part of the world; that is to say, any part of America. When
we had thus housed and secured our magazine of corn, we
fell to work to make more wicker-ware, viz. great baskets,
in which we kept it; and the Spaniard was very handy and
dexterous at this part, and often blamed me that I did not
make some things for defence of this kind of work; but I saw
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no need of it.
And now, having a full supply of food for all the guests I
expected, I gave the Spaniard leave to go over to the main,
to see what he could do with those he had left behind him
there. I gave him a strict charge not to bring any man who
would not first swear in the presence of himself and the old
savage that he would in no way injure, fight with, or attack
the person he should find in the island, who was so kind
as to send for them in order to their deliverance; but that
they would stand by him and defend him against all such
attempts, and wherever they went would be entirely under
and subjected to his command; and that this should be put
in writing, and signed in their hands. How they were to
have done this, when I knew they had neither pen nor ink,
was a question which we never asked. Under these instruc-
tions, the Spaniard and the old savage, the father of Friday,
went away in one of the canoes which they might be said to
have come in, or rather were brought in, when they came as
prisoners to be devoured by the savages. I gave each of them
a musket, with a firelock on it, and about eight charges of
powder and ball, charging them to be very good husbands
of both, and not to use either of them but upon urgent oc-
casions.
This was a cheerful work, being the first measures used
by me in view of my deliverance for now twenty-seven years
and some days. I gave them provisions of bread and of dried
grapes, sufficient for themselves for many days, and suffi-
cient for all the Spaniards - for about eight days’ time; and
wishing them a good voyage, I saw them go, agreeing with
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them about a signal they should hang out at their return, by
which I should know them again when they came back, at a
distance, before they came on shore. They went away with a
fair gale on the day that the moon was at full, by my account
in the month of October; but as for an exact reckoning of
days, after I had once lost it I could never recover it again;
nor had I kept even the number of years so punctually as to
be sure I was right; though, as it proved when I afterwards
examined my account, I found I had kept a true reckoning
of years.
It was no less than eight days I had waited for them, when
a strange and unforeseen accident intervened, of which the
like has not, perhaps, been heard of in history. I was fast
asleep in my hutch one morning, when my man Friday
came running in to me, and called aloud, ‘Master, master,
they are come, they are come!’ I jumped up, and regard-
less of danger I went, as soon as I could get my clothes on,
through my little grove, which, by the way, was by this time
grown to be a very thick wood; I say, regardless of danger I
went without my arms, which was not my custom to do; but
I was surprised when, turning my eyes to the sea, I presently
saw a boat at about a league and a half distance, standing in
for the shore, with a shoulder-of-mutton sail, as they call
it, and the wind blowing pretty fair to bring them in: also I
observed, presently, that they did not come from that side
which the shore lay on, but from the southernmost end of
the island. Upon this I called Friday in, and bade him lie
close, for these were not the people we looked for, and that
we might not know yet whether they were friends or en-
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emies. In the next place I went in to fetch my perspective
glass to see what I could make of them; and having taken
the ladder out, I climbed up to the top of the hill, as I used
to do when I was apprehensive of anything, and to take my
view the plainer without being discovered. I had scarce set
my foot upon the hill when my eye plainly discovered a ship
lying at anchor, at about two leagues and a half distance
from me, SSE., but not above a league and a half from the
shore. By my observation it appeared plainly to be an Eng-
lish ship, and the boat appeared to be an English long-boat.
I cannot express the confusion I was in, though the joy
of seeing a ship, and one that I had reason to believe was
manned by my own countrymen, and consequently friends,
was such as I cannot describe; but yet I had some secret
doubts hung about me - I cannot tell from whence they
came - bidding me keep upon my guard. In the first place,
it occurred to me to consider what business an English ship
could have in that part of the world, since it was not the way
to or from any part of the world where the English had any
traffic; and I knew there had been no storms to drive them
in there in distress; and that if they were really English it
was most probable that they were here upon no good de-
sign; and that I had better continue as I was than fall into
the hands of thieves and murderers.
Let no man despise the secret hints and notices of danger
which sometimes are given him when he may think there is
no possibility of its being real. That such hints and notices
are given us I believe few that have made any observation
of things can deny; that they are certain discoveries of an
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invisible world, and a converse of spirits, we cannot doubt;
and if the tendency of them seems to be to warn us of dan-
ger, why should we not suppose they are from some friendly
agent (whether supreme, or inferior and subordinate, is not
the question), and that they are given for our good?
The present question abundantly confirms me in the jus-
tice of this reasoning; for had I not been made cautious by
this secret admonition, come it from whence it will, I had
been done inevitably, and in a far worse condition than be-
fore, as you will see presently. I had not kept myself long
in this posture till I saw the boat draw near the shore, as if
they looked for a creek to thrust in at, for the convenience
of landing; however, as they did not come quite far enough,
they did not see the little inlet where I formerly landed my
rafts, but ran their boat on shore upon the beach, at about
half a mile from me, which was very happy for me; for oth-
erwise they would have landed just at my door, as I may
say, and would soon have beaten me out of my castle, and
perhaps have plundered me of all I had. When they were
on shore I was fully satisfied they were Englishmen, at least
most of them; one or two I thought were Dutch, but it did
not prove so; there were in all eleven men, whereof three of
them I found were unarmed and, as I thought, bound; and
when the first four or five of them were jumped on shore,
they took those three out of the boat as prisoners: one of
the three I could perceive using the most passionate ges-
tures of entreaty, affliction, and despair, even to a kind of
extravagance; the other two, I could perceive, lifted up their
hands sometimes, and appeared concerned indeed, but not
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to such a degree as the first. I was perfectly confounded at
the sight, and knew not what the meaning of it should be.
Friday called out to me in English, as well as he could, ‘O
master! you see English mans eat prisoner as well as savage
mans.’ ‘Why, Friday,’ says I, ‘do you think they are going to
eat them, then?’ ‘Yes,’ says Friday, ‘they will eat them.’ ‘No
no,’ says I, ‘Friday; I am afraid they will murder them, in-
deed; but you may be sure they will not eat them.’
All this while I had no thought of what the matter really
was, but stood trembling with the horror of the sight, ex-
pecting every moment when the three prisoners should be
killed; nay, once I saw one of the villains lift up his arm with
a great cutlass, as the seamen call it, or sword, to strike one
of the poor men; and I expected to see him fall every mo-
ment; at which all the blood in my body seemed to run chill
in my veins. I wished heartily now for the Spaniard, and
the savage that had gone with him, or that I had any way to
have come undiscovered within shot of them, that I might
have secured the three men, for I saw no firearms they had
among them; but it fell out to my mind another way. After
I had observed the outrageous usage of the three men by
the insolent seamen, I observed the fellows run scattering
about the island, as if they wanted to see the country. I ob-
served that the three other men had liberty to go also where
they pleased; but they sat down all three upon the ground,
very pensive, and looked like men in despair. This put me in
mind of the first time when I came on shore, and began to
look about me; how I gave myself over for lost; how wildly I
looked round me; what dreadful apprehensions I had; and
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how I lodged in the tree all night for fear of being devoured
by wild beasts. As I knew nothing that night of the supply I
was to receive by the providential driving of the ship near-
er the land by the storms and tide, by which I have since
been so long nourished and supported; so these three poor
desolate men knew nothing how certain of deliverance and
supply they were, how near it was to them, and how effec-
tually and really they were in a condition of safety, at the
same time that they thought themselves lost and their case
desperate. So little do we see before us in the world, and so
much reason have we to depend cheerfully upon the great
Maker of the world, that He does not leave His creatures
so absolutely destitute, but that in the worst circumstances
they have always something to be thankful for, and some-
times are nearer deliverance than they imagine; nay, are
even brought to their deliverance by the means by which
they seem to be brought to their destruction.
It was just at high-water when these people came on
shore; and while they rambled about to see what kind of
a place they were in, they had carelessly stayed till the tide
was spent, and the water was ebbed considerably away, leav-
ing their boat aground. They had left two men in the boat,
who, as I found afterwards, having drunk a little too much
brandy, fell asleep; however, one of them waking a little
sooner than the other and finding the boat too fast aground
for him to stir it, hallooed out for the rest, who were strag-
gling about: upon which they all soon came to the boat: but
it was past all their strength to launch her, the boat being
very heavy, and the shore on that side being a soft oozy sand,
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almost like a quicksand. In this condition, like true seamen,
who are, perhaps, the least of all mankind given to fore-
thought, they gave it over, and away they strolled about the
country again; and I heard one of them say aloud to an-
other, calling them off from the boat, ‘Why, let her alone,
Jack, can’t you? she’ll float next tide;’ by which I was fully
confirmed in the main inquiry of what countrymen they
were. All this while I kept myself very close, not once dar-
ing to stir out of my castle any farther than to my place of
observation near the top of the hill: and very glad I was to
think how well it was fortified. I knew it was no less than
ten hours before the boat could float again, and by that time
it would be dark, and I might be at more liberty to see their
motions, and to hear their discourse, if they had any. In the
meantime I fitted myself up for a battle as before, though
with more caution, knowing I had to do with another kind
of enemy than I had at first. I ordered Friday also, whom
I had made an excellent marksman with his gun, to load
himself with arms. I took myself two fowling-pieces, and I
gave him three muskets. My figure, indeed, was very fierce;
I had my formidable goat-skin coat on, with the great cap I
have mentioned, a naked sword by my side, two pistols in
my belt, and a gun upon each shoulder.
It was my design, as I said above, not to have made any
attempt till it was dark; but about two o’clock, being the
heat of the day, I found that they were all gone straggling
into the woods, and, as I thought, laid down to sleep. The
three poor distressed men, too anxious for their condition
to get any sleep, had, however, sat down under the shelter of
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a great tree, at about a quarter of a mile from me, and, as I
thought, out of sight of any of the rest. Upon this I resolved
to discover myself to them, and learn something of their
condition; immediately I marched as above, my man Friday
at a good distance behind me, as formidable for his arms as
I, but not making quite so staring a spectre-like figure as I
did. I came as near them undiscovered as I could, and then,
before any of them saw me, I called aloud to them in Span-
ish, ‘What are ye, gentlemen?’ They started up at the noise,
but were ten times more confounded when they saw me,
and the uncouth figure that I made. They made no answer
at all, but I thought I perceived them just going to fly from
me, when I spoke to them in English. ‘Gentlemen,’ said I,
‘do not be surprised at me; perhaps you may have a friend
near when you did not expect it.’ ‘He must be sent directly
from heaven then,’ said one of them very gravely to me, and
pulling off his hat at the same time to me; ‘for our condi-
tion is past the help of man.’ ‘All help is from heaven, sir,’
said I, ‘but can you put a stranger in the way to help you?
for you seem to be in some great distress. I saw you when
you landed; and when you seemed to make application to
the brutes that came with you, I saw one of them lift up his
sword to kill you.’
The poor man, with tears running down his face, and
trembling, looking like one astonished, returned, ‘Am I
talking to God or man? Is it a real man or an angel?’ ‘Be
in no fear about that, sir,’ said I; ‘if God had sent an an-
gel to relieve you, he would have come better clothed, and
armed after another manner than you see me; pray lay aside
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your fears; I am a man, an Englishman, and disposed to
assist you; you see I have one servant only; we have arms
and ammunition; tell us freely, can we serve you? What is
your case?’ ‘Our case, sir,’ said he, ‘is too long to tell you
while our murderers are so near us; but, in short, sir, I was
commander of that ship - my men have mutinied against
me; they have been hardly prevailed on not to murder me,
and, at last, have set me on shore in this desolate place, with
these two men with me - one my mate, the other a passenger
- where we expected to perish, believing the place to be un-
inhabited, and know not yet what to think of it.’ ‘Where are
these brutes, your enemies?’ said I; ‘do you know where they
are gone? There they lie, sir,’ said he, pointing to a thicket
of trees; ‘my heart trembles for fear they have seen us and
heard you speak; if they have, they will certainly murder
us all.’ ‘Have they any firearms?’ said I. He answered, ‘They
had only two pieces, one of which they left in the boat.’ ‘Well,
then,’ said I, ‘leave the rest to me; I see they are all asleep;
it is an easy thing to kill them all; but shall we rather take
them prisoners?’ He told me there were two desperate vil-
lains among them that it was scarce safe to show any mercy
to; but if they were secured, he believed all the rest would
return to their duty. I asked him which they were. He told
me he could not at that distance distinguish them, but he
would obey my orders in anything I would direct. ‘Well,’
says I, ‘let us retreat out of their view or hearing, lest they
awake, and we will resolve further.’ So they willingly went
back with me, till the woods covered us from them.
‘Look you, sir,’ said I, ‘if I venture upon your deliverance,
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are you willing to make two conditions with me?’ He antici-
pated my proposals by telling me that both he and the ship,
if recovered, should be wholly directed and commanded
by me in everything; and if the ship was not recovered, he
would live and die with me in what part of the world soever
I would send him; and the two other men said the same.
‘Well,’ says I, ‘my conditions are but two; first, that while you
stay in this island with me, you will not pretend to any au-
thority here; and if I put arms in your hands, you will, upon
all occasions, give them up to me, and do no prejudice to
me or mine upon this island, and in the meantime be gov-
erned by my orders; secondly, that if the ship is or may be
recovered, you will carry me and my man to England pas-
sage free.’
He gave me all the assurances that the invention or faith
of man could devise that he would comply with these most
reasonable demands, and besides would owe his life to me,
and acknowledge it upon all occasions as long as he lived.
‘Well, then,’ said I, ‘here are three muskets for you, with
powder and ball; tell me next what you think is proper to
be done.’ He showed all the testimonies of his gratitude that
he was able, but offered to be wholly guided by me. I told
him I thought it was very hard venturing anything; but the
best method I could think of was to fire on them at once as
they lay, and if any were not killed at the first volley, and
offered to submit, we might save them, and so put it whol-
ly upon God’s providence to direct the shot. He said, very
modestly, that he was loath to kill them if he could help
it; but that those two were incorrigible villains, and had
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been the authors of all the mutiny in the ship, and if they
escaped, we should be undone still, for they would go on
board and bring the whole ship’s company, and destroy us
all. ‘Well, then,’ says I, ‘necessity legitimates my advice, for
it is the only way to save our lives.’ However, seeing him still
cautious of shedding blood, I told him they should go them-
selves, and manage as they found convenient.
In the middle of this discourse we heard some of them
awake, and soon after we saw two of them on their feet. I
asked him if either of them were the heads of the mutiny?
He said, ‘No.’ ‘Well, then,’ said I, ‘you may let them escape;
and Providence seems to have awakened them on purpose
to save themselves. Now,’ says I, ‘if the rest escape you, it is
your fault.’ Animated with this, he took the musket I had
given him in his hand, and a pistol in his belt, and his two
comrades with him, with each a piece in his hand; the two
men who were with him going first made some noise, at
which one of the seamen who was awake turned about, and
seeing them coming, cried out to the rest; but was too late
then, for the moment he cried out they fired - I mean the
two men, the captain wisely reserving his own piece. They
had so well aimed their shot at the men they knew, that one
of them was killed on the spot, and the other very much
wounded; but not being dead, he started up on his feet, and
called eagerly for help to the other; but the captain stepping
to him, told him it was too late to cry for help, he should
call upon God to forgive his villainy, and with that word
knocked him down with the stock of his musket, so that
he never spoke more; there were three more in the com-
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pany, and one of them was slightly wounded. By this time
I was come; and when they saw their danger, and that it
was in vain to resist, they begged for mercy. The captain
told them he would spare their lives if they would give him
an assurance of their abhorrence of the treachery they had
been guilty of, and would swear to be faithful to him in re-
covering the ship, and afterwards in carrying her back to
Jamaica, from whence they came. They gave him all the
protestations of their sincerity that could be desired; and he
was willing to believe them, and spare their lives, which I
was not against, only that I obliged him to keep them bound
hand and foot while they were on the island.
While this was doing, I sent Friday with the captain’s
mate to the boat with orders to secure her, and bring away
the oars and sails, which they did; and by-and-by three
straggling men, that were (happily for them) parted from
the rest, came back upon hearing the guns fired; and seeing
the captain, who was before their prisoner, now their con-
queror, they submitted to be bound also; and so our victory
was complete.
It now remained that the captain and I should inquire
into one another’s circumstances. I began first, and told him
my whole history, which he heard with an attention even to
amazement - and particularly at the wonderful manner of
my being furnished with provisions and ammunition; and,
indeed, as my story is a whole collection of wonders, it af-
fected him deeply. But when he reflected from thence upon
himself, and how I seemed to have been preserved there on
purpose to save his life, the tears ran down his face, and
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he could not speak a word more. After this communication
was at an end, I carried him and his two men into my apart-
ment, leading them in just where I came out, viz. at the top
of the house, where I refreshed them with such provisions
as I had, and showed them all the contrivances I had made
during my long, long inhabiting that place.
All I showed them, all I said to them, was perfectly amaz-
ing; but above all, the captain admired my fortification, and
how perfectly I had concealed my retreat with a grove of
trees, which having been now planted nearly twenty years,
and the trees growing much faster than in England, was
become a little wood, so thick that it was impassable in any
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