106 A SECOND VISIT TO THE WRECK.

However, as well as I could, I barricaded myself round with the
chests and boards that I had brought on shore, and made a kind of
hut for that night’s lodging. As for food, I yet saw not which
way to supply myself, except that I had seen two or three crea-
tures like hares run out of the wood where I shot the fowl.

I now began to consider that I might yet get a great many
things out of the ship which would be useful to me, and particu-
larly some of the rigging and sails, and such other things as might
come to land; and I resolved to make another voyage on board
the vessel, if possible; and as I knew that the first storm that
blew must necessarily break her all in pieces, I resolved to set all
other things apart, until I got everything out of the ship that I
could get. Then I called a council—that is to say, in my thoughts
—whether I should take back the raft; but this appeared imprac-
ticable. So I resolved to go as before, when the tide was down;
and I did so, only that. I stripped before I went from my hut,
having nothing on but a checkered shirt, and a pair of linen
drawers, 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 useful 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 grind-stone. All these I secured
together, with several things belonging to the gunner, particularly
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-topsail, a 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 visitor, only there sat a