Part 3 (1/2)

I cast my eyes to the stranded vessel, when the breach and troth of the sea being so big, I could hardly see it, it lay so far off, and considered, Lord! hoas it possible I could get on shore!

After I had solaced an to look round me, to see what kind of place I was in, and as next to be done; and I soon found my comforts abate, and that in a word I had a dreadful deliverance; for I et, had no clothes to shi+fteither to eat or drink to comfort me; neither did I see any prospect beforedevoured by wild beasts; and that which was particularly afflicting to me, was, that I had no weapon either to hunt and kill any creature for ainst any other creature thatabout me but a knife, a tobacco pipe, and a little tobacco in a box; this was all onies ofupon an with a heavy heart to consider ould be my lot if there were any ravenous beasts in that country, seeing at night they always come abroad for their prey

All the reet up into a thick bushy tree like a fir, but thorny, which grew near ht, and consider the next day what death I should die, for as yet I saw no prospect of life I walked about a furlong from the shore, to see if I could find any fresh water to drink, which I did, todrank, and put a little tobacco inup into it, endeavoured to place ht not fall; and having cut me a short stick, like a truncheon, forbeen excessively fatigued, I fell fast asleep, and slept as comfortably as, I believe, few could have done in my condition, and found myself the most refreshed with it that I think I ever was on such an occasion

When I waked it was broad day, the weather clear, and the store and swell as before; but that which surprised ht fro of the tide, and was driven up almost as far as the rock which I firstwithin about ato stand upright still, I wished ht save sos for my use

When I caain, and the first thing I found was the boat, which lay as the wind and the sea had tossed her up upon the land, about two ht hand I walked as far as I could upon the shore to have got to her, but found a neck or inlet of water between me and the boat, which was about half aat the shi+p, where I hoped to find so for my present subsistence

A little after noon I found the sea very calm, and the tide ebbed so far out, that I could come within a quarter of aof rief: for I saw evidently, that if we had kept on board, we had been all safe, that is to say, we had all got safe on shore, and I had not been so miserable as to be left entirely destitute of all comfort and coain; but as there was little relief in that, I resolved, if possible, to get to the shi+p; so I pulled off my clothes, for the weather was hot to extremity, and took the water; but when I careater to kno to get on board; for as she lay aground, and high out of the water, there was nothing within my reach to lay hold of I swam round her twice, and the second time I spied a small piece of a rope, which I wondered I did not see at first, hang down by the fore-chains so low as that with great difficulty I got hold of it, and by the help of that rope got up into the forecastle of the shi+p Here I found that the shi+p was bulged, and had a great deal of water in her hold, but that she lay so on the side of a bank of hard sand, or rather earth, and her stern lay lifted up upon the bank, and her head low almost to the water: by this means all her quarter was free, and all that was in that part was dry; for you may be sure my first as to search and to see as spoiled and as free; and first I found that all the shi+p's provisions were dry and untouched by the water; and being very well disposed to eat, I went to the bread-room and filled s, for I had no tireat cabin, of which I took a large drain, and which I had indeed need enough of to spiritbut a boat to furnish s which I foresaould be very necessary to me

It was in vain to sit still and wish for as not to be had; and this extremity roused my application We had several spare yards, and two or three large spars of wood, and a spare topmast or two in the shi+p; I resolved to fall to ith these, and flung as ht, tying every one with a rope, that they ht not drive away When this was done I went down the shi+p's side, and pulling theether at both ends as well as I could, in the for two or three short pieces of plank upon them crossways, I found I could walk upon it very well, but that it was not able to bear any great weight, the pieces being too light; so I went to work, and with the carpenter's saw I cut a spare topreat deal of labour and pains; but hope of furnishi+ng o beyond what I should have been able to have done upon another occasion

My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable weight; my next care hat to load it with, and how to preserve what I laid upon it fro this: I first laid all the planks or boards upon it that I could get, and having considered hat I ot three of the seamen's chests, which I had broken open and emptied, and lowered them down upon my raft The first of these I filled with provisions, viz bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried goat's flesh, which we lived much upon, and a little remainder of European corn which had been laid by for soht to sea with us, but the foere killed There had been soreat disappointment, I found afterwards that the rats had eaten or spoiled it all As for liquors, I found several cases of bottles belonging to our skipper, in which were soallons of rack: these I stowed by the no need to put the this, I found the tide began to flow, though very calm, and I had the mortification to see my coat, shi+rt, and waistcoat, which I had left on shore upon the sand, say; as for my breeches, which were only linen, and open-kneed, I swas: however, this put h, but took no s which my eye was more upon; as, first, tools to ith on shore; and it was after long searching that I found out the carpenter's chest, which was indeed a very useful prize to old would have been at that tiot it down totieneral what it contained

My next care was for so-pieces in the great cabin, and two pistols: these I secured first, with so of shot, and two old rusty swords I knew there were three barrels of powder in the shi+p, but knew not where our gunner had stowed theood, the third had taken water; those two I got to ht an to think how I should get to shore with the neither sail, oar, or rudder, and the least capful of ould have overset all e in to the shore; 3 What little wind there was blewfound two or three broken oars belonging to the boat, and besides the tools which were in the chest, I found ts, an axe, and a hao I put to sea: for a mile, or thereabouts, my raft went very well, only that I found it drive a little distant from the place where I had landed before, by which I perceived that there was some indraft of the water, and consequently I hoped to find soht o

As I i of the land, and I found a strong current of the tide set into it, so I guided my raft as well as I could to keep in the middle of the stream; but here I had like to have suffered a second shi+pwreck, which, if I had, I think verily would have broke round at one end of it upon a shoal, and not being aground at the other end, it wanted but a little that all o had slipped off towards that end that was afloat, and so fallen into the water I did ainst the chests, to keep them in their places, but could not thrust off the raft with all th; neither durst I stir fro up the chests with all ht, stood in thatof the water brought me a little , ain, and I thrust her off with the oar I had into the channel; and then driving up higher, I at length found myself in thecurrent or tide running up I looked on both sides for a proper place to get to shore; for I was not willing to be driven too high up the river, hoping in time to see some shi+p at sea, and therefore resolved to place th I spied a little cove on the right shore of the creek, to which, with great pain and difficulty, I guided round with my oar, I could thrust her directly in; but here I had like to have dipped allpretty steep, that is to say sloping, there was no place to land, but where one end of the float, if it run on shore, would lie so high, and the other sink lower as before, that it would endanger ain: all that I could do, was to wait till the tide was at the highest, keeping the raft with my oar like an anchor to hold the side of it fast to the shore, near a flat piece of ground, which I expected the water would flow over; and so it did As soon as I found water enough, for my raft drew about a foot of water, I thrust her on upon that flat piece of ground, and there fastened or round; one on one side near one end, and one on the other side near the other end; and thus I lay till the water ebbed away, and left o safe on shore

My next as to view the country, and seek a proper place for oods, to secure theht happen Where I was I yet knew not; whether on the continent or on an island, whether inhabited or not inhabited, whether in danger of wild beasts or not There was a hill not above a h, and which seee fro-pieces, and one of the pistols, and an horn of powder, and thus armed I travelled for discovery up to the top of that hill, where, after I had with great labour and difficulty got to the top, I saw reat affliction, viz that I was in an island environed every ith the sea, no land to be seen, except soreat way off, and two sues to the west

I found also that the island I was in was barren, and, as I saw good reason to believe, uninhabited, except by wild beasts, of whom, however, I saw none; yet I saw abundance of fowls, but knew not their kinds; neither when I killed them could I tell as fit for food, and what not Atupon a tree on the side of a great wood--I believe it was the first gun that had been fired there since the creation of the world I had no sooner fired, but from all parts of the wood there arose an innu a confused screa to his usual note; but not one of them of any kind that I knew As for the creature I killed, I took it to be a kind of a hawk, its colour and beak rese it, but had no talons or claws

Contented with this discovery, I cao on shore, which took ht I knew not, nor indeed where to rest; for I was afraid to lie down on the ground, not knowing but soh, as I afterwards found, there was really no need for those fears

However, as well as I could, I barricadoed ht on shore, andAs for food, I yet saw not which way to supply myself, except that I had seen two or three creatures like hares run out of the here I shot the fowl

I now began to consider, that I s out of the shi+p, which would be useful toand sails, and such other things as e 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 got every thing out of the shi+p that I could get Then I called a council, that is to say, in hts, whether I should take back the raft; but this appeared io as before, when the tide was down, and I did so, only that I stripped before I went fro on but a checked shi+rt and a pair of linen trowsers, and a pair of puot on board the shi+p, as before, and prepared a second raft; and having had experience of the first, I neither ht away several things very useful to me; as first, in the carpenter's 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 rindstone; all these I secured, together with several things belonging to the gunner, particularly two or three iron crows, and two barrels of -piece, with so full of sreat roll of sheet lead; but this last was so heavy I could not hoist it up to get it over the shi+p's side

Besides these things, I took all the men's clothes that I could find, and a spare fore-topsail, ha; and with this I loaded ht thereat co ht be devoured on shore; but when I can of any visitor, 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 un at her, but as she did not understand it, she was perfectly unconcerned 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 reat: however, I spared her a bit, I say, and she went to it, smelled of it, and ate it, and looked, as pleased, for more; but I thanked her, and could spare no o on shore, though I was fain to open the barrels of powder, and bring thee 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 kneould 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 e one of the beds upon the ground, laying th by me, I went to bed for the first tiht, for I was very weary and heavy, as the night before I had slept little, and had laboured very hard all day, as well to fetch all those things frogest azine of all kinds now that ever were laid up, I believe, for one man; but I was not satisfied still; for while the shi+p sat upright in that posture, I thought I ought to get every thing out of her that I could; so every day at loater I went on board, and brought away so or other; but particularly the third ti as I could, as also all the set, with a piece of spare canvass, which was to unpowder; in a word, I brought away all the sails first and last, only that I was fain to cut the as much at a time as I could; for they were no more useful to be sails, but as mere canvass only

But that which comforted me more still, was, that at last of all, after I had ht I had nothingwith; I say, after all this, I found a great hogshead of bread, and three large runlets of ruar, and a barrel of fine flower; this was surprising toany more provisions, except as spoiled by the water: I soon eshead of that 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 Iplundered the shi+p of as portable and fit to hand out, I began with the cables; and cutting the great cable into pieces, such as I could ot two cables and a hawser on shore, with all the iron-work I could get; and having cut down the spritsail-yard, and the e raft, I loaded it with all those heavy goods, and caan now to leave me; for this raft was so unwieldy and so overladen, that after I had entered the little cove where I had landed the rest of uide it so handily as I did the other, it overset, and threw reat harreat part of it lost, especially the iron, which I expected would have been of great use to ot most of the pieces of cable ashore, and soh with infinite labour; for I was fain to dip for it into the water, a hich fatigued ht ahat I could get