particularly some of the rigging and sails, and such other
things as might come to land; and I resolved to make an-
other voyage on board the vessel, if possible. And as I knew
that the first storm that blew must necessarily break her all
in pieces, I resolved to set all other things apart till I had
got everything out of the ship that I could get. Then I called
a council - that is to say in my thoughts - whether I should
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take back the raft; but this appeared impracticable: so I re-
solved to go as before, when the tide was down; and I did so,
only that I stripped before I went from my hut, having noth-
ing on but my chequered shirt, a pair of linen drawers, and
a pair of pumps on my feet.
I got on board the ship as before, and prepared a second
raft; and, having had experience of the first, I neither made
this so unwieldy, nor loaded it so hard, but yet I brought
away several things very useful to me; as first, in the carpen-
ters stores I found two or three bags full of nails and spikes,
a great screw- jack, a dozen or two of hatchets, and, above
all, that most useful thing called a grindstone. All these I
secured, together with several things belonging to the gun-
ner, particularly two or three iron crows, and two barrels of
musket bullets, seven muskets, another fowling-piece, with
some small quantity of powder more; a large bagful of small
shot, and a great roll of sheet-lead; but this last was so heavy,
I could not hoist it up to get it over the ship’s side.
Besides these things, I took all the men’s clothes that I
could find, and a spare fore-topsail, a hammock, and some
bedding; and with this I loaded my second raft, and brought
them all safe on shore, to my very great comfort.
I was under some apprehension, during my absence from
the land, that at least my provisions might be devoured on
shore: but when I came back I found no sign of any vis-
itor; only there sat a creature like a wild cat upon one of
the chests, which, when I came towards it, ran away a little
distance, and then stood still. She sat very composed and
unconcerned, and looked full in my face, as if she had a
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0
mind to be acquainted with me. I presented my gun at her,
but, as she did not understand it, she was perfectly uncon-
cerned at it, nor did she offer to stir away; upon which I
tossed her a bit of biscuit, though by the way, I was not very
free of it, for my store was not great: however, I spared her
a bit, I say, and she went to it, smelled at it, and ate it, and
looked (as if pleased) for more; but I thanked her, and could
spare no more: so she marched off.
Having got my second cargo on shore - though I was fain
to open the barrels of powder, and bring them by parcels,
for they were too heavy, being large casks - I went to work
to make me a little tent with the sail and some poles which
I cut for that purpose: and into this tent I brought every-
thing that I knew would spoil either with rain or sun; and
I piled all the empty chests and casks up in a circle round
the tent, to fortify it from any sudden attempt, either from
man or beast.
When I had done this, I blocked up the door of the tent
with some boards within, and an empty chest set up on end
without; and spreading one of the beds upon the ground,
laying my two pistols just at my head, and my gun at length
by me, I went to bed for the first time, and slept very qui-
etly all night, for I was very weary and heavy; for the night
before I had slept little, and had laboured very hard all day
to fetch all those things from the ship, and to get them on
shore.
I had the biggest magazine of all kinds now that ever was
laid up, I believe, for one man: but I was not satisfied still,
for while the ship sat upright in that posture, I thought I
1
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ought to get everything out of her that I could; so every day
at low water I went on board, and brought away something
or other; but particularly the third time I went I brought
away as much of the rigging as I could, as also all the small
ropes and rope-twine I could get, with a piece of spare can-
vas, which was to mend the sails upon occasion, and the
barrel of wet gunpowder. In a word, I brought away all the
sails, first and last; only that I was fain to cut them in piec-
es, and bring as much at a time as I could, for they were no
more useful to be sails, but as mere canvas only.
But that which comforted me more still, was, that last of
all, after I had made five or six such voyages as these, and
thought I had nothing more to expect from the ship that
was worth my meddling with - I say, after all this, I found
a great hogshead of bread, three large runlets of rum, or
spirits, a box of sugar, and a barrel of fine flour; this was
surprising to me, because I had given over expecting any
more provisions, except what was spoiled by the water. I
soon emptied the hogshead of the bread, and wrapped it up,
parcel by parcel, in pieces of the sails, which I cut out; and,
in a word, I got all this safe on shore also.
The next day I made another voyage, and now, having
plundered the ship of what was portable and fit to hand out,
I began with the cables. Cutting the great cable into pieces,
such as I could move, I got two cables and a hawser on shore,
with all the ironwork I could get; and having cut down the
spritsail-yard, and the mizzen- yard, and everything I could,
to make a large raft, I loaded it with all these heavy goods,
and came away. But my good luck began now to leave me;
Robinson Crusoe
for this raft was so unwieldy, and so overladen, that, after I
had entered the little cove where I had landed the rest of my
goods, not being able to guide it so handily as I did the oth-
er, it overset, and threw me and all my cargo into the water.
As for myself, it was no great harm, for I was near the shore;
but as to my cargo, it was a great part of it lost, especially
the iron, which I expected would have been of great use to
me; however, when the tide was out, I got most of the pieces
of the cable ashore, and some of the iron, though with infi-
nite labour; for I was fain to dip for it into the water, a work
which fatigued me very much. After this, I went every day
on board, and brought away what I could get.
I had been now thirteen days on shore, and had been
eleven times on board the ship, in which time I had brought
away all that one pair of hands could well be supposed ca-
pable to bring; though I believe verily, had the calm weather
held, I should have brought away the whole ship, piece
by piece. But preparing the twelfth time to go on board, I
found the wind began to rise: however, at low water I went
on board, and though I thought I had rummaged the cabin
so effectually that nothing more could be found, yet I dis-
covered a locker with drawers in it, in one of which I found
two or three razors, and one pair of large scissors, with
some ten or a dozen of good knives and forks: in another I
found about thirty-six pounds value in money - some Eu-
ropean coin, some Brazil, some pieces of eight, some gold,
and some silver.
I smiled to myself at the sight of this money: ‘O drug!’
said I, aloud, ‘what art thou good for? Thou art not worth
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to me - no, not the taking off the ground; one of those
knives is worth all this heap; I have no manner of use for
thee - e’en remain where thou art, and go to the bottom as
a creature whose life is not worth saying.’ However, upon
second thoughts I took it away; and wrapping all this in a
piece of canvas, I began to think of making another raft;
but while I was preparing this, I found the sky overcast, and
the wind began to rise, and in a quarter of an hour it blew a
fresh gale from the shore. It presently occurred to me that
it was in vain to pretend to make a raft with the wind off-
shore; and that it was my business to be gone before the tide
of flood began, otherwise I might not be able to reach the
shore at all. Accordingly, I let myself down into the water,
and swam across the channel, which lay between the ship
and the sands, and even that with difficulty enough, partly
with the weight of the things I had about me, and partly the
roughness of the water; for the wind rose very hastily, and
before it was quite high water it blew a storm.
But I had got home to my little tent, where I lay, with
all my wealth about me, very secure. It blew very hard all
night, and in the morning, when I looked out, behold, no
more ship was to be seen! I was a little surprised, but recov-
ered myself with the satisfactory reflection that I had lost
no time, nor abated any diligence, to get everything out of
her that could be useful to me; and that, indeed, there was
little left in her that I was able to bring away, if I had had
more time.
I now gave over any more thoughts of the ship, or of any-
thing out of her, except what might drive on shore from her
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wreck; as, indeed, divers pieces of her afterwards did; but
those things were of small use to me.
My thoughts were now wholly employed about securing
myself against either savages, if any should appear, or wild
beasts, if any were in the island; and I had many thoughts
of the method how to do this, and what kind of dwelling to
make - whether I should make me a cave in the earth, or a
tent upon the earth; and, in short, I resolved upon both; the
manner and description of which, it may not be improper
to give an account of.
I soon found the place I was in was not fit for my settle-
ment, because it was upon a low, moorish ground, near the
sea, and I believed it would not be wholesome, and more
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