by Daniel Defoe
possible to imaginethe consternation I was now in, being driven from my beloved island (forso it appeared to me now to be) into the wide ocean, almost two leagues,and in the utmost despair of ever recovering it again. However, I workedhard, till indeed my strength was almost exhausted, and kept my boat asmuch to the northward, that is, towards the side of the current whichthe eddy lay on, as possibly I could; when about noon, as the sun passedthe meridian, I thought I felt a little breeze of wind in my face,springing up from S.S.E. This cheered my heart a little, and especiallywhen, in about half an hour more, it blew a pretty gentle gale. By thistime I was got at a frightful distance from the island, and had theleast cloudy or hazy weather intervened, I had been undone another waytoo; for I had no compass on board, and should never have known how tohave steered towards the island, if I had but once lost sight of it; butthe weather continuing clear, I applied myself to get up my mast again,and spread my sail, standing away to the north as much as possible, toget out of the current.
Just as I had set my mast and sail, and the boat began to stretch away,I saw even by the clearness of the water some alteration of the currentwas near; for where the current was so strong, the water was foul; butperceiving the water clear, I found the current abate; and presently Ifound to the east, at about half a mile, a breach of the sea upon somerocks: these rocks I found caused the current to part again, and as themain stress of it ran away more southerly, leaving the rocks to thenorth-east, so the other returned by the repulse of the rocks, and madea strong eddy, which ran back again to the north-west, with a verysharp stream.
They who know what it is to have a reprieve brought to them upon theladder, or to be rescued from thieves just going to murder them, or whohave been in such-like extremities, may guess what my present surpriseof joy was, and how gladly I put my boat into the stream of this eddy;and the wind also freshening, how gladly I spread my sail to it, runningcheerfully before the wind, and with a strong tide or eddy under foot.
This eddy carried me about a league in my way back again, directlytowards the island, but about two leagues more to the northward than thecurrent which carried me away at first: so that when I came near theisland, I found myself open to the northern shore of it, that is to say,the other end of the island, opposite to that which I went out from.
When I had made something more than a league of way by the help of thiscurrent or eddy, I found it was spent, and served me no farther.However, I found that being between two great currents, viz. that on thesouth side, which had hurried me away, and that on the north, which layabout a league on the other side; I say, between these two, in the wakeof the island, I found the water at least still, and running no way; andhaving still a breeze of wind fair for me, I kept on steering directlyfor the island, though not making such fresh way as I did before.
About four o'clock in the evening, being then within a league of theisland, I found the point of the rocks which occasioned this disaster,stretching out, as is described before, to the southward, and castingoff the current more southerly, had, of course, made another eddy to thenorth, and this I found very strong, but not directly setting the way mycourse lay, which was due west, but almost full north. However, having afresh gale, I stretched across this eddy, slanting north-west: and, inabout an hour, came within about a mile of the shore, where, it beingsmooth water, I soon got to land.
When I was on shore, I fell on my knees, and gave God thanks for mydeliverance, resolving to lay aside all thoughts of my deliverance by myboat; and refreshing myself with such things as I had, I brought my boatclose to the shore, in a little cove that I had spied under some trees,and laid me down to sleep, being quite spent with the labour and fatigueof the voyage.
I was now at a great loss which way to get home with my boat: I had runso much hazard, and knew too much of the case, to think of attempting itby the way I went out; and what might be at the other side (I mean thewest side) I knew not, nor had I any mind to run any more ventures; so Ionly resolved in the morning to make my way westward along the shore,and to see if there was no creek where I might lay up my frigate insafety, so as to have her again, if I wanted her. In about three miles,or thereabouts, coasting the shore, I came to a very good inlet or bay,about a mile over, which narrowed till it came to a very little rivuletor brook, where I found a very convenient harbour for my boat, and whereshe lay as if she had been in a little dock made on purpose for her.Here I put in, and having stowed my boat very safe, I went on shore, tolook about me, and see where I was.
I soon found I had but a little passed by the place where I had beenbefore, when I travelled on foot to that shore; so taking nothing out ofmy boat but my gun and umbrella, for it was exceeding hot, I began mymarch. The way was comfortable enough after such a voyage as I had beenupon, and I reached my old bower in the evening, where I found everything standing as I left it; for I always kept it in good order, being,as I said before, my country house.
I got over the fence, and laid me down in the shade, to rest my limbs,for I was very weary, and fell asleep: but judge you, if you can, thatread my story, what a surprise I must be in, when I was awaked out of mysleep by a voice, calling me by my name several times, "Robin, Robin,Robin Crusoe; poor Robin Crusoe! Where are you, Robin Crusoe? Where areyou? Where have you been!"
I was so dead asleep at first, being fatigued with rowing, or paddling,as it is called, the first part of the day, and with walking the latterpart, that I did not wake thoroughly; but dozing between sleeping andwaking, thought I dreamed that somebody spoke to me; but as the voicecontinued to repeat Robin Crusoe, Robin Crusoe, at last I began to wakemore perfectly, and was at first dreadfully frightened, and started upin the utmost consternation; but no sooner were my eyes open, but I sawmy Pol sitting on the top of the hedge; and immediately knew it was hethat spoke to me; for just in such bemoaning language I had used to talkto him, and teach him; and he had learned it so perfectly, that he wouldsit upon my finger, and lay his bill close to my face, and cry, "PoorRobin Crusoe! Where are you? Where have you been? How came you here?"and such things as I had taught him.
However, even though I knew it was the parrot, and that indeed it couldbe nobody else, it was a good while before I could compose myself.First, I was amazed how the creature got thither, and then, how heshould just keep about the place, and no where else: but as I was wellsatisfied it could be nobody but honest Pol, I got over it; and holdingout my hand, and calling him by his name, Pol, the sociable creaturecame to me, and sat upon my thumb, as he used to do and continuedtalking to me, Poor Robin Crusoe! and how did I come here? and where hadI been? just as if he had been overjoyed to see me again: and so Icarried him home along with me.
I now had enough of rambling to sea for some time, and had enough to dofor many days, to sit still, and reflect upon the danger I had been in.I would have been very glad to have had my boat again on my side of theisland; but I knew not how it was practicable to get it about. As to theeast side of the island, which I had gone round, I knew well enoughthere was no venturing that way; my very heart would shrink, and my veryblood run chill, but to think of it; and as to the other side of theisland, I did not know how it might be there; but supposing the currentran with the same force against the shore at the east as it passed by iton the other, I might run the same risk of being driven down the stream,and carried by the island, as I had been before of being carried awayfrom it; so, with these thoughts, I contented myself to be without anyboat, though it had been the product of so many months' labour to makeit, and of so many more to get it into the sea.
In this government of my temper I remained near a year, lived a verysedate, retired life, as you may well suppose; and my thoughts beingvery much composed, as to my condition, and fully comforted in resigningmyself to the dispositions of Providence, I thought I lived really veryhappily in all things, except that of society.
I improved myself in this time in all the mechanic exercises which mynecessities put me upon applying myself to; and I believe I could, uponoccasion, have made a very goo
d carpenter, especially considering howfew tools I had.
Besides this, I arrived at an unexpected perfection in my earthen-ware,and contrived well enough to make them with a wheel, which I foundinfinitely easier and better; because I made things round and shapable,which before were filthy things indeed to look on. But I think I wasnever more vain of my own performance, or more joyful for any thing Ifound out, than for my being able to make a tobacco-pipe; and though itwas a very ugly clumsy thing when it was done, and only burnt red, likeother earthen-ware, yet as it was hard and firm, and would draw thesmoke, I was exceedingly comforted with it, for I had been always usedto smoke: and there were pipes in the ship, but I forgot them at first,not thinking that there was tobacco in the island; and afterwards, whenI searched the ship again, I could not come at any pipes at all.
In my wicker-ware also I improved much, and made abundance of necessarybaskets, as well as my invention showed me; though not very