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there three great bags of pieces of eight, which held about
eleven hundred pieces in all; and in one of them, wrapped
up in a paper, six doubloons of gold, and some small bars or
wedges of gold; I suppose they might all weigh near a pound.
In the other chest were some clothes, but of little value; but,
by the circumstances, it must have belonged to the gunner’s
mate; though there was no powder in it, except two pounds
of fine glazed powder, in three flasks, kept, I suppose, for
charging their fowling-pieces on occasion. Upon the whole,
I got very little by this voyage that was of any use to me; for,
as to the money, I had no manner of occasion for it; it was
to me as the dirt under my feet, and I would have given it all
for three or four pair of English shoes and stockings, which
were things I greatly wanted, but had had none on my feet
for many years. I had, indeed, got two pair of shoes now,
which I took off the feet of two drowned men whom I saw
in the wreck, and I found two pair more in one of the chests,
which were very welcome to me; but they were not like our
English shoes, either for ease or service, being rather what
we call pumps than shoes. I found in this seaman’s chest
about fifty pieces of eight, in rials, but no gold: I supposed
this belonged to a poorer man than the other, which seemed
to belong to some officer. Well, however, I lugged this mon-
ey home to my cave, and laid it up, as I had done that before
which I had brought from our own ship; but it was a great
pity, as I said, that the other part of this ship had not come
to my share: for I am satisfied I might have loaded my ca-
noe several times over with money; and, thought I, if I ever
escape to England, it might lie here safe enough till I come
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CHAPTER
XIV - A
DREAM REALISED
HAVING now brought all my things on shore and secured
them, I went back to my boat, and rowed or paddled her
along the shore to her old harbour, where I laid her up, and
made the best of my way to my old habitation, where I found
everything safe and quiet. I began now to repose myself, live
after my old fashion, and take care of my family affairs; and
for a while I lived easy enough, only that I was more vigilant
than I used to be, looked out oftener, and did not go abroad
so much; and if at any time I did stir with any freedom, it
was always to the east part of the island, where I was pretty
well satisfied the savages never came, and where I could go
without so many precautions, and such a load of arms and
ammunition as I always carried with me if I went the other
way. I lived in this condition near two years more; but my
unlucky head, that was always to let me know it was born to
make my body miserable, was all these two years filled with
projects
and designs how, if it were possible, I might get
away from this island: for sometimes I was for making an-
other voyage to the wreck, though my reason told me that
there was nothing left there worth the hazard of my voyage;
sometimes for a ramble one way, sometimes another - and I
believe verily, if I had had the boat that I went from Sallee in,
1
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time - so it was with me now; and yet so deep had the mis-
take taken root in my temper, that I could not satisfy myself
in my station, but was continually poring upon the means
and possibility of my escape from this place; and that I may,
with greater pleasure to the reader, bring on the remaining
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