The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)

Nov. 14-16. I made little boxes for my powder, lodging them in several places. I also shot a large fowl, which proved excellent meat.

Nov. 17. I began to dig in the rock, yet was obliged to desist for want of a pickax, shovel, and wheel-barrow. Iron crows I caused to supply the place of the first; but with all my art I could not make a wheel-barrow.

Nov. 18. It was my fortune to find a tree, resembling what Brazilians call an iron tree. I had like to have spoiled my ax with cutting it, being very hard and exceedingly heavy; yet with much labour & industry, I made a sort of a spade out of it.

Nov. 21. These tools being made, I daily carried on my business; eighteen days I allowed for enlarging my cave, that it might serve me, not only for a warehouse, but kitchen, parlour, and cellar. I commonly lay in the tent, unless the weather was rainy that I could not lie dry. So wet would it be at certain seasons, that I was obliged to cover all within the pale with long poles, in the form of rafters, leaning against the rock, and loaded them with flags and large leaves of trees, resembling a thatch.

Dec. 10. No sooner did I think my habitation finished, but suddenly a great deal of the top broke in, so that it was a mercy I was not buried in the ruins. This occasioned a great deal of pains and trouble to me, before I could make it firm and durable.

Dec 17. I nailed up some shelves and drove nails and staples in the wall and posts to hang things out of the way.

Dec 20. Every thing I got into its place, then made a sort of a dresser, and another table.

Dec. 24. 25. Rain in abundance.

Dec. 26. Very fair weather.

Dec. 27. I chanced to light on some goats, shot one and wounded another. I led it home in a string, bound up its leg, and cured it in a little time; at length it became so tame and familiar as to feed before the door, and follow me where I pleased. This put me in mind to bring up tame creatures, in order to supply me with food after my ammunition was spent.

Dec. 28, 29, 30. The weather being excessively hot, with little air, obliged me for the most part, to keep within doors.

Jan 1. Still sultry, however, obliged by necessity, I went out with my gun, and found a great store of goats in the valleys; they were exceedingly shy, nor could my dog hunt them down.

Jan. 3 to 14. My employment this time was to finish the wall before described, and search the island. I discovered a kind of pigeons like our house-pigeons in a nest among the rocks. I brought them home, nursed them till they could fly, and then they left me. After this, I shot some, which proved excellent food. Some time I spent vainly in contriving to make a cask; I may well say it was vain, because I could neither joint the staves; nor fix the heads, so as to make it tight: So, leaving that, took some goat's tallow I had about me, and a little okum for the wick, and provided myself with a lamp, which served me instead of candles.

But now a very strange event happened. For being in the height of my search, what should come into my hand, but a bag, which was used to hold corn (as I supposed) for the fowls; so immediately resolving to put gunpowder in it, I shook all the hulks and dirt upon one side of the rock, little expecting what the consequences would be. The rain had fallen plentifully a few days before; and about a month after, to my great amazement something began to lock out very green and flourishing; and when I came to view it more nicely, every day as it grew, I found about ten or twelve ears of green barley appeared in the very same shape and make as that in England.

I can scarce express the agitations of my mind at this sight. Hitherto I had looked upon the actions of this life no otherwise than only as the events of blind chance and fortune. But now the appearance of this barley, flourishing in a barren soil, and my ignorance in not conceiving how it should come there, made me conclude that miracles were not yet ceased: nay, I even thought that God had appointed it to grow there without any seed, purely for my sustenance in this miserable and desolate island. And indeed such great effect this had upon me, that it often made me melt into tears, through a grateful sense of God's mercies; and the greater still was my thankfulness, when I perceived about this little field of barley some rice stalks, also wonderfully flourishing.

While thus pleased in mind, I concluded there must be more corn in the island; and therefore made a diligent search narrowly among the rocks; but not being able to find any, on a sudden it came into my mind, how I had shaken the husks of corn out of the bag, and then my admiration ceased, with my gratitude to the Divine Being, as thinking it was but natural, and not to be conceived a miracle; though even the manner of its preservation might have made me own it as a wonderful event of God's kind providence.

It was about the latter end of June when the ears of this corn ripened, which I laid up very carefully together with 20 or 30 stalks of rice, expecting one day I should reap the fruit of my labour; yet four years were expired before I could allow myself to eat any barley-bread, and much longer time before I had any rice. After this, with indefatigable pains and industry for three or four months, at last I finished my wall on the 14th, of April, having no way to go into it, but by ladder against the wall.

April 16. I finished my ladder, and ascended it; afterwards pulled it up, then let it down on the other side, and descended into my new habitation, where I had space enough, and so fortified that nothing could attack me, without scaling the walls.

But what does all human pains and industry avail, if the blessing of God does not crown our labours? Or who can stand before the Almighty, when he stretcheth forth his arm? For one time as I was at the entrance of my cave, there happened such a dreadful earthquake, that not only the roof of the cave came rumbling about my ears, but the posts seemed to crack terribly at the same time. This put me in great amazement; and running to the ladder, and getting over the wall, I then plainly knew it was an earthquake, the place I stood on sustaining three terrible shocks in less than three minutes. But judge of my terror when I saw the top of a great rock roll into the sea; I then expected the island would be swallowed up every moment: And what made the scene still more dreadful, was to see the sea thrown into the most violent agitations and disorders by this tremendous accident.

For my part I stood like a criminal at the place of execution ready to expire. At the moving of the earth, I was, as it were, sea-sick; and very much afraid lest the rock, under which was my fence and habitation, should overwhelm it and myself in a lasting tomb.

When the third dreadful shock had spent itself, my spirits began to revive; yet still I would not venture to ascend the ladder, but continued fitting, not knowing what I should do. So little grace had I then, as only to say Lord have mercy upon me! and no sooner was the earthquake over, but that pathetic prayer left me.

It was not long after, when a horrible tempest arose, at the same time attended with a huricane of wind. The sea seemed mountains high, and the waves rolled so impetously, that nothing could be perceived but froth and foam. Three hours did this storm continue, and in so violent a manner, as to tear the very trees up by the roots, which was succeeded by abundance of rain. When the tempest was over I went to my tent: but the rain coming on in a furious manner, I was obliged to take shelter in the cave, where I was forced to cut a channel through my fortification to let the water out. It continued raining all that night, and some time the next day. These accidents made me resolve, as soon as the weather cleared up, to build me a little hut in some open place, walled round to defend me from wild creatures and savages; not doubting but at the next earthquake, the mountain would fall upon my habitation and me, and swallow up all in its bowels.

April 16-20. These days I spent in contriving how and in what manner I should fix my place of abode. All this while I was under the most dreadful apprehensions. When I looked round my habitation, every thing I found in its proper place. I had several resolutions whether I should move or not; but at length resolved to stay where I was, till I found out a convenient place where I might pitch my tent.

April 22. When I began to put my resolutions in practice, I was stopt for want of tools and instruments to work with. Most of my axes and hatchets were useless, occasioned by cutting the hard timber that grew on the island. It took me up a full week to make my grind-stone of use to me, and at last I found out a way to turn it about with my foot, by help of a wheel and a string.

April 28-29. These days were spent in grinding my tools.

April 30. My bread falling short, I allowed myself but one biscuit a day.

May 1. As I walked along the sea shore I found a barrel of gunpowder, and several pieces of the wreck, the sea had flung up. Having secured those, I made to the ship, whose stern was torn off, and washed a great distance ashore; but the rest lay in the sands. This I suppose was occasioned by the earthquake. I now resolved to keep my old place of abode; and also to go to the ship that day, but then found it impossible.

May 3. This day I went on board, and with my saw sawed off one of the beams, which kept her quarter-deck. I then cleared the sand till flood.

May 4. I caught some fish, but they were not wholesome, The same day I also catched a young dolphin.

May 5. 'This day I also repaired to the wreck, and sawed another piece of timber, and when the flood came, I made a float of three great planks, which were driven ashore by the tide.

May 6, 7, 8, 9. These days I brought off the iron bolts, opened the deck with the iron crow, and carried two planks to land, having made a way into the very middle of the wreck.

May 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. All this time I spent in bringing off great quantities of iron and timber.

May 15. Took with me two hatchets on purpose to cut off some lead from the roll, but all in vain, for it lay too low under water.

May 16. I omitted going to the wreck this day, for employing myself in looking for pigeons, I outstaid my time.

May 17. I perceived several pieces of the wreck driven ashore, which I found belonged to the head of the ship.

May 24. To this day I worked on the wreck, and with great difficulty loosened some things so much with the crow, that at the first flowing tide several casks floated out, and many of the seamen's chests, yet that day nothing came to land but pieces of timber, and a hogshead which had some Brazil pork in it. I continued working to the 15th of June; (except necessary times for food and rest) and had I known how to have built a boat, I had timber and planks enough; I had also near 100 weight of sheet lead.

June 16. As I was wandering towards the sea-side, I found a large tortoise or turtle, being the first I had seen on the island, though, as I afterwards found, there were many on the other side of it.

June 17. This day I spent in cooking it, found in her threescore eggs, and her flesh the most savoury and pleasant I ever tasted in my life.

June 18. I staid within this day, there being a continual rain; and it was somewhat more chilly and cold than usual.

June 19. Exceedingly bad, being taken with a trembling and shivering.

June 20. Awake all night, my head racked with pain and feverish.

June 21. Sick unto death, and terrified with the dismal apprehensions of my condition. Prayed to God more frequently, but very confusedly.

June 22. Something better, but still uneasy in my mind.

June 23. Again relapsed much as before.

June 24. Mended a second time.

June 25. A violent ague for seven hours, cold and hot fits succeeded with faint sweats.

June 26. Better, but very weak, yet I scrambled out, shot a she-goat, brought it home and broiled some of it; I would willingly have stewed it, and made some broth, but had no pod.

June 27 All this day I was afflicted with an ague; thirsty, yet I could not help myself to water: Prayed to God in these words: Lord, in pity look upon me: Lord, have mercy upon me: have mercy upon me! After this I fell asleep, which I found had much refreshed me when I awaked. I fell fast asleep a second time, and fell into this strange and terrible sort of dream.

Methought I was sitting on the same spot of ground at the outside of the wall where I sat when the storm blew after the earthquake; and that I saw a man descending from a great black cloud, and alight upon the ground. He was all over as bright as a flash of fire that a little before surrounded him; his countenance inconceivably terrible; the earth as it were trembled when he stept upon the ground, and flashes of fire seemed to fill all the air. No sooner I thought him landed upon the earth, but with a long spear, or other weapon, he made towards me; but first ascending a rising ground, his voice added to my amazement, when I thought I heard him pronounce these dreadful words, Unhappy wretch! seeing all these things have not brought thee to repentance, thou shalt immediately die. In pronouncing this dreadful sentence, I thought he went to kill me with the spear that was in his hand.

Any body may think it impossible for me to express the horrors of my mind at this vision: and even when I awaked, this very dream made a deep impression upon my mind. The little divine knowledge I had, I received from my father's instructions, and that was worn out by an uninterrupted series of sea-faring impiety for eight years space. Except what sickness forced from me, I do not remember I had one thought of lifting up my heart towards God, but rather had a certain stupidity of soul, not having the least sense or fear of the Omnipotent Being when in distress, nor of gratitude to him for his deliverances. Nay, when I was on the desperate expedition on the desert African shore, I cannot remember I had one thought of what would become of me, or to beg his consolation and assistance in my sufferings and distress. When the Portugal captain took me up and honorably used me, nay, farther, when I was even delivered from drowning by escaping to this island, I never looked upon it as a judgment, but only said I was an unfortunate dog, and that's all. Indeed some secret transports of soul I had, which was not through grace but only a common flight of joy, that I was yet alive, when my companions were all drowned, and no other joy could I conceive but what is common with the sailors over a bowl of punch, after they have escaped the greatest dangers.