Part 9

Having crept upon my hands and feet, through this strait, I found the roof higher up, I think about twenty feet. But surely mortal never saw such a glorious sight before! The roof and walls of this cave reflected a hundred thousand lights to me from my two candles, as though they were indented with mining gold, precious stones, or sparkling diamonds. And indeed it was the most delightful cavity or grotto of its kind that could be desired, though entirely dark. The floor was dry and level, and had a kind of gravel upon it: no nauseous venomous creatures to be seen there, neither any damp or wet about it. I could find no fault but in the entrance, and I began to think that even this might be very necessary for my defence, and therefore resolved to make it my most principal magazine. I brought hither two fowling-pieces, and three muskets, leaving only five pieces at my castle, planted in the nature of cannon. Of the barrel of gunpowder, which I took up out of the sea, I brought away about sixty pounds powder, which was not damaged, and this with a great quantity of lead for bullets, I removed for my castle to this retreat, now fortified both by art and nature.

I fancied myself now like one of the giants of old, who were said to live in caves and holes among the rocks, inaccessible to any but themselves, or, at lest, a most dangerous to attempt. And now I despised both the cunning and strength of the savages, either to find me out or to hurt me.

But I must not forget the old goat, which caused my late dreadful amazement. The poor creature gave up the ghost the day after my discovery; & it being difficult to drag him out, I dug his grave, and honourably entombed him in the same place where is departed, with as much ceremony as any Welch goat that has been interred about the high mountain Penmanmawn.

I think I was now in the twenty-third year of my reign, and my thoughts much easier than formerly, having contrived several pretty amusements and diversions to pass away the time in a pleasant manner. By this time my pretty Poll had learned to speak English, and pronounce his words very articulately and plain; so that for many hours we used to chat together after a familiar manner, and he lived with me no less than twenty-six years. My dog which was nineteen years old, sixteen of which he lived with me, died some time ago of mere old age. As for my cats, they multiplied so fast, that I was forced to kill or drive them into the woods, except two or three which became my particular favourites. Besides these, I continually kept two or three household kids about me, which I learned to feed out of my hand, and two more parrots which could talk indifferently, and call _Robinson Crusoe_, but not so excellently as the first, as not taking that pains with them. I had also several sea-owls which I had wounded and cut their wings; and growing tame, they used to breed among the low trees about my castle walls, all which made my abode very agreeable.

But what unforeseen events suddenly destroy the enjoyment, of this uncertain state of life, when we least expect them! it was now the month of December, in the southern solstice, and particular time of my harvest, which required my attendance in the fields; when going out pretty early one morning, before it was day-light, there appeared to me, from the sea shore, a flaming light, about two miles from me at the east end of the island, where I had observed some savages had been before, not on the other side, but to my great affliction, it was on my side the island.

Struck with a terrible surprise, and my usual apprehensions, that the savages would perceive my improvements, I returned directly to my castle, pulled the ladder after me, making all things look as wild and natural as I possibly could. In the next place, I put myself into a posture of defence, loading my muskets and pistols, and committing myself to God's protection, I resolved to defend myself till my last breath. Two hours after, impatient for intelligence, I set my ladder up to the side of the hill, where there was a flat place, and then pulling the ladder after me ascended to the top, where laying myself on my belly, with my perspective glass, I perceived no less than nine naked savages, sitting round a small fire, eating, as I supposed human flesh, with their two canoes haled on shore, waiting for the flood to carry them off again. You cannot easily express the consternation I was in at this sight, especially seeing them near me; but when I perceived their coming must be always with the current of the ebb, I became more easy in my thoughts, being fully convinced that I might go abroad with security all the time of flood, if they were not before landed. And, indeed, this proved just as I imagined; for no sooner did they all take boat and paddle away, but the tide made N.W. Before they went off they danced, making ridiculous postures and gestures for above an hour, all stark naked; but whether men or women, or both, I could not perceive. When I saw them gone, I took two guns upon my shoulders, and placing a couple of pistols in my belt, with my great sword hanging by my side, I went to the hill, where at first I made a discovery of these cannibals, and then saw there had been three canoes more of the savages on shore at that place, which with the rest were making over to the main land.

But nothing could be more horrid to me, when going to the place of sacrifice, the blood, the bones, and other mangled parts of human bodies appeared in my sight; and so fired was I with indignation, that I was fully resolved to be revenged on the first that came there, though I lost my life in the execution. It then appeared to me, that the visits which they make to this island are not very frequent, it being fifteen months before they came again; but still I was very uneasy, by reason of the dismal apprehensions of their surprising me unawares; nor dared I offer to fire a gun on that side of the island where they used to appear, lest, taking the alarm, the savages might return with many hundred canoes, and then God knows in what manner I should have made my end. Thus was I a year or more before I saw any of these devouring cannibals again.

But to wave this, the following accident, which demands attention, for a while eluded the force of my thoughts in revenging myself on those Heathens.

On the 16th of May (according to my wooden calendar) the wind blew exceedingly hard, accompanied with abundance of lightning and thunder all day, and succeeded by a very stormy night. The seeming anger of the Heavens made me have recourse to my Bible. While I was seriously pondering upon it, I was suddenly alarmed with the noise of a gun, which I conjectured was fired upon the ocean. Such an unusual surprise made me start up in a minute, when, with my ladder, ascending the mountain as before, that very moment a flash of fire presaged the report of another gun which I presently heard, and found it was from that part of the sea where the current drove me away. I could not but then think, that this must be a ship in distress, and that there were the melancholy signals for a speedy deliverance. Great, indeed, was my sorrow upon this occasion; but my labours to assist them must have proved altogether vain & fruitless. However, I brought together all the dry wood that was at hand, and making a pretty large pile, set it on fire on the hill. I was certain they plainly perceived it, by their firing another gun as soon as it began to blaze, and after that several more from the same quarter. All night long I kept up my fire: and when the air cleared up, I perceived something a great way at sea, directly E. but could not distinguish what it was, even with my glass, by reason that the weather was so very foggy out at sea. However, keeping my eyes directly fixed upon it, and perceiving it did not stir, I presently concluded it must be a ship at anchor, and so very hasty I was to be satisfied, that taking the gun, I went to the S.E. part of the island, to the same rocks where I had been formerly drove away by the current, in which time the weather being perfectly cleared up, to my great sorrow, I perceived the wreck of a ship cast away upon those hidden rocks I found when I was out with my boat; and which, by making a kind of an eddy, were the occasion of my preservation.

Thus, _what is one man's safety is another's ruin_; for undoubtedly this ship had been driven on them in the night, the wind blowing strong at E.N.E. Had they perceived the island, as I now guessed they had not, certainly, instead of firing there guns for help, they would rather have ventured in their boat and saved themselves that way. I then thought, that perhaps they had done so, upon seeing my fire, and were cast away in the attempt: for I perceived no boat in the ship. But then I again imagined, that, perhaps, they had another vessel in company, which, upon signal, saved their lives, and took the boat up: or that the boat might be driven into the main ocean, where these poor creatures might be in the most miserable condition. But as all these conjectures were very uncertain, I could do no more than commiserate there distress, and thank God for delivering me, in particular, when so many perished in the raging ocean.

When I considered seriously every thing concerning this wreck, and could perceive no room to suppose any of them saved, I cannot explain, by any possible force of words, what longings my soul felt on this occasion, often breaking out in this manner: _O that there had been but two or three, nay even one person saved, that we might have lived together, conversed with, and comforted one another!_ and so much were my desires moved, that when I repeated these words, _Oh! that there had been but one!_ my hands would clench together, and my fingers press the palms of my hands to close, that, had any soft thing been between, it would have crushed it involuntarily, while my teeth would strike together, and set against each other so strong that it required some time for me to part them.

Till the last year of my being on this island, I never knew whether or not any had been saved out of this ship. I had the affliction, some time after, to see the corpse of a drowned boy come on shore, at the end of the island which was next the shipwreck; there was nothing on him but a seaman's waistcoat, a pair of opened kneed linen drawers, and a blue linen shirt, but no particular mark to guess what nation he was of. In his pocket were two pieces of eight, and a tobacco-pipe, the last of which I preferred much more than I did the first. And now the calmness of the sea tempted me to venture out in my boat to this wreck, not only to get something necessary out of the ship, but perhaps, some living creature might be on board, whose life I might preserve. This had such an influence upon my mind, that immediately I went home, and prepared every thing necessary for the voyage, carrying on board my boat provisions of all sorts, with a good quantity of rum, fresh water, and a compass: so putting off, I paddled the canoe along the shore, till I came at last to the north-east part of the island, from whence I was to launch into the ocean; but here the currents ran so violently, and appeared so terrible, that my heart began to fail me; foreseeing that if I was driven into any of these currents, I might be carried not only out of reach or sight of the island, but even inevitably lost in the boiling surges of the ocean.

So oppressed was I at these troubles, that I gave over my enterprize, sailing to a little creek on the shore, where stepping out, I set me down on a rising hill, very pensive and thoughtful. I then perceived that the tide was turned; and the flood came on, which made it impracticable for me to go out for so many hours. To be more certain how the sets of the tides or currents lay when the flood came in, I ascended a higher piece of ground, which overlooked the sea both ways; and here I found that as the current of the ebb set out close by the south point of the island, so the current of the flood set in close by the shore of the north side; and all that I had to do was to keep to the north of the island in my return.

That night I reposed myself in my canoe, covered with my watch coat, instead of a blanket, the heavens being my tester. I set out with the first of the tide full north, till I felt the benefit of the current, which carried me at a great rate eastward, yet not with such impetuosity as before, as to take from me all government of my canoe; so that in two hours time I came up to the wreck, which appeared to me a most melancholy sight. It seemed to be a Spanish vessel by its building, stuck fast between two rocks; her stern and quarter beaten to pieces by the sea; her mainmast and foremast were brought off by the board, that is broken off short. As I approached near, I perceived a dog on board, who seeing me coming, yelped and cried, and no sooner did I call him, but the poor creature jumped into the sea, out of which I took him up, almost famished with hunger and thirst; so that when I gave him a cake of bread, no ravenous wolf could devour it more greedily; and he drank to that degree of fresh water, that he would have burst himself, had I suffered him.

The first sight I met with in the ship, were two men drowned in the cook-room or forecastle, inclosed in one another's arms: hence I very probably supposed, that _when the vessel struck in the storm, so high and incessantly did the waters break in and over her, that the men not being able to bear it, were strangled by the constant rushing in of the waves_. There were several casks of liquor, whether wine of brandy, I could not be positive, which lay in the lower hold, as were plainly perceptible by the ebbing out of the water, yet were too large for me to pretend to meddle with; likewise I perceived several chests, which I supposed to belong to the seamen, two of which I got into my boat, without examining what was in them. Had the stern of the ship been fixed, and the forepart broken off, I should have made a very prosperous voyage; since by what I after found in these two chests, I could not otherwise conclude, but that the ship must have abundance of wealth on board; nay, if I must guess by the course she steered, she must have been bound from the Buenos Ayres, or the Rio de la Plata, in the southern parts of America, beyond the Brazils, to the Havannah, in the gulf of Mexico, and so perhaps to Spain. What became of the rest of the sailors, I could not certainly tell; and all her riches signified nothing at that time to any body.

Searching farther, I found a cask containing about twenty gallons, full of liquor, which, with some labour, I got into my boat; in her cabin were several muskets, which I let remain there; but took away with me a great powder horn, with about four pounds of powder in it. I took also a fire-shovel and tongs, two brass kettles, a copper pot to make chocolate, and a gridiron; all which were extremely necessary to me, especially the fire-shovel and tongs. And so with this cargo, accompanied with my dog, I came away, the tide serving for that purpose; and the same evening, about an hour within night, I attained the island, after the greatest toil and fatigue imaginable.

That night I reposed my wearied limbs in the boat, resolving the next morning to harbour what I had gotten in my new-found subterraneous grotto; & not to carry my cargo home to my ancient castle. Having refreshed myself, and got all my effects on shore I next proceeded to examine the particulars; and so tapping the cask, I found the liquor to be a kind of rum, but not like what we had at the Brazils, nor indeed near so good. At the opening of the chest, several things appeared very useful to me; for instance, I found in one a very fine case of bottles, containing the finest and best sorts of cordial waters; each bottle held about three pints, curiously tip with silver. I found also two pots full of the choicest sweetmeats, and two more which the water had utterly spoiled. There were likewise several good shirts exceedingly welcome to me, and about one dozen and a half white linen handkerchiefs and coloured neckcloths, the former of which was absolutely necessary for wiping my face in a hot day; and, in the till, I found three bags of pieces of eight, about eleven hundred in all, in one of which, decently wrapped up in a piece of paper, were six doubloons of gold, and some small bars and wedges of the same metal, which I believe might weigh near a pound. In the other chest, which I guessed to belong to the gunner's mate, by the mean circumstances which attended it, I found only some clothes of very little value, except about two pounds of fine glazed powder, in three flasks, kept, as I believe, for charging their fowling pieces on any occasion; so that, on the whole, I had no great advantage by this voyage. The money was indeed as mere dirt to me, useless and unprofitable, all which I would freely have parted with for two or three pair of English shoes and stockings; things that for many years I had not worn, except lately those which I had taken of the feet of those unfortunate men I found drowned in the wreck, yet not so good as English shoes either for ease or service. I also found in the seaman's chest about fifty pieces of eight in royals, but no gold; so concluded that what I took from the first belonged to an officer, the latter appearing to have a much inferior person for its owner. However, as despicable as the money seemed, I likewise lugged it to my cave, laying it up securely, as I did the rest of my cargo; and after I had done all this, I returned back to my boat, rowing and paddling her along till I came to my old harbour, where I carefully laid her up, and so made the best of my way to my castle. When I arrived there, every thing seemed safe and quiet: so that now my only business was to repose myself after my wonted manner, and take care of my domestic affairs. But though I might have lived very easy, as wanting nothing absolutely needful, yet still I was more vigilant than usual upon account of the savages, never going much abroad; or, if I did, it was to the east part of the island, where I was well assured that the savages never came, and where I might not be troubled to carry that heavy load of weapons for my defence, as I was obliged to do if I went the other way.

Two years did I live in this anxious condition, in all which time, contrary to my former resolutions, my head was filled with nothing but projects and designs, how I might escape from this island; and so much were my wandering thoughts bent upon a rambling disposition that had I had the same boat that I went from Sallee in, I should have ventured once more to the uncertainty of the raging ocean.

I cannot, however, but consider myself as one of the unhappy persons, who make themselves wretched by there dissatisfaction with the stations which God has placed them in; for, not to take a review of my primitive condition, and my father's excellent advice, the going contrary to which was, as I may say, my original sin, the following mistakes of the same nature certainly had been the means of my present unhappy station. What business had I to leave a settled fortune, and well stocked plantation, improving and increasing, where, by this time, I might have been worth a hundred thousand moidores, to turn supercargo to Guinea, to fetch Negroes, when time and patience would so much enlarge my stock at home, as to be able to employ those whose more immediate business it was to fetch them home even to my door?

But as this is commonly the fate of young heads, so a serious reflection upon the folly of it ordinarily attends the exercise of future years, when the dear bought experience of time teaches us repentance. Thus was it with me; but not withstanding the thoughts of my deliverance ran so strongly in my mind, that is seemed to check all the dictates of reason and philosophy. And now to usher in my kind reader with greater pleasure to the remaining part of my relation, I flatter myself it will not be taken amiss, to give him an account of my first conceptions of the manner of escaping, and upon what foundation I laid my foolish schemes.