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16 - Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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Speaker 1: Chapter sixteen, Rescue of Prisoners from Cannibals upon the whole.
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Speaker 1: I was by this time so fixed upon my design
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Speaker 1: of going over with him to the continent that I
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Speaker 1: told him we would go and make one as big
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Speaker 1: as that, and he should go home in it. He
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Speaker 1: answered not one word, but looked very grave and sad.
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Speaker 1: I asked him, what was the matter with him? He
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Speaker 1: asked me again, why you angry? Mad with Friday? What
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Speaker 1: me done? I asked him what he meant? I told
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Speaker 1: him I was not angry with him at all. No angry,
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Speaker 1: says he, repeating the words several times. Why send Friday
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Speaker 1: home away to my nation? Why, says I? Friday? Did
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Speaker 1: not you say you wished you were there? Yes, yes,
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Speaker 1: says he wished. We both bore know. Is Friday there?
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Speaker 1: No master there? In a word, he would not think
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Speaker 1: of going there without me. I go there, Friday, says I.
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Speaker 1: What shall I do there? He turned very quick upon
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Speaker 1: me at this. You do great deal, much good, says he.
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Speaker 1: You teach wild man's be good, sober tame man's. You
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Speaker 1: tell them know God, pray God, and live new life.
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Speaker 1: Alas Friday says, I thou knowest not what thou sayest
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Speaker 1: I am but an ignorant man myself. Yes, yes, says he.
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Speaker 1: You teach me good, you teach them good. No, no, Friday,
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Speaker 1: says I. You shall go without me, leave me here
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Speaker 1: to live by myself, as I did before. He looked
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Speaker 1: confused again at that word, and running to one of
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Speaker 1: the hatchets which he used to wear. He takes it
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Speaker 1: up hastily and gives it to me. What must I
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Speaker 1: do with this? Says I? To him, You take kill Friday,
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Speaker 1: says he? What must kill you for? Says I? Again?
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Speaker 1: He returns very quick, What you send Friday away for?
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Speaker 1: Take kill Friday? No, send Friday away? This he spoke
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Speaker 1: so earnestly that I saw tears stand in his eyes.
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Speaker 1: In a word, I so plainly discovered the utmost affection
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Speaker 1: in him to me, and a firm resolution in him
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Speaker 1: that I told him then and often after that I
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Speaker 1: would never send him away if he was willing to
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Speaker 1: stay with me. Upon the whole as I found by
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Speaker 1: all his discourse a settled affection to me, and that
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Speaker 1: nothing could part him from me. So I found all
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Speaker 1: the foundation of his desire to go to his own
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Speaker 1: country was laid in his ardent affection to the people
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Speaker 1: and his hopes of doing them good, a thing which,
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Speaker 1: as I had no notion of myself, so I had
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Speaker 1: not the least thought or intention or desire of undertaking it.
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Speaker 1: But still I found a strong inclination to attempting my escape,
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Speaker 1: founded on the supposition gathered from the discourse that there
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Speaker 1: were seventeen bearded men there. And therefore, without any more delay,
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Speaker 1: I went to work with Friday to find out a
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Speaker 1: great proper tree to fell and make a large piagua
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Speaker 1: or canoe to undertake the voyage. There were trees enough
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Speaker 1: in the island to have built a little fleet, not
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Speaker 1: of pyroguas or canoes, but even of good large vessels.
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Speaker 1: But the main thing I looked at was this, to
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Speaker 1: get one so near the water that we might launch
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Speaker 1: it when it was made. To avoid the mistake I
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Speaker 1: committed at first. At last Friday pitched upon a tree.
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Speaker 1: For I found he knew much better than I what
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Speaker 1: kind of wood was fittest for it. Nor can I
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Speaker 1: tell to this day what wood to call that tree
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Speaker 1: we cut down, except that it was very like the
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Speaker 1: tree we called fustic, or between that and the nicaragua
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Speaker 1: wood for it was much of the same color and smell.
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Speaker 1: Friday wished to burn the hollow or cavity of this
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Speaker 1: tree out to make it for a boat, but I
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Speaker 1: showed him how to cut it with tools, which after
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Speaker 1: I had showed him how to use, he did very handily,
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Speaker 1: and in about a month's hard labor we finished it
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Speaker 1: and made it very handsome, especially when with our axes,
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Speaker 1: which I showed him how to handle, we cut and
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Speaker 1: hewed the outside into the true shape of a boat.
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Speaker 1: After this, however, it cost us near a fortnight's time
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Speaker 1: to get her along, as it were, inch by inch
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Speaker 1: upon great rollers, into the water. But when she was
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Speaker 1: in she would have carried twenty men with great ease.
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Speaker 1: When she was in the water, though she was so big,
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Speaker 1: it amazed me to see with what dexterity and how
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Speaker 1: swift my man Friday could manage her, turn her and
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Speaker 1: paddle her along. So I asked him if he would,
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Speaker 1: and if we might venture over in her. Yes, he said,
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Speaker 1: we venture over in her very well, though great blow wind. However,
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Speaker 1: I had a further design that he knew nothing of,
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Speaker 1: and that was to make a mast and a sail,
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Speaker 1: and to fit her with an anchor and cable. As
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Speaker 1: to the mast, that was easy enough to get. So
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Speaker 1: I pitched upon a straight young cedar tree, which I
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Speaker 1: found near the place, and which there were great plenty
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Speaker 1: of in the island, and I set Friday to work
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Speaker 1: to cut it down, and gave him directions how to
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Speaker 1: shape and order it. But as to the sail, that
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Speaker 1: was my particular care. I knew I had old sails,
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Speaker 1: or rather pieces of old saales enough, but as I
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Speaker 1: had had them now six and twenty years by me,
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Speaker 1: and had not been very careful to preserve them, not
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Speaker 1: imagining that I should ever have this kind of use
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Speaker 1: for them, I did not doubt. But they were all rotten,
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Speaker 1: and indeed most of them were. So however, I found
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Speaker 1: two pieces which appeared pretty good, and with these I
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Speaker 1: went to work, and with a great deal of pains
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Speaker 1: and awkward stitching, you may be sure, for want of needles,
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Speaker 1: I at length made a three cornered ugly thing, like
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Speaker 1: what we call in England a shoulder a mutton sail
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Speaker 1: to go, with a boom at bottom and a short
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Speaker 1: little sprit at the top, just as usually our ship's
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Speaker 1: longboats sail with, And such as I best knew how
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Speaker 1: to manage, as it was one such as I had
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Speaker 1: in the boat in which I made my escape from Barbary.
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Speaker 1: As related in the first part of my story, I
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Speaker 1: was near two months performing this last work, that is,
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Speaker 1: rigging and fitting my masts and sails. For I finished
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Speaker 1: them very complete, making a small stay and a sail
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Speaker 1: or forsal to assist it if we should turn to windward.
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Speaker 1: And what was more than all, I fixed a rudder
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Speaker 1: to the stern to steer her with. I was but
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Speaker 1: a bungling shipwright, Yet as I knew the usefulness and
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Speaker 1: even necessity of such a thing, I applied myself with
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Speaker 1: so much pains to do it, that at last I
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Speaker 1: brought it to pass, Though considering the many dull contrivances
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Speaker 1: I had for that failed, I think it cost me
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Speaker 1: almost as much labor as making the boat. After all
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Speaker 1: this was done, I had my man Friday, to teach
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Speaker 1: us what belonged to the navigation of my boat. Though
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Speaker 1: he knew very well how to paddle a canoe, he
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Speaker 1: knew nothing of what belonged to a sail and a rudder,
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Speaker 1: and was the most amazed when he saw me work
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Speaker 1: the boat too, and again in the sea by the rudder,
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Speaker 1: and how the sail jibed and filled this way or
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Speaker 1: that way, as the course we sailed changed. I say,
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Speaker 1: when he saw this, he stood like one astonished and amazed. However,
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Speaker 1: with a little use I made all these things familiar
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Speaker 1: to him, and he became an expert sailor. Except that
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Speaker 1: of the compass I could make him understand very little.
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Speaker 1: On the other hand, as there was very little cloudy weather,
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Speaker 1: seldom or never any fogs in those parts, there was
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Speaker 1: the less occasion for a compass. Seeing. The stars were
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Speaker 1: always to be seen at night, and the shore by day,
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Speaker 1: except in the rainy seasons, and then nobody cared to
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Speaker 1: stir abroad, either by land or sea. I was now
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Speaker 1: entered on the seventh and twentieth year of my captivity
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Speaker 1: in this place, though the three last years that I
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Speaker 1: had this creature with me ought rather to be left
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Speaker 1: out of the account, my habitation being quite of another
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Speaker 1: kind than in all the rest of the time. I
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Speaker 1: kept the anniversary of my landing here with the same
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Speaker 1: thankfulness to God for his mercies as at first, And
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Speaker 1: if I had such cause of acknowledgment at first, I
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Speaker 1: had much more so now having such additional testimonies of
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Speaker 1: the care of Providence over me, and the great hopes
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Speaker 1: I had of being effectually and speedily delivered. For I
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Speaker 1: had an invincible impression upon my thoughts that my deliverance
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Speaker 1: was at hand, and that I should not be another
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Speaker 1: year in this place. I went on, however, with my husbandry, digging, planting,
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Speaker 1: and fencing as usual. I gathered and cured my grapes,
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Speaker 1: and did every necessary thing as before. The rainy season
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Speaker 1: was in the meantime upon me, when I kept more
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Speaker 1: within doors than at other times. We had stowed our
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Speaker 1: new vessel as secure as we could, bringing her up
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Speaker 1: into the creek, where as I said in the beginning,
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Speaker 1: I landed my rafts from the ship, and hauling her
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Speaker 1: up to the shore at high water mark, I made
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Speaker 1: my man Friday dig a little dock just big enough
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Speaker 1: to hold her and just deep enough to give her
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Speaker 1: water enough to float in. And then when the tide
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Speaker 1: was out, we made a stroke dam across it at
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Speaker 1: the end to keep the water out, and so she
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Speaker 1: lay dry as to the tide from the sea. And
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Speaker 1: to keep the rain off we laid a great many
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Speaker 1: boughs of trees, so thick that she was as well
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Speaker 1: thatched as a house. And thus we waited for the
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Speaker 1: months of November and December, in which I designed to
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Speaker 1: make my adventure. When the settled season began to come in,
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Speaker 1: as the thought of my design returned with the fair weather,
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Speaker 1: I was preparing daily for the voyage, and the first
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Speaker 1: thing I did was to lay by a certain quantity
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Speaker 1: of provisions, being the stores for our voyage, and intended
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Speaker 1: in a week or a fortnight's time to open the
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Speaker 1: dock and launch out our boat. I was busy one
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Speaker 1: morning upon something of this kind when I called to
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Speaker 1: Friday and bid him to go to the seashore and
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Speaker 1: see if he could find a turtle or a tortoise,
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Speaker 1: a thing which we generally got once a week for
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Speaker 1: the sake of the eggs as well as the flesh.
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Speaker 1: Friday had not been long gone when he came running
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Speaker 1: back and flew over my outer wall or fence, like
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Speaker 1: one that felt not the ground or the steps he
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Speaker 1: set foot on. And before I had time to speak
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Speaker 1: to him, he cries out to me, oh master, oh master,
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Speaker 1: oh sorrow, oh bad, what's the matter? Friday? Says I?
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Speaker 1: Oh yonder there, says he, won two three canoes one
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Speaker 1: two three. By this way of speaking I concluded there
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Speaker 1: were six, But on inquiry I found there were but three. Well,
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Speaker 1: Friday says I do not be frightened. So I heartened
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Speaker 1: him up as well as I could. However, I saw
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Speaker 1: the poor fellow was most terribly scared, for nothing ran
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Speaker 1: in his head but that they were come back to
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Speaker 1: look for him and would cut him in pieces and
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Speaker 1: eat him. And the poor fellow trembled so that I
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Speaker 1: scarcely knew what to do with him. I comfort him
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Speaker 1: as well as I could, and told him I was
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Speaker 1: in as much danger as he, and that they would
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Speaker 1: eat me as well as him. But says I Friday,
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Speaker 1: we must resolve to fight them. Can you fight? Friday? Me? Shoot?
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Speaker 1: Says he, But there come many, great number, no matter,
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Speaker 1: for that, said I again. Our guns will fright them
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Speaker 1: that we do not kill. So I asked him whether
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Speaker 1: if I resolved to defend him, he would defend me
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Speaker 1: and stand by me and do just as I bid him.
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Speaker 1: He said, me die when you bid die. Master. So
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Speaker 1: I went and fetched a good dram of rum and
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Speaker 1: gave him. For I had been so good a husband
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Speaker 1: of my rum that I had a great deal left
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Speaker 1: when we had drunk it. I made him take the
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Speaker 1: two falling pieces which we all always carried, and loaded
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Speaker 1: them with large swan shot as big as small pistol bullets.
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Speaker 1: Then I took four muskets and loaded them with two
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Speaker 1: slugs and five small bullets each, and my two pistols
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Speaker 1: I loaded with a brace of bullets each. I hung
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Speaker 1: my great sword, as usual, naked by my side, and
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Speaker 1: gave Friday his hatchet. When I had thus prepared myself,
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Speaker 1: I took my prospective glass and went up to the
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Speaker 1: side of the hill to see what I could discover.
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Speaker 1: And I found quickly by my glass that there were
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Speaker 1: one and twenty savages, three prisoners, and three canoes, and
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Speaker 1: that their whole business seemed to be the triumphant banquet
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Speaker 1: upon these three human bodies, a barbarous feast, indeed, but
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Speaker 1: nothing more than, as I had observed, was usual with them.
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Speaker 1: I observed also that they had landed not where they
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Speaker 1: had done when Friday made his escape, but nearer to
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Speaker 1: my creek, where the shore was low, and where a
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Speaker 1: thick wood came almost close down to the sea. This,
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Speaker 1: with the abhorrence of the inhuman errand these wretches came
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Speaker 1: about filled me with such indignation that I came down
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Speaker 1: again to Friday and told him I was resolved to
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Speaker 1: go down to them and kill them all, and asked
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Speaker 1: him if he would stand by me. He had now
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Speaker 1: got over his fright, and his spirits, being a little
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Speaker 1: raised with the dram I had given him, he was
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Speaker 1: very cheerful and told me as before he would die
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Speaker 1: when I bid die. In this fit of fury, I
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Speaker 1: divided the arms which I had charged as before between us.
15:57
Speaker 1: I gave Friday one pistol to stick in his girdle
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Speaker 1: and three guns upon his shoulder, and I took one
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Speaker 1: pistol and the other three guns myself, and in this
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Speaker 1: posture we marched out. I took a small bottle of
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Speaker 1: rum in my pocket and gave Friday a large bag
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Speaker 1: with more powder and bullets. And as to orders, I
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Speaker 1: charged him to keep close behind me, and not to
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Speaker 1: stir or shoot or do anything till I bid him,
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Speaker 1: and in the meantime not to speak a word. In
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Speaker 1: this posture, I fetched a compass to my right hand
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Speaker 1: of near a mile, as well to get over the
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Speaker 1: creek as to get into the wood so that I
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Speaker 1: could come within shot of them before I should be discovered,
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Speaker 1: which I had seen by my glass. It was easy
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Speaker 1: to do. While I was making this march my further
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Speaker 1: thoughts returning, I began to abate my resolution. I do
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Speaker 1: not mean that I entertained any fear of their number,
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Speaker 1: For as they were naked on armed wretches, it is
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Speaker 1: certain I was superior to them, nay, though I had
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Speaker 1: been alone. But it occurred to my thoughts, what call,
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Speaker 1: what occasion, much less what necessity I was in to
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Speaker 1: go and dip my hands in blood to attack people
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Speaker 1: who had neither done or intended me any wrong, who,
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Speaker 1: as to me, were innocent, and whose barbarous customs were
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Speaker 1: their own disaster, being in them a token indeed of
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Speaker 1: God's having left them, with the other nations of that
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Speaker 1: part of the world, to such stupidity and to such
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Speaker 1: inhuman courses. But did not call me to take upon
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Speaker 1: me to be a judge of their actions, much less
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Speaker 1: an executioner of his justice, that whenever he thought fit,
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Speaker 1: he would take the cause into his own hands, and
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Speaker 1: by national vengeance punish them as a people for national crimes.
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Speaker 1: But that in the meantime it was none of my business.
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Speaker 1: That it was true. Friday might justify it, because he
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Speaker 1: was a declared enemy in a state of war with
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Speaker 1: those very particular people, and it was lawful for him
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Speaker 1: to attack them. But I could not say the same
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Speaker 1: with regard to myself. These things were so warmly pressed
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Speaker 1: upon my thoughts all the way as I went, that
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Speaker 1: I resolved I would only go and place myself near them,
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Speaker 1: that I might observe their barbarous feast, and that I
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Speaker 1: would act then as God should direct, But that unless
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Speaker 1: something offered that was more a call to me than
19:03
Speaker 1: yet I knew of, I would not meddle with them.
19:09
Speaker 1: With this resolution, I entered the wood, and with all
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Speaker 1: possible weariness and silence, Friday following close at my heels,
19:19
Speaker 1: I marched till I came to the skirts of the
19:22
Speaker 1: wood on the side which was next to them, only
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Speaker 1: that one corner of the wood lay between me. And
19:30
Speaker 1: then here I called softly to Friday, and, showing him
19:38
Speaker 1: a great tree which was just at the corner of
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Speaker 1: the wood, I bade him go to the tree and
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Speaker 1: bring me word if he could see there plainly what
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Speaker 1: they were doing. He did so, and came immediately back
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Speaker 1: to me, and told me they might be plainly viewed there,
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Speaker 1: that they were all about their fire, eating the flesh
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Speaker 1: of one of their prisoners, and that another lay bound
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Speaker 1: upon the sand a little from them, whom he said
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Speaker 1: they would kill next. And this fired the very soul
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Speaker 1: within me. He told me it was not one of
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Speaker 1: their nation, but one of the bearded men he had
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Speaker 1: told me of that came to their country in the boat.
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Speaker 1: I was filled with horror at the very naming of
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Speaker 1: the white bearded man. And going to the tree, I
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Speaker 1: saw plainly by my glass a white man who lay
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Speaker 1: upon the beach of the sea, with his hands and
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Speaker 1: his feet tied with flags or things like rushes, and
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Speaker 1: that he was a European and had clothes on. There
20:52
Speaker 1: was another tree and a little thicket beyond it, about
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Speaker 1: fifty yards nearer to them than the place where I was, which,
21:00
Speaker 1: by going a little way about, I saw I might
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Speaker 1: come at undiscovered, and that then I should be within
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Speaker 1: half a shot of them. So I withheld my passion,
21:12
Speaker 1: though I was indeed enraged to the highest degree, And
21:17
Speaker 1: going back about twenty paces, I got behind some bushes
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Speaker 1: which held all the way till I came to the
21:25
Speaker 1: other tree, and then came to a little rising a ground,
21:30
Speaker 1: which gave me a full view of them at the
21:33
Speaker 1: distance of about eighty yards. I had now not a
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Speaker 1: moment to lose, for nineteen of the dreadful wretches sat
21:43
Speaker 1: upon the ground, all close huddled together, and had just
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Speaker 1: sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian and
21:51
Speaker 1: bring him, perhaps limb by limb, to their fire. And
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Speaker 1: they were stooping down to untie the bands at his feet.
21:59
Speaker 1: Turned to Friday. Now Friday said, I do as I
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Speaker 1: bid thee Friday said he would. Then Friday says, I
22:13
Speaker 1: do exactly as you see me do fail in nothing.
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Speaker 1: So I set down one of the muskets and the
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Speaker 1: following piece upon the ground, and Friday did the like
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Speaker 1: by his and with the other musket. I took my
22:29
Speaker 1: aim at the savages, bidding him to do the like,
22:34
Speaker 1: then asking him if he was ready. He said yes.
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Speaker 1: Then fire at them, said I, And at the same
22:42
Speaker 1: moment I fired. Also. Friday took his aim so much
22:48
Speaker 1: better than I that on the one side that he shot,
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Speaker 1: he killed two of them and wounded three more, And
22:55
Speaker 1: on my side I killed one and wounded two. They
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Speaker 1: were you may be sure, in a dreadful consternation. And
23:03
Speaker 1: all of them that were not hurt jumped upon their feet,
23:07
Speaker 1: but did not immediately know which way to run or
23:11
Speaker 1: which way to look. For they knew not from whence
23:15
Speaker 1: their destruction came. Friday kept his eyes close upon me,
23:20
Speaker 1: that as I had bid him, he might observe what
23:23
Speaker 1: I did. So as soon as the first shot was made,
23:27
Speaker 1: I threw down the piece and took up the following piece,
23:31
Speaker 1: and Friday did the like he saw me cock and
23:34
Speaker 1: present he did the same. Are you ready, Friday said I, yes,
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Speaker 1: says he let fly, Then says I, in the name
23:45
Speaker 1: of God. And with that I fired again among the
23:47
Speaker 1: amazed wretches, and so did Friday. And as our pieces
23:52
Speaker 1: were now loaded with what I call swan shot or
23:55
Speaker 1: small pistol bullets, we found only two drop, but so
24:00
Speaker 1: many were wounded that they ran about, yelling and screaming
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Speaker 1: like mad creatures, all bloody, and most of them miserably wounded,
24:08
Speaker 1: whereof three more fell down quickly after, though not quite dead. Now,
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Speaker 1: Friday says I, laying down the discharged pieces and taking
24:19
Speaker 1: up the musket which was yet loaded, follow me, which
24:24
Speaker 1: he did with a great deal of courage, and upon
24:27
Speaker 1: which I rushed out of the wood and showed myself
24:31
Speaker 1: and Friday close at my foot. As soon as I
24:34
Speaker 1: perceived they saw me, I shouted as loud as I could,
24:38
Speaker 1: and bade Friday do so too, and running as fast
24:41
Speaker 1: as I could, which by the way, was not very fast,
24:46
Speaker 1: being loaded with arms as I was, I made directly
24:50
Speaker 1: towards the poor victim, who was, as I said, lying
24:54
Speaker 1: upon the beach or shore, between the place where they
24:57
Speaker 1: sat and the sea. The two butchers that were going
25:02
Speaker 1: to work with him had left him at the surprise
25:05
Speaker 1: of our first fire, and fled in a terrible fright
25:09
Speaker 1: to the sea side, and had jumped into a canoe,
25:13
Speaker 1: and three more of the rest made the same way.
25:17
Speaker 1: I turned to Friday and bade him step forwards and
25:21
Speaker 1: fire at them. He understood me immediately, and running about
25:26
Speaker 1: forty yards to be nearer them, he shot at them,
25:29
Speaker 1: and I thought he had killed them all, for I
25:32
Speaker 1: saw them all fall of a heap into the boat,
25:35
Speaker 1: though I saw two of them up again quickly. However,
25:40
Speaker 1: he killed two of them and wounded the third, so
25:43
Speaker 1: that he lay down in the bottom of the boat.
25:46
Speaker 1: As if he had been dead. While my man Friday
25:50
Speaker 1: fired at them, I pulled out my knife and cut
25:53
Speaker 1: the flags that bound the poor victim, and, loosing his
25:56
Speaker 1: hands and feet, I lifted him up and asked him
25:59
Speaker 1: in the Portuguese tongue what he was. He answered in
26:03
Speaker 1: Latin Christianus. But he was so weak and faint that
26:08
Speaker 1: he could scarcely stand or speak. I took my bottle
26:12
Speaker 1: out of my pocket and gave it to him, making
26:14
Speaker 1: signs that he should drink, which he did, and I
26:17
Speaker 1: gave him a piece of bread, which he ate. Then
26:20
Speaker 1: I asked him what countryman he was, and he said Espanol. And,
26:27
Speaker 1: being a little recovered, let me know by all the
26:30
Speaker 1: signs he could possibly make how much he was in
26:33
Speaker 1: my debt for his deliverance, Senor said I, with as
26:39
Speaker 1: much Spanish as I could make up. We will talk afterwards,
26:43
Speaker 1: but we must fight now. If you have any strength left,
26:47
Speaker 1: take this pistol and sword and lay about you. He
26:51
Speaker 1: took them very thankfully, and no sooner had he the
26:55
Speaker 1: arms in his hands, But as if they had put
26:58
Speaker 1: new vigor into him, he flew upon his murderers like
27:02
Speaker 1: a fury, and had cut two of them in pieces
27:06
Speaker 1: in an instant. For the truth is, as the whole
27:09
Speaker 1: was a surprise to them. So the poor creatures were
27:12
Speaker 1: so much frightened with the noise of our pieces that
27:15
Speaker 1: they fell down for mere amazement and fear, and had
27:19
Speaker 1: no more power to attempt their own escape than their
27:22
Speaker 1: flesh had to resist our shot. And that was the
27:27
Speaker 1: case of those five that Friday shot at in the boat,
27:30
Speaker 1: for as three of them fell with the hurt they received,
27:33
Speaker 1: so the other two fell with the fright. I kept
27:38
Speaker 1: my piece in my hand still without firing, being willing
27:42
Speaker 1: to keep my charge ready, because I had given the
27:45
Speaker 1: Spaniard my pistol and sword. So I called to Friday
27:48
Speaker 1: and bade him run up to the tree from whence
27:51
Speaker 1: he first fired, and fetch the arms which lay there discharged,
27:57
Speaker 1: which he did with great swiftness, and then giving him
28:01
Speaker 1: my musket, I sat down myself to load all the
28:04
Speaker 1: rest again, and bade them come to me when they wanted.
28:08
Speaker 1: While I was loading these pieces, there happened a fierce
28:12
Speaker 1: engagement between the Spaniard and one of the savages, who
28:15
Speaker 1: made at him with one of their great wooden swords,
28:19
Speaker 1: the weapon that was to have killed him before, if
28:22
Speaker 1: I had not prevented it. The Spaniard, who was as
28:25
Speaker 1: bold and brave as could be imagined, though weak, had
28:29
Speaker 1: fought the Indian a good while, and had cut two
28:33
Speaker 1: great wounds on his head. But the Savage, being a
28:36
Speaker 1: stout lusty fellow closing in with him, had thrown him down,
28:41
Speaker 1: being faint, and was wringing my sword out of his hand,
28:45
Speaker 1: when the Spaniard, though undermost wisely quitting the sword, drew
28:50
Speaker 1: the pistol from his girdle, shot the Savage through the
28:54
Speaker 1: body and killed him upon the spot before I, who
28:58
Speaker 1: was running to help him, could come near him. Friday,
29:03
Speaker 1: being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying wretches
29:07
Speaker 1: with no weapon in his hand but his hatchet, and
29:10
Speaker 1: with that he despatched those three, who, as I said before,
29:13
Speaker 1: were wounded at first and fallen, and all the rest
29:17
Speaker 1: he could come up with, And the Spaniard coming to
29:20
Speaker 1: me for a gun, I gave him one of the
29:22
Speaker 1: foling pieces, with which he pursued two of the savages
29:25
Speaker 1: and wounded them both, but as he was not able
29:28
Speaker 1: to run, they both got from him into the wood,
29:32
Speaker 1: where Friday pursued them and killed one of them, but
29:35
Speaker 1: the other was too nimble for him, and though he
29:38
Speaker 1: was wounded, yet had plunged himself into the sea and
29:42
Speaker 1: swam with all his might off to those two who
29:45
Speaker 1: were left in the canoe. Which three in the canoe,
29:49
Speaker 1: with one wounded that we knew not whether he died
29:52
Speaker 1: or no, were all that escaped our hands. Of one
29:56
Speaker 1: and twenty The account of the whole is as follows.
30:01
Speaker 1: Three killed at our first shot from the tree, two
30:04
Speaker 1: killed at the next shot, two killed by Friday in
30:07
Speaker 1: the boat, two killed by Friday. Of those at first wounded,
30:12
Speaker 1: one killed by Friday in the wood, three killed by
30:15
Speaker 1: the spaniard, four killed being found dropped here and there,
30:19
Speaker 1: of the wounds or killed by Friday, and as chased them,
30:23
Speaker 1: four escaped in the boat, whereof one wounded, if not dead,
30:28
Speaker 1: twenty one in all those that were in the canoe
30:32
Speaker 1: worked hard to get out of gunshot, And though Friday
30:35
Speaker 1: made two or three shots at them, I did not
30:38
Speaker 1: find that he hit any of them. Friday would fain
30:42
Speaker 1: have had me take one of their canoes and pursue them,
30:46
Speaker 1: And indeed I was very anxious about their escape. Lest
30:50
Speaker 1: carrying home news to their people, they should come back,
30:54
Speaker 1: perhaps with two or three hundred of the canoes, and
30:56
Speaker 1: devour us by mere multitude. So I consented to pursue
31:01
Speaker 1: them by sea, and running to their canoes, I jumped
31:05
Speaker 1: in and bade Friday follow me. But when I was
31:08
Speaker 1: in the canoe, I was surprised to find another poor
31:10
Speaker 1: creature lie there, bound hand and foot, as the Spaniard was,
31:14
Speaker 1: for slaughter, and almost dead with fear, not knowing what
31:18
Speaker 1: was the matter, for he had not been able to
31:20
Speaker 1: look up over the side of the boat. He was
31:23
Speaker 1: tied so hard neck and heels, and had been tied
31:28
Speaker 1: so long that he had really but little life in him.
31:31
Speaker 1: I immediately cut the twisted flags or rushes which they
31:35
Speaker 1: had bound him with, and would have helped him up,
31:39
Speaker 1: But he could not stand or speak, but groaned most piteously,
31:44
Speaker 1: believing it seemed still that he was only unbound in
31:48
Speaker 1: order to be killed. When Friday came to him, I
31:51
Speaker 1: bade him speak to him and tell him of his deliverance,
31:55
Speaker 1: and pulling out my bottle made him give the poor wretchedram,
31:59
Speaker 1: which was the news of his being delivered. Revived him
32:02
Speaker 1: and he sat up in the boat. But when Friday
32:05
Speaker 1: came to hear him speak and look in his face.
32:09
Speaker 1: It would have moved any one to tears to see
32:11
Speaker 1: how Friday kissed him and embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed, halloude,
32:19
Speaker 1: jumped about, danced, sang, then cried again, wrung his hands,
32:25
Speaker 1: beat his own face and head, and then sang and
32:29
Speaker 1: jumped about again, like a distracted creature. It was a
32:33
Speaker 1: good while before I could make him speak to me
32:36
Speaker 1: or tell me what was the matter. But when he
32:38
Speaker 1: came a little to himself, he told me that it
32:43
Speaker 1: was his father. It is not easy for me to
32:49
Speaker 1: express how it moved me to see what ecstasy and
32:53
Speaker 1: filial affection had worked in this poor savage at the
32:56
Speaker 1: sight of his father and of his being delivered from death.
33:03
Speaker 1: Nor indeed can I describe half the extravagances of his
33:07
Speaker 1: affection after this, For he went into the boat and
33:11
Speaker 1: out of the boat a great many times. When he
33:14
Speaker 1: went in to him, he would sit down by him,
33:17
Speaker 1: open his breast, and hold his father's head close to
33:20
Speaker 1: his bosom for many minutes together to nourish it. Then
33:26
Speaker 1: he took his arms and ankles, which were numb and
33:29
Speaker 1: stiff with the binding, and chafed and rubbed them with
33:33
Speaker 1: his hands, and I, perceiving what the case was, gave
33:39
Speaker 1: him some rum out of my bottle to rub with them,
33:42
Speaker 1: which did him a great deal of good. This affair
33:47
Speaker 1: put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with
33:49
Speaker 1: the other savages, who were now almost out of sight,
33:53
Speaker 1: And it was happy for us that we did not,
33:56
Speaker 1: for it blew so hard within two hours after and
34:00
Speaker 1: before they could be got a quarter of their way,
34:03
Speaker 1: and continue blowing so hard all night, and that from
34:06
Speaker 1: the northwest, which was against them, that I could not
34:11
Speaker 1: suppose their boat could live, or that they ever reached
34:15
Speaker 1: their own coast, but to return to Friday. He was
34:21
Speaker 1: so busy about his father that I could not find
34:25
Speaker 1: in my heart to take him off for some time.
34:28
Speaker 1: But after I thought he could leave him a little,
34:31
Speaker 1: I called him to me, and he came, jumping and
34:34
Speaker 1: laughing and pleased to the highest extreme. Then I asked
34:39
Speaker 1: him if he had given his father any bread. He
34:43
Speaker 1: shook his head and said, none, ugly dog, eat all
34:47
Speaker 1: up self. I then gave him a cake of bread
34:51
Speaker 1: out of a little pouch I carried on purpose. I
34:55
Speaker 1: also gave him a dram for himself, but he would
34:58
Speaker 1: not taste it, but carried it to his father. I
35:02
Speaker 1: had in my pocket two or three bunches of raisins,
35:05
Speaker 1: so I gave him a handful for his father. He
35:10
Speaker 1: had no sooner given his father these raisins. But I
35:13
Speaker 1: saw him come out of the boat and run away,
35:16
Speaker 1: as if he had been bewitched, for he was the
35:19
Speaker 1: swiftest fellow on his feet that I ever saw. I
35:22
Speaker 1: say he ran at such a rate that he was
35:25
Speaker 1: out of sight, as it were, in an instant, And
35:28
Speaker 1: though I called and hallooed out two after him, it
35:32
Speaker 1: was all one. Away he went. And in a quarter
35:36
Speaker 1: of an hour I saw him come back again, though
35:38
Speaker 1: not so fast as he went. And as he came nearer,
35:44
Speaker 1: I found his pace slacker, because he had something in
35:49
Speaker 1: his hand. When he came up to me, I found
35:52
Speaker 1: he had been quite home for an earthen jugger pot
35:56
Speaker 1: to put some fresh water for his father in, and
36:01
Speaker 1: that he had got two more cakes or loaves of bread.
36:05
Speaker 1: The bread he gave me, but the water he carried
36:08
Speaker 1: to his father. However, as I was very thirsty too,
36:12
Speaker 1: I took a little of it. The water revived his
36:16
Speaker 1: father more than all the rum or spirits I had
36:19
Speaker 1: given him, for he was fainting with thirst. When his
36:25
Speaker 1: father had drunk. I called to him to know if
36:28
Speaker 1: there was any water left. He said yes, and I
36:32
Speaker 1: bade him give it to the poor spaniard, who was
36:35
Speaker 1: in as much one of it as the father. And
36:39
Speaker 1: I sent one of the cakes that Friday brought to
36:41
Speaker 1: the spaniard too, who was indeed very weak, and was
36:45
Speaker 1: reposing himself upon a green place under the shade of
36:48
Speaker 1: a tree, and whose limbs were also very stiff and
36:52
Speaker 1: very much swelled with the rude bandage he had been
36:56
Speaker 1: tied with. When I saw that, upon Friday's coming to
37:00
Speaker 1: him with the water, he sat up and drank, and
37:03
Speaker 1: took the bread and began to eat. I went to
37:06
Speaker 1: him and gave him a handful of raisins. He looked
37:09
Speaker 1: up in my face with all the tokens of gratitude
37:13
Speaker 1: and thankfulness that could appear in any countenance, but was
37:17
Speaker 1: so weak, notwithstanding he had so exerted himself in the
37:22
Speaker 1: fight that he could not stand up upon his feet.
37:28
Speaker 1: He tried to do it two or three times, but
37:32
Speaker 1: was really not able. His ankles were so swelled and
37:36
Speaker 1: so painful to him, so I bade him sit still,
37:40
Speaker 1: and caused Friday to rub his ankles and bade them
37:44
Speaker 1: with rum, as he had done his father's. I observed
37:49
Speaker 1: the poor affectionate creature every two minutes or perhaps less,
37:55
Speaker 1: all the while he was here, turned his head about
37:58
Speaker 1: to see if his father was in the same place
38:00
Speaker 1: and posture as he had left him sitting. And at
38:04
Speaker 1: last he found he was not to be seen, at
38:08
Speaker 1: which he started up, and without speaking a word, flew
38:11
Speaker 1: with that swiftness to him that one could scarce perceive
38:15
Speaker 1: his feet to touch the ground as he went. But
38:18
Speaker 1: when he came he only found he had laid himself
38:21
Speaker 1: down to ease his limbs. So Friday came back to
38:25
Speaker 1: me presently, and then I spoke to the Spaniard to
38:29
Speaker 1: let Friday help him up if he could, and lead
38:32
Speaker 1: him to the boat, and then he should carry him
38:36
Speaker 1: to our dwelling, where I would take care of him.
38:41
Speaker 1: But Friday, a lusty, strong fellow, took the Spaniard upon
38:45
Speaker 1: his back and carried him away to the boat, and
38:47
Speaker 1: set him down softly upon the side or gunwale of
38:50
Speaker 1: the canoe, with his feet on the inside of it,
38:55
Speaker 1: and then lifting him quite in. He set him close
38:59
Speaker 1: to his father, and presently stepping out again, launched the
39:03
Speaker 1: boat off and paddled it along the shore faster than
39:06
Speaker 1: I could walk. Though the wind blew pretty hard too,
39:11
Speaker 1: so he brought them both safe into our creek, and,
39:15
Speaker 1: leaving them in the boat, ran away to fetch the
39:18
Speaker 1: other canoe. As he passed me, I spoke to him
39:21
Speaker 1: and asked him whither he went. He told me, go
39:25
Speaker 1: fetch more boat. So away he went like the wind.
39:29
Speaker 1: For sure, never man nor horse ran like him, and
39:33
Speaker 1: he had the other canoe in the creek almost as
39:35
Speaker 1: soon as I had got to it by land. So
39:39
Speaker 1: he wafted me over and then went to help our
39:42
Speaker 1: new guests out of the boat, which he did. But
39:47
Speaker 1: they were neither of them able to walk, so that
39:50
Speaker 1: poor Friday knew not what to do to remedy this.
39:56
Speaker 1: I went to work in my thought, and calling to
39:59
Speaker 1: Friday to bid him sit down on the bank while
40:03
Speaker 1: he came to me. I soon made a kind of
40:07
Speaker 1: hand barrel to lay them on, and Friday and I
40:10
Speaker 1: carried them both up together between us. But when we
40:16
Speaker 1: got them to the outside of our wall or fortification,
40:21
Speaker 1: we were at a worse loss than before, for it
40:23
Speaker 1: was impossible to get them over, and I was resolved
40:27
Speaker 1: not to break it down. So I set to work again,
40:31
Speaker 1: and Friday and I, in about two hours time made
40:34
Speaker 1: a very handsome tent covered with old sails, and above
40:38
Speaker 1: that with boughs of trees being in the space without
40:41
Speaker 1: our outward fence, and between that and the grove of
40:46
Speaker 1: young wood which I had planted. And here we made
40:50
Speaker 1: them two beds of such things as I had, that is,
40:53
Speaker 1: of good rice straw, with blankets laid upon it to
40:58
Speaker 1: lie on, and another to them on each bed. My
41:04
Speaker 1: island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich
41:08
Speaker 1: in subjects, and it was a merry reflection which I
41:12
Speaker 1: frequently made, how like a king I looked. First of all,
41:18
Speaker 1: the whole country was my own property, so that I
41:21
Speaker 1: had an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were
41:26
Speaker 1: perfectly subjected. I was absolutely lord and lawgiver. They all
41:33
Speaker 1: owed their lives to me, and were ready to lay
41:36
Speaker 1: down their lives if there had been occasion for it.
41:40
Speaker 1: For me, it was remarkable too, I had but three subjects,
41:46
Speaker 1: and they were of three different religions. My man Friday
41:51
Speaker 1: was a Protestant, his father was a pagan and a cannibal,
41:56
Speaker 1: and the Spaniard was a papist. However, I allowed liberty
42:02
Speaker 1: of conscience throughout my dominions. But this is by the way.
42:08
Speaker 1: As soon as I had secured my two week rescued
42:11
Speaker 1: prisoners and given them shelter and a place to rest
42:15
Speaker 1: them upon, I began to think of making some provision
42:18
Speaker 1: for them. And the first thing I did I ordered
42:21
Speaker 1: Friday to take a yearling goat betwixt a kid and
42:26
Speaker 1: a goat out of my particular flock, to be killed.
42:30
Speaker 1: When I cut off the kind quarter and chopping it
42:32
Speaker 1: into small pieces, I set Friday to work to boiling
42:36
Speaker 1: and stewing it, and made them a very good dish,
42:41
Speaker 1: I assure you, of flesh and broth, and as I
42:46
Speaker 1: cooked it with out doors, for I made no fire
42:49
Speaker 1: within my inner wall. So I carried it all into
42:53
Speaker 1: the new tent, and having set a table there for them,
42:56
Speaker 1: I sat down and ate my own dinner also with them,
43:00
Speaker 1: as well as I could, cheered them and encouraged them.
43:04
Speaker 1: Friday was my interpreter, especially to his father, and indeed
43:10
Speaker 1: to the Spaniard too. For the Spaniards spoke the language
43:13
Speaker 1: of the savages pretty well. After we had dined, or
43:18
Speaker 1: rather supped, I ordered Friday to take one of the
43:22
Speaker 1: canoes and go fetch our muskets and other firearms, which
43:26
Speaker 1: for one of time we had left upon the place
43:29
Speaker 1: of battle. And the next day I ordered him to
43:32
Speaker 1: go and bury the dead bodies of the savages, which
43:37
Speaker 1: lay open to the sun and would presently be offensive.
43:41
Speaker 1: I also ordered him to bury the horrid remains of
43:44
Speaker 1: their barbarous feast, which I could not think of doing myself. Nay,
43:49
Speaker 1: I could not bear to see them if I went
43:52
Speaker 1: that way, all which he punctually performed, and efface the
43:58
Speaker 1: very appearance of the savages being there, so that when
44:02
Speaker 1: I went again, I could scarce know where it was,
44:05
Speaker 1: otherwise than by the corner of the wood pointing to
44:08
Speaker 1: the place. I then began to enter into a little
44:13
Speaker 1: conversation with my two new subjects, And first I set
44:17
Speaker 1: Friday to inquire of his father what he thought of
44:20
Speaker 1: the escape of the savages in that canoe, and whether
44:23
Speaker 1: we might expect a return of them with a power
44:26
Speaker 1: too great for us to resist. His first opinion was
44:31
Speaker 1: that the savages in the boat never could live out
44:34
Speaker 1: the storm which blew that night they went off, but
44:37
Speaker 1: must of necessity be drowned or driven south to those
44:41
Speaker 1: other shores, where they were as sure to be devoured
44:44
Speaker 1: as they were to be drowned if they were cast away.
44:49
Speaker 1: But as to what they would do if they came
44:52
Speaker 1: safe on shore, he said he knew not, But it
44:56
Speaker 1: was his opinion that they were so dreadfully frightened with
45:00
Speaker 1: the manner of their being attacked, and the noise and
45:03
Speaker 1: the fire, that he believed they would tell the people
45:06
Speaker 1: they were all killed by thunder and lightning, not by
45:09
Speaker 1: the hand of man, and that the two which appeared
45:13
Speaker 1: that his Friday and I, were two heavenly spirits or
45:17
Speaker 1: furies come down to destroy them, and not men with weapons.
45:23
Speaker 1: This he said he knew, because he heard them all
45:27
Speaker 1: cry out so in their language, one to another, For
45:32
Speaker 1: it was impossible for them to conceive that a man
45:34
Speaker 1: could dart fire and speak thunder and kill at a
45:40
Speaker 1: distance without lifting up the hand, as was done now.
45:46
Speaker 1: And this old savage was in the right, for as
45:48
Speaker 1: I understood, since by other hands, the savages never attempted
45:53
Speaker 1: to go over to the island afterwards. They were so
45:56
Speaker 1: terrified with the accounts given by these four men, for
46:00
Speaker 1: it seems they did escape the sea, that they believed
46:04
Speaker 1: whoever went to that enchanted island would be destroyed with
46:08
Speaker 1: fire from the gods. This, however, I knew not, and
46:15
Speaker 1: therefore was under continual apprehensions for a good while, and
46:20
Speaker 1: kept always upon my guard with all my army. For
46:26
Speaker 1: as there were now four of us, I would have
46:29
Speaker 1: ventured upon a hundred of them fairly in the open
46:32
Speaker 1: field at any time. End of Chapter sixteen,