The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801). Даниэль Дефо
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in returning to my duty. One day in perusing the Scriptures, I came to these words, He is exalted a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and to give remission: Immediately I laid down the book, and with uplifted hands to Heaven, loudly cried, O blessed Jesus, thou son of David, Jesus, thou exalted Prince and Saviour, give we repentance! And now indeed I prayed with a true sense of my condition, and a more certain hope, founded on the word of God. Now I had a different sense of these words, Call on me and I will deliver thee, that is from the dreadful load of guilt which oppressed my sinful soul, and not from a solitary life, which might rather be called, a blessing, seeing I wanted neither food nor raiment, when compared living amongst the human race, surrounded with so much oppression, misery, and affliction; in a word, I came to this conclusion, that a deliverance from sin was a much greater blessing, than a deliverance from affliction. But again I proceed to my journal.
To the 14th of July, I walked about with my gun, little and little at a time, having been reduced to the greatest extremity of weakness. The applications and experiments I used were perfectly new: neither could I recommend them to any one's practice. For though it carried off the fit, it very much weakened me, and I had frequently convulsions in my nerves and limbs for some time. From this I learned, that going abroad in rainy weather, especially when it was attended with storms and hurricanes of wind, was most pernicious to health. I had now been about ten months in the island; and as I never had seen any of the human kind, I therefore accounted myself as sole monarch; and as I grew better, having secured my habitation to my mind, I resolved to make a tour round my kingdom, in order to make new discoveries.
The 15th of July, I began my journey; I first went to the creek, where I had brought my rafts on shore; and travelling farther, found the tide went no higher than two miles up, where there was a little brook of running water, on the banks of which were many pleasant savannahs or meadows, plain, smooth, and covered with grass. On the rising parts, where I supposed the water did not reach, I perceived a great deal of tobacco growing to a very strong stalk. Several other plants I likewise found, the virtues of which I did not understand. I searched a long time for the Cassava root, which I knew the Indians in that climate made their bread of, but all in vain. There were several plants of aloes, though at that time I knew not what they were; likewise I saw several sugar canes, but imperfect for want of cultivation. With these few discoveries, I came back that night, and slept contentedly in my little castle.
The next day, being the 16th, going the same way, but farther then the day before, I found the country more adorned with woods and trees. Here I perceived different fruits in great abundance. Melons in plenty lay on the ground, and clusters of grapes, ripe and very rich, spread over the trees. You may imagine I was glad of this discovery, yet ate very sparingly, lest I should throw myself into a flux or fever. The grapes I found of excellent use; for when I had dried them in the sun, which preserved them as dried raisins are kept, they proved very wholesome and nourishing, and served me in those seasons when no grapes were to be had.
The night drawing on apace, I ascended up a tree, and slept very comfortably, though it was the first time I had lain out of my habitation. And when the morning came, I proceeded with great pleasure on my way, travelling about four miles, as I imagined, by the length of the valley, directing my course northward, there being a ridge of hills on the south and north side of me. At the end of this valley, I came to an opening, where the country seemed to descend to the west; there I found a little spring of fresh water, proceeding out of the side of the hill, with its chrystal streams running directly east. And, indeed, here my senses were charmed with the most beautiful landscape nature could afford; for the country appeared flourishing, green, and delightful, that to me it seemed like a planted garden. I then descended on the side of that delicious vale, when I found abundance of cocoa, orange, lemon, and citron trees, but very wild and barren at that time. As for the limes, they were delightful and wholesome, the juice of which I after used to mix in water, which made it very cooling and refreshing. And now I was resolved to carry home and lay up a store of grapes, limes, and lemons, against the approaching wet season. So laying them up in separate parcels, and then taking a few of each with me, I returned to my little castle, after having spent three days in this journey. Before I got home, the grapes were so bruised that they were utterly spoiled; the limes indeed were good, but of those I could bring only a few.
July 19. Having prepared two bags, I returned thither again, but, to my great surprise, found all the grapes spread about, trod to pieces, and abundance eaten, which made me conclude there were wild beasts thereabouts. To prevent this happening again, I gathered a large quantity of the grapes, and hung them upon the out branches of the tree, both to keep them unhurt, and that they might cure and dry in the sun; and having well loaded myself with limes and lemons, I returned once more to my old place of residence.
And now contemplating on the fruitfulness of this valey, and pleasantness of its situation, its security from storms, and the delightfulness of the adjacent woods, I concluded I was settled in the worst part of the country, and therefore was thinking to remove my habitation.
But when I considered again, that though it was pleasant, it was off from the sea-side, where there was a possibility, some time or other, a ship might either be driven or sail by; and that to inclose myself among hills and woods must certainly put an end to my hopes of deliverance; I resolved to let my castle remain where Providence had first assigned it. Yet so ravished was I with this place, that I made me a little kind of bower, surrounding it with a double hedge, as high as I could reach, well staked and filled with bullrushes: and having spent a great part of the month of July, I think it was the first of August before I began to enjoy my labour.
Aug. 3. Perceiving my grapes to be dry, I took them from the trees, and they proved excellent good raisins of the sun: the most of which I carried to my cave; and happy for me I did so; by which I saved the best part of my winter food.
Aug. 14. This day it began to rain; and though I had made me a tent like the other, yet having no shelter of a hill to keep me from storms, nor a cave behind me to retreat to, I was obliged to return to my old castle. The rain continued more or less every day, till the middle of October; and sometimes so violently, that I could not stir out of my cave for several days. This season I found my family to increase; for one of my cats that ran away from me, and which I thought had been dead, returned about August, with three kittens at her heels, like herself, which I thought strange, because both my cats were females, and the wild cats of the island seemed to be of a different kind from our European cats; but from these cats proceeded such numbers, that I was forced to kill and destroy them as I would do wild beasts and vermin.
To the 26th of this month, I could not stir out, it raining incessantly; when beginning to want food, I was compelled to venture twice, the first of which I shot a goat, and afterwards found a very large tortoise. The manner of my regulating my food was thus: a bunch of raisins served me for my breakfast; a piece of goat's flesh or turtle boiled for my dinner, and two or three turtle's eggs for my supper. While the rain lasted, I daily worked two or three hours at enlarging my cave, and by degrees worked it on towards one side, till I came to the outside of the hill, and made a door or way out, which came beyond my fence or wall, and so I came in and out this way. But after I had done this, I was troubled to see myself thus exposed; though I could not perceive any thing to fear, a goat being the biggest creature I had seen upon this island.
Sept. 30. Casting up my notches on my post, which amounted to 365, I concluded this to be the anniversary of my landing; and, therefore, humbly prostrating myself on the ground, confessing my sins, acknowledging God's righteous judgments upon me, and praying to Jesus Christ to have mercy upon me, I fasted for twelve hours till the going down of the sun; and then eating a biscuit and a bunch of grapes, laid me on the bed, and with great comfort took my night's repose. Till this time I never had distinguished the Sabbath-day; but now made a longer notch than ordinary for the days of rest, and divided the weeks as well as I could, though I found I had lost a day or two in my account. My ink failing soon after, I omitted in my daily memorandum things of an indifferent nature, & contented myself to write down only the most remarkable events of my life. The rainy and dry seasons appeared now regular to me, and experience taught me how to provide for them; yet, in one thing I am going to relate, my experience very much failed me. You may call to mind what I have mentioned