OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 185

soe, but none like my first; nor, indeed, did I take the pains with any
of tnem that I had done with him: I had also several tame sea-fowls,
whose names I know not, which I caught upon the shore, and cut their
wings; and the little stakes which I had planted before my castle
wall being now grown up to a good thick grove, these fowls all lived
among these low trees, and bred there, which was very agreeable to
me; so that, as I said above, I began to be very well contented with
the life I led, if it might but have been secured from the dread of
savages. ;

But it was otherwise directed; and it might not be amiss for all
people, who shall meet with my story, to make this just observation
from it, namely, How frequently, in the course of our lives, the evil
which in itself we seek most to shun, and which, when we are fallen
into, is the most dreadful to us, is oftentimes the very means or door
of our deliverance, by which alone we can be raised again from the
affliction we are fallen into. I could give many examples of this in
the course of my unaccountable life; but in nothing was it more par-
ticularly remarkable, than in the circumstances of my last years of
solitary residence in this island.

It was now the month of December, as I said above, in my twenty-
third year; and this being the southern solstice—for winter I cannot
call it—was the particular time of my harvest, and required my being
pretty much abroad in the fields; when going out pretty early in the
morning, even before it was thorough day-light, I was surprised with
seeing a light of some fire upon the shore, at a distance from me of
about two miles, towards the end of the island where I had observed
some savages had been, as before; but not on the other side, but, to
my great affliction, it was on my side of the island.

I was indeed terribly surprised at the sight, and stopped short within
my grove, not daring to go out, lest I might be surprised; and yet I
had no more peace within, from the apprehensions I had, that if these
savages, in rambling over the island, should find my corn standing, or

cut, or any of my works and improvements, they would immediately -
conclude that there were people in the place, and would then never
give over till they found me out. In this extremity I went back

directly to my castle, pulled up the ladder after me, having made all
things without look as wild and natural as I could.

Then I prepared myself within, putting myself in a posture of

defence: I loaded all my cannon, as I called them, that is to say, my

muskets, which were mounted upon my fortification, and all my pistols,

and resolved to defend myself to the last gasp; not forgetting seriously
to recommend myself to the divine protection, and earnestly to pri

  
 
 
 

 

wre