206 THE CASTAWAY’ ESTATES.

You are to understand that now I had, as I may call it, two
plantations in the island: one my little fortification or tent, with
the wall about it under the rock, with the cave behind me, which
by this time I had enlarged into several apartments, or caves, one
within another. One of these, which was the driest and largest,
and had a door out beyond my wall or fortification—that is to say,
beyond where my wall joined to the rock—was all filled up with
the large earthen pots of which I have given an account, and with
fourteen or fifteen great baskets, which would hold five or six
bushels each, where I laid up my stores of provision, especially my
corn, some in the ear cut off short from the straw, and the other
yubbed out with my hand.

As for my wall, made, as before, with long stakes or piles, those
piles grew all like trees, and were by this time grown so big, and
spread so very much, that there was not the least appearance to
any one’s view of any habitation behind them.

Near this dwelling of mine, but a little further within the
land, and upon lower ground, lay my two pieces of corn-
ground, which I kept duly cultivated and sowed, and which
duly yielded me their harvest in its season; and whenever I
had occasion for more corn, I had more land adjoining as fit as
that.

Besides this I had my country seat, and I had now a tolerable
plantation there also; for first, I had my little bower, as I called
it, which I kept in repair—that is to say, I kept the hedge which
circled it in constantly fitted up to its usual height, the ladder
standing always in the inside. I kept the trees, which at first
were no more than my stakes, but were now grown very firm and
tall—I kept them always so cut that they might spread and grow
thick and wild, and make the more agreeable shade, which they
did effectually to my mind. In the middle of this I had my tent
always standing, being a piece of a sail spread over poles set up
for that purpose, and which never wanted any repair or renewing ;
and under this I had made me a squab or couch, with the skins of
the creatures I had killed, and with other soft things, and a
blanket laid on them, such as belonged to our, sea-bedding, which
I had saved, and a great watch-coat to cover me; and here, when-