself good, and to render him-
self useful in the world.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
565
'He had by this time recovered himself.' 'How do
you know, Sir' said he warmly 'but that, instead of a
fummons from Heaven, it may be a feint of another
instrument; representing in all the alluring colours, to
me, the shew of felicity as a deliverance, which may in
itself be my snare, and tend directly to my ruin? Here
I am free from the temptation of returning to my for-
mer miserable greatness; there I am not sure but that
all the seeds of pride, ambition, avarice, and luxury,
which I know remain in my nature, may revive and take
root, and in a word, again overwhelm me; and then the
happy prisoner, whom you see now master of his soul's
liberty, shall be the miserable slave of his own senses,
in the full possession of all personal liberty. Dear Sir, let
me remain in this blessedconfinement, banished from
the crimes of life, rather than purchase a shew of free-
dom, at the expence of the liberty of my reason and at the
expence future of the happiness which now I have in my
view, but shall then I fear, quickly lose sight of: for I am
but flesh, a man a mere man; have passions and affections
likely to possess and overthrow me as any man. O! be
not my friend and my temper both together.'
If I was surprised before, I was quite dumb, now, and
stood silent, looking at him; and indeed, admiring what
I saw, the struggle in his soul was so great, that though
the weather was extremly cold, it put him into a most
violent sweat, and I found he wanted to give vent to his
mind; so I said a word or two, that I would leave him
to consider of it, and wait on him again; and then I
withdrew to my own apartment.
About two hours after I heard somebody at or near
the door of the room, and I was going to open the door;
but he had opened it, and came in. My dear friend
(said he) you had almost overset me, but I am recovered.
Do not take it ill that I do not close with your offer; I
assure you, it is not for want of a sense of the kindness of
it in you; but I hope I have got the victory over myself.'
'My lord (said I) I hope you are fully satisfied, that
you did not resist the call of Heaven -Sir said he, if
.'-
4 C
566
ADVENTURES OF
*
it had been from Heaven, the same Power would have
infiuenced me to accept it; but I hope, and am fully sa-
tisfied, that it is from Heaven, that I decline it; and I
have an infinite satisfaction in the parting, that you shall
leave me an honest man still, though not a free man.'
I had nothing to do but to acquiesce, and make pro-
fession to him of my having no end in it, but a sincere
desire to serve him. He embraced me very passionately,
and assured me he was sensible of that, and should al-
ways acknowledge it: and with that he offered me a
very fine present of sables; too much indeed, for me to
accept from a man in his circumstances; and I would
have avoided them, but he would not be refused.
The next morning I sent my servant to his lord-
ship with a small present of tea, two pieces of China
damask, and four little wedges of Japan gold, which
did not all weigh above six ounces, or thereabouts; but
were far short of the value of his sables; which indeed,
when I came to England, I found worth near two hun-
dred pounds. He accepted the tea, and one piece of
the damask, and one of the pieces of gold, which had
a fine stamp upon it of the Japan coinage, which I found
he took for the rarity of it, but would not take any more;
and sent word by my servant, that he desired to speak
with me.
2.
When I came to him, he told me, I knew what had
passed between us, and hoped I would not press him
any more in that affair; but that since I made such a
generous offer to him, he asked me, if I had kindness
enough to offer the same to another person that he
would name to me, in whom he had a great share of
concern. I told him, that I could not say I inclined
to do so much for any one but himself, for whom I had
a particular value, and should have been glad to have
been the instrument of his deliverance: however, if he
would please to name the person to me, I would give
him my answer, and hoped he would not be displeased
with me, if he was with my answer. He told me it was
only his son; who, though I had not seen, yet was in
1
3
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
567
the same condition with himself, and above two hun-
dred miles from him, on the other side the Oby; but
that if I cousented, he would send for him.
I made no hesitation, but told him I would do it. I
made some ceremony, in letting him understand, that
it was wholly on his account; and that seeing I could
not prevail on him, I would shew my respect to him, by
my concern for his son. But these things are too tedi-
ous to repeat here. He sent away the next day for his
son, and in about twenty days ne came back with the
messenger, bringing six or seven horses, loaded with
very rich furs, and which in the whole amounted to a
very great value.
His servants brought the horses into the town, but
left the young lord at a distance till night, when he
came incognito into our apartment, and his father pre-
sented him to me; and in short, we concerted there the
manner of our travelling, and every thing proper for
the journey,
I had bought a considerable quantity of sables, black
fox-skins, fine ermines, and such other furs as are very
rich; I say, I had bought them in that city in exchange
for some of the goods brought from China; in particular
for the cloves and nutmegs, of which I sold the greatest
part here, and the rest afterwards at Archangel, for a
much better price than I could have done at London,
and my partner, who was sensible of the profit, and
whose business more particularly than mine was mer-
chandize, was mightily pleased with our stay, on ac-
count of the traffic we made here.
It was in the beginning of June, when I left this re-
mote place, a city I believe, little heard of in the
world; and indeed, it is so far out of the road of com-
merce, that I know not how it should be much talked
of. We were now come to a very small caravan, be-
ing only thirty-two horses and camels in all, and all
of them passed for mine, though my new guest was pro-
prietor of eleven of them. It was most natural also,
that I should take more servants with me than I had
4 C 2
568
ADVENTURES OF
before, and the young lord passed for my steward;
what great man I passed for myself, I know not, nei-
ther did it concern me to enquire. We had here
the worst and the largest desart to pass over that we
met with in all the journey; indeed I call it the worst,
because the way was very deep in some places, and
very uneven in others: the best we had to say for it
was, that we thought we had no troops of Tartars and
robbers to fear, and that they never came on this side
the River Oby, or at least but very seldom; but we
found it otherwise.
My young lord had with him a faithful Muscovite
servant, or rather a Siberian servant, who was perfectly
acquainted with the country; and who led us by pri-
vate roads, that we avoided coming into the principal
towns and cities upon the great road, such as Tumen
Soloy-Kamoskoy, and several others; because the Mus-
covite garrisons which are kept there, are very curious
and strict in their observations upon travellers, and
searching, lest any of the banished persons of note
should make their escape that way into Muscovy. But
by this means, as we were kept out of the cities, so
our whole journey was a desart; and we were obliged
to encamp and lie in our tents, when we might have
had good accommodation in the cities on the way.
This the young lord was so sensible of, that he would
not allow us to lie abroad, when we came to several ci-
ties on the way; and lay abroad himself, with his ser-
vant, in the woods, and met us always at the appointed
places.
We were just entered Europe, having passed the Ri-
ver Kama, which, in these parts, is the boundary be-
tween Europe and Asia; and the first city on the Eu-
ropean side was called Soloy-Kamoskoy, which is as
much as to say, the Great City on the River Kama:
and here we thought to have seen some evident altera-
tion in the people, their manners, their habit, their
religion, and their business; but we were mistaken;
for as we had a vast desart to pass, which by relation,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
569
is near seven hundred miles long in some places, but
not above two hundred miles over where we passed it;
so till we came past that horrible place, we found very
little difference between that country and the Mogul
Tartary; the people mostly Pagans, and little better
than the savages of America; their houses and towns
full of idols, and their way of living wholly barbarous,
except in the cities, as above, and the villages near
them, where they are Christians, as they call them-
selves, of the Greek Church; but even these have their
religion mingled with so many reliques of superstition
that it is scare to be known in some places from mere
sorcery and witchcraft.
In passing this forest, I thought, indeed, we must af
ter all dangers were in our imagination escaped, as be-
fore, have been plundered and robed, and perhaps
murdered, by a troop of thieves: of what country they
were, whether the roving bands of the Ostiachi, a kind o.
Tartars, or wild people on the banks of the Oby, had
ranged thus far, or whether they were the sable-hunters
of Siberia, I am yet at aloss to know; but they were all
on horse back, carried bows and arrows, and were at
first about five and forty in number. They came so
near to us, as within about two musket-shot; and
asking no questions, they surrounded us with their
horse, and looked very earnestly upon us twice: at
length, they placed themselves just in our way; upon
which we drew up in a little line before our camels, being
not above sixteen men in all: and being drawn up thus
we halted, and sent out the Siberian servant who at
tended his lord, to see who they were.
His master was
the more willing to let him go, because he was not a
little apprehensive that they were a Siberian troop
sent out after him, The man came up near them with
a flag of truce, and called to them; but though he
spoke several of their languages, or dialects of lan-
guages rather, he could not understand a word they
said: however, after some signs to him, not to come
near to them at his peril; so he said he understood
370
ADVENTURES OF
them to mean, offering to shoot at him if he advanced;
the fellow came back no wiser than he went, only that
by their dress, he said, he believed them to be some
Tartars of Kalmuch, or of the Circassian hords; and
that there must be more of them on the great desert,
though he never heard that ever any of them were seen
so far north before.
This was small comfort to us; however, we had no
remedy: there was on our left hand, at about a quar-
ter of a mile's distance, a little grove or clump of trees,
which stood close together, and very near the road; I
immediately resolved we would advance to those trees,
and fortify ourselves as well as we could there; for,
first, I considered that the trees would in a great mea-
sure cover us from their arrows; and, in the next place,
they could not come to charge us in a body: it was, in-
deed, my old Portuguese pilot who proposed it: and
who had this great merit attending him, namely, that he
was always readiest and most apt to direct and encou
rage us in cases of the most danger. We advanced im-
mediately with what speed we could, and gained that
little wood; the Tartars or thieves, for we know not
what to call them, keeping ther stand, and not attempt-
ing to hinder us. When we came thither, we found to
our great satisfaction, that it was a swampy, springy,
piece of ground; and, on the other side, a very great
spring of water, which running out in a small rill or
brook, was a little farther joined by another of the like
bigness, and was in short, the head or source of a con-
siderable river, called afterwards the Wirtska. The
trees which grew about this spring, were not in all
above two hundred, but were very large, and stood
pretty thick; so that as soon as we got in, we saw our-
selves perfectly safe from the enemy, unless they alighted
and attacked us on foot.
•
}
But to make this more difficult, our Portuguese with
indefatigable application, cut down great arms of the
trees, and laid them hanging, not cut quite off, froin one
tree to another, so that he made a continued fence, all
most round us.
羹
​1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
571
We staid here, waiting the motion of the enemy, some
hours, without perceiving they made any offer to stir:
when about two hours before night they came down
directly upon us; and though we had not perceived it,
we found they had been joined by some more of the
same, so that they were ne ar fourscorehorse, whereof
however, we fancied some were women. They came on
till they were within half a shot of our little wood, when
we bred one musket without ball, and called to them in
the Russian tongue to know what they wanted, and bid
them keep off; but, as if they knew nothing of what we
said, they came on with a doable fury directly up to the
wood side, not imagining we were so barricadoed that
they could not break in. Our old pilot was our captain as
well as he had been our engineer: and desired of us not to
fire upon them till they came within pistol-shot, that we
might be sure to kill; and that when we did fire we should
be sure to take good aim. We bade him give the word of
coarana 1; which he delayed so long, that they were some
of them, within two pikes length of us when we fired.
We aimed so true (or Providence directed our shot so
sure) that we killed fourteen of them at the first volley,
and wounded several others; as also several of their
horses; for we had all of us loaded our pieces with two
or three bullets each at least.
They were terribly surprised with our fire, and re-
treated immediately about one hundred rods from us,
in which time we loaded our pieces again; and seeing
them keep that distance, we salled out, and caught four
or five of their horses, whose riders, we supposed were
killed; and coming up to the dead, we could easily per-
ceive they were Tartars, but knew not from what coun-
try, or how they came to make an excursion of such an
unusual length.
About an hour after, they made a motion to attack us
again, and rode round our little wood, to see where else.
they might break in; but finding us always ready to face
them, they went off again, and we resolved not to stir
from the place for that night.
૧
572
ADVENTURES OF
We slept little you may be sure, but spent the most
part of the night in strengthening our situation, and bar-
ricadoing the entrances into the wood; and keeping a
strict watch we waited for day-light; and when it came,
it gave us a very unwelcome discovery indeed; for the
enemy, who we thought were discouraged with the
reception they had met with, were now increased to
no less than three hundred, and had set up eleven or
twelve huts and tents, as if they were resolved to be-
siege us; and this little camp they had pitched was
upon the open plain, at about three quarters of a mile
from us.
We were indeed, surprised at this discovery;
and now, I confess, I gave myself over for lost, and all
that I had. The loss of my effects did not lie so near
me (though they were very considerable) as the thoughts
of falling into the hands of such barbarians at the
latter end of my journey, after so many difficulties and
hazards as I have gone through, and even in sight of
our port, where we expected safety and deliverance. As
for my partner he was raging; he declared that to lose
his goods would be his ruin; and he would rather die
than be starved; and he was for fighting to the last drop.
The young lord as gallant as ever flesh shewed itself,
was for fighting to the last drop also; and my old pilot
was of the opinion we were able to resist them all in
the situation we then were in; and thus we spent the
day in debates of what we should do. But, towards
evening, we found that the number of our enemies still
increased; perhaps as they were abroad in several par-
ties for prey, the first had sent out scouts to call for
help, and to acquaint them of the booty; and we did
not know but by the morning they might still be a
greater number; so I began to enquire of those people
we had brought from Tobolski, if there were no other
or more private ways, by which we might avoid them in
the night, and perhaps either retreat to some town, or
get help to guard us over the desert.
Kast
The Siberian, who was servant to the young lord,
told us, if we designed to avoid them, and not fight,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
573
he would engage to carry us off in the night to a way
that went north towards the river Petraz, by which he
made no question but we might get away, and the
Tartars be never the wiser; but, he said, his lord had
told him he would not return, but would rather choose
to fight. I told him he mistook his lord, for that he
was too wise a man to love fighting for the sake of it;
that I knew his lord was brave, by what he had shewed
already; but that he knew better than to desire to have
seventeen or eighteen men to fight five hundred, unless
an unavoidable necessity forced them to it; and that if
he thought it possible for us to escape in the night, we
had nothing else to do but to attempt it. He answered, if
his lord gave him such order, he would lose his life if
he did not perform it. We soon brought his lord to give
that order, though privately, and we immediately pre-
pared for the puting it in practice.
And first, as soon as it began to be dark, we kindled
a fire in our little camp, which we kept burning, and
prepared so as to burn all night, that the Tartars might
conclude we were still there; but as soon as it was dark,
that is to say, so as we could see the stars (for our guide
would not stir before) having all our horses and camels
ready loaden, we followed our new guide, who, I soon
found, steered himself by the pole, or north-star, all the
country being level for a long way.
After we had travelled two hours very hard, it began
to be lighter still, not that it was quite dark all night,
but the moon began to rise, so that in short it was rather
lighter than we wished it to be; but by six o'clock next
morning we were gotten near forty miles, though the
truth is, we almost spoiled our horses. Here we found
a Russian village, named Kirmazinskoy, where we rest-
ed, and heard nothing of the Calmuck Tartars that day.
About two hours before night we set out again, and tra-
velled till eight the next morning, though not quite so
hastily as before; and about seven o'clock we passed a
river, called Kirtzo, and came to a good large town in-
habited by Russians, and very populous, called Ozomys.
4 D
574
ADVENTURES OF
'
There we heard that several troops, or hordes of Cal-
mucks had been abroad upon the desert, but that we
were now completely out of danger of them, which
was to our great satisfaction, you may be sure. Here
we were obliged to get some fresh horses; and having
need enough of rest, we staid five days; and my part-
ner and I agreed to give the honest Siberian who
brought us thither, the value of ten pistoles for his con-
ducting us.
In five days more we came to Veussima, upon the
River Witzogda, which running into the River Dwina,
we were there very happily near the end of our travels
by land, that river being navigable in seven days pas-
sage to Archangel. From hence we came to Lawren-
skoy, where the river joins, the 3d of July, and
pro-
vided ourselves with two luggage boats and a barge, for
our convenience. We embarked the 7th, and arrived
all safe at Archangel the 18th, having been a year, five
months, and three days on the journey, including our
stay of eight months and odd days at Tobolski.
We were obliged to stay at this place six weeks for
the arrival of the ships, and must have tarried longer
had not a Hamburgher come in above a month.sooner
than any of the English ships; when, after some con-
sideration that the city of Hamburgh might happen to
be as good a market for our goods as London, we all
took freight with him; and having put our goods on
board, it was most natural for me to put my steward on
board to take care of them; by which means my young
lord had a sufficient opportunity to conceal himself,
never coming on shore again in all the time we staid
there; and this he did that he might not be seen in the
city, where some of the Moscow merchants would cer-
taiuly have seen and discovered him.
We sailed from Archangel the 20th of August the
same year; and, after no extraordinary bad voyage, ar-
rived in the Elbe the 13th of September. Here my
partner and I found a very good sale for our goods, as
well those of China, as the sables, &c. of Siberia; and
dividing the produce of our effects, my share amounted
!
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
575
to £3475 17s. 3d. notwithstanding so many losses we
had sustained, and charges we had been at; only re-
membering that I had included in this about six hun-
dred pounds worth of diamonds, which I had purchased
at Bengal.
Here the young lord took his leave of us, and went
up the Elbe, in order to go to the court of Vienna,
where he resolved to seek protection, and where he
could correspond with those of his father's friends who
were left alive. He did not part without all the testi-
monies he could give of gratitude for the service I had
done him, and his sense of my kindness to the prince
his father.
To conclude, having staid near four months in Ham-
burgh, I came from thence over land to the Hague,
where I embarked in the packet, and arrived in London
the 10th of January, 1705, having been gone from Eng-
land ten years and nine months.
And here, resolving to harass myself no more, I am
preparing for a longer journey than all these, having
lived seventy-two years a life of infinite variety, and
learned sufficiently to know the value of retirement, and
the blessing of ending our days in peace.

FINIS
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