Part 5
At first this sentence made a very deep impression on my heart, but it soon wore off again, when I considered the word _deliver_ was foreign to me. And as the children of Israel said, when they were promised flesh to eat, _Can God spread a table in the wilderness?_ in like manner I began to say, _Can God himself deliver me from this desolate island?_ However, the words would still return to my mind, and afterwards made a greater impression upon me. As it was now very late, and the tobacco had dazed my head, I was inclined to sleep: but before I would lie down I fell on my knees, and implored the promise that God had made to me in the Holy Scriptures, that _if I called upon him in the day of trouble he would deliver me._ With much difficulty I afterwards drank the rum wherein I had steeped the tobacco, which flying into my head, threw me into such a profound sleep, that it was three o'clock the next day before I awaked; or rather, I believe, I slept two days, having certainly lost a day in my account, and I could never tell any other way. When I got up, my spirits were lively and cheerful; my stomach much better, being very hungry; and, in short, no fit returned the next day, which was the 29th, but I found myself much altered for the better.
The 30th, I went abroad with my gun, but not far, and killed a sea-fowl or two, resembling a brand goose, which, however, I cared not to eat when I brought them home, but dined on two more of the turtle's eggs. In the evening I renewed my medicine, excepting that I did not take so large a quantity, neither did I chew the leaf, or hold my head over the smoke: but the next day, which was the 1st of _July_, having a little return of the cold fit, I again took my medicine as I did the first time.
_July_ 3. The fit quite left me, but very weak. In this condition, I often thought of these words, _I will deliver thee_; and while, at some times, I would think of the impossibility of it, other thoughts would reprehend me for disregarding the deliverances I had received, even from the most forlorn and distressed condition. I asked myself, what regard have I had to God for his abundant mercies? Have I done my part_: He has delivered me, but I have not glorified him:_--as if I had said, I had not owned and been thankful for these as deliverances, and how could I expect greater? So much did this sensibly touch my heart, that I gave God thanks for my recovery from weakness in the most humble prostration.
_July_ 4. This morning I began seriously to ponder on what is written in the New Testament, resolving to read a chapter every morning and night as long an my thoughts would engage me. As soon as I set about this work seriously, I found my heart deeply affected with the impiety of my past life; these words that I thought were spoken to me in my dream revived, _All these things have not brought thee to repentance._ After this, I begged of God to assist me with his Holy Spirit in returning to my duty. One day in perusing the Scriptures, I came to these words, _He is exalted a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and to give remission_: Immediately I laid down the book, and with uplifted hands to Heaven, loudly cried, _O blessed Jesus, thou son of David, Jesus, thou exalted Prince and Saviour, give we repentance!_ And now indeed I prayed with a true sense of my condition, and a more certain hope, founded on the word of God. Now I had a different sense of these words, _Call on me and I will deliver thee_, that is from the dreadful load of guilt which oppressed my sinful soul, and not from a solitary life, which might rather be called, a blessing, seeing I wanted neither food nor raiment, when compared living amongst the human race, surrounded with so much oppression, misery, and affliction; in a word, I came to this conclusion, that a deliverance from sin was a much greater blessing, than a deliverance from affliction. But again I proceed to my journal.
To the 14th of _July_, I walked about with my gun, little and little at a time, having been reduced to the greatest extremity of weakness. The applications and experiments I used were perfectly new: neither could I recommend them to any one's practice. For though it carried off the fit, it very much weakened me, and I had frequently convulsions in my nerves and limbs for some time. From this I learned, that going abroad in rainy weather, especially when it was attended with storms and hurricanes of wind, was most pernicious to health. I had now been about ten months in the island; and as I never had seen any of the human kind, I therefore accounted myself as sole monarch; and as I grew better, having secured my habitation to my mind, I resolved to make a tour round my kingdom, in order to make new discoveries.
The 15th of _July_, I began my journey; I first went to the creek, where I had brought my rafts on shore; and travelling farther, found the tide went no higher than two miles up, where there was a little brook of running water, on the banks of which were many pleasant savannahs or meadows, plain, smooth, and covered with grass. On the rising parts, where I supposed the water did not reach, I perceived a great deal of tobacco growing to a very strong stalk. Several other plants I likewise found, the virtues of which I did not understand. I searched a long time for the Cassava root, which I knew the Indians in that climate made their bread of, but all in vain. There were several plants of aloes, though at that time I knew not what they were; likewise I saw several sugar canes, but imperfect for want of cultivation. With these few discoveries, I came back that night, and slept contentedly in my little castle.
The next day, being the 16th, going the same way, but farther then the day before, I found the country more adorned with woods and trees. Here I perceived different fruits in great abundance. Melons in plenty lay on the ground, and clusters of grapes, ripe and very rich, spread over the trees. You may imagine I was glad of this discovery, yet ate very sparingly, lest I should throw myself into a flux or fever. The grapes I found of excellent use; for when I had dried them in the sun, which preserved them as dried raisins are kept, they proved very wholesome and nourishing, and served me in those seasons when no grapes were to be had.
The night drawing on apace, I ascended up a tree, and slept very comfortably, though it was the first time I had lain out of my habitation. And when the morning came, I proceeded with great pleasure on my way, travelling about four miles, as I imagined, by the length of the valley, directing my course northward, there being a ridge of hills on the south and north side of me. At the end of this valley, I came to an opening, where the country seemed to descend to the west; there I found a little spring of fresh water, proceeding out of the side of the hill, with its chrystal streams running directly east. And, indeed, here my senses were charmed with the most beautiful landscape nature could afford; for the country appeared flourishing, green, and delightful, that to me it seemed like a planted garden. I then descended on the side of that delicious vale, when I found abundance of cocoa, orange, lemon, and citron trees, but very wild and barren at that time. As for the limes, they were delightful and wholesome, the juice of which I after used to mix in water, which made it very cooling and refreshing. And now I was resolved to carry home and lay up a store of grapes, limes, and lemons, against the approaching wet season. So laying them up in separate parcels, and then taking a few of each with me, I returned to my little castle, after having spent three days in this journey. Before I got home, the grapes were so bruised that they were utterly spoiled; the limes indeed were good, but of those I could bring only a few.
_July 19_. Having prepared two bags, I returned thither again, but, to my great surprise, found all the grapes spread about, trod to pieces, and abundance eaten, which made me conclude there were wild beasts thereabouts. To prevent this happening again, I gathered a large quantity of the grapes, and hung them upon the out branches of the tree, both to keep them unhurt, and that they might cure and dry in the sun; and having well loaded myself with limes and lemons, I returned once more to my old place of residence.
And now contemplating on the fruitfulness of this valey, and pleasantness of its situation, its security from storms, and the delightfulness of the adjacent woods, I concluded I was settled in the worst part of the country, and therefore was thinking to remove my habitation.
But when I considered again, that though it was pleasant, it was off from the sea-side, where there was a possibility, some time or other, a ship might either be driven or sail by; and that to inclose myself among hills and woods must certainly put an end to my hopes of deliverance; I resolved to let my castle remain where Providence had first assigned it. Yet so ravished was I with this place, that I made me a little kind of bower, surrounding it with a double hedge, as high as I could reach, well staked and filled with bullrushes: and having spent a great part of the month of _July_, I think it was the first of _August_ before I began to enjoy my labour.
_Aug. 3._ Perceiving my grapes to be dry, I took them from the trees, and they proved excellent good raisins of the sun: the most of which I carried to my cave; and happy for me I did so; by which I saved the best part of my winter food.
_Aug_. 14. This day it began to rain; and though I had made me a tent like the other, yet having no shelter of a hill to keep me from storms, nor a cave behind me to retreat to, I was obliged to return to my old castle. The rain continued more or less every day, till the middle of _October;_ and sometimes so violently, that I could not stir out of my cave for several days. This season I found my family to increase; for one of my cats that ran away from me, and which I thought had been dead, returned about _August_, with three kittens at her heels, like herself, which I thought strange, because both my cats were females, and the wild cats of the island seemed to be of a different kind from our European cats; but from these cats proceeded such numbers, that I was forced to kill and destroy them as I would do wild beasts and vermin.
To the 26th of this month, I could not stir out, it raining incessantly; when beginning to want food, I was compelled to venture twice, the first of which I shot a goat, and afterwards found a very large tortoise. The manner of my regulating my food was thus: a bunch of raisins served me for my breakfast; a piece of goat's flesh or turtle boiled for my dinner, and two or three turtle's eggs for my supper. While the rain lasted, I daily worked two or three hours at enlarging my cave, and by degrees worked it on towards one side, till I came to the outside of the hill, and made a door or way out, which came beyond my fence or wall, and so I came in and out this way. But after I had done this, I was troubled to see myself thus exposed; though I could not perceive any thing to fear, a goat being the biggest creature I had seen upon this island.
_Sept_. 30. Casting up my notches on my post, which amounted to 365, I concluded this to be the anniversary of my landing; and, therefore, humbly prostrating myself on the ground, confessing my sins, acknowledging God's righteous judgments upon me, and praying to Jesus Christ to have mercy upon me, I fasted for twelve hours till the going down of the sun; and then eating a biscuit and a bunch of grapes, laid me on the bed, and with great comfort took my night's repose. Till this time I never had distinguished the Sabbath-day; but now made a longer notch than ordinary for the days of rest, and divided the weeks as well as I could, though I found I had lost a day or two in my account. My ink failing soon after, I omitted in my daily memorandum things of an indifferent nature, & contented myself to write down only the most remarkable events of my life. The rainy and dry seasons appeared now regular to me, and experience taught me how to provide for them; yet, in one thing I am going to relate, my experience very much failed me. You may call to mind what I have mentioned of some barley and rice which I had saved; about thirty stalks of the former, and twenty of the latter; and at that time, the sun being in its southern position, going from me, together with the rains, made me conclude it a very proper season to sow it. Accordingly I dug up a piece of ground, with my wooden spade, and dividing it into two parts, sowed about two thirds of my seed, preserving by me about a handful of each. And happy it was I did so; for no rains falling, it was choaked up, and never appeared above the earth till the wet season came again, and then part of it grew, as if it had been newly sown.
I was resolved all to make another trial; and seeking for a moister piece of ground near my bower, I there sowed the rest of my seed in February, a little before the vernal equinox; which having the rainy months of March and April to water it, yielded a noble crop, and sprang up very pleasantly. I had still saved part of the seed, not daring to venture all; and by the time I found out the proper seasons to sow it in, and that I might expect every year two seed-times and two harvests, my stock amounted to above half a peck of each sort of grain.
No sooner were the rains over, but the stakes which I had cut from the trees, shot out like willows the first year after lopping their heads. I was ignorant of the tree I cut them from; but they grew so regularly beautiful, that they made a most lively appearance, and so flourished in three year's time, that I resolved to cut more of them; and these soon growing made a glorious fence, as afterwards I shall observe.
And now I perceived that the seasons of the year might generally be divided, not into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into wet and dry seasons, as in this manner:
/ February,\ Half< March, > Rainy, sun coming near the Equinox. \ April, /
/ April, \ | May, | Half< June, > Dry, sun getting north of the Line. | July, | \ August, /
/ August, \ Half< September, > Wet, the sun being then come back. \ October, /
/ October, \ | November, | Half< December, > Dry, sun running south of the Line. | January, | \ February, /
The wet seasons would continue longer or shorter, as the winds happened to blow. But having found the ill consequences of being abroad in the rain, I took care beforehand to furnish myself with provisions; and during the wet months sat within doors as much as possible. At this time I contrived to make many things that I wanted, though it cost me much labour and pains, before I could accomplish them. The first I tried was to make a basket; but all the twigs I could get proved so brittle, that I could not then perform it. It now proved of great advantage to me that when a boy, I took great delight in standing at a basket-maker's in the same town where my father lived, to view them at work; and like other boys, curious to see the manner of their working these things and very officious to assist, I perfectly learned the method of it, and wanted nothing but the tools. And it coming into my mind that the twigs of that tree of which I made my stakes, might be as tough as a fallow willow, or osiers, growing in England, I resolved to make an experiment, and went the next day to my country-seat, and found some fit for my turn; and after cutting down a quantity with my hatchet, I dried them in my pale, and, when fit to work with, carried them to my cave, where I employed myself in making several sorts of baskets, insomuch that I could put in whatsoever I pleased. It is true, they were not cleverly made, yet they served my turn upon all occasions.
But still I wanted two necessary things. I had no cask to hold my liquor, except two rundlets almost full of rum, a few bottles of an ordinary size, and some square case bottles, neither had I a pot to boil any thing in, only a large kettle unfit to make broth, or stew a bit of meat: I wanted, likewise at the beginning of this dry season a tobacco pipe; but for this I afterwards found an expedient.
I kept myself employed in planting my second row of stakes, But remembering that when I travelled up to the brook, I had a mind to see the whole island, I now resumed my intention, and taking my dog, gun, hatchet, two biscuit cakes, a great bunch of raisins, with a larger quantity of powder and shot than usual, I began my journey. Having passed the vale where my bower stood, I came within view of the sea lying to the west when it being a clear day, I fairly descried land, extending from the W. to the S.W. about ten or fifteen leagues, as I concluded; but could not say whether it was an island or a continent.--Neither could I tell what this place might be; only thought it was part of America, & where I might have been in a miserable condition, had I landed. Again I considered that if this was the Spanish coast, certainly, one time or other, I should see some ship pass by; and if it was not, then it must be the savage coast, between the Spanish country and Brazil, which abounds with cannibals or man-eaters.
As I proceeded forward I found this side of the island much more pleasant than mine; the fields fragrant adorned with sweet flowers & verdant grass, together with several very, fine woods. There were parrots in plenty, which made me long for one to be my companion; but it was with great difficulty I could knock one down with my stick; and I kept him at home some years before I could get him to call me by my name.
In the low grounds, I found various sorts of hares and foxes, as I took them to be, but much different from those in England. Several of these I killed, but never ate them; neither indeed had I any occasion; for abounding with goats, pigeons, turtle, and grapes, I could defy Leadenhall market to furnish me a better table. In this journey I did not travel above two miles a-day, because I took several turns and windings, to see what discoveries I could make, returning weary enough to the place where I designed to rest all night, which was either in a tree, or in a place which I surrounded with stakes, that no wild creature might suddenly surprise me. When I came to the sea shore, I was amazed to see the splendour of it. Its strand was covered with shells of the most beautiful fish, and constantly abounding with innumerable turtles, and fowls of many kinds, which I was ignorant of, except those called penguins. I might have shot as many as I pleased, but was sparing of my ammunition, rather choosing to kill a she-goat, which I did with much difficulty, on account of the flatness of the country.
Now though this journey produced me the most pleasing satisfaction, yet my habitation was so much to my liking, that I did not repine at my being seated on the worst part of the island. I continued my journey, travelling about twelve miles further towards the east, where I set a great pile on the shore for a mark, concluding that my next journey should bring me to the other side of the island, east from my castle, and so round till I came to my post again. As I had a constant view of the country, I thought I could not miss my way; but scarce had I travelled three miles, when I descended into a very large valley, so surrounded with hills covered with wood, that I having no guide but the sun, nor even this, unless I knew will the position of the sun at the time of day; and to add to my misfortune, the weather proving very hazy, I was obliged to return to my post by the sea-side, and so backwards the same way I came. In this journey my dog surprised a kid and would have killed it, had I not prevented him. As I had often been thinking of getting a kid or two, and so raising a breed of tame goats to supply me after my ammunition was spent, I took this opportunity of beginning: and having made a collar for this little creature, with a string made of rope-yarn, I brought it to my bower, and there inclosed and left him; and, having spent a month in this journey, at length I returned to my habitation.
Nobody can doubt of my satisfaction, when I returned to my little castle, and reposed myself in my hammock. After my journey I rested myself a week, which time I employed in, making a cage for my pretty Poll. I now began to consider the poor kid I had left in the bower, and I immediately went to fetch it home. When I came there I found the young creature almost starved; I gave it some food, and tied it as before: but there was no occasion, for it followed me like a dog; and, as I constantly fed it, it became so loving, gentle, and fond, that it commenced one of my domestics, and would never leave me.