_Robinson Discovers a Cave, which Serves Him as a Retreat Against the
Savages_
In this disposition I continued for near a year after this; and so far
was I from desiring an occasion for falling upon these wretches, that
in all that time I never once went up the hill to see whether there
were any of them in sight, or to know whether any of them had been on
shore there or not, that I might not be tempted to renew any of my
contrivances against them, or be provoked, by any advantage which might
present itself, to fall upon them. Only this I did, I went and removed
my boat, which I had on the other side the island, and carried it down
to the east end of the whole island, where I ran it into a little cove,
which I found under some high rocks, and where I knew, by reason of the
currents, the savages durst not, at least would not come, with their
boats, upon any account whatsoever.
With my boat I carried away everything that I had left there belonging
to her, though not necessary for the bare going thither, viz., a mast
and sail which I had made for her, and a thing like an anchor, but
indeed which could not be called either anchor or grappling; however,
it was the best I could make of its kind. All these I removed,
that there might not be the least shadow of any discovery, or any
appearance of any boat, or of any human habitation, upon the island.
Besides this, I kept myself, as I said, more retired than ever, and
seldom went from my cell, other than upon my constant employment, viz.,
to milk my she-goats, and manage my little flock in the wood, which, as
it was quite on the other part of the island, was quite out of danger;
for certain it is, that these savage people, who sometimes haunted
this island, never came with any thoughts of finding anything here,
and consequently never wandered off from the coast; and I doubt not
but they might have been several times on shore after my apprehensions
of them had made me cautious, as well as before; and indeed, I looked
back with some horror upon the thoughts of what my condition would have
been if I had chopped upon them and been discovered before that, when,
naked and unarmed, except with one gun, and that loaded often only with
small shot, I walked everywhere, peeping and peeping about the island
to see what I could get. What a surprise should I have been in if,
when I discovered the print of a man’s foot, I had, instead of that,
seen fifteen or twenty savages, and found them pursuing me, and by the
swiftness of their running, no possibility of my escaping them!
The thoughts of this sometimes sunk my very soul within me, and
distressed my mind so much, that I could not soon recover it, to think
what I should have done, and how I not only should not have been
able to resist them, but even should not have had presence of mind
enough to do what I might have done, much less what now, after so much
consideration and preparation, I might be able to do. Indeed, after
serious thinking of these things, I should be very melancholy, and
sometimes it would last a great while; but I resolved it, at last, all
into thankfulness to that Providence which had delivered me from so
many unseen dangers, and had kept me from those mischiefs which I could
no way have been the agent in delivering myself from, because I had not
the least notion of any such thing depending, or the least supposition
of it being possible.
This renewed a contemplation which often had come to my thoughts in
former time, when first I began to see the merciful dispositions of
Heaven, in the dangers we run through in this life. How wonderfully
we are delivered when we know nothing of it. How, when we are in a
quandary, as we call it, a doubt or hesitation, whether to go this way,
or that way, a secret hint shall direct us this way, when we intended
to go that way; nay, when sense, our own inclination, and perhaps
business, has called to go the other way, yet a strange impression upon
the mind, from we know not what springs, and by we know not what power,
shall overrule us to go this way; and it shall afterwards appear,
that had we gone that way which we should have gone, and even to our
imagination ought to have gone, we should have been ruined and lost.
Upon these and many like reflections I afterwards made it a certain
rule with me, that whenever I found those secret hints or pressings
of my mind to doing, or not doing, anything that presented, or to
going this way or that way, I never failed to obey the secret dictate,
though I knew no other reason for it than that such a pressure, or
such a hint, hung upon my mind. I could give many examples of the
success of this conduct in the course of my life, but more especially
in the latter part of my inhabiting this unhappy island; besides many
occasions which it is very likely I might have taken notice of, if I
had seen with the same eyes then that I saw with now. But ’tis never
too late to be wise; and I cannot but advise all considering men, whose
lives are attended with such extraordinary incidents as mine, or even
though not so extraordinary, not to slight such secret intimations
of Providence, let them come from what invisible intelligence they
will. That I shall not discuss, and perhaps cannot account for; but
certainly they are a proof of the converse of spirits, and the secret
communication between those embodied and those unembodied, and such
a proof as can never be withstood, of which I shall have occasion to
give some very remarkable instances in the remainder of my solitary
residence in this dismal place.
I believe the reader of this will not think strange if I confess
that these anxieties, these constant dangers I lived in, and the
concern that was now upon me, put an end to all invention, and to all
the contrivances that I had laid for my future accommodations and
conveniences. I had the care of my safety more now upon my hands than
that of my food. I cared not to drive a nail, or chop a stick of wood
now, for fear the noise I should make should be heard; much less would
I fire a gun, for the same reason; and, above all, I was intolerably
uneasy at making any fire, lest the smoke, which is visible at a great
distance in the day, should betray me; and for this reason I removed
that part of my business which required fire, such as burning of pots
and pipes, etc., into my new apartment in the woods; where, after I had
been some time, I found, to my unspeakable consolation, a mere natural
cave in the earth, which went in a vast way, and where, I dare say, no
savage, had he been at the mouth of it, would be so hardy as to venture
in; nor, indeed, would any man else, but one who, like me, wanted
nothing so much as a safe retreat.
The mouth of this hollow was at the bottom of a great rock, where, by
mere accident I would say (if I did not see abundant reason to ascribe
all such things now to Providence), I was cutting down some thick
branches of trees to make charcoal; and before I go on, I must observe
the reason of my making this charcoal, which was thus.
I was afraid of making a smoke about my habitation, as I said before;
and yet I could not live there without baking my bread, cooking my
meat, etc. So I contrived to burn some wood here, as I had seen done in
England under turf, till it became chark, or dry coal; and then putting
the fire out, I preserved the coal to carry home, and perform the other
services which fire was wanting for at home, without danger of smoke.
But this is by the bye. While I was cutting down some wood here,
I perceived that behind a very thick branch of low brushwood, or
underwood, there was a kind of hollow place. I was curious to look into
it; and getting with difficulty into the mouth of it, I found it was
pretty large; that is to say, sufficient for me to stand upright in
it, and perhaps another with me. But I must confess to you I made more
haste out than I did in when, looking farther into the place, and which
was perfectly dark, I saw two broad shining eyes of some creature,
whether devil or man I knew not, which twinkled like two stars, the
dim light from the cave’s mouth shining directly in, and making the
reflection.
However, after some pause I recovered myself, and began to call myself
a thousand fools, and tell myself that he that was afraid to see the
devil was not fit to live twenty years on an island all alone, and
that I durst to believe there was nothing in this cave that was more
frightful than myself. Upon this, plucking up my courage, I took up
a great firebrand, and in I rushed again, with the stick flaming in
my hand. I had not gone three steps in, but I was almost as much
frightened as I was before; for I heard a very loud sigh, like that
of a man in some pain, and it was followed by a broken noise, as if
of words half expressed, and then a deep sigh again. I stepped back,
and was indeed struck with such a surprise, that it put me into a
cold sweat; and if I had had a hat on my head, I will not answer for
it, that my hair might not have lifted it off. But still plucking up
my spirits as well as I could, and encouraging myself a little with
considering that the power and presence of God was everywhere, and was
able to protect me, upon this I stepped forward again, and by the light
of the firebrand, holding it up a little over my head, I saw lying on
the ground a most monstrous, frightful, old he-goat, just making his
will, as we say, and gasping for life; and dying, indeed, of mere old
age.
I stirred him a little to see if I could get him out, and he essayed to
get up, but was not able to raise himself; and I thought with myself
he might even lie there; for if he had frightened me so, he would
certainly frighten any of the savages, if any of them should be so
hardy as to come in there while he had any life in him.
I was now recovered from my surprise, and began to look around me, when
I found the cave was but very small; that is to say, it might be about
twelve feet over, but in no manner of shape, either round or square, no
hands having ever been employed in making it but those of mere Nature.
I observed also that there was a place at the farther side of it that
went in farther, but was so low, that it required me to creep upon my
hands and knees to go into it, and whither I went I knew not; so having
no candle, I gave it over for some time, but resolved to come again the
next day, provided with candles and a tinderbox, which I had made of
the lock of one of the muskets, with some wild-fire in the pan.
Accordingly, the next day I came provided with six large candles of
my own making, for I made very good candles now of goat’s tallow; and
going into this low place, I was obliged to creep upon all fours, as
I have said, almost ten yards; which, by the way, I thought was a
venture bold enough, considering that I knew not how far it might go,
nor what was beyond it. When I was got through the strait, I found the
roof rose higher up, I believe near twenty feet. But never was such
a glorious sight seen in the island, I dare say, as it was, to look
round the sides and roof of this vault or cave; the walls reflected a
hundred thousand lights to me from my two candles. What it was in the
rock, whether diamonds, or any other precious stones, or gold, which I
rather supposed it to be, I knew not.
The place I was in was a most delightful cavity or grotto of its kind,
as could be expected, though perfectly dark. The floor was dry and
level, and had a sort of small loose gravel upon it, so that there was
no nauseous or venomous creature to be seen; neither was there any
damp or wet on the sides or roof. The only difficulty in it was the
entrance, which, however, as it was a place of security, and such a
retreat as I wanted, I thought that was a convenience; so that I was
really rejoiced at the discovery, and resolved, without any delay,
to bring some of those things which I was most anxious about to this
place; particularly, I resolved to bring hither my magazine of powder,
and all my spare arms, viz., two fowling-pieces, for I had three in
all, and three muskets, for of them I had eight in all. So I kept at my
castle only five, which stood ready-mounted, like pieces of cannon, on
my outmost fence; and were ready also to take out upon any expedition.
Upon this occasion of removing my ammunition, I took occasion to open
the barrel of powder, which I took up out of the sea, and which had
been wet; and I found that the water had penetrated about three or four
inches into the powder on every side, which caking, and growing hard,
had preserved the inside like a kernel in a shell; so that I had near
sixty pounds of very good powder in the centre of the cask. And this
was an agreeable discovery to me at that time; so I carried all away
thither, never keeping above two or three pounds of powder with me in
my castle, for fear of a surprise of any kind. I also carried thither
all the lead I had left for bullets.
I fancied myself now like one of the ancient giants, which were said to
live in caves and holes in the rocks, where none could come at them;
for I persuaded myself, while I was here, if five hundred savages were
to hunt me, they could never find me out; or, if they did, they would
not venture to attack me here.
The old goat, whom I found expiring, died in the mouth of the cave the
next day after I made this discovery; and I found it much easier to dig
a great hole there, and throw him in and cover him with earth, than to
drag him out; so I interred him there, to prevent offense to my nose.
I was now in my twenty-third year of residence in this island; and was
so naturalized to the place, and to the manner of living, that could
I have but enjoyed the certainty that no savages would come to the
place to disturb me, I could have been content to have capitulated
for spending the rest of my time there, even to the last moment, till
I laid me down and died, like the old goat in the cave. I had also
arrived to some little diversions and amusements, which made the time
pass more pleasantly with me a great deal than it did before. As,
first, I had taught my Poll, as I noted before, to speak; and he did
it so familiarly, and talked so articulately and plain, that it was
very pleasant to me; and he lived with me no less than six and twenty
years. How long he might live afterwards I know not, though I know they
have a notion in the Brazils that they live a hundred years. Perhaps
poor Poll may be alive there still, calling after poor Robin Crusoe to
this day. I wish no Englishman the ill luck to come there and hear
him; but if he did, he would certainly believe it was the devil. My dog
was a very pleasant and loving companion to me for no less than sixteen
years of my time, and then died of mere old age. As for my cats, they
multiplied, as I have observed, to that degree, that I was obliged to
shoot several of them at first to keep them from devouring me and all I
had; but at length, when the two old ones I brought with me were gone,
and after some time continually driving them from me, and letting them
have no provision with me, they all ran wild into the woods, except two
or three favorites, which I kept tame, and whose young, when they had
any, I always drowned; and these were part of my family. Besides these,
I always kept two or three household kids about me, which I taught to
feed out of my hand. And I had two more parrots, which talked pretty
well, and would all call “Robin Crusoe,” but none like my first; nor,
indeed, did I take the pains with any of them that I had done with him.
I had also several tame sea-fowls, whose names I know not, which I
caught upon the shore, and cut their wings; and the little stakes which
I had planted before my castle wall being now grown up to a good thick
groove, these fowls all lived among these low trees, and bred there,
which was very agreeable to me; so that, as I said above, I began to
be very well contented with the life I led, if it might but have been
secured from the dread of the savages.
But it was otherwise directed; and it may not be amiss for all people
who shall meet with my story, to make this just observation from it,
viz., how frequently, in the course of our lives, the evil which in
itself we seek most to shun, and which, when we are fallen into it, is
the most dreadful to us, is oftentimes the very means or door of our
deliverance, by which alone we can be raised again from the affliction
we are fallen into. I could give many examples of this in the course
of my unaccountable life; but in nothing was it more particularly
remarkable, than in the circumstances of my last years of solitary
residence in this island.