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Today we'll be continuing The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe chapter Four First Weeks on the Island When I waked, it was broad day, the weather clear, and the storm abated, so the sea did not rage and swell as before.

But that which surprised me most was that the ship was lifted off in the night from the sand where she lay by the swelling of the tide and was driven up almost as far as the rock which I had first mentioned, where I'd been so bruised by the wave dashing me against it.

This being within about a mile from the shore where I was and the ship seeming to stand upright still, I wished myself on board.

At least I might save some necessary things for my use.

When I came down from my apartment in the tree, I looked about me again, 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 2 miles on my right 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 a mile broad.

So I came back for the present, being more intent upon getting at the ship, where I hoped to find something for my present subsistence.

A little afternoon I found the sea very calm and the tide ebbed so far out that I could come within a quarter of a mile of the ship.

And here I found a fresh renewing of my grief.

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'd not been so miserable as to be left entirely destitute of all comfort and company as I now was.

This forced tears to my eyes again, but as there was little relief in that, I resolved, if possible, to get to the ship.

So I pulled off my clothes, for the weather was hot to extremity and took the water.

But when I came to the ship, my difficulty was still greater to know how 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 rope which I wondered I did not see at first hung down by the forechain so low as that with great difficulty I got hold of it, and by the help of that rope I got into the forecastle of the ship.

Here I found that the ship 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, that her stern lay lifted 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 work was to search and to see what was spoiled and what was free.

And first I found that all the ship's provisions were dry and untouched by the water.

Being very well disposed to eat, I went to the bread room and filled my pockets with biscuit and ate it as I went about other things, for I had no time to lose.

I also found some rum in the great cabin, of which I took a large DRAM and which I had indeed need enough of to spirit me for what was before me.

Now I wanted nothing but a boat to furnish myself with many things which I foresaw would be very necessary to me.

It was in vain to sit still and wish for what was 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 top master two in the ship.

I resolved to fall to work with these, and I flung as many of them overboard as I could manage for their weight, tying everyone with a rope that they might not drive away.

When this was done, I went down the ship's side and pulling them to me, I tied four of them together at both ends as well as I could in the form of a raft.

And laying 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 a carpenter saw, I cut a spare top mast into three lengths and added them to my raft with a great deal of labor and pains.

But the hope of furnishing myself with necessaries encouraged me to go 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 was what to load it with and how to preserve what I laid upon it from the surf of the sea.

But I was not long considering this.

I first laid all the planks or boards upon it that I could get, and having considered well what I must wanted, I got three of the seamen's chests, which I'd broken open and emptied, and lowered them down upon my raft.

The first of these I filled with provisions bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried goats flesh, which we lived much upon, and a little remainder of European corn, which had been laid by for some fowls which we brought to sea with us.

But the fowls were killed.

There had been some barley and wheat together, but to my great 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 some cordial waters, and in all, about five or six gallons of rack.

These I stood by themselves, there being no need to put them into the chest nor any room for them.

While I was doing this, I found the tide begin to flow very calm, and I had the mortification to see my coat, shirt and waistcoat, which I had left on the shore upon the sand swim away.

As for my breeches, which were only linen and open need, I swim on board in them.

And my stockings, however, this set me on rummaging for clothes of which I found enough, but took no more than I wanted for present use.

For I had other things which my eye was more upon as first tools to work with on shore.

And it was after long searching that I found out the carpenter's chest, which was indeed a very useful prize to me and much more valuable than a shipload of gold would have been at that time.

I got it down to my raft, whole as it was, without losing time to look into it, for I knew in general what it contained.

My next care was for some ammunition and arms.

There were two very good fouling pieces in the great cabin and two pistols.

These I secured first with some powder horns and a small bag of shot and two old rusty swords.

I knew there were three barrels of powder in the ship but I knew not where our gunner had stowed them but with much search I found them two of them, dry and good.

The third had taken water.

Those two I got to my raft with the arms and now I thought myself pretty well freighted and begun to think how I should get to shore with them having neither sail or nor rudder and the least cap full of wind would have overset all my navigation.

I had three encouragements.

First, a smooth, calm sea secondly, the tide rising and setting into the shore.

Thirdly, what little wind there was blew me towards the land.

And thus having found two or three broken oars belonging to the boat and besides the tools which were in the chest, I found two saws, an axe and a hammer.

With this cargo, 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 some creek or river there which I might make use of as a port to get to land with my cargo, as I imagined.

So it was there appeared before me a little opening 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 liked to have suffered a second shipwreck which, if I had, I think Verily would have broken my heart for.

Knowing nothing of the coast, my raft ran aground at one end of it upon a shoal and not being aground at the other end, it wanted but a little that all my cargo had slipped off towards the end that was afloat and to fallen into the water.

I did my utmost by setting my back against the chests to keep them in their places but could not thrust off the raft with all my strength.

Neither durst I sit from the posture I was in but holding up the chests with all my might.

I stood in that manner near half an hour in which time the rising of the water brought me a little more upon a level and a little after the water still rising, my raft floated again and I thrust her off with the oar I had into the channel.

And then driving up higher, I at length found myself in the mouth of a little river with land on both sides and a strong current of 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 ships at sea and therefore resolved to place myself as near the coast as I could.

At length I spied a little cove on the right shore of the creek to which, with great pain and difficulty, I guided my raft and at last got so near that, reaching ground with my oar, I could thrust her directly in.

But here I had liked to have dipped all my cargo into the sea again.

For that shore, lying pretty steep, that is to say sloping, there was no place to land but where one end of my float, if it ran on shore, would lie so high and the other sink lower as before that it would endanger my cargo again.

All that I could do was to wait till the tide was at the highest keeping the raft with my ore 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 upon that flat piece of ground and there fastened or moored her by sticking my two broken oars into the ground 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 my raft and all my cargo safe on shore.

My next work was to view the country and seek a proper place for my habitation and where to stow my goods to secure them from whatever might 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 mile from me which rose up very steep and high and which seemed to overtop some other hills which lay as an a ridge.

From it northward I took out one of the fouling pieces and one of the pistols and a horn of powder and thus armed, I traveled for discovery.

Up to the top of that hill or after I had with great labor and difficulty got to the top.

I saw my fate to my great affliction that I was in an island environed every way with the sea no land to be seen except some rocks which lay a great way off and two small islands less than this which lay about three leagues to the west.

I found also, that the island I was in was barren and as good as I saw 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 what was fit for food and whatnot at my coming back, I shot at a great bird which I saw sitting upon 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 than from all parts of the wood there arose an innumerable number of fowls of many sorts making a confused screaming and crying in everyone, according 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 hawk, its color and beak resembling it but it had no talons or claws more than common its flesh was carrying, and fit for nothing.

Contented with its discovery, I came back to my raft and fell to work to bring my cargo on shore which took me up the rest of that day.

What to do with myself at night I knew not, nor indeed where to rest, for I was afraid to lie down on the ground, not knowing that some wild beast might devour me though, as I afterwards found there was really no need for those fears.

However, as well as I could, I barricaded myself round with the chest and boards that I had brought on shore and made a kind of hut for that night's lodging.

As 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 wood where I shot the foul.

I now began to consider that I might yet get a great many things out of the ship which would be useful to me, and particularly some of the rigging and sales and such other things as might come to land.

And I resolved to make another 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 take back the raft.

But this appeared impracticable, so I resolved to go as before when the tide was down.

And I did so only that I stripped before I went from my hut, having nothing on but my checkered 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 unwieldly nor loaded it so hard.

But yet I brought 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 most useful thing called a grindstone.

All these I secured together with several things belonging to the gunner particularly two or three iron crows and two barrels of musket bullets, seven muskets, another fouling piece with some small quantity of powder more a large bag full 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 four 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 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 mind to be acquainted with me.

I presented my gun 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 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 feigned 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 everything 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 spread 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 quietly all night for I was very weary and heavy.

For the night before I had slept little and had labored 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 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 and also all the small ropes and rope twine I could get with a piece of spare canvas 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 feigned to cut them in pieces 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 hog's head 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'd given over expecting any more provisions except what was spoiled by the water.

I soon emptied the hog's head 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 houser on shore with all the iron work I could get.

And having cut down the spirit sale 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, for this raft was so unwieldy and so overlayton 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 other, 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 infinite labor for I was feigned 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 13 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 capable 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 12th 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 discovered 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 36 pounds value in money some European coin, some Brazil, some pieces of eight, some gold and some silver.

I smiled to myself at the sight of this money.

Oh, drug, said I aloud, what art thou good for?

Thou art not worth 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, and remain where thou art, and go to the bottom as a creature whose life is not worth saving.

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 offshore, 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 laid 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 recovered 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 anything out of her except what might drive on shore from her 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 not fit for my settlement, because it was upon a low moorish ground near the sea, and I believed it would not be wholesome, and more particularly because there was no fresh water near it.

So I resolved to find a more healthy and more convenient spot of ground.

I consulted several things in my situation which I found would be proper for me.

First, health and fresh water I just now mentioned.

Secondly, shelter from the heat of the sun thirdly, security from ravenous creatures, whether man or beast.

Fourthly, a view to the sea, that if God sent any ship in sight, I might not lose any advantage for my deliverance, of which I was not willing to banish all my expectation.

Yet, in search of a place proper for this, I found a little plain on the side of a rising hill, whose front towards this little plain was steep as a house side, so that nothing could come down upon me from the top.

On the one side of the rock there was a hollow place, worn a little way in, like the entrance or door of a cave but there was not really any cave or way into the rock at all.

On the flat of the green, just before this hollow place, I resolved to pitch my tent.

This place was not above a hundred yards broad and about twice as long, and lay like a green before my door, and at the end of it descended irregularly every way down into the low ground by the seaside.

It was on the north northwest side of the hill, so that it was sheltered from the heat every day till it came to a west, and by a south sun or thereabouts, which in those countries is near the setting.

Before I set up my tent, I drew a half circle before the hollow place, which took in about ten yards in its semidiameter from the rock, and 20 yards in its diameter from its beginning and ending.

In this half circle I pitched two rows of strong stakes, driving them into the ground till they stood very firm like piles, the biggest end being out of the ground above 5ft and a half, and sharpened on the top.

The two rows did not stand above six inches from one another.

Then I took the pieces of cable which I had cut.

In the ship and laid them in rows, one upon another within the circle between these two rows of stakes up to the top placing other stakes in the inside leaning against them about 2ft and a half high, like a spur to a post.

And this fence was so strong that neither man nor beast could get into it or over it.

This cost me a great deal of time and labor, especially to cut the piles in the woods, bring them to the place and drive them into the earth.

The entrance into this place I made to be not by a door but by a short ladder to go over the top, which ladder, when I was in, I lifted over after me.

And so it was completely fenced in and fortified, as I thought, from all the world and consequently slept secure in the night, which otherwise I could not have done though, as it appeared afterwards there was no need of all this caution from the enemies that I apprehended danger from into this fence or fortress.

With infinite labor I carried all my riches, all my provisions, ammunition and stores of which you have the account above.

And I made a large tent which to preserve me from the rains that in one part of the year are very violent.

There I made double one smaller tent within and one larger tent above it and covered the uppermost with a large tarpulin which I had saved among the sails.

And now I lay no more for a while in the bed which I had brought on shore but in a hammock, which was indeed a very good one and belonged to the maid of the ship.

Into this tent I brought all my provisions and everything that would spoil by the wet.

And having thus enclosed all my goods, I made up the entrance which till now I had left open and so passed and repassed, as I said, by a short ladder.

When I had done this, I began to work my way into the rock and bringing all the earth and stones that I dug down out through my tent, I laid them up within my fence in the nature of a terrace so that it raised the ground within about a foot and a half.

And thus I made me a cave just behind my tent which served me like a cellar to my house.

It cost me much labor and many days before, all these things were brought to perfection.

And therefore I must go back to some other things which took up some of my thoughts at the same time.

It happened after I had laid my scheme for the setting up my tent and making the cave that a storm of rain falling from a thick dark cloud, a sudden flash of lightning happened and after that a great clap of thunder, as is naturally the effect of it.

I was not so much surprised with the lightning as I was with the thought which darted into my mind as swift as the lightning itself.

Oh, my powder.

My very heart sank within me when I thought that at one blast all my powder might be destroyed on which not my defense only, but the providing my food, as I thought, entirely depended.

I was nothing near so anxious about my own danger, though had the powder took fire, I should never have known who had hurt me.

Such impression did this make upon me?

That after the storm was over, I laid aside all my works, my building and fortifying and applied myself to make bags and boxes to separate the powder and to keep it a little and a little in a parcel.

In the hope that whatever might come, it might not all take fire at once and to keep it so apart that it should not be possible to make one part fire another.

I finished this work in about a fortnight, and I think my powder, which in all was about 240 pounds weight, was divided in not less than a hundred parcels.

As to the barrel that had been wet, I did not apprehend any danger from that.

So I placed it in my new cave, which in my fancy I called my kitchen.

And the rest I hid up and down in holes among the rocks so that no wet might come to it, marking very carefully where I laid it in the interval of time.

While this was doing, I went out at least once every day with my gun as well to divert myself as to see if I could kill anything fit for food, and, as near as I could, to acquaint myself with what the island produced.

The first time I went out, I presently discovered that there were goats in the island, which was a great satisfaction to me.

But then it was attended with this misfortune to me, that they were so shy, so subtle, and so swift afoot that it was the most difficult thing in the world to come at them.

But I was not discouraged at this, not doubting, but I might now and then shoot one, as it soon happened.

For after I had found their haunts a little, I laid weight in this manner for them I observed if they saw me in the valleys, though they were upon the rocks, they would run away as in a terrible fright.

But if they were feeding in the valleys and I was upon the rocks, they took no notice of me from whence I concluded that by the position of their optics their sight was so directed downward that they did not readily see objects that were above them.

So afterwards I took this method.

I always climbed the rocks first to get above them and then had frequently a fair mark.

The first shot I made among these creatures I killed a she goat, which had a little kid by her, which she gave suck to, which grieved me heartily.

For when the old one fell, the kid stood stock still by her till I came and took her up.

And not only so, but when I carried the old one with me upon my shoulders, the kid followed me quite to my enclosure, upon which I laid down the dam and took the kid in my arms and carried it over my pail in hopes to have breaded up tame.

But it would not eat, so I was forced to kill it and eat it myself.

These two supplied me with flesh a great while for I ate sparingly and saved my provisions, my bread especially, as much as I possibly could.

Having now fixed my habitation, I found it absolutely necessary to provide a place to make a fire in and fuel to burn.

And what I did for that, and also how I enlarged my cave and what conveniences I made, I shall give a full account of in its place.

But I must now give some little account of myself and all of my thoughts about living, which, it may well be supposed, were not a few.

I had a dismal prospect of my condition.

For as I was not cast away upon that island without being driven, as is said, by a violent storm quite out of the course of our intended voyage and a great way some hundreds of leagues out of the ordinary course of the trade of mankind.

I had great reason to consider it as a determination of heaven that in this desolate place and in this desolate manner I should end my life.

The tears would run plentifully down my face when I made these reflections.

And sometimes I would expatulate with myself why Providence should thus completely ruin his creatures and render them so absolutely miserable, so without help abandoned, so entirely depressed, that it could hardly be rational to be thankful for such a life.

But something always returned swift upon me to check these thoughts and to reprove me.

And particularly one day, walking with my gun in my hand by the seaside, I was very pensive upon the subject of my present condition, when reason, as it were, expatulated with me the other way.

Thus well, you're in a desolate condition, it is true but pray remember, where are the rest of you?

Did you not come?

Eleven of you in the boat?

Where are the ten?

Why were they not saved and you lost?

Why were you singled out?

Is it better to be here or there?

And then I pointed to the sea.

All evils are to be considered with the good that is in them and with what worse, tends them.

Then it occurred to me again how well I was furnished for my subsistence and what would have been my case if it had not happened, which was a hundred thousand to one that the ship floated from the place where she first struck and was driven so near to the shore that I had time to get all these things out of her.

What would have been my case if I had been forced to have lived in the condition in which I had first came on shore without necessaries of life or necessaries to supply and procure them?

Particularly, said I aloud, though to myself, what should I have done without a gun, without ammunition, without any tools to make anything or to work with, without clothes, bedding, a tent, or any manner of covering?

And that now I had all these to sufficient quantity and was in a fair way to provide myself in such a manner as to live without my gun when my ammunition was spent so that I had a tolerable view of subsisting without any want as long as I lived.

For I considered from the beginning how I would provide for the accidents that might happen even not only after my ammunition should be spent, but even after my health and strength should decay.

I confess I had not entertained any notion of my ammunition being destroyed at one blast I mean, my powder being blown up by lightning.

And this made the thoughts of it so surprising to me when it lightened and thundered, as I observed just now.

And now being about to enter into a melancholy relation of a scene of silent life such perhaps as what's never heard of in the world before, I shall take it from its beginning and continue it in its order.

It was by my account the 30 September when in that manner as above said I first set foot upon this horrid island when the sun, being to us in its autumn equinox was almost over my head.

For I reckoned myself by observation to be in the latitude of nine degrees 22 minutes north of the line.

After I'd been there about ten or twelve days it came into my thoughts that I should lose my reckoning of time for want of books and pen and ink, and should even forget the Sabbath days.

But to prevent this, I cut with my knife upon a large post in capital letters and making it into a great cross, I set it up on the shore where I first landed.

I came on shore here on the 30th September, 1659.

Upon the sides of this square post I cut every day a notch with my knife and every 7th notch was as long again as the rest and every first day of the month as long again as that long one.

And thus I kept my calendar of weekly, monthly and yearly reckoning of time in the next place.

We are to observe that among the many things which I brought out of the ship in the several voyages which, as above mentioned, I made to it, I got several things of less value, but not at all less.

Useful to me, which I omitted setting down before, as in particular, pens, ink and paper, several parcels in the captains, mates, gunners and carpenters, keeping three or four compasses, some mathematical instruments, dials, perspectives, charts and books of navigation, all which I huddled together, whether I might want them or no.

Also I found three very good Bibles which came to me in my cargo from England, and which I had packed up among my things some Portuguese books also, and among them, two or three popish prayer books and several other books, all which I carefully secured.

And I must not forget that we had in the ship a dog and two cats of whose imminent history I may have occasioned to say something in its place, for I carried both the cats with me.

And as for the dog, he jumped out of the ship of himself and swam on shore to me the day after I went on shore with my first cargo, and was a trusty servant to me many years.

I wanted nothing that he could fetch me, nor any company that he could make up to me.

I only wanted to have him talk to me, but that would not do.

As I observed before, I found pens, ink and paper, and I husbanded them to the utmost.

And I shall show that while my ink lasted, I kept things very exact.

But after that was gone, I could not, or I could not, make any ink by any means that I could devise.

And this put me in mind that I wanted many things, notwithstanding all that I had amassed together.

And of these ink was one as also a spade, pickaxe and shovel to dig or remove the earth, needles, pins and thread.

As for linen, I soon learned to want that without much difficulty.

The swant of tools made every work I did go on heavily, and it was near a whole year before I had entirely finished my little pail or surrounded my habitation.

The piles or stakes which were as heavy as I could well lift were a long time in cutting and preparing in the woods and more by far in bringing home so that I spent sometimes two days in cutting.

And bringing home one of these posts and a third day in driving it into the ground, for which purpose I got a heavy piece of wood at first, but at last bethought myself of one of the iron crows, which, however, though I found it, made driving those posts or piles very laborious and tedious work.

But what need I have been concerned at the tediousness of anything I had to do, seeing I had time enough to do it in?

Nor had I any other employment, if that had been over at least that I could foresee, except the ranging of the island to seek for food, which I did more or less every day.

I now began to consider seriously my condition and the circumstances I was reduced to.

And I drew up the state of my affairs in writing not so much to leave them to any that were to come after me, for I was likely to have but few heirs as to deliver my thoughts from daily poring over them and afflicting my mind.

And as my reason began now to master my despondency, I began to comfort myself as well as I could and to set the good against the evil that I might have something to distinguish my case from worse.

And I stated very impartially like debtor and creditor, the comforts I enjoyed against the miseries I suffered.

Thus, upon the whole, here was an undoubted testimony that there was scarce any condition in the world so miserable but there was something negative or something positive to be thankful for in it.

And let this stand as the direction from the experience of the most miserable of all conditions in this world that we may always find in it something to comfort ourselves from and to set in the description of good and evil on the credit side of the account.

Having now brought my mind a little to relish my condition and given over looking out to sea to see if I could spy a ship, I say giving over these things, I began to apply myself to arrange my way of living and to make things as easy to me as I could.

I've already described my habitation, which was a tent under the side of a rock surrounded with a strong pail of posts and cables.

But I might now rather call it a wall, for I raised a kind of wall up against it of turfs about 2ft thick on the outside.

And after some time I think it was a year and a half, I raised rafters from it, leaning to the rock and thatched or covered it with boughs of trees and such things as I could get to keep out the rain, which I found at some times of the year very violent.

I've already observed how I brought all my goods into this pail and into the cave which I had made behind me.

But I must observe too, that at first this was a confused heap of goods which as they lay in no order, so they took up all my place.

I had no room to turn myself, so I set myself to enlarge my cave and work farther into the earth for it was a loose, sandy rock which yielded easily to the labor I bestowed on it.

And so when I found I was pretty safe as to beasts of prey, I worked sideways to the right hand into the rock and then turning to the right again, worked quite out and made me a door to come out on the outside of my pill or fortification.

This gave me not only egress and regress, as it was a back way to my tent and to my storehouse, but gave me room to store my goods.

And now I began to apply myself to make such necessary things as I found I most wanted particularly a chair and a table for without these I was not able to enjoy the few comforts I had in the world.

I could not write or eat or do several things with so much pleasure without a table.

So I went to work.

And here I must needs observe that as reason is the substance and origin of mathematics so by stating and squaring everything by reason and by making the most rational judgment of things every man may be in time master of every mechanic art.

I had never handled a tool in my life and yet, in time, by labor application and contrivance I found at last that I wanted nothing but I could have made it especially if I had tools.

However, I made abundance of things even without tools and some with no more tools than in ads and a hatchet which perhaps were never made that way before and that with infinite labor.

For example, if I wanted a board, I had no other way but to cut down a tree set it on an edge before me, and hew it flat on either side with my axe till it brought it to be thin as a plank and then dub it smooth with my ads.

It is true, by this method I could make but one board out of a whole tree but this I had no remedy for but patience any more than I had for the prodigious deal of time and labor which it took me up to make a plank or board.

But my time or labor was little worth and so it was as well employed one way as another.

However, I made me a table and a chair as I observed above in the first place and this I did out of the short pieces of boards that I brought on my raft from the ship.

But when I had wrought out some boards as above, I made large shelves of the breadth of a foot and a half, one over another, all along one side of my cave to lay all my tools, nails and iron work on, and in a word, to separate everything at large into their places that I might come easily at them.

I knocked pieces into the wall of the rock to hang my guns and all things that would hang up so that had my cave had to be seen.

It looked like a general magazine of all necessary things and had everything so ready at my hand that it was a great pleasure to me to see all my goods in such order and especially to find my stock of all necessary so great.

And now it was that I began to keep a journal of everyday's employment for, indeed, at first I was in too much hurry and not only hurry as to labor but in too much discomposure of mind and my journal would have been full of many dull things.

For example, I must have said thus 30th, after I had got to shore and escaped drowning instead of being thankful to God for my deliverance, having first vomited with the great quantity of salt water which had got into my stomach and recovering myself a little, I ran about the shore, wringing my hands and beating my head and face, exclaiming at my misery and crying out I was undone.

Undone till tired and faint.

I was forced to lie down on the ground to repose, but durst not sleep for fear of being devoured.

Some days after this and after I'd been on board the ship and got all that I could out of her.

Yet I could not forbear getting up to the top of a little mountain and looking out to sea in hopes of seeing a ship.

Then, fancy, at a vast distance, I spied a sail, please myself with the hopes of it and then, after looking steadily till I was almost blind, lose it quite and sit down and weep like a child and thus increase my misery by my folly.

But having gotten over these things in some measure and having settled my household staff and habitation made me a table and a chair and all as handsome about me as I could, I began to keep my journal, of which I shall here give you the copy, though in it will be told all these particulars over again as long as it lasted.

For having no more ink, I was forced to leave it off.

Thank you for joining Bite at a Time books today while we read a.

Bite of one of your favorite classics.

Again, my name is Brie Carlyle and.

I hope you come back tomorrow for.

The next bite of the life and.

Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.

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