ROBINSON CRUSOE. 63

And this put me in mind that I wanted many things, not-
withstanding all that I had amassed together ; and of these
ink was one; as also a spade, pickaxe, and shovel, to dig or
remove the earth; needles, pins, and thread: as for linen, I
soon learned to want that without much difficulty.

This want of tools made every work I did go on heavily;
and it was near a whole year before I had entirely finished my
little pale, or surrounded my habitation. The piles or stakes,
which were as heavy as I could well lift, were a long time in
cutting and preparing in the woods, and more, by far, in bring-
ing home; so that I spent sometimes two days in cutting and
bringing home one of those posts, and a third day in driving it
into the ground; for which purpose, I got a heavy piece of
wood at first, but at last bethought myself of one of the iron
crows; which, however, though I found it, made driving those
posts or piles very laborious and tedious work. But what need
I have been concerned at the tediousness of anything I had to
do, seeing I had time enough to doit in? nor had I any other
employment, if that had been over, at least that I could foresee,
except the ranging the island to seek for food, which I did
more or less every day.

I now began to consider seriously my condition, and the
circumstances I was reduced to; and I drew up the state of my
affairs in writing, not so much to leave them to any that were
to come after me, for I was likely to have but few heirs, as to
deliver my thoughts from daily poring upon them, and afflicting
my mind ; and as my reason began now to master my despond-
ency, I began to comfort myself as well as I could, and to set
the good against the evil, that I might have something to dis-
tinguish my case from worse ; and I stated very impartially,
like debtor and creditor, the comforts I enjoyed against the
miscrics ' suffered, thus :—

EviL. Goon.

I am cast upon a horrible, But I am alive; and not
desolate island, void of all drowned, as all my ship’s com-
hope of recovery. pany were.

I am singled out and sepa- But I am singled out, too,
rated, as it were, from all the from all the ship’s crew, to be
world, to be miserable. spared from death; and He

that miraculously saved me
from death, can deliver we
from this condition,

.