Latest / Classic Adventure Books Collection / 16 - Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe

Transcript

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

0:00
Chapter sixteen, Rescue of Prisoners from Cannibals upon the whole. I was by
0:09
this time so fixed upon my design of going over with him to the continent
0:14
that I told him we would go and make one as big as that,
0:18
and he should go home in it. He answered not one word, but
0:23
looked very grave and sad. I asked him, what was the matter with
0:28
him? He asked me again, why you angry? Mad with Friday?
0:33
What me done? I asked him what he meant? I told him I
0:39
was not angry with him at all. No angry, says he, repeating
0:46
the words several times. Why send Friday home away to my nation? Why,
0:52
says I? Friday? Did not you say you wished you were there?
0:57
Yes, yes, says he wished. We both bore know. Is
1:00
Friday there? No master there? In a word, he would not think
1:06
of going there without me. I go there, Friday, says I.
1:10
What shall I do there? He turned very quick upon me at this.
1:15
You do great deal, much good, says he. You teach wild man's
1:19
be good, sober tame man's. You tell them know God, pray God,
1:25
and live new life. Alas Friday says, I thou knowest not what
1:30
thou sayest I am but an ignorant man myself. Yes, yes, says
1:36
he. You teach me good, you teach them good. No, no,
1:42
Friday, says I. You shall go without me, leave me here
1:47
to live by myself, as I did before. He looked confused again at
1:52
that word, and running to one of the hatchets which he used to wear.
1:57
He takes it up hastily and gives it to me. What must I
2:01
do with this? Says I? To him, You take kill Friday,
2:06
says he? What must kill you for? Says I? Again? He
2:12
returns very quick, What you send Friday away for? Take kill Friday?
2:17
No, send Friday away? This he spoke so earnestly that I saw tears
2:23
stand in his eyes. In a word, I so plainly discovered the utmost
2:30
affection in him to me, and a firm resolution in him that I told
2:37
him then and often after that I would never send him away if he was
2:42
willing to stay with me. Upon the whole as I found by all his
2:47
discourse a settled affection to me, and that nothing could part him from me.
2:53
So I found all the foundation of his desire to go to his own
2:58
country was laid in his ardent affection to the people and his hopes of doing
3:02
them good, a thing which, as I had no notion of myself,
3:07
so I had not the least thought or intention or desire of undertaking it.
3:13
But still I found a strong inclination to attempting my escape, founded on the
3:20
supposition gathered from the discourse that there were seventeen bearded men there. And therefore,
3:25
without any more delay, I went to work with Friday to find out
3:30
a great proper tree to fell and make a large piagua or canoe to undertake
3:38
the voyage. There were trees enough in the island to have built a little
3:43
fleet, not of pyroguas or canoes, but even of good large vessels.
3:49
But the main thing I looked at was this, to get one so near
3:53
the water that we might launch it when it was made. To avoid the
3:58
mistake I committed at first. At last Friday pitched upon a tree. For
4:03
I found he knew much better than I what kind of wood was fittest for
4:08
it. Nor can I tell to this day what wood to call that tree
4:12
we cut down, except that it was very like the tree we called fustic,
4:17
or between that and the nicaragua wood for it was much of the same
4:21
color and smell. Friday wished to burn the hollow or cavity of this tree
4:29
out to make it for a boat, but I showed him how to cut
4:31
it with tools, which after I had showed him how to use, he
4:36
did very handily, and in about a month's hard labor we finished it and
4:41
made it very handsome, especially when with our axes, which I showed him
4:46
how to handle, we cut and hewed the outside into the true shape of
4:51
a boat. After this, however, it cost us near a fortnight's time
4:58
to get her along, as it were, inch by inch upon great rollers,
5:02
into the water. But when she was in she would have carried twenty
5:08
men with great ease. When she was in the water, though she was
5:13
so big, it amazed me to see with what dexterity and how swift my
5:17
man Friday could manage her, turn her and paddle her along. So I
5:24
asked him if he would, and if we might venture over in her.
5:29
Yes, he said, we venture over in her very well, though great
5:33
blow wind. However, I had a further design that he knew nothing of,
5:40
and that was to make a mast and a sail, and to fit
5:45
her with an anchor and cable. As to the mast, that was easy
5:49
enough to get. So I pitched upon a straight young cedar tree, which
5:56
I found near the place, and which there were great plenty of in the
6:00
island, and I set Friday to work to cut it down, and gave
6:03
him directions how to shape and order it. But as to the sail,
6:09
that was my particular care. I knew I had old sails, or rather
6:15
pieces of old saales enough, but as I had had them now six and
6:19
twenty years by me, and had not been very careful to preserve them,
6:24
not imagining that I should ever have this kind of use for them, I
6:28
did not doubt. But they were all rotten, and indeed most of them
6:32
were. So however, I found two pieces which appeared pretty good, and
6:38
with these I went to work, and with a great deal of pains and
6:42
awkward stitching, you may be sure, for want of needles, I at
6:46
length made a three cornered ugly thing, like what we call in England a
6:53
shoulder a mutton sail to go, with a boom at bottom and a short
6:59
little sprit at the top, just as usually our ship's longboats sail with,
7:04
And such as I best knew how to manage, as it was one such
7:10
as I had in the boat in which I made my escape from Barbary.
7:14
As related in the first part of my story, I was near two months
7:19
performing this last work, that is, rigging and fitting my masts and sails.
7:26
For I finished them very complete, making a small stay and a sail
7:30
or forsal to assist it if we should turn to windward. And what was
7:38
more than all, I fixed a rudder to the stern to steer her with.
7:43
I was but a bungling shipwright, Yet as I knew the usefulness and
7:47
even necessity of such a thing, I applied myself with so much pains to
7:51
do it, that at last I brought it to pass, Though considering the
7:57
many dull contrivances I had for that failed, I think it cost me almost
8:01
as much labor as making the boat. After all this was done, I
8:07
had my man Friday, to teach us what belonged to the navigation of my
8:13
boat. Though he knew very well how to paddle a canoe, he knew
8:18
nothing of what belonged to a sail and a rudder, and was the most
8:22
amazed when he saw me work the boat too, and again in the sea
8:26
by the rudder, and how the sail jibed and filled this way or that
8:33
way, as the course we sailed changed. I say, when he saw
8:41
this, he stood like one astonished and amazed. However, with a little
8:48
use I made all these things familiar to him, and he became an expert
8:52
sailor. Except that of the compass I could make him understand very little.
8:58
On the other hand, as there was very little cloudy weather, seldom or
9:03
never any fogs in those parts, there was the less occasion for a compass.
9:09
Seeing. The stars were always to be seen at night, and the
9:13
shore by day, except in the rainy seasons, and then nobody cared to
9:18
stir abroad, either by land or sea. I was now entered on the
9:24
seventh and twentieth year of my captivity in this place, though the three last
9:28
years that I had this creature with me ought rather to be left out of
9:33
the account, my habitation being quite of another kind than in all the rest
9:37
of the time. I kept the anniversary of my landing here with the same
9:41
thankfulness to God for his mercies as at first, And if I had such
9:48
cause of acknowledgment at first, I had much more so now having such additional
9:54
testimonies of the care of Providence over me, and the great hopes I had
9:58
of being effectually and speedily delivered. For I had an invincible impression upon my
10:05
thoughts that my deliverance was at hand, and that I should not be another
10:11
year in this place. I went on, however, with my husbandry,
10:16
digging, planting, and fencing as usual. I gathered and cured my grapes,
10:22
and did every necessary thing as before. The rainy season was in the
10:28
meantime upon me, when I kept more within doors than at other times.
10:33
We had stowed our new vessel as secure as we could, bringing her up
10:37
into the creek, where as I said in the beginning, I landed my
10:41
rafts from the ship, and hauling her up to the shore at high water
10:46
mark, I made my man Friday dig a little dock just big enough to
10:52
hold her and just deep enough to give her water enough to float in.
10:56
And then when the tide was out, we made a stroke dam across it
11:01
at the end to keep the water out, and so she lay dry as
11:07
to the tide from the sea. And to keep the rain off we laid
11:11
a great many boughs of trees, so thick that she was as well thatched
11:16
as a house. And thus we waited for the months of November and December,
11:22
in which I designed to make my adventure. When the settled season began
11:28
to come in, as the thought of my design returned with the fair weather,
11:33
I was preparing daily for the voyage, and the first thing I did
11:37
was to lay by a certain quantity of provisions, being the stores for our
11:41
voyage, and intended in a week or a fortnight's time to open the dock
11:48
and launch out our boat. I was busy one morning upon something of this
11:52
kind when I called to Friday and bid him to go to the seashore and
11:56
see if he could find a turtle or a tortoise, a thing which we
12:01
generally got once a week for the sake of the eggs as well as the
12:05
flesh. Friday had not been long gone when he came running back and flew
12:11
over my outer wall or fence, like one that felt not the ground or
12:16
the steps he set foot on. And before I had time to speak to
12:20
him, he cries out to me, oh master, oh master, oh
12:24
sorrow, oh bad, what's the matter? Friday? Says I? Oh
12:30
yonder there, says he, won two three canoes one two three. By
12:35
this way of speaking I concluded there were six, But on inquiry I found
12:41
there were but three. Well, Friday says I do not be frightened.
12:46
So I heartened him up as well as I could. However, I saw
12:50
the poor fellow was most terribly scared, for nothing ran in his head but
12:54
that they were come back to look for him and would cut him in pieces
12:58
and eat him. And the poor fellow trembled so that I scarcely knew what
13:05
to do with him. I comfort him as well as I could, and
13:09
told him I was in as much danger as he, and that they would
13:13
eat me as well as him. But says I Friday, we must resolve
13:18
to fight them. Can you fight? Friday? Me? Shoot? Says
13:24
he, But there come many, great number, no matter, for that,
13:28
said I again. Our guns will fright them that we do not kill.
13:33
So I asked him whether if I resolved to defend him, he would
13:37
defend me and stand by me and do just as I bid him. He
13:41
said, me die when you bid die. Master. So I went and
13:46
fetched a good dram of rum and gave him. For I had been so
13:50
good a husband of my rum that I had a great deal left when we
13:56
had drunk it. I made him take the two falling pieces which we all
14:00
always carried, and loaded them with large swan shot as big as small pistol
14:05
bullets. Then I took four muskets and loaded them with two slugs and five
14:11
small bullets each, and my two pistols I loaded with a brace of bullets
14:13
each. I hung my great sword, as usual, naked by my side,
14:20
and gave Friday his hatchet. When I had thus prepared myself, I
14:24
took my prospective glass and went up to the side of the hill to see
14:30
what I could discover. And I found quickly by my glass that there were
14:35
one and twenty savages, three prisoners, and three canoes, and that their
14:41
whole business seemed to be the triumphant banquet upon these three human bodies, a
14:48
barbarous feast, indeed, but nothing more than, as I had observed,
14:54
was usual with them. I observed also that they had landed not where they
15:01
had done when Friday made his escape, but nearer to my creek, where
15:07
the shore was low, and where a thick wood came almost close down to
15:13
the sea. This, with the abhorrence of the inhuman errand these wretches came
15:20
about filled me with such indignation that I came down again to Friday and told
15:26
him I was resolved to go down to them and kill them all, and
15:31
asked him if he would stand by me. He had now got over his
15:37
fright, and his spirits, being a little raised with the dram I had
15:41
given him, he was very cheerful and told me as before he would die
15:48
when I bid die. In this fit of fury, I divided the arms
15:52
which I had charged as before between us. I gave Friday one pistol to
16:00
stick in his girdle and three guns upon his shoulder, and I took one
16:04
pistol and the other three guns myself, and in this posture we marched out.
16:11
I took a small bottle of rum in my pocket and gave Friday a
16:15
large bag with more powder and bullets. And as to orders, I charged
16:22
him to keep close behind me, and not to stir or shoot or do
16:26
anything till I bid him, and in the meantime not to speak a word.
16:33
In this posture, I fetched a compass to my right hand of near
16:38
a mile, as well to get over the creek as to get into the
16:42
wood so that I could come within shot of them before I should be discovered,
16:48
which I had seen by my glass. It was easy to do.
16:53
While I was making this march my further thoughts returning, I began to abate
17:00
my resolution. I do not mean that I entertained any fear of their number,
17:07
For as they were naked on armed wretches, it is certain I was
17:12
superior to them, nay, though I had been alone. But it occurred
17:18
to my thoughts, what call, what occasion, much less what necessity I
17:26
was in to go and dip my hands in blood to attack people who had
17:33
neither done or intended me any wrong, who, as to me, were
17:38
innocent, and whose barbarous customs were their own disaster, being in them a
17:45
token indeed of God's having left them, with the other nations of that part
17:49
of the world, to such stupidity and to such inhuman courses. But did
17:56
not call me to take upon me to be a judge of their actions,
18:02
much less an executioner of his justice, that whenever he thought fit, he
18:10
would take the cause into his own hands, and by national vengeance punish them
18:17
as a people for national crimes. But that in the meantime it was none
18:21
of my business. That it was true. Friday might justify it, because
18:26
he was a declared enemy in a state of war with those very particular people,
18:33
and it was lawful for him to attack them. But I could not
18:37
say the same with regard to myself. These things were so warmly pressed upon
18:44
my thoughts all the way as I went, that I resolved I would only
18:48
go and place myself near them, that I might observe their barbarous feast,
18:53
and that I would act then as God should direct, But that unless something
19:00
offered that was more a call to me than yet I knew of, I
19:04
would not meddle with them. With this resolution, I entered the wood,
19:11
and with all possible weariness and silence, Friday following close at my heels,
19:18
I marched till I came to the skirts of the wood on the side which
19:23
was next to them, only that one corner of the wood lay between me.
19:30
And then here I called softly to Friday, and, showing him a
19:37
great tree which was just at the corner of the wood, I bade him
19:44
go to the tree and bring me word if he could see there plainly what
19:49
they were doing. He did so, and came immediately back to me,
19:55
and told me they might be plainly viewed there, that they were all about
20:00
their fire, eating the flesh of one of their prisoners, and that another
20:04
lay bound upon the sand a little from them, whom he said they would
20:11
kill next. And this fired the very soul within me. He told me
20:17
it was not one of their nation, but one of the bearded men he
20:21
had told me of that came to their country in the boat. I was
20:26
filled with horror at the very naming of the white bearded man. And going
20:32
to the tree, I saw plainly by my glass a white man who lay
20:37
upon the beach of the sea, with his hands and his feet tied with
20:42
flags or things like rushes, and that he was a European and had clothes
20:49
on. There was another tree and a little thicket beyond it, about fifty
20:56
yards nearer to them than the place where I was, which, by going
21:00
a little way about, I saw I might come at undiscovered, and that
21:06
then I should be within half a shot of them. So I withheld my
21:11
passion, though I was indeed enraged to the highest degree, And going back
21:18
about twenty paces, I got behind some bushes which held all the way till
21:23
I came to the other tree, and then came to a little rising a
21:27
ground, which gave me a full view of them at the distance of about
21:34
eighty yards. I had now not a moment to lose, for nineteen of
21:41
the dreadful wretches sat upon the ground, all close huddled together, and had
21:47
just sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian and bring him, perhaps
21:52
limb by limb, to their fire. And they were stooping down to untie
21:56
the bands at his feet. Turned to Friday. Now Friday said, I
22:06
do as I bid thee Friday said he would. Then Friday says, I
22:12
do exactly as you see me do fail in nothing. So I set down
22:19
one of the muskets and the following piece upon the ground, and Friday did
22:25
the like by his and with the other musket. I took my aim at
22:30
the savages, bidding him to do the like, then asking him if he
22:34
was ready. He said yes. Then fire at them, said I,
22:41
And at the same moment I fired. Also. Friday took his aim so
22:47
much better than I that on the one side that he shot, he killed
22:51
two of them and wounded three more, And on my side I killed one
22:56
and wounded two. They were you may be sure, in a dreadful consternation.
23:02
And all of them that were not hurt jumped upon their feet, but
23:07
did not immediately know which way to run or which way to look. For
23:12
they knew not from whence their destruction came. Friday kept his eyes close upon
23:18
me, that as I had bid him, he might observe what I did.
23:23
So as soon as the first shot was made, I threw down the
23:27
piece and took up the following piece, and Friday did the like he saw
23:33
me cock and present he did the same. Are you ready, Friday said
23:38
I, yes, says he let fly, Then says I, in the
23:44
name of God. And with that I fired again among the amazed wretches,
23:48
and so did Friday. And as our pieces were now loaded with what I
23:52
call swan shot or small pistol bullets, we found only two drop, but
24:00
so many were wounded that they ran about, yelling and screaming like mad creatures,
24:04
all bloody, and most of them miserably wounded, whereof three more fell
24:10
down quickly after, though not quite dead. Now, Friday says I,
24:15
laying down the discharged pieces and taking up the musket which was yet loaded,
24:22
follow me, which he did with a great deal of courage, and upon
24:26
which I rushed out of the wood and showed myself and Friday close at my
24:32
foot. As soon as I perceived they saw me, I shouted as loud
24:37
as I could, and bade Friday do so too, and running as fast
24:41
as I could, which by the way, was not very fast, being
24:47
loaded with arms as I was, I made directly towards the poor victim,
24:52
who was, as I said, lying upon the beach or shore, between
24:56
the place where they sat and the sea. The two butchers that were going
25:02
to work with him had left him at the surprise of our first fire,
25:07
and fled in a terrible fright to the sea side, and had jumped into
25:11
a canoe, and three more of the rest made the same way. I
25:17
turned to Friday and bade him step forwards and fire at them. He understood
25:22
me immediately, and running about forty yards to be nearer them, he shot
25:27
at them, and I thought he had killed them all, for I saw
25:32
them all fall of a heap into the boat, though I saw two of
25:36
them up again quickly. However, he killed two of them and wounded the
25:41
third, so that he lay down in the bottom of the boat. As
25:45
if he had been dead. While my man Friday fired at them, I
25:51
pulled out my knife and cut the flags that bound the poor victim, and,
25:55
loosing his hands and feet, I lifted him up and asked him in
25:59
the Portuguese tongue what he was. He answered in Latin Christianus. But he
26:07
was so weak and faint that he could scarcely stand or speak. I took
26:11
my bottle out of my pocket and gave it to him, making signs that
26:14
he should drink, which he did, and I gave him a piece of
26:18
bread, which he ate. Then I asked him what countryman he was,
26:22
and he said Espanol. And, being a little recovered, let me know
26:30
by all the signs he could possibly make how much he was in my debt
26:33
for his deliverance, Senor said I, with as much Spanish as I could
26:40
make up. We will talk afterwards, but we must fight now. If
26:45
you have any strength left, take this pistol and sword and lay about you.
26:51
He took them very thankfully, and no sooner had he the arms in
26:55
his hands, But as if they had put new vigor into him, he
27:00
flew upon his murderers like a fury, and had cut two of them in
27:04
pieces in an instant. For the truth is, as the whole was a
27:08
surprise to them. So the poor creatures were so much frightened with the noise
27:14
of our pieces that they fell down for mere amazement and fear, and had
27:18
no more power to attempt their own escape than their flesh had to resist our
27:23
shot. And that was the case of those five that Friday shot at in
27:29
the boat, for as three of them fell with the hurt they received,
27:33
so the other two fell with the fright. I kept my piece in my
27:37
hand still without firing, being willing to keep my charge ready, because I
27:44
had given the Spaniard my pistol and sword. So I called to Friday and
27:48
bade him run up to the tree from whence he first fired, and fetch
27:52
the arms which lay there discharged, which he did with great swiftness, and
28:00
then giving him my musket, I sat down myself to load all the rest
28:03
again, and bade them come to me when they wanted. While I was
28:08
loading these pieces, there happened a fierce engagement between the Spaniard and one of
28:14
the savages, who made at him with one of their great wooden swords,
28:18
the weapon that was to have killed him before, if I had not prevented
28:22
it. The Spaniard, who was as bold and brave as could be imagined,
28:27
though weak, had fought the Indian a good while, and had cut
28:32
two great wounds on his head. But the Savage, being a stout lusty
28:37
fellow closing in with him, had thrown him down, being faint, and
28:41
was wringing my sword out of his hand, when the Spaniard, though undermost
28:48
wisely quitting the sword, drew the pistol from his girdle, shot the Savage
28:52
through the body and killed him upon the spot before I, who was running
28:57
to help him, could come near him. Friday, being now left to
29:03
his liberty, pursued the flying wretches with no weapon in his hand but his
29:08
hatchet, and with that he despatched those three, who, as I said
29:12
before, were wounded at first and fallen, and all the rest he could
29:17
come up with, And the Spaniard coming to me for a gun, I
29:21
gave him one of the foling pieces, with which he pursued two of the
29:25
savages and wounded them both, but as he was not able to run,
29:29
they both got from him into the wood, where Friday pursued them and killed
29:33
one of them, but the other was too nimble for him, and though
29:37
he was wounded, yet had plunged himself into the sea and swam with all
29:42
his might off to those two who were left in the canoe. Which three
29:48
in the canoe, with one wounded that we knew not whether he died or
29:52
no, were all that escaped our hands. Of one and twenty The account
29:59
of the whole is as follows. Three killed at our first shot from the
30:03
tree, two killed at the next shot, two killed by Friday in the
30:07
boat, two killed by Friday. Of those at first wounded, one killed
30:11
by Friday in the wood, three killed by the spaniard, four killed being
30:17
found dropped here and there, of the wounds or killed by Friday, and
30:21
as chased them, four escaped in the boat, whereof one wounded, if
30:26
not dead, twenty one in all those that were in the canoe worked hard
30:33
to get out of gunshot, And though Friday made two or three shots at
30:36
them, I did not find that he hit any of them. Friday would
30:41
fain have had me take one of their canoes and pursue them, And indeed
30:45
I was very anxious about their escape. Lest carrying home news to their people,
30:52
they should come back, perhaps with two or three hundred of the canoes,
30:56
and devour us by mere multitude. So I consented to pursue them by
31:02
sea, and running to their canoes, I jumped in and bade Friday follow
31:06
me. But when I was in the canoe, I was surprised to find
31:10
another poor creature lie there, bound hand and foot, as the Spaniard was,
31:14
for slaughter, and almost dead with fear, not knowing what was the
31:18
matter, for he had not been able to look up over the side of
31:22
the boat. He was tied so hard neck and heels, and had been
31:26
tied so long that he had really but little life in him. I immediately
31:32
cut the twisted flags or rushes which they had bound him with, and would
31:37
have helped him up, But he could not stand or speak, but groaned
31:41
most piteously, believing it seemed still that he was only unbound in order to
31:48
be killed. When Friday came to him, I bade him speak to him
31:52
and tell him of his deliverance, and pulling out my bottle made him give
31:56
the poor wretchedram, which was the news of his being delivered. Revived him
32:01
and he sat up in the boat. But when Friday came to hear him
32:06
speak and look in his face. It would have moved any one to tears
32:10
to see how Friday kissed him and embraced him, hugged him, cried,
32:16
laughed, halloude, jumped about, danced, sang, then cried again,
32:22
wrung his hands, beat his own face and head, and then sang and
32:29
jumped about again, like a distracted creature. It was a good while before
32:34
I could make him speak to me or tell me what was the matter.
32:37
But when he came a little to himself, he told me that it was
32:43
his father. It is not easy for me to express how it moved me
32:50
to see what ecstasy and filial affection had worked in this poor savage at the
32:55
sight of his father and of his being delivered from death. Nor indeed can
33:02
I describe half the extravagances of his affection after this, For he went into
33:09
the boat and out of the boat a great many times. When he went
33:15
in to him, he would sit down by him, open his breast,
33:17
and hold his father's head close to his bosom for many minutes together to nourish
33:23
it. Then he took his arms and ankles, which were numb and stiff
33:30
with the binding, and chafed and rubbed them with his hands, and I,
33:36
perceiving what the case was, gave him some rum out of my bottle
33:39
to rub with them, which did him a great deal of good. This
33:46
affair put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with the other savages,
33:51
who were now almost out of sight, And it was happy for us that
33:54
we did not, for it blew so hard within two hours after and before
34:00
they could be got a quarter of their way, and continue blowing so hard
34:04
all night, and that from the northwest, which was against them, that
34:09
I could not suppose their boat could live, or that they ever reached their
34:15
own coast, but to return to Friday. He was so busy about his
34:22
father that I could not find in my heart to take him off for some
34:27
time. But after I thought he could leave him a little, I called
34:30
him to me, and he came, jumping and laughing and pleased to the
34:36
highest extreme. Then I asked him if he had given his father any bread.
34:43
He shook his head and said, none, ugly dog, eat all
34:46
up self. I then gave him a cake of bread out of a little
34:52
pouch I carried on purpose. I also gave him a dram for himself,
34:57
but he would not taste it, but carried it to his father. I
35:01
had in my pocket two or three bunches of raisins, so I gave him
35:06
a handful for his father. He had no sooner given his father these raisins.
35:12
But I saw him come out of the boat and run away, as
35:15
if he had been bewitched, for he was the swiftest fellow on his feet
35:20
that I ever saw. I say he ran at such a rate that he
35:24
was out of sight, as it were, in an instant, And though
35:28
I called and hallooed out two after him, it was all one. Away
35:34
he went. And in a quarter of an hour I saw him come back
35:37
again, though not so fast as he went. And as he came nearer,
35:44
I found his pace slacker, because he had something in his hand.
35:50
When he came up to me, I found he had been quite home for
35:53
an earthen jugger pot to put some fresh water for his father in, and
36:00
that he had got two more cakes or loaves of bread. The bread he
36:05
gave me, but the water he carried to his father. However, as
36:09
I was very thirsty too, I took a little of it. The water
36:15
revived his father more than all the rum or spirits I had given him,
36:20
for he was fainting with thirst. When his father had drunk. I called
36:27
to him to know if there was any water left. He said yes,
36:31
and I bade him give it to the poor spaniard, who was in as
36:36
much one of it as the father. And I sent one of the cakes
36:39
that Friday brought to the spaniard too, who was indeed very weak, and
36:45
was reposing himself upon a green place under the shade of a tree, and
36:50
whose limbs were also very stiff and very much swelled with the rude bandage he
36:54
had been tied with. When I saw that, upon Friday's coming to him
37:00
with the water, he sat up and drank, and took the bread and
37:04
began to eat. I went to him and gave him a handful of raisins.
37:08
He looked up in my face with all the tokens of gratitude and thankfulness
37:14
that could appear in any countenance, but was so weak, notwithstanding he had
37:20
so exerted himself in the fight that he could not stand up upon his feet.
37:28
He tried to do it two or three times, but was really not
37:32
able. His ankles were so swelled and so painful to him, so I
37:38
bade him sit still, and caused Friday to rub his ankles and bade them
37:44
with rum, as he had done his father's. I observed the poor affectionate
37:50
creature every two minutes or perhaps less, all the while he was here,
37:57
turned his head about to see if his father was in the same place and
38:00
posture as he had left him sitting. And at last he found he was
38:06
not to be seen, at which he started up, and without speaking a
38:09
word, flew with that swiftness to him that one could scarce perceive his feet
38:15
to touch the ground as he went. But when he came he only found
38:20
he had laid himself down to ease his limbs. So Friday came back to
38:24
me presently, and then I spoke to the Spaniard to let Friday help him
38:30
up if he could, and lead him to the boat, and then he
38:35
should carry him to our dwelling, where I would take care of him.
38:40
But Friday, a lusty, strong fellow, took the Spaniard upon his back
38:45
and carried him away to the boat, and set him down softly upon the
38:49
side or gunwale of the canoe, with his feet on the inside of it,
38:54
and then lifting him quite in. He set him close to his father,
39:00
and presently stepping out again, launched the boat off and paddled it along
39:05
the shore faster than I could walk. Though the wind blew pretty hard too,
39:10
so he brought them both safe into our creek, and, leaving them
39:15
in the boat, ran away to fetch the other canoe. As he passed
39:20
me, I spoke to him and asked him whither he went. He told
39:23
me, go fetch more boat. So away he went like the wind.
39:29
For sure, never man nor horse ran like him, and he had the
39:34
other canoe in the creek almost as soon as I had got to it by
39:37
land. So he wafted me over and then went to help our new guests
39:43
out of the boat, which he did. But they were neither of them
39:47
able to walk, so that poor Friday knew not what to do to remedy
39:54
this. I went to work in my thought, and calling to Friday to
40:00
bid him sit down on the bank while he came to me. I soon
40:05
made a kind of hand barrel to lay them on, and Friday and I
40:09
carried them both up together between us. But when we got them to the
40:16
outside of our wall or fortification, we were at a worse loss than before,
40:22
for it was impossible to get them over, and I was resolved not
40:27
to break it down. So I set to work again, and Friday and
40:31
I, in about two hours time made a very handsome tent covered with old
40:36
sails, and above that with boughs of trees being in the space without our
40:42
outward fence, and between that and the grove of young wood which I had
40:46
planted. And here we made them two beds of such things as I had,
40:52
that is, of good rice straw, with blankets laid upon it to
40:58
lie on, and another to them on each bed. My island was now
41:05
peopled, and I thought myself very rich in subjects, and it was a
41:09
merry reflection which I frequently made, how like a king I looked. First
41:16
of all, the whole country was my own property, so that I had
41:21
an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were perfectly subjected. I
41:28
was absolutely lord and lawgiver. They all owed their lives to me, and
41:35
were ready to lay down their lives if there had been occasion for it.
41:39
For me, it was remarkable too, I had but three subjects, and
41:46
they were of three different religions. My man Friday was a Protestant, his
41:52
father was a pagan and a cannibal, and the Spaniard was a papist.
42:00
However, I allowed liberty of conscience throughout my dominions. But this is by
42:06
the way. As soon as I had secured my two week rescued prisoners and
42:13
given them shelter and a place to rest them upon, I began to think
42:16
of making some provision for them. And the first thing I did I ordered
42:21
Friday to take a yearling goat betwixt a kid and a goat out of my
42:27
particular flock, to be killed. When I cut off the kind quarter and
42:31
chopping it into small pieces, I set Friday to work to boiling and stewing
42:37
it, and made them a very good dish, I assure you, of
42:43
flesh and broth, and as I cooked it with out doors, for I
42:47
made no fire within my inner wall. So I carried it all into the
42:52
new tent, and having set a table there for them, I sat down
42:55
and ate my own dinner also with them, as well as I could,
43:00
cheered them and encouraged them. Friday was my interpreter, especially to his father,
43:08
and indeed to the Spaniard too. For the Spaniards spoke the language of
43:13
the savages pretty well. After we had dined, or rather supped, I
43:20
ordered Friday to take one of the canoes and go fetch our muskets and other
43:24
firearms, which for one of time we had left upon the place of battle.
43:30
And the next day I ordered him to go and bury the dead bodies
43:34
of the savages, which lay open to the sun and would presently be offensive.
43:40
I also ordered him to bury the horrid remains of their barbarous feast,
43:45
which I could not think of doing myself. Nay, I could not bear
43:50
to see them if I went that way, all which he punctually performed,
43:57
and efface the very appearance of the savages being there, so that when I
44:01
went again, I could scarce know where it was, otherwise than by the
44:06
corner of the wood pointing to the place. I then began to enter into
44:13
a little conversation with my two new subjects, And first I set Friday to
44:17
inquire of his father what he thought of the escape of the savages in that
44:22
canoe, and whether we might expect a return of them with a power too
44:25
great for us to resist. His first opinion was that the savages in the
44:31
boat never could live out the storm which blew that night they went off,
44:37
but must of necessity be drowned or driven south to those other shores, where
44:43
they were as sure to be devoured as they were to be drowned if they
44:46
were cast away. But as to what they would do if they came safe
44:52
on shore, he said he knew not, But it was his opinion that
44:58
they were so dreadfully frightened with the manner of their being attacked, and the
45:01
noise and the fire, that he believed they would tell the people they were
45:06
all killed by thunder and lightning, not by the hand of man, and
45:10
that the two which appeared that his Friday and I, were two heavenly spirits
45:16
or furies come down to destroy them, and not men with weapons. This
45:23
he said he knew, because he heard them all cry out so in their
45:29
language, one to another, For it was impossible for them to conceive that
45:34
a man could dart fire and speak thunder and kill at a distance without lifting
45:42
up the hand, as was done now. And this old savage was in
45:46
the right, for as I understood, since by other hands, the savages
45:52
never attempted to go over to the island afterwards. They were so terrified with
45:57
the accounts given by these four men, for it seems they did escape the
46:01
sea, that they believed whoever went to that enchanted island would be destroyed with
46:07
fire from the gods. This, however, I knew not, and therefore
46:15
was under continual apprehensions for a good while, and kept always upon my guard
46:22
with all my army. For as there were now four of us, I
46:28
would have ventured upon a hundred of them fairly in the open field at any
46:35
time. End of Chapter sixteen,