by Daniel Defoe
We thought now was a good time to knock him on the head, and I call’d to Friday to stand still, and we would shoot the bear; but he cry’d out earnestly, O pray! O pray! No shoot, me shoot, by and then; he would have said, by and by: However, to shorten the story, Friday danc’d so much, and the bear stood so ticklish, that we had laughing enough indeed, but still could not imagine what the fellow would do; for first we thought he depended upon shaking the bear off; and we found the bear was too cunning for that too; for he would not go out far enough to be thrown down, but clings fast with his great broad claws and feet, so that we could not imagine what would be the end of it, and where the jest would be at last.
But Friday put us out of doubt quickly; for seeing the bear cling fast to the bough, and that he would not be perswaded to come any farther; Well, well, says Friday, you no come farther, me go, me go; you no come to me, me go come to you; and upon this, he goes out to the smallest end of the bough, where it would bend with his weight, and gently let himself down by it, sliding down the bough, till he came near enough to jump down on his feet, and away he run to his gun, takes it up, and stands still.
Well, said I to him, Friday, What will you do now? Why don’t you shoot him? No shoot, says Friday, no yet, me shoot now, me no kill; me stay, give you one more laugh; and indeed so he did, as you will see presently; for when the bear sees his enemy gone, he comes back from the bough where he stood, but did it mighty leisurely, looking behind him every step, and coming backward till he got into the body of the tree; then with the same hinder end foremost, he came down the tree, grasping it with his claws, and moving one foot at a time, very leisurely; at this juncture, and just before he could set his hind feet upon the ground, Friday stept up close to him, clapt the muzzle of his piece into his ear, and shot him dead as a stone.
Then the rogue turn’d about, to see if we did not laugh, and when he saw we were pleas’d by our looks, he falls a laughing himself very loud; so we kill bear in my country, says Friday; so you kill them, says I, why you have no guns: No, says he, no gun, but shoot, great much long arrow.
This was indeed a good diversion to us; but we were still in a wild place, and our guide very much hurt, and what to do we hardly knew; the howling of wolves run much in my head; and indeed, except the noise I once heard on the shore of Africa, of which I have said something already, I never heard any thing that filled me with so much horrour.
These things, and the approach of night, called us off, or else, as Friday would have had us, we should certainly have taken the skin of this monstrous creature off, which was worth saving; but we had three leagues to go, and our guide hasten’d us, so we left him, and went forward on our journey.
The ground was still cover’d with snow, tho’ not so deep and dangerous as on the mountains, and the ravenous creatures, as we heard afterwards, were come down into the forest and plain country, press’d by hunger to seek for food; and had done a great deal of mischief in the villages, where they surpris’d the country people, kill’d a great many of their sheep and horses, and some people too.
We had one dangerous place to pass, which our guide told us, if there were any more wolves in the country, we should find them there; and this was in a small plain, surrounded with woods on every side, and a long narrow defile or lane, which we were to pass to get through the wood, and then we should come to the village where we were to lodge.
It was within half an hour of sun-set when we entred the first wood; and a little after sun-set, when we came into the plain, we met with nothing in the first wood, except that in a little plain within the wood, which was not above two furlongs over, we saw five great wolves cross the road, full speed one after another, as if they had been in chase of some prey, and had it in view, they took no notice of us, and were gone, and out of our sight in a few moments.
Upon this our guide, who by the way was a wretched faint-hearted fellow, bid us keep in a ready posture; for he believed there were more wolves a coming.
We kept our arms ready, and our eyes about us, but we saw no more wolves, till we came thro’ that wood, which was near half a league, and entred the plain; as soon as we came into the plain, we had occasion enough to look about us: The first object we met with, was a dead horse; that is to say, a poor horse which the wolves had kill’d, and at least a dozen of them at work; we could not say eating of him, but picking of his bones rather; for they had eaten up all the flesh before.
We did not think fit to disturb them at their feast, neither did they take much notice of us: Friday would have let fly at them, but I would not suffer him by any means; for I found we were like to have more business upon our hands than we were aware of. We were not gone half over the plain, but we began to hear the wolves howl in the wood on our left, in a frightful manner, and presently after we saw about a hundred coming on directly towards us, all in a body, and most of them in a line, as regularly as an army drawn up by experienc’d officers. I scarce knew in what manner to receive them; but found to draw our selves in a close line was the only way: so we form’d in a moment: But that we might not have too much interval, I order’d, that only every other man should fire, and that the others who had not fir’d should stand ready to give them a second volley immediately, if they continued to advance upon us, and that then those who had fir’d at first, should not pretend to load their fusees again, but stand ready with every one a pistol; for we were all arm’d with a fusee, and a pair of pistols each man; so we were by this method able to fire six volleys, half of us at a time; however, at present we had no necessity; for upon firing the first volley, the enemy made a full stop, being terrify’d as well with the noise, as with the fire; four of them being shot into the head, dropp’d, several others were wounded, and went bleeding off, as we could see by the snow: I found they stopp’d, but did not immediately retreat; whereupon remembring that I had been told, that the fiercest creatures were terrify’d at the voice of a man, I caus’d all our company to hollow as loud as we could; and I found the notion not altogether mistaken; for upon our shout, they began to retire, and turn about; then I order’d a second volley to be fir’d, in their rear, which put them to the gallop, and away they went to the woods.
This gave us leisure to charge our pieces again, and that we might lose no time, we kept going; but we had but little more than loaded our fusees, and put our selves into a readiness, when we heard a terrible noise in the same wood, on our left, only that it was farther onward the same way we were to go.
The night was coming on, and the light began to be dusky, which made it worse on our side; but the noise encreasing, we could easily perceive that it was the howling and yelling of those hellish creatures; and on a sudden, we perceiv’d 2 or 3 troops of wolves, one on our left, one behind us, and one on our front; so that we seem’d to be surrounded with ’em; however, as they did not fall upon us, we kept our way forward, as fast as we could make our horses go, which the way being very rough, was only a good large trot; and in this manner we came in view of the entrance of a wood, through which we were to pass, at the farther side of the plain; but we were greatly surpris’d, when coming nearer the lane, or pass, we saw a confus’d number of wolves standing just at the entrance.
On a sudden, at another opening of the wood, we heard the noise of a gun; and looking that way, out rush’d a horse, with a saddle, and a bridle on him, flying like the wind, and sixteen or seventeen wolves after him, full speed; indeed, the horse had the heels of them; but as we suppos’d that he could not hold it at that rate, we doubted not but they would get up with him at last, and no question but they did.
But here we had a most horrible sight; for riding up to the entrance where the horse came out, we found the carcass of another horse, and of two men, devour’d by the ravenous creatures, and one of the men was no doubt the same who we heard fir’d the gun; for there lay a gun just by him fir’d off; but as to the man, his head, and the upper part of his body, was eaten up.
This fill’d us with horror, and we knew no
t what course to take, but the creatures resolv’d us soon; for they gather’d about us presently, in hopes of prey; and I verily believe there were three hundred of them: It happen’d very much to our advantage, that at the entrance into the wood, but a little way from it, there lay some large timber trees, which had been cut down the summer before, and I suppose lay there for carriage; I drew my little troop in among those trees, and placing our selves in a line, behind one long tree, I advis’d them all to light, and keeping that tree before us, for a breast-work, to stand in a triangle, or three fronts, enclosing our horses in the center.
We did so, and it was well we did; for never was a more furious charge than the creatures made upon us in the place; they came on us with a growling kind of a noise (and mounted the piece of timber, which as I said, was our breast-work) as if they were only rushing upon their prey; and this fury of theirs, it seems, was principally occasion’d by their seeing our horses behind us, which was the prey they aim’d at: I order’d our men to fire as before, every other man; and they took their aim so sure, that indeed they kill’d several of the wolves at the first volley; but there was a necessity to keep a continual firing; for they came on like devils, those behind pushing on those before.
When we had fir’d our second volley of our fusees, we thought they stopp’d a little, and I hop’d they would have gone off; but it was but a moment; for others came forward again; so we fir’d two volleys of our pistols, and I believe in these four firings, we had kill’d seventeen or eighteen of them, and lam’d twice as many; yet they came on again.
I was loath to spend our last shot too hastily; so I call’d my servant, not my man Friday, for he was better employ’d; for with the greatest dexterity imaginable, he had charg’d my fusee, and his own, while we were engag’d; but as I said, I call’d my other man, and giving him a horn of powder, I bad him lay a train, all along the piece of timber, and let it be a large train; he did so, and had but just time to get away, when the wolves came up to it, and some were got up upon it; when I snapping an uncharg’d pistol, close to the powder, set it on fire; those that were upon the timber were scorcht with it, and six or seven of them fell, or rather jump’d in among us, with the force and fright of the fire, we dispatch’d these in an instant, and the rest were so frighted with the light, which the night, for it was now very near dark, made more terrible, that they drew back a little.
Upon which I order’d our last pistol to be fir’d off in one volley, and after that we gave a shout; upon this, the wolves turn’d tail, and we sally’d immediately upon near twenty lame ones, who we found struggling on the ground, and fell a cutting them with our swords, which answer’d our expectation; for the crying and howling they made, was better understood by their fellows, so that they all fled and left us.
We had, first and last, kill’d about three score of them; and had it been day-light, we had kill’d many more: The field of battle being thus clear’d, we made forward again; for we had still near a league to go. We heard the ravenous creatures howl and yell in the woods as we went, several times; and sometimes we fancy’d we saw some of them, but the snow dazling our eyes, we were not certain; so in about an hour more, we came to the town, where we were to lodge, which we found in a terrible fright, and all in arms; for it seems, that the night before, the wolves and some bears had broke into the village in the night, and put them in a terrible fright, and they were oblig’d to keep guard night and day, but especially in the night, to preserve their cattle, and indeed their people.
The next morning our guide was so ill, and his limbs swell’d with the rankling of his two wounds, that he could go no farther; so we were oblig’d to take a new guide there, and go to Tholouse, where we found a warm climate, a fruitful pleasant country, and no snow, no wolves, or any thing like them; but when we told our story at Tholouse, they told us it was nothing but what was ordinary in the great forest at the foot of the mountains, especially when the snow lay on the ground: But they enquir’d much what kind of a guide we had gotten, that would venture to bring us that way in such a severe season; and told us, it was very much we were not all devour’d. When we told them how we plac’d our selves, and the horses in the middle, they blam’d us exceedingly, and told us it was fifty to one but we had been all destroy’d; for it was the sight of the horses which made the wolves so furious, seeing their prey; and that at other times they are really afraid of a gun; but the being excessive hungry, and raging on that account, the eagerness to come at the horses had made them senseless of danger; and that if we had not by the continu’d fire, and at last by the stratagem of the train of powder, master’d them, it had been great odds but that we had been torn to pieces; whereas had we been content to have sat still on horseback, and fir’d as horsemen, they would not have taken the horses for so much their own, when men were on their backs, as otherwise; and withal they told us, that at last, if we had stood all together, and left our horses, they would have been so eager to have devour’d them, that we might have come off safe, especially having our fire arms in our hands, and being so many in number.
For my part, I was never so sensible of danger in my life; for seeing above three hundred devils come roaring and open-mouth’d to devour us, and having nothing to shelter us, or retreat to, I gave my self over for lost; and as it was, I believe, I shall never care to cross those mountains again; I think I would much rather go a thousand leagues by sea, though I were sure to meet with a storm once a week.
I have nothing uncommon to take notice of, in my passage through France; nothing but what other travellers have given an account of, with much more advantage than I can. I travell’d from Bordeaux to Paris, and without any considerable stay, came to Calais, and landed safe at Dover, the fourteenth of January, after having had a severely cold season to travel in.
I was now come to the center of my travels, and had in a little time all my new discover’d estate safe about me, the bills of exchange which I brought with me having been very currently paid.
My principal guide, and privy councellor, was my good ancient widow, who in gratitude for the money I had sent her, thought no pains too much, or care too great, to employ for me; and I trusted her so entirely with every thing, that I was perfectly easy as to the security of my effects; and indeed, I was very happy from my beginning, and now to the end, in the unspotted integrity of this good gentlewoman.
And now I began to think of leaving my effects with this woman, and setting out for Lisbon, and so to the Brasils; but now another scruple came in my way, and that was religion; for as I had entertain’d some doubts about the Roman religion, even while I was abroad, especially in my state of solitude; so I knew there was no going to the Brasils for me, much less going to settle there, unless I resolv’d to embrace the Roman Catholick religion, without any reserve; unless on the other hand, I resolv’d to be a sacrifice to my principles, be a martyr for religion, and die in the Inquisition; so I resolv’d to stay at home, and if I could find means for it, to dispose of my plantation.
To this purpose I wrote to my old friend at Lisbon, who in return gave me notice, that he could easily dispose of it there: But that if I thought fit to give him leave to offer it in my name to the two merchants, the survivors of my trustees, who liv’d in the Brasils, who must fully understand the value of it, who liv’d just upon the spot, and who I knew were very rich; so that he believ’d they would be fond of buying it; he did not doubt, but I should make 4 or 5000 Pieces of Eight, the more of it.
Accordingly I agreed, gave him order to offer it to them, and he did so; and in about 8 months more, the ship being then return’d, he sent me an account, that they had accepted the offer, and had remitted 33000 Pieces of Eight, to a correspondent of theirs at Lisbon, to pay for it.
In return, I sign’d the instrument of sale in the form which they sent from Lisbon, and sent it to my old man, who sent me bills of exchange for 32800 Pieces of Eight to me, for the estate; reserving the payment of 100 Moidores a year to him, the old man, during his li
fe, and 50 Moidores afterwards to his son for his life, which I had promised them, which the plantation was to make good as a rent-charge. And thus I have given the first part of a life of fortune and adventure, a life of Providence’s checquer-work, and of a variety which the world will seldom be able to shew the like of: Beginning foolishly, but closing much more happily than any part of it ever gave me leave so much as to hope for.
Any one would think, that in this state of complicated good fortune, I was past running any more hazards; and so indeed I had been, if other circumstances had concurr’d, but I was inur’d to a wandring life, had no family, not many relations, nor however rich had I contracted much acquaintance; and though I had sold my estate in the Brasils, yet I could not keep the country out of my head, and had a great mind to be upon the wing again, especially I could not resist the strong inclination I had to see my island, and to know if the poor Spaniards were in being there, and how the rogues I left there had used them.
My true friend, the widow, earnestly diswaded me from it, and so far prevail’d with me, that for almost seven years she prevented my running abroad; during which time, I took my two nephews, the children of one of my brothers, into my care: The eldest having something of his own, I bred up as a gentleman, and gave him a settlement of some addition to his estate, after my decease; the other I put out to a Captain of a ship; and after five years, finding him a sensible bold enterprising young fellow, I put him into a good ship, and sent him to sea: And this young fellow afterwards drew me in, as old as I was, to farther adventures my self.
In the mean time, I in part settled my self here; for first of all I marry’d, and that not either to my disadvantage or dissatisfaction, and had three children, two sons and one daughter: But my wife dying, and my nephew coming home with good success from a voyage to Spain, my inclination to go abroad, and his importunity prevailed and engag’d me to go in his ship, as a private trader to the East Indies: This was in the year 1694.