_Robinson Makes a Tour to Explore His Island--Employed in Basket Making_
I found now that the seasons of the year might generally be divided,
not into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into the rainy seasons
and the dry seasons. The rainy season sometimes held longer or shorter
as the winds happened to blow, but this was the general observation
I made. After I had found by experience the ill consequence of being
abroad in the rain, I took care to furnish myself with provisions
beforehand, that I might not be obliged to go out; and I sat within
doors as much as possible during the wet months.
In this time I found much employment, and very suitable also to the
time, for I found great occasion of many things which I had no way
to furnish myself with but by hard labor and constant application;
particularly, I tried many ways to make myself a basket; but all the
twigs I could get for the purpose proved so brittle, that they would
do nothing. It proved of excellent advantage to me now, that when I
was a boy I used to take great delight in standing at a basket-maker’s
in the town where my father lived, to see them make their wicker-ware;
and being, as boys usually are, very officious to help, and a great
observer of the manner how they worked those things, and sometimes
lending a hand, I had by this means full knowledge of the methods of
it, that I wanted nothing but the materials; when it came into my mind
that the twigs of that tree from whence I cut my stakes that grew
might possibly be as tough as the sallows, and willows, and osiers in
England, and I resolved to try.
Accordingly, the next day, I went to my country house, as I called it;
and cutting some of the smaller twigs, I found them to my purpose as
much as I could desire; whereupon I came the next time prepared with
a hatchet to cut down a quantity, which I soon found, for there was
plenty of them. These I set up to dry within my circle or hedge, and
when they were fit for use, I carried them to my cave; and here during
the next season I employed myself in making, as well as I could, a
great many baskets, both to carry earth, or to lay up anything as I had
occasion. And though I did not finish them very handsomely, yet I made
them sufficiently serviceable for my purpose. And thus, afterwards, I
took care never to be without them; and as my wicker-ware decayed, I
made more, especially I made strong deep baskets to place my corn in,
instead of sacks, when I should come to have any quantity of it.
Having mastered this difficulty, and employed a world of time about it,
I bestirred myself to see, if possible, how to supply two wants. I had
no vessels to hold anything that was liquid, except two runlets, which
were almost full of rum, and some glass bottles, some of the common
size, and others which were case-bottles square, for the holding of
waters, spirits, etc. I had not so much as a pot to boil anything,
except a great kettle, which I saved out of the ship, and which was
too big for such use as I desired it, viz., to make broth, and stew
a bit of meat by itself. The second thing I would fain have had was
a tobacco-pipe; but it was impossible for me to make one. However, I
found a contrivance for that, too, at last.
I employed myself in planting my second rows of stakes or piles and in
this wicker-working all the summer or dry season, when another business
took me up more time than it could be imagined I could spare.
I mentioned before that I had a great mind to see the whole island, and
that I had travelled up the brook, and so on to where I built my bower,
and where I had an opening quite to the sea, on the other side of the
island. I now resolved to travel quite across to the seashore on that
side; so taking my gun, a hatchet, and my dog, and a larger quantity of
powder and shot than usual, with two biscuit-cakes and a great bunch of
raisins in my pouch for my store, I began my journey. When I had passed
the vale where my bower stood, as above, I came within view of the sea
to the west; and it being a very clear day, I fairly descried land,
whether an island or a continent I could not tell; but it lay very
high, extending from the west to the W.S.W. at a very great distance;
by my guess, it could not be less than fifteen or twenty leagues off.
I could not tell what part of the world this might be, otherwise than
that I knew it must be part of America, and, as I concluded, by all
my observations, must be near the Spanish dominions, and perhaps was
all inhabited by savages, where, if I should have landed, I had been
in a worse condition than I was now; and therefore I acquiesced in the
dispositions of Providence, which I began now to own and to believe
ordered everything for the best. I say, I quieted my mind with this,
and left afflicting myself with fruitless wishes of being there.
Besides, after some pause upon this affair, I considered that if this
land was the Spanish coast, I should certainly, one time or other, see
some vessel pass or repass one way or other; but if not, then it was
the savage coast between the Spanish country and Brazils, which are
indeed the worst of savages; for they are cannibals or men-eaters, and
fail not to murder and devour all the human bodies that fall into their
hands.
With these considerations I walked very leisurely forward. I found that
side of the island, where I now was, much pleasanter than mine, the
open or savanna fields sweet, adorned with flowers and full of very
fine woods.
I saw abundance of parrots, and fain I would have caught one, if
possible, to have kept it to be tame, and taught it to speak to me. I
did, after some painstaking, catch a young parrot, for I knocked it
down with a stick, and having recovered it, I brought it home; but
it was some years before I could make him speak. However, at last I
taught him to call me by my name very familiarly. But the accident that
followed, though it be a trifle, will be very diverting in its place.
I was exceedingly diverted with this journey. I found in the low
grounds hares, as I thought them to be, and foxes; but they differed
greatly from all the other kinds I had met with, nor could I satisfy
myself to eat them, though I killed several. But I had no need to be
venturous, for I had no want of food, and of that which was very good
too; especially these three sorts, viz., goats, pigeons, and turtle,
or tortoise; which, added to my grapes, Leadenhall Market could not
have furnished a table better than I, in proportion to the company.
And though my case was deplorable enough, yet I had great cause for
thankfulness, and that I was not driven to any extremities for food,
but rather plenty, even to dainties.
I never travelled in this journey above two miles outright in a day,
or thereabouts; but I took so many turns and returns, to see what
discoveries I could make, that I came weary enough to the place where
I resolved to sit down for all night; and then I either reposed myself
in a tree, or surrounded myself with a row of stakes, set upright in
the ground, either from one tree to another, or so as no wild creature
could come at me without waking me.
As soon as I came to the seashore, I was surprised to see that I had
taken up my lot on the worst side of the island, for here indeed the
shore was covered with innumerable turtles; whereas, on the other side,
I had found but three in a year and a half. Here was also an infinite
number of fowls of many kinds, some which I had seen, and some which
I had not seen before, and many of them very good meat, but such as I
knew not the names of except those called penguins.
I could have shot as many as I pleased, but was very sparing of my
powder and shot, and therefore had more mind to kill a she-goat, if
I could, which I could better feed on; and though there were many
goats here, more than on my side the island, yet it was with much more
difficulty that I could come near them, the country being flat and
even, and they saw me much sooner than when I was on the hill.
I confess this side of the country was much pleasanter than mine; but
yet I had not the least inclination to remove, for as I was fixed in
my habitation, it became natural to me, and I seemed all the while I
was here to be as it were upon a journey, and from home. However, I
travelled along the shore of the sea towards the east, I suppose about
twelve miles, and then setting up a great pole upon the shore for a
mark, I concluded I would go home again; and that the next journey I
took should be on the other side of the island, east from my dwelling,
and so round till I came to my post again; of which in its place.
I took another way to come back than that I went, thinking I could
easily keep all the island so much in my view, that I could not miss
finding my first dwelling by viewing the country. But I found myself
mistaken; for being come about two or three miles, I found myself
descended into a very large valley, but so surrounded with hills, and
those hills covered with wood, that I could not see which was my way by
any direction but that of the sun, nor even then, unless I knew very
well the position of the sun at that time of the day.
It happened to my farther misfortune, that the weather proved hazy
for three or four days while I was in this valley; and not being able
to see the sun, I wandered about very uncomfortably, and at last was
obliged to find out the seaside, look for my post, and come back the
same way I went; and then by easy journeys I turned homeward, the
weather being exceeding hot, and my gun, ammunition, hatchet, and other
things very heavy.