OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. tt

Accordingly, 1 spent some time to find out the most retired parts of —
the island; and I pitched upon one which was as private indeed as my
heart could wish, for it was a little damp piece of ground in the mid-
dle of the hollow and thick woods, where, as is observed, I almost lost
myself once before endeavouring to come back that way from the east-
ern part of the island. Here I found a clear piece of land, near three
acres, so surrounded with woods that it was almost an enclosure by
nature; at least, it did not want near so much labour to make it so as
the other pieces of ground I had worked so hard at.

I immediately went to work with this piece of ground, and in less
than a month’s time I had so fenced it round that my flock, or herd,
call it which you please, which were not so wild now as at first they
might be supposed to be, were well enough secured in it. So without
any further delay, I removed ten she-goats and two he-goats to this
piece; and when there, I continued to perfect the fence, till I had
made it as secure as the other, which, however, I did at more leisure,
and it took me up more time by a great deal.

CHAPTER XII.

[ observe a Canoe out at Sea—Find on the Shore the remnant of a Feast of Cannibals
—Horror of Mind thereon—Double arm myself—Terribly alarmed by a Goat—
Discover a singular Cave, or Grotto, of which I form my Magazine—My fears on
account of the Savages begin to subside.

Aut this labour I was at the expense of, purely from my apprehen-
sions on the account of the print of a man’s foot which I had seen;
for as yet I never saw any human creature come near the island, and
I had now lived two years under these uneasinesses, which indeed made
my life much less comfortable than it was before, as may well be ima-
gined by any who know what it is to live in the constant snare of the
fear of man: and this I must observe with grief too, that the discom-
posure of my mind had too great impressions also upon the religious
part of my thoughts ; for the dread and terror of falling into the hands
of savages and cannibals lay so upon my spirits, that I seldom found
myself in a due temper for application to my Maker; at least, not
with the sedate calmness and resignation of soul which I was wont to
do. Irather prayed to God as under great affliction aud pressure of
mind, surrounded with danger, and in expectation every nightyof being

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