_Robinson’s Journal--Details of His Domestic Economy and
Contrivances--Shock of an Earthquake_
_September 30, 1659._--I, poor miserable Robinson Crusoe, being
shipwrecked, during a dreadful storm, in the offing, came on shore on
this dismal unfortunate island, which I called the Island of Despair,
all the rest of the ship’s company being drowned, and myself almost
dead.
All the rest of that day I spent in afflicting myself at the dismal
circumstances I was brought to, viz., I had neither food, house,
clothes, weapon, nor place to fly to; and in despair of any relief, saw
nothing but death before me; either that I should be devoured by wild
beasts, murdered by savages, or starved to death for want of food. At
the approach of night, I slept in a tree for fear of wild creatures,
but slept soundly, though it rained all night.
_Oct. 1._--In the morning I saw, to my great surprise, the ship had
floated with the high tide, and was driven on shore again much nearer
the island; which, as it was some comfort on one hand, for seeing her
sit upright, and not broken to pieces, I hoped, if the wind abated, I
might get on board, and get some food and necessaries out of her for
my relief; so, on the other hand, it renewed my grief at the loss of
my comrades, who, I imagined, if we had all stayed on board, might
have saved the ship, or at least that they would not have been all
drowned as they were; and that had the men been saved, we might perhaps
have built us a boat out of the ruins of the ship, to have carried us
to some other part of the world. I spent great part of this day in
perplexing myself on these things; but at length seeing the ship almost
dry, I went upon the sand as near as I could, and then swam on board;
this day also it continued raining, though with no wind at all.
From the 1st of _October_ to the 24th.--All these days entirely spent
in many several voyages to get all I could out of the ship, which I
brought on shore, every tide of flood, upon rafts. Much rain also in
these days, though with some intervals of fair weather; but, it seems,
this was the rainy season.
_Oct. 20._--I overset my raft, and all the goods I had got upon it; but
being in shoal water, and the things being chiefly heavy, I recovered
many of them when the tide was out.
_Oct. 25._--It rained all night and all day, with some gusts of wind,
during which time the ship broke in pieces, the wind blowing a little
harder than before, and was no more to be seen, except the wreck of
her, and that only at low water. I spent this day in covering and
securing the goods which I had saved, that the rain might not spoil
them.
_Oct. 26._--I walked about the shore almost all day to find out a
place to fix my habitation, greatly concerned to secure myself from
an attack in the night, either from wild beasts or men. Towards night
I fixed upon a proper place under a rock, and marked out a semicircle
for my encampment, which I resolved to strengthen with a work, wall,
or fortification made of double piles, lined within with cables, and
without with turf.
From the 26th to the 30th I worked very hard in carrying all my goods
to my new habitation, though some part of the time it rained exceeding
hard.
The 31st, in the morning, I went out into the island with my gun to
seek for some food, and discover the country; when I killed a she-goat,
and her kid followed me home, which I afterwards killed also, because
it would not feed.
_Nov. 1._--I set up my tent under a rock, and lay there the first
night, making it as large as I could, with stakes driven in to swing my
hammock upon.
_Nov. 2._--I set up all my chests and boards, and the pieces of timber
which made my rafts, and with them formed a fence round me, a little
within the place I had marked out for my fortification.
_Nov. 3._--I went out with my gun, and killed two fowls like ducks,
which were very good food. In the afternoon went to work to make me a
table.
_Nov. 4._--This morning I began to order my times of work, of going
out with my gun, time of sleep, and time of diversion, viz., every
morning I walked out with my gun for two or three hours, if it did not
rain; then employed myself to work till about eleven o’clock; then eat
what I had to live on; and from twelve to two I lay down to sleep, the
weather being excessive hot; and then in the evening to work again. The
working part of this day and of the next were wholly employed in making
my table; for I was yet but a very sorry workman, though time and
necessity made me a complete natural mechanic soon after, as I believe
it would do any one else.
_Nov. 5._--This day went abroad with my gun and my dog, and killed a
wild cat; her skin pretty soft, but her flesh good for nothing. Every
creature I killed, I took off the skins and preserved them. Coming
back by the sea-shore, I saw many sorts of sea-fowls, which I did not
understand; but was surprised, and almost frightened, with two or three
seals, which, while I was gazing at, not well knowing what they were,
got into the sea, and escaped me for that time.
_Nov. 6._--After my morning walk I went to work with my table again,
and finished it, though not to my liking; nor was it long before I
learned to mend it.
_Nov. 7._--Now it began to be settled fair weather. The 7th, 8th, 9th,
10th, and part of the 12th (for the 11th was Sunday) I took wholly up
to make me a chair, and with much ado, brought it to a tolerable shape,
but never to please me; and even in the making, I pulled it in pieces
several times. Note, I soon neglected my keeping Sundays; for, omitting
my mark for them on my post, I forgot which was which.
_Nov. 13._--This day it rained, which refreshed me exceedingly, and
cooled the earth; but it was accompanied with terrible thunder and
lightning, which frightened me dreadfully, for fear of my powder. As
soon as it was over, I resolved to separate my stock of powder into as
many little parcels as possible, that it might not be in danger.
_Nov. 14, 15, 16._--These three days I spent in making little square
chests or boxes, which might hold about a pound, or two pound at most,
of powder; and so putting the powder in, I stowed it in places as
secure and remote from one another as possible. On one of these three
days I killed a large bird that was good to eat, but I know not what to
call it.
_Nov. 17._--This day I began to dig behind my tent into the rock,
to make room for my farther convenience. Note, three things I
wanted exceedingly for this work, viz., a pick-axe, a shovel, and
a wheelbarrow or basket; so I desisted from my work, and began to
consider how to supply that want, and make me some tools. As for a
pick-axe, I made use of the iron crows, which were proper enough,
though heavy; but the next thing was a shovel or spade. This was so
absolutely necessary, that indeed I could do nothing effectually
without it; but what kind of one to make, I knew not.
_Nov. 18._--The next day, in searching the woods, I found a tree
of that wood, or like it, which in the Brazils they call the iron
tree, for its exceeding hardness; of this, with great labor, and
almost spoiling my axe, I cut a piece, and brought it home, too, with
difficulty enough, for it was exceeding heavy.
The excessive hardness of the wood, and having no other way, made me a
long while upon this machine, for I worked it effectually, by little
and little, into the form of a shovel or spade, the handle exactly
shaped like ours in England, only that the broad part having no iron
shod upon it at bottom, it would not last me so long. However, it
served well enough for the uses which I had occasion to put it to; but
never was a shovel, I believe, made after that fashion, or so long
a-making.
I was still deficient, for I wanted a basket or a wheelbarrow. A
basket I could not make by any means, having no such things at twigs
that would bend to make wicker-ware, at least none yet found out. And
as to a wheelbarrow, I fancied I could make all but the wheel, but that
I had no notion of, neither did I know how to go about it; besides, I
had no possible way to make the iron gudgeons for the spindle or axis
of the wheel to run in, so I gave it over; and so for carrying away the
earth which I dug out of the cave, I made me a thing like a hod which
the laborers carry mortar in, when they serve the bricklayers.
This was not so difficult to me as the making the shovel; and yet
this, and the shovel, and the attempt which I made in vain to make
a wheelbarrow, took me up no less than four days; I mean always,
excepting my morning walk with my gun, which I seldom failed, and very
seldom failed also bringing home something fit to eat.
_Nov. 23._--My other work having now stood still because of my making
these tools, when they were finished I went on, and working every
day, as my strength and time allowed, I spent eighteen days entirely
in widening and deepening my cave, that it might hold my goods
commodiously.
_Note._--During all this time I worked to make this room or cave
spacious enough to accommodate me as a warehouse or magazine, a
kitchen, a dining-room, and a cellar; as for my lodging, I kept to the
tent, except that sometimes in the wet season of the year it rained
so hard, that I could not keep myself dry, which caused me afterwards
to cover all my place within my pale with long poles, in the form of
rafters, leaning against the rock, and load them with flags and large
leaves of trees, like a thatch.
_Dec. 10._--I began now to think my cave or vault finished, when on a
sudden (it seems I had made it too large) a great quantity of earth
fell down from the top and one side, so much, that, in short, it
frightened me, and not without reason too; for if I had been under it,
I had never wanted a grave-digger. Upon this disaster I had a great
deal of work to do over again; for I had the loose earth to carry out;
and, which was of more importance, I had the ceiling to prop up, so
that I might be sure no more would come down.
_Dec. 11._--This day I went to work with it accordingly, and got two
shores or posts pitched upright to the top, with two pieces of boards
across over each post. This I finished the next day; and setting more
posts up with boards, in about a week more I had the roof secure; and
the posts standing in rows, served me for partitions to part of my
house.
_Dec. 17._--From this day to the twentieth I placed shelves, and
knocked up nails on the posts to hang everything up that could be hung
up; and now I began to be in some order within doors.
_Dec. 20._--Now I carried everything into the cave, and began to
furnish my house, and set up some pieces of boards, like a dresser, to
order my victuals upon; but boards began to be very scarce with me;
also I made me another table.
_Dec. 24._--Much rain all night and all day; no stirring out.
_Dec. 25._--Rain all day.
_Dec. 26._--No rain, and the earth much cooler than before, and
pleasanter.
_Dec. 27._--Killed a young goat, and lamed another, so that I caught
it, and led it home on a string. When I had it home, I bound and
splintered up its leg, which was broke. _N.B._--I took such care of it,
that it lived; and the leg grew well and as strong as ever; but by my
nursing it so long it grew tame, and fed upon the little green at my
door, and would not go away. This was the first time that I entertained
a thought of breeding up some tame creatures, that I might have food
when my powder and shot was all spent.
_Dec. 28, 29, 30._--Great heats and no breeze, so that there was no
stirring abroad, except in the evening, for food. This time I spent in
putting all my things in order within doors.
_Jan. 1._--Very hot still, but I went abroad early and late with my
gun, and lay still in the middle of the day. This evening, going
farther into the valleys which lay towards the centre of the island, I
found there was plenty of goats, though exceeding shy, and hard to come
at. However I resolved to try if I could not bring my dog to hunt them
down.
_Jan. 2._--Accordingly, the next day, I went out with my dog, and set
him upon the goats; but I was mistaken, for they all faced about upon
the dog; and he knew his danger too well, for he would not come near
them.
_Jan. 8._--I began my fence or wall; which, being still jealous of my
being attacked by somebody, I resolved to make very thick and strong.
_N.B._--This wall being described before, I purposely omit what
was said in the journal. It is sufficient to observe that I was no
less time than from the 3rd of January to the 14th of April working,
finishing, and perfecting this wall, though it was no more than about
twenty-four yards in length, being a half circle from one place in the
rock to another place about eight yards from it, the door of the cave
being in the centre behind it.
* * * * *
All this time I worked very hard, the rains hindering me many days,
nay, sometimes weeks together; but I thought I should never be
perfectly secure till this wall was finished. And it is scarce credible
what inexpressible labor everything was done with, especially the
bringing piles out of the woods, and driving them into the ground; for
I made them much bigger than I need to have done.
When this wall was finished, and the outside double-fenced with a
turf-wall raised up close to it, I persuaded myself that if any people
were to come on shore there, they would not perceive anything like a
habitation; and it was very well I did so, as may be observed hereafter
upon a very remarkable occasion.
During this time, I made my rounds in the woods for game every day,
when the rain admitted me, and made frequent discoveries in these walks
of something or other to my advantage; particularly I found a kind of
wild pigeons, who built, not as wood pigeons, in a tree, but rather as
house pigeons, in the holes of the rocks. And taking some young ones, I
endeavored to breed them up tame, and did so; but when they grew older
they flew all away, which, perhaps, was at first for want of feeding
them, for I had nothing to give them. However, I frequently found their
nests, and got their young ones, which were very good meat.
And now in the managing my household affairs I found myself wanting in
many things, which I thought at first it was impossible for me to make,
as indeed, as to some of them, it was. For instance, I could never make
a cask to be hooped; I had a small runlet or two, as I observed before,
but I could never arrive to the capacity of making one by them, though
I spent many weeks about it. I could neither put in the heads, or joint
the staves so true to one another, as to make them hold water; so I
gave that also over.
In the next place, I was at a great loss for candles; so that as soon
as ever it was dark, which was generally by seven o’clock, I was
obliged to go to bed. I remembered the lump of beeswax with which I
made candles in my African adventure, but I had none of that now.
The only remedy I had was, that when I had killed a goat I saved the
tallow, and with a little dish made of clay, which I baked in the sun,
to which I added a wick of some oakum, I made me a lamp; and this gave
me light, though not a clear steady light like a candle.
In the middle of all my labors it happened, that rummaging my things,
I found a little bag, which, as I hinted before, had been filled with
corn for the feeding of poultry, not for this voyage, but before, as I
suppose, when the ship came from Lisbon. What little remainder of corn
had been in the bag was all devoured with the rats, and I saw nothing
in the bag but husks and dust; and being willing to have the bag for
some other use, I think it was to put powder in, when I divided it for
fear of the lightning, or some such use, I shook the husks of corn out
of it on one side of my fortification, under the rock. It was a little
before the great rains, just now mentioned, that I threw this stuff
away, taking no notice of anything, and not so much as remembering
that I had thrown anything there; when, about a month after, or
thereabout, I saw some few stalks of something green shooting out of
the ground, which I fancied might be some plant I had not seen; but I
was surprised, and perfectly astonished, when, after a little longer
time, I saw about ten or twelve ears come out, which were perfect green
barley of the same kind as our European, nay, as our English barley.
It is impossible to express the astonishment and confusion of my
thoughts on this occasion. I had hitherto acted upon no religious
foundation at all; indeed, I had very few notions of religion in my
head, or had entertained any sense of anything that had befallen me
otherwise than as a chance, or, as we lightly say, what pleases God;
without so much as inquiring into the end of Providence in these
things, or His order in governing events in the world. But after I
saw barley grow there, in a climate which I know was not proper for
corn, and especially that I knew not how it came there, it startled
me strangely, and I began to suggest that God had miraculously caused
this grain to grow without any help of seed sown, and that it was so
directed purely for my sustenance on that wild miserable place.
This touched my heart a little, and brought tears out of my eyes; and
I began to bless myself, that such a prodigy of Nature should happen
upon my account; and this was the more strange to me, because I saw
near it still, all along by the side of the rock, some other straggling
stalks, which proved to be stalks of rice, and which I knew, because I
had seen it grow in Africa, when I was ashore there.
I not only thought these the pure productions of Providence for my
support, but, not doubting but that there was more in the place, I
went all over that part of the island where I had been before, peering
in every corner, and under every rock, to see for more of it; but I
could not find any. At last it occurred to my thoughts that I had
shook a bag of chickens’ meat out in that place, and then the wonder
began to cease; and I must confess, my religious thankfulness to God’s
providence began to abate too, upon the discovering that all this was
nothing but what was common; though I ought to have been as thankful
for so strange and unforeseen Providence, as if it had been miraculous;
for it was really the work of Providence as to me, that should order or
appoint, that ten or twelve grains of corn should remain unsoiled (when
the rats had destroyed all the rest), as if it had been dropped from
heaven; as also that I should throw it out in that particular place,
where, it being in the shade of a high rock, it sprang out immediately;
whereas, if I had thrown it anywhere else at that time, it had been
burnt up and destroyed.
I carefully saved the ears of this corn, you may be sure, in their
season, which was about the end of June; and laying up every corn, I
resolved to sow them all again, hoping in time to have some quantity
sufficient to supply me with bread. But it was not till the fourth year
that I could allow myself the least grain of this corn to eat, and even
then but sparingly, as I shall say afterwards in its order; for I lost
all that I sowed the first season, by not observing the proper time;
for I sowed it just before the dry season, so that it never came up at
all, at least not as it would have done; of which in its place.
Besides this barley, there was, as above, twenty or thirty stalks of
rice, which I preserved with the same care, and whose use was of the
same kind, or to the same purpose, viz., to make me bread, or rather
food; for I found ways to cook it up without baking, though I did that
also after some time. But to return to my journal.
I worked excessive hard these three or four months to get my wall done;
and on the 14th of April I closed it up, contriving to go into it, not
by a door, but over the wall by a ladder, that there might be no sign
in the outside of my habitation.
_April 16._--I finished the ladder, so I went up with the ladder to the
top, and then pulled it up after me, and let it down on the inside.
This was a complete enclosure to me; for within I had room enough, and
nothing could come at me from without, unless it could first mount my
wall.
The very next day after this wall was finished, I had almost had all
my labor overthrown at once, and myself killed. The case was thus: As
I was busy in the inside of it, behind my tent, just in the entrance
into my cave, I was terribly frightened with a most dreadful surprising
thing indeed; for all on a sudden I found the earth come crumbling
down from the roof of my cave, and from the edge of the hill over
my head, and two of the posts I had set up in the cave cracked in a
frightful manner. I was heartily scared, but thought nothing of what
was really the cause, only thinking that the top of my cave was falling
in, as some of it had done before; and for fear I should be buried in
it, I ran forward to my ladder; and not thinking myself safe there
neither, I got over my wall for fear of the pieces of the hill which I
expected might roll down upon me. I was no sooner stepped down upon the
firm ground, but I plainly saw it was a terrible earthquake; for the
ground I stood on shook three times at about eight minutes’ distance,
with three such shocks, as would have overturned the strongest building
that could be supposed to have stood on the earth; and a great piece of
the top of a rock, which stood about half a mile from me next the sea,
fell down with such a terrible noise, as I never heard in all my life.
I perceived also the very sea was put into violent motion by it; and I
believe the shocks were stronger under the water than on the island.
I was so amazed with the thing itself, having never felt the like,
or discoursed with any one that had, that I was like one dead or
stupefied; and the motion of the earth made my stomach sick, like one
that was tossed at sea. But the noise of the falling of the rock awaked
me, as it were, and rousing me from the stupefied condition I was in,
filled me with horror, and I thought of nothing then but the hill
falling upon my tent and all my household goods, and burying all at
once; and this sunk my very soul within me a second time.
After the third shock was over, and I felt no more for some time, I
began to take courage; and yet I had not heart enough to go over my
wall again, for fear of being buried alive, but sat still upon the
ground, greatly cast down and disconsolate, not knowing what to do. All
this while I had not the least serious religious thought, nothing but
the common, “Lord, have mercy upon me!” and when it was over, that went
away too.
While I sat thus, I found the air overcast, and grow cloudy, as if it
would rain. Soon after that the wind rose by little and little, so that
in less than half an hour it blew a most dreadful hurricane. The sea
was all on a sudden covered over with foam and froth; the shore was
covered with the breach of the water; the trees were torn up by the
roots; and a terrible storm it was; and this held about three hours,
and then began to abate; and in two hours more it was stark calm, and
began to rain very hard.
All this while I sat upon the ground, very much terrified and dejected;
when on a sudden it came into my thoughts, that these winds and rain
being the consequences of the earthquake, the earthquake itself was
spent and over, and I might venture into my cave again. With this
thought my spirits began to revive; and the rain also helping to
persuade me, I went in and sat down in my tent. But the rain was so
violent, that my tent was ready to be beaten down with it, and I was
forced to go into my cave, though very much afraid and uneasy, for
fear it should fall on my head.
This violent rain forced me to a new work, viz., to cut a hole through
my new fortification, like a sink to let the water go out, which would
else have drowned my cave. After I had been in my cave some time, and
found still no more shocks of the earthquake follow, I began to be more
composed. And now to support my spirits, which indeed wanted it very
much, I went to my little store, and took a small sup of rum, which,
however, I did then, and always very sparingly, knowing I could have no
more when that was gone.
It continued raining all that night and great part of the next day,
so that I could not stir abroad; but my mind being more composed, I
began to think of what I had best do, concluding that if the island
was subject to these earthquakes, there would be no living for me in
a cave, but I must consider of building me some little hut in an open
place, which I might surround with a wall, as I had done here, and so
make myself secure from wild beasts or men; but concluded, if I stayed
where I was, I should certainly, one time or other, be buried alive.
With these thoughts I resolved to remove my tent from the place where
it stood, which was just under the hanging precipice of the hill, and
which, if it should be shaken again, would certainly fall upon my tent;
and I spent the two next days, being the 19th and 20th of April, in
contriving where and how to remove my habitation.
[Illustration: “_All this while I sat upon the ground, very much
terrified and dejected_”]
The fear of being swallowed up alive made me that I never slept
in quiet; and yet the apprehension of lying abroad without any fence
was almost equal to it. But still, when I looked about and saw how
everything was put in order, how pleasantly concealed I was, and how
safe from danger, it made me very loth to remove.
In the meantime it occurred to me that it would require a vast deal of
time for me to do this, and that I must be contented to run the venture
where I was, till I had formed a camp for myself, and had secured it
so as to remove to it. So with this resolution I composed myself for a
time, and resolved that I would go to work with all speed to build me a
wall with piles and cable, etc., in a circle as before, and set my tent
up in it when it was finished, but that I would venture to stay where I
was till it was finished, and fit to remove to. This was the 21st.
_April 22._--The next morning I began to consider of means to put
this resolve in execution; but I was at a great loss about my tools.
I had three large axes, and abundance of hatchets (for we carried the
hatchets for traffic with the Indians), but with much chopping and
cutting knotty hard wood, they were all full of notches and dull; and
though I had a grindstone, I could not turn it and grind my tools too.
This cost me as much thought as a statesman would have bestowed upon a
grand point of politics, or a judge upon the life and death of a man.
At length I contrived a wheel with a string, to turn it with my foot,
that I might have both my hands at liberty. Note, I had never seen any
such thing in England, or at least not to take notice how it was done,
though since I have observed it is very common there; besides that, my
grindstone was very large and heavy. This machine cost me a full week’s
work to bring it to perfection.
_April 28, 29._--These two whole days I took up in grinding my tools,
my machine for turning my grindstone performing very well.
_April 30._--Having perceived my bread had been low a great while, now
I took a survey of it, and reduced myself to one biscuit-cake a day,
which made my heart very heavy.