The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1808)

by Daniel Defoe

culture, it went alwayseastward. The English lived in the north-east part, where Will Atkinsand his comrades began, and came on southward and south-west, towardsthe back part of the Spaniards; and every plantation had a greataddition of land to take in, if they found occasion, so that they neednot jostle one another for want of room.

  All the west end of the island was left uninhabited, that, if any of thesavages should come on shore there, only for their usual customarybarbarities, they might come and go; if they disturbed nobody, nobodywould disturb them; and no doubt but they were often ashore, and wentaway again, for I never heard that the planters were ever attacked anddisturbed any more.

  It now came into my thoughts that I had hinted to my friend theclergyman that the work of converting the savages might perhaps be seton foot in his absence to his satisfaction; and I told him, that now Ithought it was put in a fair way, for the savages being thus dividedamong the Christians, if they would but every one of them do their partwith those which came under their hands, I hoped it might have a verygood effect.

  He agreed presently in that; "if," said he, "they will do their part;but how," says he, "shall we obtain that of them?" I told him we wouldcall them all together, and leave it in charge with them, or go to themone by one, which he thought best; so we divided it--he to speak to theSpaniards, who were all Papists, and I to the English, who were allProtestants; and we recommended it earnestly to them, and made thempromise that they would never make any distinction of Papist orProtestant in their exhorting the savages to turn Christians, but teachthem the general knowledge of the true God, and of their Saviour JesusChrist; and they likewise promised us that they would never have anydifferences or disputes one with another about religion.

  When I came to Will Atkins's house, (I may call it so, for such a house,or such a piece of basket-work, I believe was not standing in the worldagain!) I say, when I came thither I found the young woman I havementioned above, and William Atkins's wife, were become intimates; andthis prudent and religious young woman had perfected the work WillAtkins had begun; and though it was not above four days after what Ihave related, yet the new-baptized savage woman was made such aChristian as I have seldom heard of any like her, in all my observationor conversation in the world.

  It came next into my mind in the morning, before I went to them, thatamong all the needful things I had to leave with them, I had not left aBible; in which I shewed myself less considering for them than my goodfriend the widow was for me, when she sent me the cargo of 100_l_. fromLisbon, where she packed up three Bibles and a Prayer-book. However, thegood woman's charity had a greater extent than ever she imagined, forthey were reserved for the comfort and instruction of those that mademuch better use of them than I had done.

  I took one of the Bibles in my pocket; and when I came to WilliamAtkins's tent, or house, I found the young woman and Atkins's baptizedwife had been discoursing of religion together (for William Atkins toldit me with a great deal of joy.) I asked if they were together now? Andhe said yes; so I went into the house, and he with me, and we foundthem together, very earnest in discourse: "O Sir," says William Atkins,"when God has sinners to reconcile to himself, and aliens to bring home,he never wants a messenger: my wife has got a new instructor--I knew Iwas unworthy, as I was incapable of that work--that young woman has beensent hither from Heaven--she is enough to convert a whole island ofsavages." The young woman blushed, and rose up to go away, but I desiredher to sit still; I told her she had a good work upon her hands, and Ihoped God would bless her in it.

  We talked a little, and I did not perceive they had any book among them,though I did not ask, but I put my hand in my pocket, and pulled out myBible. "Here," said I to Atkins, "I have brought you an assistant, thatperhaps you had not before." The man was so confounded, that he was notable to speak for some time; but recovering himself, he takes it withboth hands, and turning to his wife, "Here, my dear," says he, "did notI tell you our God, though he lives above, could hear what we said? Hereis the book I prayed for when you and I kneeled down under the bush; nowGod has heard us, and sent it." When he had said thus, the man fell insuch transports of a passionate joy, that between the joy of having it,and giving God thanks for it, the tears ran down his face like a childthat was crying.

  The woman was surprised, and was like to have run into a mistake thatnone of us were aware of; for she firmly believed God had sent the bookupon her husband's petition: it is true that providentially it was so,and might be taken so in a consequent sense; but I believed it wouldhave been no difficult matter at that time to have persuaded the poorwoman to have believed that an express messenger came from Heaven onpurpose to bring that individual book; but it was too serious a matterto suffer any delusion to take place: so I turned to the young woman,and told her we did not desire to impose upon the convert in her firstand more ignorant understanding of things, and begged her to explain toher that God may be very properly said to answer our petitions, when inthe course of his providence such things are in a particular mannerbrought to pass as we petitioned for; but we do not expect returns fromHeaven in a miraculous and particular manner; and that it is our mercyit is not so.

  This the young woman did afterwards effectually; so that there was, Iassure you, no priestcraft used here; and I should have thought it oneof the most unjustifiable frauds in the world to have had it so: but thesurprise of joy upon Will Atkins is really not to be expressed; andthere we may be sure was no delusion. Sure no man was ever more thankfulin the world for any thing of its kind than he was for this Bible; and Ibelieve never any man was glad of a Bible from a better principle; andthough he had been a most profligate creature, desperate, headstrong,outrageous, furious, and wicked to a great degree, yet this man is astanding rule to us all for the well instructing children, viz. thatparents should never give over to teach and instruct, or ever despair ofthe success of their endeavours, let the children be ever so obstinate,refractory, or to appearance insensible of instruction; for if ever Godin his providence touches the consciences of such, the force of theireducation returns upon them, and the early instruction of parents is notlost, though it may have been many years laid asleep, but some time orother they may find the benefit of it.

  Thus it was with this poor man. However ignorant he was, or divested ofreligion and Christian knowledge, he found he had some to do with nowmore ignorant than himself; and that the least part of the instructionof his good father that could now come to his mind was of use to him.

  Among the rest it occurred to him, he said, how his father used toinsist much upon the inexpressible value of the Bible, the privilegeand blessing of it to nations, families, and persons; but he neverentertained the least notion of the worth of it till now, when being totalk to heathens, savages, and barbarians, he wanted the help of thewritten oracle for his assistance.

  The young woman was very glad of it also for the present occasion,though she had one, and so had the youth, on board our ship among thegoods which were not yet brought on shore. And now, having said so manythings of this young woman, I cannot omit telling one story more of herand myself, which has something in it very informing and remarkable.

  I have related to what extremity the poor young woman was reduced; howher mistress was starved to death, and did die on board that unhappyship we met at sea; and how the whole ship's company being reduced tothe last extremity, the gentlewoman and her son, and this maid, werefirst hardly used as to provisions, and at last totally neglected andstarved; that is to say, brought to the last extremity of hunger.

  One day being discoursing with her upon the extremities they suffered, Iasked her if she could describe by what she felt what it was to starve,and how it appeared? She told me she believed she could, and she toldher tale very distinctly thus:

  "First, Sir," said she, "we had for some days fared exceeding hard, andsuffered very great hunger, but now at last we were wholly without foodof any kind except sugar, and a little wine, and a little water. Thefirst day after I had received no food at all, I found my
self, towardsevening, first empty and sickish at my stomach, and nearer nightmightily inclined to yawning, and sleepy; I lay down on a couch in thegreat cabin to sleep, and slept about three hours, and awaked a littlerefreshed, having taken a glass of wine when I lay down. After beingabout three hours awake, it being about five o'clock in the morning, Ifound myself empty, and my stomach sickish again, and lay down again,but could not sleep at all, being very faint and ill; and thus Icontinued all the second day with a strange variety--first hungry, thensick again, with retchings to vomit. The second night, being obliged togo to bed again without any food more than a draught of fair water, andbeing asleep, I dreamed I was at Barbadoes, and that the market wasmightily stocked with provisions, that I bought some for my mistress,and went and dined very heartily.

  "I thought my stomach was full after this, as it would