82 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES

divers pieces ef her afterwards did; but those things were of small
use to me. ;

My thoughts were now wholly employed about securmg myself
against either savages, if any should appear, or wild beasts, if any
were in the island; and I had many thoughts of the method how to
do this, and what kind of dwelling to make,—whether I should make
me a cave in the earth, or a tent upon the earth: and, in short, T
resolved upon both, the manner and description of which it may not
be improper to give an account of.

I soon found the place I was in was not for my settlement, particu-
larly because it was upon a low moorish ground near the sea, and I
believed would not be wholesome, and more particularly because there
was no fresh water near it; so I resolved to find a more healthy and
more convenient spot of ground.

I consulted several things in my situation which I found would be
proper for me: Ist, Health and fresh water I just now mentioned.
2dly, Shelter from the heat of the sun. 3dly, Security from ravenous
creatures, whether man or beast. 4thly, A view of the sea, that, if
God sent any ship jn sight, I might not lose any advantage for my
deliverance, of which I was not willing to banish all my expectation yet.

In search of a place proper for this, I found a little plain on the
side of a rising hill, whose front towards this little plain was steep as
a house-side, so that nothing could come down upon me from the top:
on the side of this rock there was a hollow place worn a little way in,
like the entrance or door of a cave, but there was not really any
cave or way into the rock at all.

On the flat of the green, just before this hollow place, I resolved to
pitch my tent; this plain was not above a hundred yards broad, and
about twice as long, and lay like a green before my door, and at the
end of it descended irregularly every way down into the low grounds
by the sea-side. It was on the north-north-west side of the hill, so
that I was sheltered from the heat every day, till it came to a west-
and-by-south sun, or thereabouts, which in those countries is near the
setting.

Before I set up my tent, I drew a half-circle before the hollow
place, which took in about ten yards in its semi-diameter, from the
rock, and twenty yards in its diameter from its beginning and ending,

In this half-circle, I pitched two rows of strong stakes, driving
‘them into the ground till they stood very firm, like piles, the biggest
end being out of the ground about five foot and a half, and sharpened
on the top: the twe rows did not stand above six inches from one
another.