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17 - Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe · Adventure Books Collection

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Chapter seventeen visit of Mutineers. In a little time, however, no more
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canoes appearing. The fear of their coming wore off, and I began to
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take my former thoughts of a voyage to the main into consideration, being likewise
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assured by Friday's father that I might depend upon good usage from their nation on
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his account if I would go. But my thoughts were little suspended when I
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had a serious discourse with the Spaniard, and when I understood that there were
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sixteen more of his countrymen and Portuguese, who, having been cast away and
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made their escape to that side, lived there at peace indeed with the savages,
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but were very sore put to it for necessaries, indeed for life.
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I asked him all the particulars of their voyage, and found that they were
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a Spanish ship, bound from the Rio de la Plata to the Havana,
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and being directed to leave their loading there, which was chiefly hides and silver,
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and to bring back what European goods they could meet with there. That
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they had five Portuguese seamen on board, whom they took out of another wreck,
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that five of their own men were drowned when first the ship was lost,
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and that these escaped through infinite dangers and hazards, and arrived almost starved
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on the Cannibal coast, where they expected to have been devoured every moment.
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He told me they had some arms with them, but they were perfectly useless,
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for that they had neither powder nor ball, the washing of the sea
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having spoiled all their powder, but a little, which they used at their
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first landing to provide themselves with some food. I asked him what he thought
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would become of them there, and if they had formed any design of making
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their escape. He said they had many consultations about it, but that,
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having neither vessel, nor tools to build one, nor provisions of any kind,
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their counsels always ended in tears and despair. I asked him how he
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thought they would receive a proposal from me which might tend towards an escape,
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and whether, if they were all here it might not be done. I
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told him, with freedom, I feared mostly their treachery and ill usage of
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me if I put my life in their hands. Gratitude was no inherent virtue
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in the nature of man, Nor did men always square their dealings by the
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obligations they had received. So much as they did by the advantages they expected.
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I told him it would be very hard that I should be made the
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instrument of their deliverance, and that they should afterwards make me their prisoner in
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New Spain, and where an Englishman was certain to be made a sacrifice,
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what necessity or what accident soever brought him thither, And that I had rather
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be delivered up to the savages and be devoured alive, than fall into the
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merciless clause of the priests and be carried into the inquisition. I added that
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otherwise, I was persuaded, if they were all here, we might,
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with so many hands build a barque large enough to carry us all away,
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either to the Brazils southward, or to the islands or Spanish coast northward.
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But that if in requital they should, when I had put weapons into their
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hands, carry me by force among their own people, I might be ill
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used for my kindness to them, and make my case worse than it was
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before. He answered, with a great deal of candor and ingenuousness, that
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their condition was so miserable, and that they were so sensible of it,
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that he believed they would abhor the thought of using any man unkindly that should
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contribute to their deliverance, and that if I pleased, he would go to
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them with the old man and discourse with them about it, and return again
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and bring me their answer. That he would make conditions with them upon their
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solemn oath, that they should be absolutely under my direction as their commander and
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captain, and they should swear upon the Holy Sacraments and Gospel to be true
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to me, and go to such Christian country as I should agree to and
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know other, and to be directed wholly and absolutely by my orders till they
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were landed safely in such country as I intended, and that he would bring
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a contract from them under their hands for that purpose. Then he told me
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he would first swear to me himself that he would never stir from me as
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long as he lived till I gave him orders, and that he would take
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my side to the last drop of his blood if there should happen the least
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breach of faith among his countrymen. He told me they were all of them
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very civil, honest men, and they were under the greatest distress imaginable,
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having neither weapons, nor clothes, nor any food, But at the mercy
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and discretion of the savages out of all hopes of ever returning to their own
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country, and that he was sure if I would undertake their relief, they
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would live and die by me. Upon these assurances, are resolved to venture
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to relieve them, if possible, and to send the old savage and this
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Spaniard over to them to treat. But when we had got all things in
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readiness to go, the Spaniard himself started an objection which had so much prudence
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in it on one hand, in so much sincerity on the other hand,
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that I could not but be very well satisfied in it, and by his
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advice, put off the deliverance of his comrades for at least half a year.
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The case was thus. He had been with us now about a month,
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during which time I had let him see in what manner I had provided,
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with the assistance of providence for my support. And he saw evidently what
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stock of corn and rice I had laid up, which, though it was
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more than sufficient for myself, yet it was not sufficient without good husbandry for
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my family. Now it was increased to four, but much less would it
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be sufficient if his countrymen, who were, as he said, sixteen still
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alive, should come over and least of all, would it be sufficient to
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vitual our vessel if we should build one for a voyage to any of the
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Christian colonies of America. So he told me he thought it would be more
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advisable to let him and the other two dig and cultivate some more land,
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as much as I could spare seed to sow, and that we should wait
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another harvest, that we might have a supply of corn for his countrymen when
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they should come for want. Might be a temptation to them to disagree,
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or not to think themselves delivered otherwise than out of one difficulty into another,
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you know, says he, the children of Israel, though they rejoiced at
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first for their being delivered out of Egypt, yet rebelled even against God himself
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that delivered them when they came to want bread in the wilderness. His caution
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was so seasonable, and his advice so good, that I could not but
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be very well pleased with his proposal, as well as I was satisfied with
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his fidelity. So we fell to digging, all four of us, as
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well as the wooden tools we were furnished with, permitted, and in a
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bottom month's time, by the end of which it was seed time. We
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had got as much land cured and trimmed up as we sowed two and twenty
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bushels of barleyon and sixteen jars of rice, which was in short all the
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seed we had to spare. Indeed, we left ourselves barely sufficient for our
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own food for the next six months that we had to expect our crop,
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that is to say, reckoning from the time we set our seed aside for
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sowing, for it is not to be supposed it is six months in the
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ground in that country. Having now society enough in our numbers being sufficient to
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put us out of fear of the savages if they had come, unless their
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number had been very great, we went freely all over the island whenever we
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found occasion. And as we had had our escape or deliverance upon our thoughts,
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it was impossible at least for me to have the means of it out
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of mine. For this purpose, I marked out several trees which I thought
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fit for our work, and I set Friday and his father to cut them
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down. And then I caused the Spaniard to whom I imparted my thoughts in
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that affair, to oversee and direct their work. I showed them with what
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indefatigable work I had hewed a large tree into single planks, and I caused
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them to do the like till they made about a dozen large planks of good
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oak, near two feet broad, thirty five feet long, and from two
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inches to four inches thick. What prodigious labor it took up anyone can imagine.
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At the same time, I contrived to increase my little flock of tame
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goats as much as I could, And for this purpose I made Friday and
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the Spaniard go out one day, and myself with Friday the next day,
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be where we took our turns, And by this means we got about twenty
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young kids to breed up with the rest, for whenever we shot the dam,
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we saved the kids and added them to our flock. But above all,
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the season for curing the grapes coming on, I caused such a prodigious
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quantity to be hung up in the sun that I believe had we been at
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Alikante, where the raisins of the sun are cured, we could have filled
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sixty or eighty barrels, and these with our bread, formed a great part
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of our food. Very good living too, I assure you, for they
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are exceedingly nourishing. It was now harvest and our crop in good order.
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It was not the most plentiful increase I had seen in the island, but
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however it was enough to answer our end. For from twenty two bushels of
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barley we brought in and thrashed out above two hundred and twenty bushels and the
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like in proportion of the rice, which was store enough for our food to
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the next harvest. Though all the sixteen Spaniards had been on shore with me,
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or if we had been ready for our voyage, it would very plentifully
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have victualled our ship to have carried us to any part of the world,
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that is to say, any part of America. When we had thus housed
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and secured our magazine of corn, we fell to work to make more wickerware
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than is great baskets in which we kept it. And the Spaniard was very
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handy and dexterous at this part, and often blame me that I did not
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make some things for defense of this kind of work, But I saw no
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need of it, and now having a full supply of food for all the
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guests, I expected. I gave the Spaniard leave to go over to the
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main to see what he could do with those he had left behind him.
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There. I gave him a strict charge not to bring any man who would
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not first swear in the presence of himself and the Old Savage, that he
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would in no way injure fight with or attack the person he should find in
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the island who was so kind as to send to them in order to their
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deliverance, but that they would stand by him and defend him against all such
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attempts, and wherever they went would be entirely under and subjected to his command,
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And that this should be put in writing and signed in their hands.
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How they were to have done this, when I knew that they had neither
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pen nor ink was a question which we never asked. Under these instructions,
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the Spaniard and the Old Savage, the father of Friday, went away in
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one of the canoes which they might be said to have come in, or
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were rather brought in. When they came as prisoners to be devoured by the
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savages. I gave each of them a musket with firelock on it, and
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about eight charges of powder and ball, charging them to be very good husbands
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of both, and not to use either of them, but upon urgent occasions.
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This was a cheerful work, being the first measures used by me in
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view of my deliverance for now twenty si seven years and some days. I
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gave them provisions of bread and dried grapes, sufficient for themselves for many days,
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and sufficient for all the Spaniards for about eight days time, and wishing
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them a good voyage. I saw them go, agreeing with them about a
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signal they should hang out at their return, by which I should know them
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again when they came back at a distance. Before they came on shore,
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they went away with a fair gait on the day before the moon was at
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full by my account, in the month of October. But as for an
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exact reckoning of days, after I once lost it, I could never recover
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it again, nor had I kept even the number of years so punctually as
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to be sure I was right. Though, as it proved when I afterwards
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examined my account, I found I had kept a true reckoning of years.
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It was no less than eight days I had waited for them when a strange
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and unforeseen accident intervened, of which the like has not perhaps been heard of
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in history. I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning when my man
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Friday came running into me and called aloud, Master, Master, they are
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come, they are come. I jumped up, and regardless of danger,
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I went as soon as I could get my clothes on through my little grove,
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which by the way, was by this time grown to be of very
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thick wood. I say, regardless of danger, I went without my arms,
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which was not my custom to do. But I was surprised when turning
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my eyes to the sea, I presently saw a boat at about a league
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and a half distance standing in for the shore, with a shoulder of mutton
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sail, as they call it, and the wind blowing pretty fair to bring
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them in. Also, I observed presently that they did not come from that
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side which the shore lay on, but from the southernmost end of the island.
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Upon this I called Friday in and bade him lie close, for these
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were not the people we looked for, and that we might not yet know
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whether they were friends or enemies. In the next place, I went in
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to fetch my prospective class to see what I could make of them, And
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having taken the ladder out. I climbed up to the top of the hill,
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as I used to do when I was apprehensive of anything, and to
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take my view the planer without being discovered. I had scarce set my foot
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upon the hill when my eye plainly discovered a ship lying at anchor, at
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about two leagues and a half distance from me south southeast, but not above
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a league and a half from the shore. By my observation, it appeared
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plainly to be an English ship, and the boat appeared to be an English
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longboat. I cannot express the confusion I was in, though the joy of
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seeing a ship, and one that I had reason to believe was manned by
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my own countrymen and consequently friends, was such as I cannot describe. But
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yet I had some secret doubts hung about me I cannot tell from whence they
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came bidding me keep upon my guard. In the first place, it occurred
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to me to consider what business and English ship could have in that part of
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the world, since it was not the way too, or from any part
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of the world where the English had any traffic, and I knew there had
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been no storms to drive them in there, and that if they were really
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English, it was most probable that they were here upon no good design,
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and that I had better continue as I was than fall into the hands of
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thieves and murderers. Let no man despise the secret hints and notices of danger
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which sometimes are given him, when he may think there is no possibility of
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its being real, that such hints and notices are given us. I believe
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few that have made any observation of things can deny that they are certain discoveries
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of an invisible world, and a converse of spirits we cannot doubt. And
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if the tendency of them seems to be to warn us of danger, why
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should we not suppose they are from some friendly agent, Whether supreme or inferior,
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and subordinate is not the question. They are given for our good.
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The present question abundantly confirms me in the justice of this reasoning, For had
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I not been made cautious by this secret admonition come from whence it will I
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had been undone inevitably, and in a far worse condition than before. As
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you will see presently, I had not kept myself long in this posture till
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I saw the boat drawn near the shore, as if they looked for a
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creek to thrust a net for the convenience of landing. However, as they
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did not come quite far enough, they did not see the little inlet where
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I formerly landed my rafts, but ran their boat on shore upon the beach
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at about half a mile from me, which was very happy for me,
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for otherwise they would have landed just at my door, as I may say,
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and would soon have beaten me out of my castle, and perhaps have
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plundered me of all I had. When they were on shore, I was
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fully satisfied they were Englishmen, at least most of them. One or two
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I thought were Dutch, but it did not prove. So. There were
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in all eleven men, whereof three of them I found were unarmed and as
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I thought, bound, And when the first four or five of them were
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jumped on shore, they took those three out of the boat as prisoners.
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One of the three I could perceive using the most passionate gestures of entreaty,
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affliction, and despair, even to a kind of extravagance. The other two
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I could perceive lifted up their hands sometimes and appeared concerned, indeed, but
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not to such a degree as the first. I was perfectly confounded at the
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sight, and knew not what the meaning of it should be. Friday called
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out to me in English as well as he could. Oh, Master,
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you see English mans eat prisoner as well as savage man's. Why, Friday
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says I. Do you think they are going to eat them? Then?
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Yes, says Friday, they will eat them. No, no, says
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I Friday. I'm afraid they will murder them indeed, but you may be
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sure they will not eat them. All this while I had no thought of
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what the matter really was, but stood trembling with the horror of the sight,
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expecting every moment when the three prisoners should be killed. Nay, once
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I saw one of the villains lift up his arm with a great cutlass as
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the seamen call it, or sword, to strike one of the poor men,
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and I expected to see him fall, every moment, at which all
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the blood in my body seemed to run chill in my veins. I wished
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heartily now for the spaniard and the savage that had gone with him, or
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that I had any way to have come undiscovered within shot of them, that
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I might have secured the three men, for I saw no firearms they had
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among them. But it fell out to my mind another way, after I
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had observed the outrageous usage of the three men by the insolent seamen, I
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observed the fellows run scattering about the island, as if they wanted to see
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the country. I observed that the other three men had liberty to go where
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they pleased, But they sat down, all three upon the ground, very
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pensive, and looked like men in despair. This put me in mind of
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the first time when I came on shore and began to look about me,
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how I gave myself over for lost, how wildly I looked round me,
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what dreadful apprehensions I had, and how I lodged in the tree all night
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for fear of being devoured by wild beasts. As I knew nothing that night
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of the supply I was to receive by the providential driving of the ship nearer
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the land, by the storms and tide, by which I have since been
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so long nourished and supported. So these three poor desolate men knew nothing,
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how certain of deliverance and supply they were, how near it was to them,
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and how effectually and really they were in a condition of safety at the
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same time that they thought themselves lost in their case desperate. So little do
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we see before us in the world, and so much reason have we to
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depend cheerfully upon the great maker of the world, that he does not leave
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his creatures so absolutely destitute, but that in the worst circumstances they have always
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something to be thankful for, and sometimes are nearer deliverance than they may imagine.
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Nay, are even brought to their deliverance by the means by which they
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seemed to be brought to their destruction. It was just at high water when
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these people came on shore, and while they rambled about to see what kind
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of place they were in, they had carelessly stayed until the tide was spent
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and the water was ebbed considerably away, leaving their boat aground. They had
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left two men in the boat, who, as I found afterwards, having
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drunk a little too much brandy, fell asleep. However, one of them
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waking a little sooner than the other, and finding the boat too fast a
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ground for him to stir it, he lowed out for the rest who were
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straggling about, upon which they all soon came to the boat. But it
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was past all their strength to launch her, the boat, being very heavy
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in the shore on that side, being a soft, oozy sand, almost
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like a quicksand in this condition, like true seamen, who are perhaps the
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least of all mankind given to forethought, they gave it over and away they
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strolled about the country again, and I heard one of them say aloud to
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the other, calling them off from the boat, why let her alone,
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Jack, can't you She'll float next tide, by which I was fully confirmed
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in the main inquiry of what countrymen they were. All this while I kept
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myself very close, not once daring to stir out of my castle any farther
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than to my place of observation near the top of the hill, and very
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glad I was to think how well it was fortified. I knew it was
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no less than ten hours before the boat could float again, and by that
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time it would be dark, and I might be at more liberty to see
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their motions and to hear their discourse, if they had any. In the
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meantime, I fitted myself up for a battle as before, though with more
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caution, knowing I had to do with another kind of enemy than I had
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at first. I ordered Friday, also whom I had made an excellent marksman
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with his gun, to load himself the arms. I took myself two falling
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pieces, and I gave him three muskets. My figure, indeed, was
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very fierce. I had a formidable goat skin coat on with a great cat
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I have mentioned, a naked sword by my side, two pistols in my
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belt, and a gun upon each shoulder. It was my design, as
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I said above, not to have made any attempt till it was dark.
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But about two o'clock, being the heat of the day, I found that
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they were all gone, straggling into the woods, and as I thought laid
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down to sleep. The three poor distressed men, too anxious for their condition
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to get any sleep, had, however, sat down under the shelter of
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a great tree, at about a quarter of a mile from me, and,
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as I thought, out of sight of any of the rest, upon
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this, I resolved to discover myself to them, and learned something of their
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condition. Immediately I marched as above my man Friday, at a good distance
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behind me, as formidable for his arms as I, but not making quite
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so staring a specterlike figure as I did, I came as near them undiscovered
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as I could, and then before any of them saw me, I called
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aloud to them in Spanish, what are ye, gentlemen? They started up
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at the noise, but were ten times more confounded when they saw me and
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the uncouth figure that I made. They made no answer at all, but
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I thought I perceived them just going to fly from me. When I spoke
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to them in English, gentlemen, said I do not be surprised at me.
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Perhaps you may have a friend near when you did not expect it.
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He must be sent directly from heaven. Then, said one of them,
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very gravely to me, and pulling off his hat at the same time,
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to me. For our condition is past the help of man. All help
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is from heaven, Sir, said I, But can you put a stranger
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in the way to help you? For you seem to be in some great
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distress. I saw you when you landed, and when you seemed to make
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application to the brutes that came with you, I saw one of them lift
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up his sword to kill you. The poor man, with tears running down
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his face and trembling, looked like one astonished. Returned, Am I talking
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to God or man? Is it a real man or angel? Be in
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no fear Sir about that, said I. If God had sent an angel
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to you to relieve you. He would have come better clothed and armed after
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another manner than you see me. Pray, lay aside your fears. I
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am a man, an Englishman, and disposed to assist you. You see,
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I have one servant, only we have arms and ammunition. Tell us
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freely? Can we serve you? What is your case? Our case?
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Sir said? He is too long to tell you, while our murderers are
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so near us. But in short, Sir, I was commander of that
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ship. My men have mutinied against me. They have been hardly prevailed on
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not to murder me, and at last have set me on shore in this
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desolate place with these two men with me, one my mate and the other
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a passenger, where we expect to perish, believing the place to be uninhabited,
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and know not yet what to think of it. Where are these brutes
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your enemies? Said I? Do you know where they are gone? Why?
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There they lie, sir, said he, pointing to a thicket of
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trees. My heart trembles for fear they have seen us and heard you speak.
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If they have, they will certainly murder us. All Have they any
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firearms? Said I? He answered, they had only two pieces, one
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of which they left in the boat. Well then said, I leave the
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rest to me. I see they are all asleep. It is an easy
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thing to kill them all, but shall we rather take them prisoners? He
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told me there were two desperate villains among them that it was scarce safe to
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show any mercy to. But if they were secured leaved all the rest would
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return to their duty. I asked him which they were. He told me
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he could not at that distance distinguish them, but he would obey my orders
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in anything I would direct. Well, says I. Let us retreat out
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of their view or hearing lest they awake, and we will resolve further.
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So they willingly went back with me till the woods covered us from them.
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Look you, sir, said I, if I venture upon your deliverance,
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are you willing to make two conditions with me? He anticipated my proposals by
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telling me that both he and his ship, if recovered, should be wholly
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directed and commanded by me in everything, and if the ship was not recovered,
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he would live and die with me in what part of the world soever
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I would send him. And the two other men said the same. Well,
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says I, My conditions are but two. First, that while you
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stay in this island with me, you will not pretend to any authority here.
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And if I put arms in your hands, you will, upon all
33:15
occasions give them up to me, and do no prejudice to me or mine
33:21
upon this island, and in the meantime be governed by my orders. Secondly,
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that if the ship is or may be recovered, it will carry me
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and my man to England passage free. He gave me all the assurances that
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the invention or faith of man could devise, that he would comply with these
33:43
most reasonable demands, and besides would owe his life to me and acknowledge it
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upon all occasions, so long as he lived well. Then said I,
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here are three muskets for you, with powder and ball. Tell me next
33:59
what you think is proper to be done. He showed all the testimonies of
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his gratitude that he was able, but offered to be wholly guided by me.
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I told him, I thought it was very hard venturing anything, but
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the best method I could think of was to fire on them at once as
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they lay, and if any were not killed at the first folly and offered
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to submit, we might save them. And so put it wholly upon God's
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providence to direct the shot. He said very modestly that he was loath to
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kill them if he could help it, but that those two were incorrigible villains
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and had been the authors of all the mutiny in the ship, and if
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they escaped, we should be undone still, for they would go on board
34:50
and bring the whole ship's company and destroy us all. Well, then,
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says I, Necessity legitimates my advice, for it is the only way to
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save our lives. However, seeing him still cautious of shedding blood, I
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told him they should go themselves and manage as they found convenient. In the
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middle of this, we heard some of them awake, and soon after we
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saw two of them on their feet. I asked him if either of them
35:22
were the heads of the mutiny. He said no. Well, then said
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I, you may let them escape, and Providence seems to have awakened them
35:31
on purpose to save themselves. Now says I, if the rest escape you,
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it is your fault. Animated with this, he took the musket I
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had given him in his hand, and a pistol in his belt, and
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his two comrades with him. With each a piece in his hand. The
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two men who were with him going first, made some noise, at which
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one of the seamen, who was awake turned by out, and seeing them
36:00
coming, cried out to the rest. But was too late then for the
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moment he cried out, they fired, I mean the two men, the
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captain wisely reserving his own piece. They had so well aimed their shot at
36:15
the men they knew that one of them was killed on the spot, and
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the other very much wounded. But not being dead, he started up on
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his feet and called eagerly for help to the other. But the captain,
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stepping to him, told him it was too late to cry for help.
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He should call upon God to forgive his villainy, and with that word knocked
36:37
him down with the stock of his musket, so that he never spoke more.
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There were three more in the company, and one of them was slightly
36:46
wounded. By this time I was come, And when they saw their danger
36:52
and that it was vain to resist, they begged for mercy. The captain
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told them he would spare their lives if they would give him an assurance of
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their abhorrence of the treachery they had been guilty of, and would swear to
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be faithful to him in recovering the ship, and afterwards in carrying her back
37:12
to Jamaica, from whence they came. They gave him all the protestations of
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their sincerity that could be desired, and he was willing to believe them and
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spare their lives, which I was not against, only that I obliged him
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to keep them bound hand and foot while they were on the island. While
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this was doing, I sent Friday, with the captain's mate to the boat,
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with orders to secure her and bring away the oars and sails, which
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they did, and by and by three straggling men that were happily for them
37:47
parted from the rest came back from hearing the guns fired, and seeing the
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captain, who was before their prisoner now their conqueror, they submitted to be
37:58
bound also, And so our victory was complete. It now remained that the
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captain and I should inquire into one another's circumstances. I began first and told
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him my whole history, which he heard with an attention even to amazement,
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and particularly at the wonderful manner of my being furnished with provisions and ammunition,
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and indeed, as my story is a whole collection of wonders. It affected
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him deeply. But when he reflected from thence upon himself and how I seemed
38:37
to have been preserved there on purpose to save his life, the tears ran
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down his face, and he could not speak a word more. After this
38:50
communication was at an end, I carried him and his two men into my
38:53
apartment, leading them in just where I came out, that is, at
38:58
the top of the house, where I refreshed them with such provisions as I
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had, and showed them all the contrivances I had made during my long long
39:08
inhabiting that place. All I showed them, all I said to them was
39:15
perfectly amazing. But above all the Captain admired my fortification, and how perfectly
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I had concealed my retreat with a grove of trees, which, having been
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now planted nearly twenty years, and the trees growing much faster than in England,
39:31
was become a little wood so thick that it was impassable in any part
39:37
of it, But at that one side, where I had reserved my little
39:40
winding passage into it. I told him this was my castle and my residence,
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but that I had a seat in the country, as most princes have
39:52
whither I could retreat upon occasion, and I would show him that too another
39:57
time. But at present our business was to consider how to recover the ship.
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He agreed with me as to that, but told me he was perfectly
40:07
at a loss what measures to take. For that there were six and twenty
40:15
hands still on board, who, having entered into a cursed conspiracy by which
40:22
they had all forfeited their lives to the law, would be hardened in it
40:27
now by desperation, and would carry it on, knowing that if they were
40:31
subdued, they would be brought to the gallows as soon as they came to
40:35
England or to any of the English colonies, and that therefore there would be
40:40
no attacking them with so small a number as we were. I mused for
40:47
some time on what he had said, and found it was a very rational
40:52
conclusion, and that therefore something was to be resolved on speedily as well,
40:59
to draw the men on board into some snare for their surprise, as to
41:04
prevent their landing upon us and destroying us. Upon this, it presently occurred
41:09
to me that in a little while, the ship's crew, wondering what was
41:14
become of their comrades and of the boat would certainly come on shore and their
41:19
other boat to look for them, and that then perhaps they might come armed
41:24
and be too strong for us. This he allowed to be rational. Upon
41:30
this, I told him the first thing we had to do was to stave
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the boat which lay upon the beach, so that they might not carry her
41:37
off, and taking everything out of her, leave her so far useless as
41:44
not to be fit to swim. Accordingly, we went on board, took
41:49
the arms which were left on board out of her, and whatever else we
41:52
found there, which was a bottle of brandy and another of rum, a
41:57
few biscuit cakes, a horn of power, and a great lump of sugar
42:01
in a piece of canvas. The sugar was five or six pounds, all
42:07
which was very welcome to me, especially the brandy and sugar, of which
42:10
I had had none left for many years. When we had carried all these
42:16
things on shore, the oars, masted, sail and rudder of the boat
42:21
were carried away before we knocked a great hole in her bottom. That if
42:27
they had come strong enough to master us, yet they could not carry off
42:30
the boat. Indeed, it was not much in my thoughts that we should
42:36
be able to recover the ship. But my view was that if they went
42:42
away without the boat, I did not much question to make her again fit
42:47
to carry as to the Leeward Islands, and call upon our friends the Spaniards
42:53
in my way, for I had them still in my thoughts. End of
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Chapter seventeen.