The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe

their safety, and especially for the security of their cattle and

  corn.

  Upon this, after long debate, it was concluded that they would not

  remove their habitation; because that, some time or other, they

  thought they might hear from their governor again, meaning me; and

  if I should send any one to seek them, I should be sure to direct

  them to that side, where, if they should find the place demolished,

  they would conclude the savages had killed us all, and we were

  gone, and so our supply would go too. But as to their corn and

  cattle, they agreed to remove them into the valley where my cave

  was, where the land was as proper for both, and where indeed there

  was land enough. However, upon second thoughts they altered one

  part of their resolution too, and resolved only to remove part of

  their cattle thither, and part of their corn there; so that if one

  part was destroyed the other might be saved. And one part of

  prudence they luckily used: they never trusted those three savages

  which they had taken prisoners with knowing anything of the

  plantation they had made in that valley, or of any cattle they had

  there, much less of the cave at that place, which they kept, in

  case of necessity, as a safe retreat; and thither they carried also

  the two barrels of powder which I had sent them at my coming away.

  They resolved, however, not to change their habitation; yet, as I

  had carefully covered it first with a wall or fortification, and

  then with a grove of trees, and as they were now fully convinced

  their safety consisted entirely in their being concealed, they set

  to work to cover and conceal the place yet more effectually than

  before. For this purpose, as I planted trees, or rather thrust in

  stakes, which in time all grew up to be trees, for some good

  distance before the entrance into my apartments, they went on in

  the same manner, and filled up the rest of that whole space of

  ground from the trees I had set quite down to the side of the

  creek, where I landed my floats, and even into the very ooze where

  the tide flowed, not so much as leaving any place to land, or any

  sign that there had been any landing thereabouts: these stakes

  also being of a wood very forward to grow, they took care to have

  them generally much larger and taller than those which I had

  planted. As they grew apace, they planted them so very thick and

  close together, that when they had been three or four years grown

  there was no piercing with the eye any considerable way into the

  plantation. As for that part which I had planted, the trees were

  grown as thick as a man's thigh, and among them they had placed so

  many other short ones, and so thick, that it stood like a palisado

  a quarter of a mile thick, and it was next to impossible to

  penetrate it, for a little dog could hardly get between the trees,

  they stood so close.

  But this was not all; for they did the same by all the ground to

  the right hand and to the left, and round even to the side of the

  hill, leaving no way, not so much as for themselves, to come out

  but by the ladder placed up to the side of the hill, and then

  lifted up, and placed again from the first stage up to the top: so

  that when the ladder was taken down, nothing but what had wings or

  witchcraft to assist it could come at them. This was excellently

  well contrived: nor was it less than what they afterwards found

  occasion for, which served to convince me, that as human prudence

  has the authority of Providence to justify it, so it has doubtless

  the direction of Providence to set it to work; and if we listened

  carefully to the voice of it, I am persuaded we might prevent many

  of the disasters which our lives are now, by our own negligence,

  subjected to.

  They lived two years after this in perfect retirement, and had no

  more visits from the savages. They had, indeed, an alarm given

  them one morning, which put them into a great consternation; for

  some of the Spaniards being out early one morning on the west side

  or end of the island (which was that end where I never went, for

  fear of being discovered), they were surprised with seeing about

  twenty canoes of Indians just coming on shore. They made the best

  of their way home in hurry enough; and giving the alarm to their

  comrades, they kept close all that day and the next, going out only

  at night to make their observation: but they had the good luck to

  be undiscovered, for wherever the savages went, they did not land

  that time on the island, but pursued some other design.

  CHAPTER IV--RENEWED INVASION OF SAVAGES

  And now they had another broil with the three Englishmen; one of

  whom, a most turbulent fellow, being in a rage at one of the three

  captive slaves, because the fellow had not done something right

  which he bade him do, and seemed a little untractable in his

  showing him, drew a hatchet out of a frog-belt which he wore by his

  side, and fell upon the poor savage, not to correct him, but to

  kill him. One of the Spaniards who was by, seeing him give the

  fellow a barbarous cut with the hatchet, which he aimed at his

  head, but stuck into his shoulder, so that he thought he had cut

  the poor creature's arm off, ran to him, and entreating him not to

  murder the poor man, placed himself between him and the savage, to

  prevent the mischief. The fellow, being enraged the more at this,

  struck at the Spaniard with his hatchet, and swore he would serve

  him as he intended to serve the savage; which the Spaniard

  perceiving, avoided the blow, and with a shovel, which he had in

  his hand (for they were all working in the field about their corn

  land), knocked the brute down. Another of the Englishmen, running

  up at the same time to help his comrade, knocked the Spaniard down;

  and then two Spaniards more came in to help their man, and a third

  Englishman fell in upon them. They had none of them any firearms

  or any other weapons but hatchets and other tools, except this

  third Englishman; he had one of my rusty cutlasses, with which he

  made at the two last Spaniards, and wounded them both. This fray

  set the whole family in an uproar, and more help coming in they

  took the three Englishmen prisoners. The next question was, what

  should be done with them? They had been so often mutinous, and

  were so very furious, so desperate, and so idle withal, they knew

  not what course to take with them, for they were mischievous to the

  highest degree, and cared not what hurt they did to any man; so

  that, in short, it was not safe to live with them.

  The Spaniard who was governor told them, in so many words, that if

  they had been of his own country he would have hanged them; for all

  laws and all governors were to preserve society, and those who were

  dangerous to the society ought to be expelled out of it; but as

  they were Englishmen, and that it was to the generous kindness of

  an Englishman that they all owed their preservation and

  deliverance, he would use them with all possible lenity, and would

  leave t
hem to the judgment of the other two Englishmen, who were

  their countrymen. One of the two honest Englishmen stood up, and

  said they desired it might not be left to them. "For," says he, "I

  am sure we ought to sentence them to the gallows;" and with that he

  gives an account how Will Atkins, one of the three, had proposed to

  have all the five Englishmen join together and murder all the

  Spaniards when they were in their sleep.

  When the Spanish governor heard this, he calls to Will Atkins,

  "How, Seignior Atkins, would you murder us all? What have you to

  say to that?" The hardened villain was so far from denying it,

  that he said it was true, and swore they would do it still before

  they had done with them. "Well, but Seignior Atkins," says the

  Spaniard, "what have we done to you that you will kill us? What

  would you get by killing us? And what must we do to prevent you

  killing us? Must we kill you, or you kill us? Why will you put us

  to the necessity of this, Seignior Atkins?" says the Spaniard very

  calmly, and smiling. Seignior Atkins was in such a rage at the

  Spaniard's making a jest of it, that, had he not been held by three

  men, and withal had no weapon near him, it was thought he would

  have attempted to kill the Spaniard in the middle of all the

  company. This hare-brained carriage obliged them to consider

  seriously what was to be done. The two Englishmen and the Spaniard

  who saved the poor savage were of the opinion that they should hang

  one of the three for an example to the rest, and that particularly

  it should be he that had twice attempted to commit murder with his

  hatchet; indeed, there was some reason to believe he had done it,

  for the poor savage was in such a miserable condition with the

  wound he had received that it was thought he could not live. But

  the governor Spaniard still said No; it was an Englishman that had

  saved all their lives, and he would never consent to put an

  Englishman to death, though he had murdered half of them; nay, he

  said if he had been killed himself by an Englishman, and had time

  left to speak, it should be that they should pardon him.

  This was so positively insisted on by the governor Spaniard, that

  there was no gainsaying it; and as merciful counsels are most apt

  to prevail where they are so earnestly pressed, so they all came

  into it. But then it was to be considered what should be done to

  keep them from doing the mischief they designed; for all agreed,

  governor and all, that means were to be used for preserving the

  society from danger. After a long debate, it was agreed that they

  should be disarmed, and not permitted to have either gun, powder,

  shot, sword, or any weapon; that they should be turned out of the

  society, and left to live where they would and how they would, by

  themselves; but that none of the rest, either Spaniards or English,

  should hold any kind of converse with them, or have anything to do

  with them; that they should be forbid to come within a certain

  distance of the place where the rest dwelt; and if they offered to

  commit any disorder, so as to spoil, burn, kill, or destroy any of

  the corn, plantings, buildings, fences, or cattle belonging to the

  society, they should die without mercy, and they would shoot them

  wherever they could find them.

  The humane governor, musing upon the sentence, considered a little

  upon it; and turning to the two honest Englishmen, said, "Hold; you

  must reflect that it will be long ere they can raise corn and

  cattle of their own, and they must not starve; we must therefore

  allow them provisions." So he caused to be added, that they should

  have a proportion of corn given them to last them eight months, and

  for seed to sow, by which time they might be supposed to raise some

  of their own; that they should have six milch-goats, four he-goats,

  and six kids given them, as well for present subsistence as for a

  store; and that they should have tools given them for their work in

  the fields, but they should have none of these tools or provisions

  unless they would swear solemnly that they would not hurt or injure

  any of the Spaniards with them, or of their fellow-Englishmen.

  Thus they dismissed them the society, and turned them out to shift

  for themselves. They went away sullen and refractory, as neither

  content to go away nor to stay: but, as there was no remedy, they

  went, pretending to go and choose a place where they would settle

  themselves; and some provisions were given them, but no weapons.

  About four or five days after, they came again for some victuals,

  and gave the governor an account where they had pitched their

  tents, and marked themselves out a habitation and plantation; and

  it was a very convenient place indeed, on the remotest part of the

  island, NE., much about the place where I providentially landed in

  my first voyage, when I was driven out to sea in my foolish attempt

  to sail round the island.

  Here they built themselves two handsome huts, and contrived them in

  a manner like my first habitation, being close under the side of a

  hill, having some trees already growing on three sides of it, so

  that by planting others it would be very easily covered from the

  sight, unless narrowly searched for. They desired some dried goat-

  skins for beds and covering, which were given them; and upon giving

  their words that they would not disturb the rest, or injure any of

  their plantations, they gave them hatchets, and what other tools

  they could spare; some peas, barley, and rice, for sowing; and, in

  a word, anything they wanted, except arms and ammunition.

  They lived in this separate condition about six months, and had got

  in their first harvest, though the quantity was but small, the

  parcel of land they had planted being but little. Indeed, having

  all their plantation to form, they had a great deal of work upon

  their hands; and when they came to make boards and pots, and such

  things, they were quite out of their element, and could make

  nothing of it; therefore when the rainy season came on, for want of

  a cave in the earth, they could not keep their grain dry, and it

  was in great danger of spoiling. This humbled them much: so they

  came and begged the Spaniards to help them, which they very readily

  did; and in four days worked a great hole in the side of the hill

  for them, big enough to secure their corn and other things from the

  rain: but it was a poor place at best compared to mine, and

  especially as mine was then, for the Spaniards had greatly enlarged

  it, and made several new apartments in it.

  About three quarters of a year after this separation, a new frolic

  took these rogues, which, together with the former villainy they

  had committed, brought mischief enough upon them, and had very near

  been the ruin of the whole colony. The three new associates began,

  it seems, to be weary of the laborious life they led, and that

  without hope of bettering their circumstances: and a whim took

  them that they would make a voyage to the continent, from wh
ence

  the savages came, and would try if they could seize upon some

  prisoners among the natives there, and bring them home, so as to

  make them do the laborious part of the work for them.

  The project was not so preposterous, if they had gone no further.

  But they did nothing, and proposed nothing, but had either mischief

  in the design, or mischief in the event. And if I may give my

  opinion, they seemed to be under a blast from Heaven: for if we

  will not allow a visible curse to pursue visible crimes, how shall

  we reconcile the events of things with the divine justice? It was

  certainly an apparent vengeance on their crime of mutiny and piracy

  that brought them to the state they were in; and they showed not

  the least remorse for the crime, but added new villanies to it,

  such as the piece of monstrous cruelty of wounding a poor slave

  because he did not, or perhaps could not, understand to do what he

  was directed, and to wound him in such a manner as made him a

  cripple all his life, and in a place where no surgeon or medicine

  could be had for his cure; and, what was still worse, the

  intentional murder, for such to be sure it was, as was afterwards

  the formed design they all laid to murder the Spaniards in cold

  blood, and in their sleep.

  The three fellows came down to the Spaniards one morning, and in

  very humble terms desired to be admitted to speak with them. The

  Spaniards very readily heard what they had to say, which was this:

  that they were tired of living in the manner they did, and that

  they were not handy enough to make the necessaries they wanted, and

  that having no help, they found they should be starved; but if the

  Spaniards would give them leave to take one of the canoes which

  they came over in, and give them arms and ammunition proportioned

  to their defence, they would go over to the main, and seek their

  fortunes, and so deliver them from the trouble of supplying them

  with any other provisions.

  The Spaniards were glad enough to get rid of them, but very

  honestly represented to them the certain destruction they were

  running into; told them they had suffered such hardships upon that

  very spot, that they could, without any spirit of prophecy, tell

  them they would be starved or murdered, and bade them consider of

  it. The men replied audaciously, they should be starved if they

  stayed here, for they could not work, and would not work, and they

  could but be starved abroad; and if they were murdered, there was

  an end of them; they had no wives or children to cry after them;

  and, in short, insisted importunately upon their demand, declaring

  they would go, whether they gave them any arms or not.

  The Spaniards told them, with great kindness, that if they were

  resolved to go they should not go like naked men, and be in no

  condition to defend themselves; and that though they could ill

  spare firearms, not having enough for themselves, yet they would

  let them have two muskets, a pistol, and a cutlass, and each man a

  hatchet, which they thought was sufficient for them. In a word,

  they accepted the offer; and having baked bread enough to serve

  them a month given them, and as much goats' flesh as they could eat

  while it was sweet, with a great basket of dried grapes, a pot of

  fresh water, and a young kid alive, they boldly set out in the

  canoe for a voyage over the sea, where it was at least forty miles

  broad. The boat, indeed, was a large one, and would very well have

  carried fifteen or twenty men, and therefore was rather too big for

  them to manage; but as they had a fair breeze and flood-tide with

  them, they did well enough. They had made a mast of a long pole,

  and a sail of four large goat-skins dried, which they had sewed or

  laced together; and away they went merrily together. The Spaniards

  called after them "Bon voyajo;" and no man ever thought of seeing

  them any more.

  The Spaniards were often saying to one another, and to the two

  honest Englishmen who remained behind, how quietly and comfortably