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16 - Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe · Adventure Books Collection

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Chapter sixteen, Rescue of Prisoners from Cannibals upon the whole. I was by
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this time so fixed upon my design of going over with him to the continent
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that I told him we would go and make one as big as that,
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and he should go home in it. He answered not one word, but
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looked very grave and sad. I asked him, what was the matter with
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him? He asked me again, why you angry? Mad with Friday?
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What me done? I asked him what he meant? I told him I
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was not angry with him at all. No angry, says he, repeating
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the words several times. Why send Friday home away to my nation? Why,
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says I? Friday? Did not you say you wished you were there?
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Yes, yes, says he wished. We both bore know. Is
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Friday there? No master there? In a word, he would not think
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of going there without me. I go there, Friday, says I.
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What shall I do there? He turned very quick upon me at this.
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You do great deal, much good, says he. You teach wild man's
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be good, sober tame man's. You tell them know God, pray God,
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and live new life. Alas Friday says, I thou knowest not what
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thou sayest I am but an ignorant man myself. Yes, yes, says
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he. You teach me good, you teach them good. No, no,
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Friday, says I. You shall go without me, leave me here
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to live by myself, as I did before. He looked confused again at
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that word, and running to one of the hatchets which he used to wear.
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He takes it up hastily and gives it to me. What must I
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do with this? Says I? To him, You take kill Friday,
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says he? What must kill you for? Says I? Again? He
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returns very quick, What you send Friday away for? Take kill Friday?
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No, send Friday away? This he spoke so earnestly that I saw tears
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stand in his eyes. In a word, I so plainly discovered the utmost
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affection in him to me, and a firm resolution in him that I told
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him then and often after that I would never send him away if he was
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willing to stay with me. Upon the whole as I found by all his
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discourse a settled affection to me, and that nothing could part him from me.
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So I found all the foundation of his desire to go to his own
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country was laid in his ardent affection to the people and his hopes of doing
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them good, a thing which, as I had no notion of myself,
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so I had not the least thought or intention or desire of undertaking it.
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But still I found a strong inclination to attempting my escape, founded on the
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supposition gathered from the discourse that there were seventeen bearded men there. And therefore,
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without any more delay, I went to work with Friday to find out
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a great proper tree to fell and make a large piagua or canoe to undertake
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the voyage. There were trees enough in the island to have built a little
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fleet, not of pyroguas or canoes, but even of good large vessels.
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But the main thing I looked at was this, to get one so near
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the water that we might launch it when it was made. To avoid the
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mistake I committed at first. At last Friday pitched upon a tree. For
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I found he knew much better than I what kind of wood was fittest for
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it. Nor can I tell to this day what wood to call that tree
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we cut down, except that it was very like the tree we called fustic,
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or between that and the nicaragua wood for it was much of the same
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color and smell. Friday wished to burn the hollow or cavity of this tree
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out to make it for a boat, but I showed him how to cut
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it with tools, which after I had showed him how to use, he
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did very handily, and in about a month's hard labor we finished it and
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made it very handsome, especially when with our axes, which I showed him
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how to handle, we cut and hewed the outside into the true shape of
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a boat. After this, however, it cost us near a fortnight's time
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to get her along, as it were, inch by inch upon great rollers,
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into the water. But when she was in she would have carried twenty
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men with great ease. When she was in the water, though she was
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so big, it amazed me to see with what dexterity and how swift my
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man Friday could manage her, turn her and paddle her along. So I
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asked him if he would, and if we might venture over in her.
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Yes, he said, we venture over in her very well, though great
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blow wind. However, I had a further design that he knew nothing of,
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and that was to make a mast and a sail, and to fit
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her with an anchor and cable. As to the mast, that was easy
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enough to get. So I pitched upon a straight young cedar tree, which
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I found near the place, and which there were great plenty of in the
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island, and I set Friday to work to cut it down, and gave
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him directions how to shape and order it. But as to the sail,
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that was my particular care. I knew I had old sails, or rather
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pieces of old saales enough, but as I had had them now six and
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twenty years by me, and had not been very careful to preserve them,
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not imagining that I should ever have this kind of use for them, I
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did not doubt. But they were all rotten, and indeed most of them
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were. So however, I found two pieces which appeared pretty good, and
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with these I went to work, and with a great deal of pains and
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awkward stitching, you may be sure, for want of needles, I at
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length made a three cornered ugly thing, like what we call in England a
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shoulder a mutton sail to go, with a boom at bottom and a short
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little sprit at the top, just as usually our ship's longboats sail with,
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And such as I best knew how to manage, as it was one such
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as I had in the boat in which I made my escape from Barbary.
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As related in the first part of my story, I was near two months
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performing this last work, that is, rigging and fitting my masts and sails.
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For I finished them very complete, making a small stay and a sail
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or forsal to assist it if we should turn to windward. And what was
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more than all, I fixed a rudder to the stern to steer her with.
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I was but a bungling shipwright, Yet as I knew the usefulness and
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even necessity of such a thing, I applied myself with so much pains to
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do it, that at last I brought it to pass, Though considering the
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many dull contrivances I had for that failed, I think it cost me almost
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as much labor as making the boat. After all this was done, I
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had my man Friday, to teach us what belonged to the navigation of my
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boat. Though he knew very well how to paddle a canoe, he knew
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nothing of what belonged to a sail and a rudder, and was the most
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amazed when he saw me work the boat too, and again in the sea
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by the rudder, and how the sail jibed and filled this way or that
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way, as the course we sailed changed. I say, when he saw
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this, he stood like one astonished and amazed. However, with a little
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use I made all these things familiar to him, and he became an expert
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sailor. Except that of the compass I could make him understand very little.
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On the other hand, as there was very little cloudy weather, seldom or
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never any fogs in those parts, there was the less occasion for a compass.
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Seeing. The stars were always to be seen at night, and the
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shore by day, except in the rainy seasons, and then nobody cared to
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stir abroad, either by land or sea. I was now entered on the
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seventh and twentieth year of my captivity in this place, though the three last
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years that I had this creature with me ought rather to be left out of
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the account, my habitation being quite of another kind than in all the rest
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of the time. I kept the anniversary of my landing here with the same
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thankfulness to God for his mercies as at first, And if I had such
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cause of acknowledgment at first, I had much more so now having such additional
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testimonies of the care of Providence over me, and the great hopes I had
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of being effectually and speedily delivered. For I had an invincible impression upon my
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thoughts that my deliverance was at hand, and that I should not be another
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year in this place. I went on, however, with my husbandry,
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digging, planting, and fencing as usual. I gathered and cured my grapes,
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and did every necessary thing as before. The rainy season was in the
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meantime upon me, when I kept more within doors than at other times.
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We had stowed our new vessel as secure as we could, bringing her up
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into the creek, where as I said in the beginning, I landed my
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rafts from the ship, and hauling her up to the shore at high water
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mark, I made my man Friday dig a little dock just big enough to
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hold her and just deep enough to give her water enough to float in.
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And then when the tide was out, we made a stroke dam across it
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at the end to keep the water out, and so she lay dry as
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to the tide from the sea. And to keep the rain off we laid
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a great many boughs of trees, so thick that she was as well thatched
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as a house. And thus we waited for the months of November and December,
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in which I designed to make my adventure. When the settled season began
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to come in, as the thought of my design returned with the fair weather,
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I was preparing daily for the voyage, and the first thing I did
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was to lay by a certain quantity of provisions, being the stores for our
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voyage, and intended in a week or a fortnight's time to open the dock
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and launch out our boat. I was busy one morning upon something of this
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kind when I called to Friday and bid him to go to the seashore and
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see if he could find a turtle or a tortoise, a thing which we
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generally got once a week for the sake of the eggs as well as the
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flesh. Friday had not been long gone when he came running back and flew
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over my outer wall or fence, like one that felt not the ground or
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the steps he set foot on. And before I had time to speak to
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him, he cries out to me, oh master, oh master, oh
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sorrow, oh bad, what's the matter? Friday? Says I? Oh
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yonder there, says he, won two three canoes one two three. By
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this way of speaking I concluded there were six, But on inquiry I found
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there were but three. Well, Friday says I do not be frightened.
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So I heartened him up as well as I could. However, I saw
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the poor fellow was most terribly scared, for nothing ran in his head but
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that they were come back to look for him and would cut him in pieces
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and eat him. And the poor fellow trembled so that I scarcely knew what
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to do with him. I comfort him as well as I could, and
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told him I was in as much danger as he, and that they would
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eat me as well as him. But says I Friday, we must resolve
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to fight them. Can you fight? Friday? Me? Shoot? Says
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he, But there come many, great number, no matter, for that,
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said I again. Our guns will fright them that we do not kill.
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So I asked him whether if I resolved to defend him, he would
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defend me and stand by me and do just as I bid him. He
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said, me die when you bid die. Master. So I went and
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fetched a good dram of rum and gave him. For I had been so
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good a husband of my rum that I had a great deal left when we
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had drunk it. I made him take the two falling pieces which we all
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always carried, and loaded them with large swan shot as big as small pistol
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bullets. Then I took four muskets and loaded them with two slugs and five
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small bullets each, and my two pistols I loaded with a brace of bullets
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each. I hung my great sword, as usual, naked by my side,
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and gave Friday his hatchet. When I had thus prepared myself, I
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took my prospective glass and went up to the side of the hill to see
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what I could discover. And I found quickly by my glass that there were
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one and twenty savages, three prisoners, and three canoes, and that their
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whole business seemed to be the triumphant banquet upon these three human bodies, a
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barbarous feast, indeed, but nothing more than, as I had observed,
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was usual with them. I observed also that they had landed not where they
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had done when Friday made his escape, but nearer to my creek, where
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the shore was low, and where a thick wood came almost close down to
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the sea. This, with the abhorrence of the inhuman errand these wretches came
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about filled me with such indignation that I came down again to Friday and told
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him I was resolved to go down to them and kill them all, and
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asked him if he would stand by me. He had now got over his
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fright, and his spirits, being a little raised with the dram I had
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given him, he was very cheerful and told me as before he would die
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when I bid die. In this fit of fury, I divided the arms
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which I had charged as before between us. I gave Friday one pistol to
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stick in his girdle and three guns upon his shoulder, and I took one
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pistol and the other three guns myself, and in this posture we marched out.
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I took a small bottle of rum in my pocket and gave Friday a
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large bag with more powder and bullets. And as to orders, I charged
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him to keep close behind me, and not to stir or shoot or do
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anything till I bid him, and in the meantime not to speak a word.
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In this posture, I fetched a compass to my right hand of near
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a mile, as well to get over the creek as to get into the
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wood so that I could come within shot of them before I should be discovered,
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which I had seen by my glass. It was easy to do.
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While I was making this march my further thoughts returning, I began to abate
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my resolution. I do not mean that I entertained any fear of their number,
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For as they were naked on armed wretches, it is certain I was
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superior to them, nay, though I had been alone. But it occurred
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to my thoughts, what call, what occasion, much less what necessity I
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was in to go and dip my hands in blood to attack people who had
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neither done or intended me any wrong, who, as to me, were
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innocent, and whose barbarous customs were their own disaster, being in them a
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token indeed of God's having left them, with the other nations of that part
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of the world, to such stupidity and to such inhuman courses. But did
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not call me to take upon me to be a judge of their actions,
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much less an executioner of his justice, that whenever he thought fit, he
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would take the cause into his own hands, and by national vengeance punish them
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as a people for national crimes. But that in the meantime it was none
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of my business. That it was true. Friday might justify it, because
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he was a declared enemy in a state of war with those very particular people,
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and it was lawful for him to attack them. But I could not
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say the same with regard to myself. These things were so warmly pressed upon
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my thoughts all the way as I went, that I resolved I would only
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go and place myself near them, that I might observe their barbarous feast,
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and that I would act then as God should direct, But that unless something
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offered that was more a call to me than yet I knew of, I
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would not meddle with them. With this resolution, I entered the wood,
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and with all possible weariness and silence, Friday following close at my heels,
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I marched till I came to the skirts of the wood on the side which
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was next to them, only that one corner of the wood lay between me.
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And then here I called softly to Friday, and, showing him a
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great tree which was just at the corner of the wood, I bade him
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go to the tree and bring me word if he could see there plainly what
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they were doing. He did so, and came immediately back to me,
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and told me they might be plainly viewed there, that they were all about
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their fire, eating the flesh of one of their prisoners, and that another
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lay bound upon the sand a little from them, whom he said they would
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kill next. And this fired the very soul within me. He told me
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it was not one of their nation, but one of the bearded men he
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had told me of that came to their country in the boat. I was
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filled with horror at the very naming of the white bearded man. And going
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to the tree, I saw plainly by my glass a white man who lay
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upon the beach of the sea, with his hands and his feet tied with
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flags or things like rushes, and that he was a European and had clothes
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on. There was another tree and a little thicket beyond it, about fifty
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yards nearer to them than the place where I was, which, by going
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a little way about, I saw I might come at undiscovered, and that
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then I should be within half a shot of them. So I withheld my
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passion, though I was indeed enraged to the highest degree, And going back
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about twenty paces, I got behind some bushes which held all the way till
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I came to the other tree, and then came to a little rising a
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ground, which gave me a full view of them at the distance of about
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eighty yards. I had now not a moment to lose, for nineteen of
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the dreadful wretches sat upon the ground, all close huddled together, and had
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just sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian and bring him, perhaps
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limb by limb, to their fire. And they were stooping down to untie
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the bands at his feet. Turned to Friday. Now Friday said, I
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do as I bid thee Friday said he would. Then Friday says, I
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do exactly as you see me do fail in nothing. So I set down
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one of the muskets and the following piece upon the ground, and Friday did
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the like by his and with the other musket. I took my aim at
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the savages, bidding him to do the like, then asking him if he
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was ready. He said yes. Then fire at them, said I,
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And at the same moment I fired. Also. Friday took his aim so
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much better than I that on the one side that he shot, he killed
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two of them and wounded three more, And on my side I killed one
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and wounded two. They were you may be sure, in a dreadful consternation.
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And all of them that were not hurt jumped upon their feet, but
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did not immediately know which way to run or which way to look. For
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they knew not from whence their destruction came. Friday kept his eyes close upon
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me, that as I had bid him, he might observe what I did.
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So as soon as the first shot was made, I threw down the
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piece and took up the following piece, and Friday did the like he saw
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me cock and present he did the same. Are you ready, Friday said
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I, yes, says he let fly, Then says I, in the
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name of God. And with that I fired again among the amazed wretches,
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and so did Friday. And as our pieces were now loaded with what I
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call swan shot or small pistol bullets, we found only two drop, but
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so many were wounded that they ran about, yelling and screaming like mad creatures,
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all bloody, and most of them miserably wounded, whereof three more fell
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down quickly after, though not quite dead. Now, Friday says I,
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laying down the discharged pieces and taking up the musket which was yet loaded,
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follow me, which he did with a great deal of courage, and upon
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which I rushed out of the wood and showed myself and Friday close at my
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foot. As soon as I perceived they saw me, I shouted as loud
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as I could, and bade Friday do so too, and running as fast
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as I could, which by the way, was not very fast, being
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loaded with arms as I was, I made directly towards the poor victim,
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who was, as I said, lying upon the beach or shore, between
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the place where they sat and the sea. The two butchers that were going
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to work with him had left him at the surprise of our first fire,
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and fled in a terrible fright to the sea side, and had jumped into
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a canoe, and three more of the rest made the same way. I
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turned to Friday and bade him step forwards and fire at them. He understood
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me immediately, and running about forty yards to be nearer them, he shot
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at them, and I thought he had killed them all, for I saw
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them all fall of a heap into the boat, though I saw two of
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them up again quickly. However, he killed two of them and wounded the
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third, so that he lay down in the bottom of the boat. As
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if he had been dead. While my man Friday fired at them, I
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pulled out my knife and cut the flags that bound the poor victim, and,
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loosing his hands and feet, I lifted him up and asked him in
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the Portuguese tongue what he was. He answered in Latin Christianus. But he
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was so weak and faint that he could scarcely stand or speak. I took
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my bottle out of my pocket and gave it to him, making signs that
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he should drink, which he did, and I gave him a piece of
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bread, which he ate. Then I asked him what countryman he was,
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and he said Espanol. And, being a little recovered, let me know
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by all the signs he could possibly make how much he was in my debt
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for his deliverance, Senor said I, with as much Spanish as I could
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make up. We will talk afterwards, but we must fight now. If
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you have any strength left, take this pistol and sword and lay about you.
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He took them very thankfully, and no sooner had he the arms in
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his hands, But as if they had put new vigor into him, he
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flew upon his murderers like a fury, and had cut two of them in
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pieces in an instant. For the truth is, as the whole was a
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surprise to them. So the poor creatures were so much frightened with the noise
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of our pieces that they fell down for mere amazement and fear, and had
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no more power to attempt their own escape than their flesh had to resist our
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shot. And that was the case of those five that Friday shot at in
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the boat, for as three of them fell with the hurt they received,
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so the other two fell with the fright. I kept my piece in my
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hand still without firing, being willing to keep my charge ready, because I
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had given the Spaniard my pistol and sword. So I called to Friday and
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bade him run up to the tree from whence he first fired, and fetch
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the arms which lay there discharged, which he did with great swiftness, and
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then giving him my musket, I sat down myself to load all the rest
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again, and bade them come to me when they wanted. While I was
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loading these pieces, there happened a fierce engagement between the Spaniard and one of
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the savages, who made at him with one of their great wooden swords,
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the weapon that was to have killed him before, if I had not prevented
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it. The Spaniard, who was as bold and brave as could be imagined,
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though weak, had fought the Indian a good while, and had cut
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two great wounds on his head. But the Savage, being a stout lusty
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fellow closing in with him, had thrown him down, being faint, and
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was wringing my sword out of his hand, when the Spaniard, though undermost
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wisely quitting the sword, drew the pistol from his girdle, shot the Savage
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through the body and killed him upon the spot before I, who was running
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to help him, could come near him. Friday, being now left to
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his liberty, pursued the flying wretches with no weapon in his hand but his
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hatchet, and with that he despatched those three, who, as I said
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before, were wounded at first and fallen, and all the rest he could
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come up with, And the Spaniard coming to me for a gun, I
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gave him one of the foling pieces, with which he pursued two of the
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savages and wounded them both, but as he was not able to run,
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they both got from him into the wood, where Friday pursued them and killed
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one of them, but the other was too nimble for him, and though
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he was wounded, yet had plunged himself into the sea and swam with all
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his might off to those two who were left in the canoe. Which three
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in the canoe, with one wounded that we knew not whether he died or
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no, were all that escaped our hands. Of one and twenty The account
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of the whole is as follows. Three killed at our first shot from the
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tree, two killed at the next shot, two killed by Friday in the
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boat, two killed by Friday. Of those at first wounded, one killed
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by Friday in the wood, three killed by the spaniard, four killed being
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found dropped here and there, of the wounds or killed by Friday, and
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as chased them, four escaped in the boat, whereof one wounded, if
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not dead, twenty one in all those that were in the canoe worked hard
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to get out of gunshot, And though Friday made two or three shots at
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them, I did not find that he hit any of them. Friday would
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fain have had me take one of their canoes and pursue them, And indeed
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I was very anxious about their escape. Lest carrying home news to their people,
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they should come back, perhaps with two or three hundred of the canoes,
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and devour us by mere multitude. So I consented to pursue them by
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sea, and running to their canoes, I jumped in and bade Friday follow
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me. But when I was in the canoe, I was surprised to find
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another poor creature lie there, bound hand and foot, as the Spaniard was,
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for slaughter, and almost dead with fear, not knowing what was the
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matter, for he had not been able to look up over the side of
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the boat. He was tied so hard neck and heels, and had been
31:26
tied so long that he had really but little life in him. I immediately
31:32
cut the twisted flags or rushes which they had bound him with, and would
31:37
have helped him up, But he could not stand or speak, but groaned
31:41
most piteously, believing it seemed still that he was only unbound in order to
31:48
be killed. When Friday came to him, I bade him speak to him
31:52
and tell him of his deliverance, and pulling out my bottle made him give
31:56
the poor wretchedram, which was the news of his being delivered. Revived him
32:01
and he sat up in the boat. But when Friday came to hear him
32:06
speak and look in his face. It would have moved any one to tears
32:10
to see how Friday kissed him and embraced him, hugged him, cried,
32:16
laughed, halloude, jumped about, danced, sang, then cried again,
32:22
wrung his hands, beat his own face and head, and then sang and
32:29
jumped about again, like a distracted creature. It was a good while before
32:34
I could make him speak to me or tell me what was the matter.
32:37
But when he came a little to himself, he told me that it was
32:43
his father. It is not easy for me to express how it moved me
32:50
to see what ecstasy and filial affection had worked in this poor savage at the
32:55
sight of his father and of his being delivered from death. Nor indeed can
33:02
I describe half the extravagances of his affection after this, For he went into
33:09
the boat and out of the boat a great many times. When he went
33:15
in to him, he would sit down by him, open his breast,
33:17
and hold his father's head close to his bosom for many minutes together to nourish
33:23
it. Then he took his arms and ankles, which were numb and stiff
33:30
with the binding, and chafed and rubbed them with his hands, and I,
33:36
perceiving what the case was, gave him some rum out of my bottle
33:39
to rub with them, which did him a great deal of good. This
33:46
affair put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with the other savages,
33:51
who were now almost out of sight, And it was happy for us that
33:54
we did not, for it blew so hard within two hours after and before
34:00
they could be got a quarter of their way, and continue blowing so hard
34:04
all night, and that from the northwest, which was against them, that
34:09
I could not suppose their boat could live, or that they ever reached their
34:15
own coast, but to return to Friday. He was so busy about his
34:22
father that I could not find in my heart to take him off for some
34:27
time. But after I thought he could leave him a little, I called
34:30
him to me, and he came, jumping and laughing and pleased to the
34:36
highest extreme. Then I asked him if he had given his father any bread.
34:43
He shook his head and said, none, ugly dog, eat all
34:46
up self. I then gave him a cake of bread out of a little
34:52
pouch I carried on purpose. I also gave him a dram for himself,
34:57
but he would not taste it, but carried it to his father. I
35:01
had in my pocket two or three bunches of raisins, so I gave him
35:06
a handful for his father. He had no sooner given his father these raisins.
35:12
But I saw him come out of the boat and run away, as
35:15
if he had been bewitched, for he was the swiftest fellow on his feet
35:20
that I ever saw. I say he ran at such a rate that he
35:24
was out of sight, as it were, in an instant, And though
35:28
I called and hallooed out two after him, it was all one. Away
35:34
he went. And in a quarter of an hour I saw him come back
35:37
again, though not so fast as he went. And as he came nearer,
35:44
I found his pace slacker, because he had something in his hand.
35:50
When he came up to me, I found he had been quite home for
35:53
an earthen jugger pot to put some fresh water for his father in, and
36:00
that he had got two more cakes or loaves of bread. The bread he
36:05
gave me, but the water he carried to his father. However, as
36:09
I was very thirsty too, I took a little of it. The water
36:15
revived his father more than all the rum or spirits I had given him,
36:20
for he was fainting with thirst. When his father had drunk. I called
36:27
to him to know if there was any water left. He said yes,
36:31
and I bade him give it to the poor spaniard, who was in as
36:36
much one of it as the father. And I sent one of the cakes
36:39
that Friday brought to the spaniard too, who was indeed very weak, and
36:45
was reposing himself upon a green place under the shade of a tree, and
36:50
whose limbs were also very stiff and very much swelled with the rude bandage he
36:54
had been tied with. When I saw that, upon Friday's coming to him
37:00
with the water, he sat up and drank, and took the bread and
37:04
began to eat. I went to him and gave him a handful of raisins.
37:08
He looked up in my face with all the tokens of gratitude and thankfulness
37:14
that could appear in any countenance, but was so weak, notwithstanding he had
37:20
so exerted himself in the fight that he could not stand up upon his feet.
37:28
He tried to do it two or three times, but was really not
37:32
able. His ankles were so swelled and so painful to him, so I
37:38
bade him sit still, and caused Friday to rub his ankles and bade them
37:44
with rum, as he had done his father's. I observed the poor affectionate
37:50
creature every two minutes or perhaps less, all the while he was here,
37:57
turned his head about to see if his father was in the same place and
38:00
posture as he had left him sitting. And at last he found he was
38:06
not to be seen, at which he started up, and without speaking a
38:09
word, flew with that swiftness to him that one could scarce perceive his feet
38:15
to touch the ground as he went. But when he came he only found
38:20
he had laid himself down to ease his limbs. So Friday came back to
38:24
me presently, and then I spoke to the Spaniard to let Friday help him
38:30
up if he could, and lead him to the boat, and then he
38:35
should carry him to our dwelling, where I would take care of him.
38:40
But Friday, a lusty, strong fellow, took the Spaniard upon his back
38:45
and carried him away to the boat, and set him down softly upon the
38:49
side or gunwale of the canoe, with his feet on the inside of it,
38:54
and then lifting him quite in. He set him close to his father,
39:00
and presently stepping out again, launched the boat off and paddled it along
39:05
the shore faster than I could walk. Though the wind blew pretty hard too,
39:10
so he brought them both safe into our creek, and, leaving them
39:15
in the boat, ran away to fetch the other canoe. As he passed
39:20
me, I spoke to him and asked him whither he went. He told
39:23
me, go fetch more boat. So away he went like the wind.
39:29
For sure, never man nor horse ran like him, and he had the
39:34
other canoe in the creek almost as soon as I had got to it by
39:37
land. So he wafted me over and then went to help our new guests
39:43
out of the boat, which he did. But they were neither of them
39:47
able to walk, so that poor Friday knew not what to do to remedy
39:54
this. I went to work in my thought, and calling to Friday to
40:00
bid him sit down on the bank while he came to me. I soon
40:05
made a kind of hand barrel to lay them on, and Friday and I
40:09
carried them both up together between us. But when we got them to the
40:16
outside of our wall or fortification, we were at a worse loss than before,
40:22
for it was impossible to get them over, and I was resolved not
40:27
to break it down. So I set to work again, and Friday and
40:31
I, in about two hours time made a very handsome tent covered with old
40:36
sails, and above that with boughs of trees being in the space without our
40:42
outward fence, and between that and the grove of young wood which I had
40:46
planted. And here we made them two beds of such things as I had,
40:52
that is, of good rice straw, with blankets laid upon it to
40:58
lie on, and another to them on each bed. My island was now
41:05
peopled, and I thought myself very rich in subjects, and it was a
41:09
merry reflection which I frequently made, how like a king I looked. First
41:16
of all, the whole country was my own property, so that I had
41:21
an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were perfectly subjected. I
41:28
was absolutely lord and lawgiver. They all owed their lives to me, and
41:35
were ready to lay down their lives if there had been occasion for it.
41:39
For me, it was remarkable too, I had but three subjects, and
41:46
they were of three different religions. My man Friday was a Protestant, his
41:52
father was a pagan and a cannibal, and the Spaniard was a papist.
42:00
However, I allowed liberty of conscience throughout my dominions. But this is by
42:06
the way. As soon as I had secured my two week rescued prisoners and
42:13
given them shelter and a place to rest them upon, I began to think
42:16
of making some provision for them. And the first thing I did I ordered
42:21
Friday to take a yearling goat betwixt a kid and a goat out of my
42:27
particular flock, to be killed. When I cut off the kind quarter and
42:31
chopping it into small pieces, I set Friday to work to boiling and stewing
42:37
it, and made them a very good dish, I assure you, of
42:43
flesh and broth, and as I cooked it with out doors, for I
42:47
made no fire within my inner wall. So I carried it all into the
42:52
new tent, and having set a table there for them, I sat down
42:55
and ate my own dinner also with them, as well as I could,
43:00
cheered them and encouraged them. Friday was my interpreter, especially to his father,
43:08
and indeed to the Spaniard too. For the Spaniards spoke the language of
43:13
the savages pretty well. After we had dined, or rather supped, I
43:20
ordered Friday to take one of the canoes and go fetch our muskets and other
43:24
firearms, which for one of time we had left upon the place of battle.
43:30
And the next day I ordered him to go and bury the dead bodies
43:34
of the savages, which lay open to the sun and would presently be offensive.
43:40
I also ordered him to bury the horrid remains of their barbarous feast,
43:45
which I could not think of doing myself. Nay, I could not bear
43:50
to see them if I went that way, all which he punctually performed,
43:57
and efface the very appearance of the savages being there, so that when I
44:01
went again, I could scarce know where it was, otherwise than by the
44:06
corner of the wood pointing to the place. I then began to enter into
44:13
a little conversation with my two new subjects, And first I set Friday to
44:17
inquire of his father what he thought of the escape of the savages in that
44:22
canoe, and whether we might expect a return of them with a power too
44:25
great for us to resist. His first opinion was that the savages in the
44:31
boat never could live out the storm which blew that night they went off,
44:37
but must of necessity be drowned or driven south to those other shores, where
44:43
they were as sure to be devoured as they were to be drowned if they
44:46
were cast away. But as to what they would do if they came safe
44:52
on shore, he said he knew not, But it was his opinion that
44:58
they were so dreadfully frightened with the manner of their being attacked, and the
45:01
noise and the fire, that he believed they would tell the people they were
45:06
all killed by thunder and lightning, not by the hand of man, and
45:10
that the two which appeared that his Friday and I, were two heavenly spirits
45:16
or furies come down to destroy them, and not men with weapons. This
45:23
he said he knew, because he heard them all cry out so in their
45:29
language, one to another, For it was impossible for them to conceive that
45:34
a man could dart fire and speak thunder and kill at a distance without lifting
45:42
up the hand, as was done now. And this old savage was in
45:46
the right, for as I understood, since by other hands, the savages
45:52
never attempted to go over to the island afterwards. They were so terrified with
45:57
the accounts given by these four men, for it seems they did escape the
46:01
sea, that they believed whoever went to that enchanted island would be destroyed with
46:07
fire from the gods. This, however, I knew not, and therefore
46:15
was under continual apprehensions for a good while, and kept always upon my guard
46:22
with all my army. For as there were now four of us, I
46:28
would have ventured upon a hundred of them fairly in the open field at any
46:35
time. End of Chapter sixteen,