by Daniel Defoe
It was some months however before I resolved upon this; and therefore, as I had rewarded the old Captain fully, and to his satisfaction, who had been my former benefactor, so I began to think of my poor widow, whose husband had been my first benefactor, and she, while it was in her power, my faithful steward and instructor. So the first thing I did, I got a merchant in Lisbon to write to his correspondent in London, not only to pay a bill, but to go find her out, and carry her in money an hundred pounds from me, and to talk with her, and comfort her in her poverty, by telling her she should, if I liv’d, have a farther supply: At the same time I sent my two sisters in the country, each of them an hundred pounds, they being, though not in want, yet not in very good circumstances; one having been marry’d, and left a widow; and the other having a husband not so kind to her as he should be.
But among all my relations, or acquaintances, I could not yet pitch upon one, to whom I durst commit the gross of my stock, that I might go away to the Brasils, and leave things safe behind me; and this greatly perplex’d me.
I had once a mind to have gone to the Brasils, and have settled my self there; for I was, as it were, naturaliz’d to the place; but I had some little scruple in my mind about religion, which insensibly drew me back, of which I shall say more presently. However, it was not religion that kept me from going there for the present; and as I had made no scruple of being openly of the religion of the country, all the while I was among them, so neither did I yet; only that now and then having of late thought more of it, (than formerly) when I began to think of living and dying among them, I began to regret my having profess’d my self a Papist, and thought it might not be the best religion to die with.
But, as I have said, this was not the main thing that kept me from going to the Brasils, but that really I did not know with whom to leave my effects behind me; so I resolv’d at last to go to England with it, where, if I arrived, I concluded I should make some acquaintance, or find some relations that would be faithful to me; and accordingly I prepar’d to go for England with all my wealth.
In order to prepare things for my going home, I first, the Brasil fleet being just going away, resolved to give answers suitable to the just and faithful account of things I had from thence; and first to the Prior of St. Augustin I wrote a letter full of thanks for their just dealings, and the offer of the 872 Moidores, which was indisposed of, which I desir’d might be given 500 to the monastery, and 372 to the poor, as the Prior should direct, desiring the good Padres prayers for me, and the like.
I wrote next a letter of thanks to my two trustees, with all the acknowledgment that so much justice and honesty call’d for; as for sending them any present, they were far above having any occasion of it.
Lastly, I wrote to my partner, acknowledging his industry in the improving the plantation, and his integrity in encreasing the stock of the works, giving him instructions for his future government of my part, according to the powers I had left with my old patron, to whom I desir’d him to send whatever became due to me, till he should hear from me more particularly; assuring him that it was my intention, not only to come to him, but to settle my self there for the remainder of my life: To this I added a very handsom present of some Italian silks for his wife, and two daughters, for such the Captain’s son inform’d me he had; with two pieces of fine English broad cloth, the best I could get in Lisbon, five pieces of black bays, and some Flanders lace of a good value.
Having thus settled my affairs, sold my cargo, and turn’d all my effects into good bills of exchange, my next difficulty was, which way to go to England: I had been accustom’d enough to the sea, and yet I had a strange aversion to going to England by sea at that time; and though I could give no reason for it, yet the difficulty encreas’d upon me so much, that though I had once shipp’d my baggage, in order to go, yet I alter’d my mind, and that not once, but two or three times.
It is true, I had been very unfortunate by sea, and this might be some of the reasons: But let no man slight the strong impulses of his own thoughts in cases of such moment: Two of the ships which I had singled out to go in, I mean, more particularly singled out than any other, that is to say, so as in one of them to put my things on board, and in the other to have agreed with the Captain; I say, two of these ships miscarry’d, viz. one was taken by the Algerines, and the other was cast away on the Start near Torbay,74 and all the people drown’d except three; so that in either of those vessels I had been made miserable; and in which most, it was hard to say.
Having been thus harass’d in my thoughts, my old pilot, to whom I communicated every thing, press’d me earnestly not to go by sea, but either to go by land to the Groyne,75 and cross over the Bay of Biscay to Rochell, from whence it was but an easy and safe journey by land to Paris, and so to Calais and Dover; or to go up to Madrid, and so all the way by land thro’ France.
In a word, I was so prepossess’d against my going by sea at all, except from Calais to Dover, that I resolv’d to travel all the way by land; which as I was not in haste, and did not value the charge, was by much the pleasanter way; and to make it more so, my old Captain brought an English gentleman, the son of a merchant in Lisbon, who was willing to travel with me: After which, we pick’d up two more English merchants also, and two young Portuguese gentlemen, the last going to Paris only; so that we were in all six of us, and five servants; the two merchants and the two Portuguese, contenting themselves with one servant between two, to save the charge; and as for me, I got an English sailor to travel with me as a servant, besides my man Friday, who was too much a stranger to be capable of supplying the place of a servant on the road.
In this manner I set out from Lisbon; and our company being all very well mounted and armed, we made a little troop, whereof they did me the honour to call me Captain, as well because I was the oldest man, as because I had two servants, and indeed was the original of the whole journey.
As I have troubled you with none of my sea-journals, so I shall trouble you now with none of my land-journal: But some adventures that happen’d to us in this tedious and difficult journey, I must not omit.
When we came to Madrid, we being all of us strangers to Spain, were willing to stay some time to see the court of Spain, and to see what was worth observing; but it being the latter part of the summer, we hasten’d away, and set out from Madrid about the middle of October: But when we came to the edge of Navarre, we were alarm’d at several towns on the way, with an account, that so much snow was fallen on the French side of the mountains, that several travellers were obliged to come back to Pampeluna,76 after having attempted at an extream hazard to pass on.
When we came to Pampeluna it self, we found it so indeed; and to me that had been always used to a hot climate, and indeed to countries where we could scarce bear any clothes on, the cold was insufferable; nor indeed was it more painful than it was surprising, to come but ten days before out of the Old Castile,77 where the weather was not only warm, but very hot, and immediately to feel a wind from the Pyrenean Mountains, so very keen, so severely cold, as to be intolerable, and to endanger benumbing and perishing of our fingers and toes.
Poor Friday was really frighted when he saw the mountains all cover’d with snow, and felt cold weather, which he had never seen or felt before in his life.
To mend the matter, when we came to Pampeluna, it continued snowing with so much violence, and so long, that the people said, winter was come before its time, and the roads which were difficult before, were now quite impassable: For in a word, the snow lay in some places too thick for us to travel; and being not hard frozen, as is the case in northern countries: There was no going without being in danger of being bury’d alive every step. We stay’d no less than twenty days at Pampeluna; when seeing the winter coming on, and no likelihood of its being better; for it was the severest winter all over Europe that had been known in the memory of man. I propos’d that we should all go away to Fontarabia,78 and there take shipping for Bourdeaux, which was a very little voyage.
Bu
t while we were considering this, there came in four French gentlemen, who having been stopp’d on the French side of the passes, as we were on the Spanish, had found out a guide, who traversing the country near the head of Languedoc,79 had brought them over the mountains by such ways, that they were not much incommoded with the snow; and where they met with snow in any quantity, they said it was frozen hard enough to bear them and their horses.
We sent for this guide, who told us, he would undertake to carry us the same way with no hazard from the snow, provided we were armed sufficiently to protect our selves from wild beasts; for he said, upon these great snows, it was frequent for some wolves to show themselves at the foot of the mountains, being made ravenous for want of food, the ground being covered with snow: We told him, we were well enough prepar’d for such creatures as they were, if he would ensure us from a kind of two-legged wolves, which we were told we were in most danger from, especially on the French side of the mountains.
He satisfy’d us there was no danger of that kind in the way that we were to go; so we readily agreed to follow him, as did also twelve other gentlemen, with their servants, some French, some Spanish; who, as I said, had attempted to go, and were oblig’d to come back again.
Accordingly, we all set out from Pampeluna, with our guide, on the fifteenth of November; and indeed, I was surpris’d, when instead of going forward, he came directly back with us, on the same road that we came from Madrid, above twenty miles; when being pass’d two rivers, and come into the plain country, we found our selves in a warm climate again, where the country was pleasant, and no snow to be seen; but on a sudden, turning to his left, he approach’d the mountains another way; and though it is true, the hills and precipices look’d dreadful, yet he made so many tours, such meanders, and led us by such winding ways, that we were insensibly pass’d the height of the mountains, without being much incumbred with the snow; and all on a sudden, he shew’d us the pleasant fruitful provinces of Languedoc and Gascoign,80 all green and flourishing; tho’ indeed it was at a great distance, and we had some rough way to pass yet.
We were a little uneasy however, when we found it snow’d one whole day, and a night, so fast, that we could not travel; but he bid us be easy, we should soon be past it all: We found indeed, that we began to descend every day, and to come more north than before; and so depending upon our guide, we went on.
It was about two hours before night, when our guide being something before us, and not just in sight, out rushed three monstrous wolves, and after them a bear, out of a hollow way, adjoyning to a thick wood; two of the wolves flew upon the guide, and had he been half a mile before us, he had been devour’d indeed, before we could have help’d him: One of them fastned upon his horse, and the other attack’d the man with that violence, that he had not time, or not presence of mind enough to draw his pistol, but hollow’d and cry’d out to us most lustily; my man Friday being next to me, I bid him ride up, and see what was the matter; as soon as Friday came in sight of the man, he hollow’d as loud as t’other, O Master! O Master! But like a bold fellow, rode directly up to the poor man, and with his pistol shot the wolf that attack’d him into the head.
It was happy for the poor man, that it was my man Friday; for he having been us’d to that kind of creature in his country, had no fear upon him; but went close up to him, and shot him as above; whereas any of us, would have fir’d at a farther distance, and have perhaps either miss’d the wolf, or endanger’d shooting the man.
But it was enough to have terrify’d a bolder man than I, and indeed it alarm’d all our company, when with the noise of Friday’s pistol, we heard on both sides the dismallest howling of wolves, and the noise redoubled by the echo of the mountains, that it was to us as if there had been a prodigious multitude of them; and perhaps indeed there was not such a few, as that we had no cause of apprehensions.
However, as Friday had kill’d this wolf, the other that had fastned upon the horse, left him immediately, and fled; having happily fastned upon his head, where the bosses of the bridle had stuck in his teeth; so that he had not done him much hurt: The man indeed was most hurt; for the raging creature had bit him twice, once on the arm, and the other time a little above his knee; and he was just as it were tumbling down by the disorder of his horse, when Friday came up and shot the wolf.
It is easy to suppose, that at the noise of Friday’s pistol, we all mended our pace, and rid up as fast as the way (which was very difficult) would give us leave, to see what was the matter; as soon as we came clear of the trees, which blinded us before, we saw clearly what had been the case, and how Friday had disengag’d the poor guide; though we did not presently discern what kind of creature it was he had kill’d.
But never was a fight manag’d so hardily, and in such a surprising manner, as that which follow’d between Friday and the bear, which gave us all (though at first we were surpris’d and afraid for him) the greatest diversion imaginable: As the bear is a heavy, clumsey creature, and does not gallop as the wolf does, who is swift, and light; so he has two particular qualities, which generally are the rule of his actions; first, as to men, who are not his proper prey; I say, not his proper prey; because tho’ I can’t say what excessive hunger might do, which was now their case, the ground being all cover’d with snow; but as to men, he does not usually attempt them, unless they first attack him: On the contrary, if you meet him in the woods, if you don’t meddle with him, he won’t meddle with you; but then you must take care to be very civil to him, and give him the road; for he is a very nice gentleman, he won’t go a step out of his way for a prince; nay, if you are really afraid, your best way is to look another way, and keep going on; for sometimes if you stop, and stand still, and look steadily at him, he takes it for an affront; but if you throw or toss any thing at him, and it hits him, though it were but a bit of a stick, as big as your finger, he takes it for an affront, and sets all his other business aside to pursue his revenge; for he will have satisfaction in point of honour; that is his first quality: The next is, that if he be once affronted, he will never leave you, night or day, till he has his revenge; but follows at a good round rate, till he overtakes you.
My man Friday had deliver’d our guide, and when we came up to him, he was helping him off from his horse; for the man was both hurt and frighted, and indeed the last more than the first; when on the sudden, we spy’d the bear come out of the wood, and a vast monstrous one it was, the biggest by far that ever I saw. We were all a little surpris’d when we saw him; but when Friday saw him, it was easy to see joy and courage in the fellow’s countenance; O! O! O! says Friday, three times, pointing to him; O Master; You give me te leave, me shakee te hand with him: Me make you good laugh.
I was surpris’d to see the fellow so pleas’d; You fool you, says I, he will eat you up! Eatee me up! Eatee me up! says Friday, twice over again; Me eatee him up: Me make you good laugh: You all stay here, me show you good laugh; so down he sits, and gets his boots off in a moment, and put on a pair of pumps, (as we call the flat shoes they wear) and which he had in his pocket, gives my other servant his horse, and with his gun away he flew swift like the wind.
The bear was walking softly on, and offer’d to meddle with no body, till Friday coming pretty near, calls to him, as if the bear could understand him; Hark ye, hark ye, says Friday, me speakee wit you: We follow’d at a distance; for now being come down on the Gascoign side of the mountains, we were entred a vast great forest, where the country was plain, and pretty open, though many trees in it scatter’d here and there.
Friday, who had as we say, the heels of the bear, came up with him quickly, and takes up a great stone, and throws at him, and hit him just on the head; but did him no more harm, than if he had thrown it against a wall; but it answer’d Friday’s end; for the rogue was so void of fear, that he did it purely to make the bear follow him, and shew us some laugh, as he call’d it.
As soon as the bear felt the stone, and saw him, he turns about, and comes after him, taking d
evilish long strides, and shuffling along at a strange rate, so as would have put a horse to a middling gallop; away runs Friday, and takes his course, as if he run towards us for help; so we all resolv’d to fire at once upon the bear, and deliver my man; though I was angry at him heartily, for bringing the bear back upon us, when he was going about his own business another way; and especially I was angry that he had turn’d the bear upon us, and then run away; and I call’d out, You dog, said I, is this your making us laugh? Come away, and take your horse, that we may shoot the creature; he hears me, and cries out, No shoot, no shoot, stand still, you get much laugh: And as the nimble creature run two foot for the beast’s one, he turn’d on a sudden, on one side of us, and seeing a great oak-tree, fit for his purpose, he beckon’d to us to follow, and doubling his pace, he gets nimbly up the tree, laying his gun down upon the ground, at about five or six yards from the bottom of the tree.
The bear soon came to the tree, and we follow’d at a distance; the first thing he did, he stopp’d at the gun, smelt to it, but let it lye, and up he scrambles into the tree, climbing like a cat, though so monstrously heavy: I was amaz’d at the folly, as I thought it, of my man, and could not for my life see any thing to laugh at yet, till seeing the bear get up the tree, we all rode nearer to him.
When we came to the tree, there was Friday got out to the small end of a large limb of the tree, and the bear got about half way to him; as soon as the bear got out to that part where the limb of the tree was weaker, Ha, says he to us, now you see me teachee the bear dance; so he falls a jumping and shaking the bough, at which the bear began to totter, but stood still, and began to look behind him, to see how he should get back; then indeed we did laugh heartily: But Friday had not done with him by a great deal; when he sees him stand still, he calls out to him again, as if he had suppos’d the bear could speak English; What, you no come farther? Pray you come farther; so he left jumping and shaking the trees; and the bear, just as if he had understood what he said, did come a little farther, then he fell a jumping again, and the bear stopp’d again.