The author lays in a store against the dark weather-Hears
voices--His thoughts thereon--Persuades himself it was a
dream--Hears them again--Determines to see if any one lodged
in the rock--Is satisfied there is nobody--Observations on
what he saw--Finds a strong weed like whipcord--Makes a
drag-net--Lengthens it--Catches a monster--Its description--
Makes oil of it
I had now well stored my grotto with all sorts of winter provisions, and
feeling the weather grow very cold, I expected and waited patiently for
the total darkness. I went little abroad, and employed myself within
doors endeavouring to fence against the approaching extremity of the
cold. For this purpose I prepared a quantity of rushes, which being
very dry, I spread them smoothly on the floor of my bed-chamber a good
thickness, and over them I laid my mattress. Then I made a double sheet
of the boat's awning or sail, that I had brought to cover my goods; and
having skewered together several of the jackets and clothes I found in
the chest, of them I made a coverlid; so that I lay very commodiously,
and made very long nights of it now the dark season was set in.
As I lay awake one night, or day, I know not which, I very plainly heard
the sound of several human voices, and sometimes very loud; but though
I could easily distinguish the articulations, I could not understand the
least word that was said; nor did the voices seem at all to me like such
as I had anywhere heard before, but much softer and more musical. This
startled me, and I rose immediately, slipping on my clothes and taking
my gun in my hand (which I always kept charged, being my constant
travelling companion) and my cutlass. Thus equipped, I walked into my
ante-chamber, where I heard the voices much plainer, till after some
little time they by degrees died quite away. After watching here, and
hearkening a good while, hearing nothing, I walked back into the grotto,
and laid me down again on my bed. I was inclined to open the door of my
ante-chamber, but I own I was afraid; besides, I considered that if I
did, I could discover nothing at any distance by reason of the thick and
gloomy wood that enclosed me.
I had a thousand different surmises about the meaning of this odd
incident; and could not conceive how any human creatures should be in
my kingdom (as I called it) but myself, and I never yet see them, or any
trace of their habitation. But then again I reflected, that though I had
surrounded the whole lake, yet I had not traced the out-bounds of the
wood next the rock, where there might be innumerable grottoes like mine;
nay, perhaps some as spacious as that I had sailed through to the lake;
and that though I had not perceived it, yet this beautiful spot might be
very well peopled. But, says I again, if there be any such beings as
I am fancying here, surely they don't skulk in their dens, like savage
beasts, by daylight, and only patrole for prey by night; if so, I shall
probably become a delicious morsel for them ere long, if they meet with
me. This kept me still more within doors than before, and I hardly ever
stirred out but for water or firing. At length, hearing no more voices,
nor seeing any one, I began to be more composed in my mind, and at last
grew persuaded it was all a mere delusion, and only a fancy of mine,
without any real foundation; and sometimes, though I was sure I was
fully awake when I heard them, I persuaded myself I had rose in my
sleep, upon a dream of voices, and recollected with myself the various
stories I had heard when a boy of walking in one's sleep, and the
surprising effects of it; so the whole notion was now blown over.
I had not enjoyed my tranquillity above a week, before my fears were
roused afresh, hearing the same sound of voices twice the same night,
but not many minutes at a time. What gave me most pain was that they
were at such a distance, as I judged by the languor of the sound, that
if I had opened my door I could not have seen the utterers through the
trees, and I was resolved not to venture out; but then I determined, if
they should come again anything near my grotto, to open the door, see
who they were, and stand upon my defence, whatever came of it: For, says
I, my entrance is so narrow and high that more than one cannot come at a
time; and I can with ease despatch twenty of them before they can
secure me, if they should be savages; but if they prove sensible human
creatures, it will be a great benefit to me to join myself to their
society. Thus had I formed my scheme, but I heard no more of them for a
great while; so that at length beginning to grow ashamed of my fears, I
became tranquil again.
The day now returning, and with it my labours, I applied to my usual
callings; but my mind ran strangely upon viewing the rock quite round,
that is, the whole circuit of my dominions; for, thinks I, there may
possibly be an outlet through the rock into some other country, from
whence the persons I heard may come. As soon therefore as the days grew
towards the longest, I prepared for my progress. Having lived so well at
home since my settlement, I did not care to trust only to what I could
pick up in the woods for my subsistence during this journey, which would
not only take up time in procuring, but perhaps not agree with me; so
I resolved to carry a supply with me, proportionate to the length of my
perambulation. Hereupon considering that though my walk round the lake
was finished in two days, yet as I now intended to go round by the rock,
the way would be much longer and perhaps more troublesome than that was;
remembering also my journey with Glanlepze in Africa, and how much
I complained of the fruits we carried for our subsistence; these
circumstances, I say, laying together, I resolved to load the cart with
a variety of food, bread and fruits especially, and draw that with me.
Thus provided, I sallied forth with great cheerfulness, and proceeded in
the main easily; though in some places I was forced to make way with
my hatchet, the ground was so over-run with underwood. I very narrowly
viewed the rock as I went, bottom and sides, all the way, but could see
nothing like a passage through it, or indeed any more than one opening,
or inlet, which I entered for about thirty yards, but it was not above
three feet wide, and terminated in the solid rock.
After some days' travel (making all the observations I could on the
several plants, shrubs, and trees which I met with, particularly where
any of these occurred to me entirely new), finding myself a little
faintish, I had a mind for a sup of ram's-horn juice; so I cut me one,
but upon opening it found therein only a pithy pulp, and noways fit to
taste. I supposed by this I was too early for the milk, it being three
months later the last year when I cut them. Hereon, seeing one upon
another shrub, which by its rusty colour I judged might have hung all
the winter, I opened that, and found it full of milk; but putting some
of it into my mouth, it was as sour as any vinegar I ever tasted in my
life. So, thinks I (and said so too; for, as I told you before, I always
spoke out), here's sauce for something when I want it; and this gave
me a hint to store myself with these gourds, to hang by for vinegar the
next winter.
By this time I had come almost to my rill, when I entered upon a large
plat of ground miserably over-run with weeds, matted together very
thick. These choked up my wheels in such a manner that I could neither
free them with my hands, nor get either backwards or forwards, they
binding my cart down like so many cords; so that I was obliged to cut my
way back again with my hatchet, and take a sweep round in the wood, on
the outside of these weeds.
In all my life I never saw anything of its size, for it was no thicker
than a whipcord, so strong as this weed; and what raised my wonder was
the length of it, for I drew out pieces of it near fifty feet long, and
even they were broken at the end, so that it might be as long again for
aught I know, for it was so matted and twisted together, that it was a
great trial of patience to untangle it; but that which was driest,
and to me looked the rottenest and weakest, I found to be much the
strongest. Upon examination of its parts, I discovered it to be
composed of an infinite number of small threads, spirally overlaying and
enfolding one another.
As I saw but few things that I could not find a use for, so this I
perceived would serve all the common purposes of packthread; a thing I
was often in want of. This inclined me to take a load of it home with
me. Indeed the difficulty of getting a quantity in the condition I
desired it, puzzled me a little; for, says I, if I cut up a good deal
of it with my hatchet, as I first designed, I shall only have small
lengths, good for little, and to get it in pieces of any considerable
length, so as to be of service, will require much time and labour. But
reflecting how much I needed it, and of what benefit it would be,
I resolved to make a trial of what I could do; so, without more
hesitation, I went to work, and cutting a fibre close to its root,
I extricated that thread from all its windings, just as one does an
entangled whipcord. When I had thus disengaged a sufficient length, I
cut that off, and repeating the like operation, in about three hours'
time, but with no little toil, I made up my load of different lengths
just to my liking. Having finished this task, I filled the gourd,
brought for that purpose, with water; and having first viewed the whole
remaining part of the rock, I returned over the stone bridge home again.
This journey, though it took me up several days, and was attended
with some fatigue, had yet given me great satisfaction; for now I
was persuaded I could not have one rival or enemy to fear in my whole
dominions. And from the impossibility, as I supposed, of there being
any, or of the ingress of any, unless by the same passage I entered
at, and by which I was well assured they could never return, I grew
contented, and blamed myself for the folly of my imaginary voices, as I
called them then, and took it for a distemper of the fancy only.
The next day I looked over my load of matweed, having given it that
name, and separated the different lengths from each other. I then found
I had several pieces between forty and fifty feet long, of which I
resolved to get a good number more, to make me a drag-net that I might
try for some fish in the lake. A day or two after, therefore, I brought
home another load of it Then I picked out a smooth level spot upon the
green-sward, and having prepared a great number of short wooden pegs, I
strained a line of the matweed about ten feet long, tying it at each end
to a peg, and stuck a row of pegs along by that line, about two inches
asunder; I next strained another line of the same length, parallel to
that, at the distance of forty feet from it, and stuck pegs thereby,
corresponding to the former row; and from each peg on one side, to the
opposite peg on the other, I tied a like length of my mat-line, quite
through the whole number of pegs; when the work looked like the inside
of a harpsichord. I afterwards drove pegs in like manner along the whole
length of the two outermost longer lines, and tied shorter lines to
them, so that the whole affair then represented the squares of a racket;
the corners of each of which squares I tied very tight with smaller
pieces of the line, till I had formed a complete net of forty feet long
and ten wide.
When I had finished my net, as I thought, I wrapped several stones
in rags, and fastened them to the bottom to sink it, and some of the
smallest unscooped dry gourds to the top, to keep that part buoyant. I
now longed to begin my new trade, and carried the net to my boat with
that intention; but after two or three hauls I found it would not answer
for want of length (though by chance I caught a blackish fish without
scales, a little bigger than whiting, but much longer, which stuck by
the gills in it); so I left the net in the boat, resolving to make an
addition to it with all speed; and returning to my grotto, I supped on
the fish I had taken and considered how to pursue my enterprise with
better effect.
I provided me with another large parcel of line; and having brought two
more lengths to perfection, I joined all together, and fixing one end
on shore, by a pole I had cut for that purpose, I launched my boat, with
the other end in it, taking a sweep the length of my net round to
my stick again, and getting on shore, hauled up my net by both ends
together. I found now I had mended my instrument, and taken a proper way
of applying it; for by this means, in five hauls, I caught about sixteen
fish of three or four different sorts, and one shell-fish, almost like
a lobster, but without great claws, and with a very small short tail;
which made me think, as the body was thrice as long as a lobster's in
proportion, that it did not swim backwards, like that creature, but
only crawled forwards (it having lobsterlike legs, but much shorter and
stronger), and that the legs all standing so forward, its tail was, by
its motion, to keep the hinder part of the body from dragging upon the
ground, as I observed it did when the creature walked on land, it then
frequently flacking its short tail.
These fish made me rich in provisions. Some of them I ate fresh, and the
remainder I salted down. But of all the kinds, my lobster was the most
delicious food, and made me almost three meals.
Thus finding there were fish to be had, though my present tackle seemed
suitable enough to my family, yet could I not rest till I had improved
my fishery by enlarging my net; for as it was, even with my late
addition, I must either sweep little or no compass of ground, or it
would have no bag behind me. Upon this I set to work and shortly doubled
the dimensions of it. I had then a mind to try it at the mouth of my
rill; so taking it with me the next time I crossed the lake for water,
and fastening it to my pole, close by the right side of the rill, I
swept a long compass round to the left, and closing the ends, attempted
to draw it up in the hollow cut of the rill. But by the time I had
gathered up two-thirds of the net, I felt a resistance that quite
amazed me. In short, I was not able to stand against the force I felt.
Whereupon sitting down in the rill, and clapping my feet to the two
sides of it, I exerted all my strength, till finally I became conqueror,
and brought up so shocking a monster, that I was just rising to run
for my life on the sight of it. But recollecting that the creature was
hampered, and could not make so much resistance on the land as in the
water, I ventured to drag the net up as far from the rill as my strength
and breath would permit me; and then running to the boat for my gun,
I returned to the net to examine my prize. Indeed, I had not instantly
resolution enough to survey it, and when at length I assumed courage
enough to do so, I could not perfectly distinguish the parts, they were
so discomposed; but taking hold of one end of the net, I endeavoured to
disentangle the thing, and then drawing the net away, a most surprising
sight presented itself: the creature reared upright, about three feet
high, covered all over with long, black shaggy hair, like a bear, which
hung down from his head and neck quite along his back and sides. He had
two fins, very broad and large, which, as he stood erect, looked like
arms, and these he waved and whirled about with incredible velocity; and
though I wondered at first at it, I found afterwards it was the motion
of these fins that kept him upright; for I perceived when they ceased
their motion he fell flat on his belly. He had two very large feet,
which he stood upon, but could not run, and but barely walk on them,
which made me in the less haste to despatch him; and after he had stood
upon his feet about four minutes, clapping his fins to his sides, he
fell upon his belly.
When I found he could not attack me, I was moving closer to him; but
upon sight of my stirring, up he rose again, and whirled his fins about
as before so long as he stood. And now I viewed him round, and found
he had no tail at all, and that his hinder fins, or feet, very much
resembled a large frog's, but were at least ten inches broad, and
eighteen long, from heel to toe; and his legs were so short that when he
stood upright his breech bore upon the ground. His belly, which he kept
towards me, was of an ash-colour, and very broad, as also was his breast
His eyes were small and blue, with a large black sight in the middle,
and rather of an oval than round make. He had a long snout like a boar,
and vast teeth. Thus having surveyed him near half an hour living, I
made him rise up once more and shot him in the breast. He fell, and
giving a loud howl, or groan, expired.
I had then time to see what else I had caught; and turning over the net,
found a few of the same fish I had taken before, and some others of a
flat-tish make, and one little lump of flesh unformed; which last, by
all I could make of it, seemed to be either a spawn or young one of that
I had shot.
The great creature was so heavy, I was afraid I must have cut him in
pieces to get him to the boat; but with much ado, having stowed the
rest, I tumbled him on board. I then filled my water-cask and rowed
homewards. Being got to land, I was obliged to bring down my cart, to
carry my great beast-fish, as I termed him, up to the grotto. When I had
got him thither, I had a notion of first tasting, and then, if I liked
his flesh, of salting him down and drying him; so, having flayed him and
taken out the guts and entrails, I boiled a piece of him; but it made
such a blaze that most of the fat ran into the fire, and the flesh
proved so dry and rank that I could no ways endure it.
I then began to be sorry I had taken so much pains for no profit, and
had endangered my net into the bargain (for that had got a crack or two
in the scuffle), and was thinking to throw away my large but worthless
acquisition.
However, as I was now prone to weighing all things, before I threw it
away I resolved to consider a little; whereupon I changed my mind.
Says I, Here is a good warm skin, which, when dry, will make me a rare
cushion. Again, I have for a long while had no light beside that of the
day; but now as this beast's fat makes such a blaze in the fire, and
issues in so great a quantity from such a small piece as I broiled, why
may not I boil a good tallow or oil out of it? and if I can, I have not
made so bad a hand of my time as I thought for.
In short, I went immediately to work upon this subject (for I never let
a project cool after I had once started it), and boiled as much of the
flesh as the kettle would hold, and letting it stand to cool, I found
it turned out very good oil for burning; though I confess I thought it
would rather have made tallow. This success quickened my industry; and I
repeated the operation till I got about ten quarts of this stuff, which
very well rewarded my labour. After I had extracted as much oil as I
could from the beast-fish, the creature having strongly impressed my
imagination, I conceived a new fancy in relation to it; and that was,
having heard him make a deep, howling groan at his death, I endeavoured
to persuade myself, and at last verily believed, that the voices I
had so often heard in the dark weather proceeded from numbers of these
creatures, diverting themselves in the lake, or sporting together on
the shore; and this thought, in its turn, contributed to ease my
apprehensions in that respect.