Robinson Crusoe (Penguin ed.)

by Daniel Defoe

  I was so amaz’d with the thing it self, having never felt the like, or discoursed with any one that had, that I was like one dead or stupify’d; and the motion of the earth made my stomach sick, like one that was toss’d at sea; but the noise of the falling of the rock awak’d me as it were, and rousing me from the stupify’d condition I was in, fill’d me with horror, and I thought of nothing then but the hill falling upon my tent and all my household goods, and burying all at once; and this sunk my very soul within me a second time.

  After the third shock was over, and I felt no more for some time, I began to take courage, and yet I had not heart enough to go over my wall again, for fear of being buried alive, but sat still upon the ground, greatly cast down and disconsolate, not knowing what to do: All this while I had not the least serious religious thought, nothing but the common, Lord ha’ mercy upon me;25 and when it was over, that went away too.

  While I sat thus, I found the air over-cast, and grow cloudy, as if it would rain; soon after that the wind rose by little and little, so that, in less than half an hour, it blew a most dreadful hurricane: The sea was all on a sudden cover’d over with foam and froth, the shore was cover’d with the breach of the water, the trees were torn up by the roots, and a terrible storm it was; and this held about three hours, and then began to abate, and in two hours more it was stark calm, and began to rain very hard.

  All this while I sat upon the ground very much terrify’d and dejected, when on a sudden it came into my thoughts, that these winds and rain being the consequence of the earthquake, the earthquake it self was spent and over, and I might venture into my cave again: With this thought my spirits began to revive, and the rain also helping to perswade me, I went in and sat down in my tent, but the rain was so violent, that my tent was ready to be beaten down with it, and I was forc’d to go into my cave, tho’ very much afraid and uneasy for fear it should fall on my head.

  This violent rain forc’d me to a new work, viz. to cut a hole thro’ my new fortification like a sink to let the water go out, which would else have drown’d my cave. After I had been in my cave some time, and found still no more shocks of the earthquake follow, I began to be more compos’d; and now to support my spirits, which indeed wanted it very much, I went to my little store, and took a small sup of rum, which however I did then and always very sparingly, knowing I could have no more when that was gone.

  It continu’d raining all that night, and great part of the next day, so that I could not stir abroad, but my mind being more compos’d, I began to think of what I had best do, concluding that if the island was subject to these earthquakes, there would be no living for me in a cave, but I must consider of building me some little hut in an open place which I might surround with a wall as I had done here, and so make my self secure from wild beasts or men; but concluded, if I staid where I was, I should certainly, one time or other, be bury’d alive.

  With these thoughts I resolv’d to remove my tent from the place where it stood, which was just under the hanging precipice of the hill, and which, if it should be shaken again, would certainly fall upon my tent: And I spent the two next days, being the 19th and 20th of April, in contriving where and how to remove my habitation.

  The fear of being swallow’d up alive, made me that I never slept in quiet, and yet the apprehension of lying abroad without any fence was almost equal to it; but still when I look’d about and saw how every thing was put in order, how pleasantly conceal’d I was, and how safe from danger, it made me very loath to remove.

  In the mean time it occur’d to me that it would require a vast deal of time for me to do this, and that I must be contented to run the venture where I was, till I had form’d a camp for my self, and had secured it so as to remove to it: So with this resolution I compos’d my self for a time, and resolv’d that I would go to work with all speed to build me a wall with piles and cables, &c. in a circle as before, and set my tent up in it when it was finish’d, but that I would venture to stay where I was till it was finish’d and fit to remove to. This was the 21st.

  April 22. The next morning I began to consider of means to put this resolve in execution, but I was at a great loss about my tools; I had three large axes and abundance of hatchets, (for we carried the hatchets for traffick with the Indians) but with much chopping and cutting knotty hard wood, they were all full of notches and dull, and tho’ I had a grindstone, I could not turn it and grind my tools too; this cost me as much thought as a statesman would have bestow’d upon a grand point of politicks, or a judge upon the life and death of a man. At length I contriv’d a wheel with a string, to turn it with my foot, that I might have both my hands at liberty: Note, I had never seen any such thing in England, or at least not to take notice how it was done, tho’ since I have observ’d it is very common there; besides that, my grindstone was very large and heavy. This machine cost me a full week’s work to bring it to perfection.

  April 28, 29. These two whole days I took up in grinding my tools, my machine for turning my grindstone performing very well.

  April 30. Having perceiv’d my bread had been low a great while, now I took a survey of it, and reduced my self to one bisket-cake a day, which made my heart very heavy.

  May 1. In the morning looking towards the sea-side, the tide being low, I saw something lye on the shore bigger than ordinary, and it look’d like a cask; when I came to it, I found a small barrel, and two or three pieces of the wreck of the ship, which were driven on shore by the late hurricane, and looking towards the wreck itself, I thought it seem’d to lye higher out of the water than it us’d to do; I examin’d the barrel which was driven on shore, and soon found it was a barrel of gunpowder, but it had taken water, and the powder was cak’d as hard as a stone, however I roll’d it farther on shore for the present, and went on upon the sands as near as I could to the wreck of the ship to look for more.

  When I came down to the ship, I found it strangely remov’d; the fore-castle, which lay before bury’d in sand, was heav’d up at least six foot, and the stern which was broke to pieces and parted from the rest by the force of the sea soon after I had left rummaging her, was toss’d, as it were, up, and cast on one side, and the sand was thrown so high on that side next her stern, that whereas there was a great place of water before, so that I could not come within a quarter of a mile of the wreck without swimming, I could now walk quite up to her when the tide was out; I was surpris’d with this at first, but soon concluded it must be done by the earthquake, and as by this violence the ship was more broken open than formerly, so many things came daily on shore, which the sea had loosen’d, and which the winds and water rolled by degrees to the land.

  This wholly diverted my thoughts from the design of removing my habitation; and I busied myself mightily that day especially, in searching whether I could make any way into the ship, but I found nothing was to be expected of that kind, for that all the in-side of the ship was choak’d up with sand: However, as I had learn’d not to despair of any thing, I resolv’d to pull every thing to pieces that I could of the ship, concluding, that every thing I could get from her would be of some use or other to me.

  May 3. I began with my saw, and cut a piece of a beam thro’, which I thought held some of the upper part or quarter-deck together, and when I had cut it thro’, I clear’d away the sand as well as I could from the side which lay highest; but the tide coming in, I was obliged to give over for that time.

  May 4. I went a fishing, but caught not one fish that I durst eat of, till I was weary of my sport, when just going to leave off, I caught a young dolphin. I had made me a long line of some rope yarn, but I had no hooks, yet I frequently caught fish enough, as much as I car’d to eat; all which I dry’d in the sun, and eat them dry.

  May 5. Work’d on the wreck, cut another beam asunder, and brought three great fir planks off from the decks, which I ty’d together, and made swim on shore, when the tide of flood came on.

  May 6. Work’d on the wreck, got several iron bolts out of her,
and other pieces of iron-work, work’d very hard, and came home very much tyr’d, and had thoughts of giving it over.

  May 7. Went to the wreck again, but with an intent not to work, but found the weight of the wreck had broke itself down, the beams being cut, that several pieces of the ship seem’d to lie loose, and the in-side of the hold lay so open, that I could see into it, but almost full of water and sand.

  May 8. Went to the wreck, and carry’d an iron crow to wrench up the deck, which lay now quite clear of the water or sand; I wrench’d open two planks, and brought them on shore also with the tide: I left the iron crow in the wreck for next day.

  May 9, Went to the wreck, and with the crow made way into the body of the wreck, and felt several casks, and loosen’d them with the crow; but could not break them up; I felt also the roll of English lead, and could stir it, but it was too heavy to remove.

  May 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Went every day to the wreck, and got a great deal of pieces of timber, and boards, or plank, and 2 or 300 weight of iron.

  May 15. I carry’d two hatchets to try if I could not cut a piece off of the roll of lead, by placing the edge of one hatchet, and driving it with the other; but as it lay about a foot and a half in the water, I could not make any blow to drive the hatchet.

  May 16. It had blow’d hard in the night, and the wreck appear’d more broken by the force of the water; but I stay’d so long in the woods to get pidgeons for food, that the tide prevented me going to the wreck that day.

  May 17. I saw some pieces of the wreck blown on shore, at a great distance, near two miles off me, but resolv’d to see what they were, and found it was a piece of the head, but too heavy for me to bring away.

  May 24. Every day to this day I work’d on the wreck, and with hard labour I loosen’d some things so much with the crow, that the first blowing tide several casks floated out, and two of the seamens chests; but the wind blowing from the shore, nothing came to land that day, but pieces of timber, and a hogshead which had some Brazil pork in it, but the salt-water and the sand had spoil’d it.

  I continu’d this work every day to the 15th of June, except the time necessary to get food, which I always appointed, during this part of my employment, to be when the tide was up, that I might be ready when it was ebb’d out; and by this time I had gotten timber, and plank, and iron-work enough to have built a good boat, if I had known how; and also, I got at several times, and in several pieces, near 100 weight of the sheet-lead.

  June 16. Going down to the sea-side, I found a large tortoise or turtle; this was the first I had seen, which it seems was only my misfortune, not any defect of the place, or scarcity; for had I happen’d to be on the other side of the island, I might have had hundreds of them every day, as I found afterwards; but perhaps had paid dear enough for them.

  June 17. I spent in cooking the turtle; I found in her threescore eggs; and her flesh was to me at that time the most savoury and pleasant that ever I tasted in my life, having had no flesh, but of goats and fowls, since I landed in this horrid place.

  June 18. Rain’d all day, and I stay’d within. I thought at this time the rain felt cold, and I was something chilly, which I knew was not usual in that latitude.

  June 19. Very ill, and shivering, as if the weather had been cold.

  June 20. No rest all night, violent pains in my head, and feaverish.

  June 21. Very ill, frighted almost to death with the apprehensions of my sad condition, to be sick, and no help: Pray’d to GOD for the first time since the storm off of Hull, but scarce knew what I said, or why; my thoughts being all confused.

  June 22. A little better, but under dreadful apprehensions of sickness.

  June 23. Very bad again, cold and shivering, and then a violent head-ach.

  June 24. Much better.

  June 25. An ague very violent; the fit held me seven hours, cold fit and hot, with faint sweats after it.

  June 26. Better; and having no victuals to eat, took my gun, but found myself very weak; however I kill’d a she-goat, and with much difficulty got it home, and broil’d some of it, and eat; I wou’d fain have stew’d it, and made some broth, but had no pot.

  June 27. The ague again so violent, that I lay a-bed all day, and neither eat or drank. I was ready to perish for thirst, but so weak, I had not strength to stand up, or to get my self any water to drink: Pray’d to God again, but was light-headed, and when I was not, I was so ignorant, that I knew not what to say; only I lay and cry’d, Lord look upon me, Lord pity me, Lord have mercy upon me: I suppose I did nothing else for two or three hours, till the fit wearing off, I fell asleep, and did not wake till far in the night; when I wak’d, I found my self much refresh’d, but weak, and exceeding thirsty: However, as I had no water in my whole habitation, I was forc’d to lie till morning, and went to sleep again: In this second sleep, I had this terrible dream.

  I thought, that I was sitting on the ground on the out-side of my wall, where I sat when the storm blew after the earthquake, and that I saw a man descend from a great black cloud, in a bright flame of fire, and light upon the ground: He was all over as bright as a flame, so that I could but just bear to look towards him; his countenance was most inexpressibly dreadful, impossible for words to describe; when he stepp’d upon the ground with his feet, I thought the earth trembled, just as it had done before in the earthquake, and all the air look’d to my apprehension, as if it had been fill’d with flashes of fire.

  He was no sooner landed upon the earth, but he mov’d forward towards me, with a long spear or weapon in his hand, to kill me; and when he came to a rising ground, at some distance, he spoke to me, or I heard a voice so terrible, that it is impossible to express the terror of it; all that I can say I understood was this, Seeing all these things have not brought thee to repentance, now thou shalt die: At which words, I thought he lifted up the spear that was in his hand, to kill me.

  No one, that shall ever read this account, will expect that I should be able to describe the horrors of my soul at this terrible vision, I mean, that even while it was a dream, I even dreamed of those horrors; nor is it any more possible to describe the impression that remain’d upon my mind when I awak’d and found it was but a dream.

  I had alas! no divine knowledge; what I had receiv’d by the good instruction of my father was then worn out by an uninterrupted series, for 8 years, of seafaring wickedness, and a constant conversation with nothing but such as were like myself, wicked and prophane to the last degree: I do not remember that I had in all that time one thought that so much as tended either to looking upwards toward God, or inwards towards a reflection upon my own ways: But a certain stupidity of soul, without desire of good, or conscience of evil, had entirely overwhelm’d me, and I was all that the most hardned, unthinking, wicked creature among our common sailors can be suppos’d to be, not having the least sense, either of the fear of God in danger, or of thankfulness to God in deliverances.

  In the relating what is already past of my story, this will be the more easily believed, when I shall add, that thro’ all the variety of miseries that had to this day befallen me, I never had so much as one thought of it being the hand of God, or that it was a just punishment for my sin; my rebellious behaviour against my father, or my present sins which were great; or so much as a punishment for the general course of my wicked life. When I was on the desperate expedition on the desart shores of Africa, I never had so much as one thought of what would become of me; or one wish to God to direct me whither I should go, or to keep me from the danger which apparently surrounded me, as well from voracious creatures as cruel savages: But I was meerly thoughtless of a God, or a Providence, acted like a meer brute from the principles of Nature, and by the dictates of common sense only, and indeed hardly that.

  When I was deliver’d and taken up at sea by the Portugal Captain, well us’d, and dealt justly and honourably with, as well as charitably, I had not the least thankfulness on my thoughts: When again I was shipwreck’d, ruin’d, and in danger of
drowning on this island, I was as far from remorse, or looking on it as a judgment; I only said to my self often, that I was an unfortunate dog, and born to be always miserable.

  It is true, when I got on shore first here, and found all my ship’s crew drown’d, and my self spar’d, I was surpris’d with a kind of extasie, and some transports of soul, which, had the grace of God assisted, might have come up to true thankfulness; but it ended where it begun, in a meer common flight of joy, or, as I may say, being glad I was alive, without the least reflection upon the distinguishing goodness of the hand which had preserv’d me, and had singled me out to be preserv’d, when all the rest were destroy’d; or an enquiry why Providence had been thus merciful to me; even just the same common sort of joy which seamen generally have after they are got safe ashore from a shipwreck, which they drown all in the next bowl of punch, and forget almost as soon as it is over, and all the rest of my life was like it.