OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. “ 19.

 

 

my hut, having nothing on but a checked shirt and a pair of linen
trowsers, and a pair of pumps on my feet.

I got on board the ship as before, and prepared a second raft; and
having had experience of the first, I neither made this so unwieldy,
nor loaded it so hard, but yet I brought away several things very use-
ful to me; as first, in the carpenter’s stores, I found two or three bags
full of nails and spikes, a great screw-jack, a dozen or two of hatchets,
and, above all, that most useful thing called a grindstone: all these I
secured, together with several things belonging to the gunner, particu-
larly two or three iron crows, and two barrels of musket-bullets, seven
muskets, and another fowling-piece, with some small quantity of powder
more; a large bag full of small shot, and a great roll of sheet lead;
but this last was so heavy, I could not hoist it up to get it over the
ship’s side.

Besides these things, I took all the men’s clothes that I could find,
and a spare fore-top-sail, hammock, and some bedding; and with this
I loaded my second raft, and brought them all safe on shore, to my
very great comfort. .

I was under some apprehensions, during my absence from the land,
that at least my provisions might be devoured on shore; but, when I
came back, I found no sign of any visiter, only there sat a creature,
like a wild cat, upon one of the chests, which, when I came towards
it, ran away a little distance, and then stood still: she sat very com-
posed and unconcerned, and looked full in my face, as if she had a
mind to be acquainted with me. I presented my gun at her, but as
she did not understand it, she was perfectly unconcerned at it, nor did
she offer to stir away ; upon which I tossed her a bit of biscuit, though,
by the way, I was not very free of it, for my store was not great:
however, I spared her a bit, I say, and she went to it, smelled of it,
and ate it, and looked, as pleased, for more; but I thanked her, and
could spare no more; so she marched off.

Having got my second cargo on shore, though I was fain to open
the barrels of powder, and bring them by parcels—for they were too
heavy, being large casks—I went to work to make me a little tent,
with the sail and some poles which I cut for that purpose; and into
this tent I brought every thing that I knew would spoil, either with
rain or sun; and I piled all the empty chests and casks up in a circle
round the tent, to fortify it from any sudden attempt, either from man
or beast.

When I had done this, I blocked up the door of the tent with some
boards within; and an empty chest set up on end without, and, spread-
ing one of the beds upon the ground, laying my two pistols just at