ROBINSON CRUSOE. 97 travel quite across to the sea-shore on that side ; so taking my gun, a hatchet, and my dog, and a larger quantity of powder and shot than usual, with two biscuit-cakes and a great bunch of raisins in my pouch for my store, I began my journey, When I had passed the vale where my bower stood, as above, I came within view of the sea to the west, and it being a very clear day, I fairly descried land—whether an island or a con- tinent I could not tell; but it lay very high, extending from the W. to the W. S. W. at a very great distance ; by my guess it could not be less than fifteen or twenty leagues off. I could not tell what part of the world this might be, other- wise than that I knew it must be part of America, and as I concluded, by all my observations, must be near the Spanish dominions, and perhaps was all inhabited by savages, where, if I had laad-d, I had been in a worse condition tian I was now; and therefore I acquiesced in the dispositions of Providence, which I began now to own and to believe ordered everything for the best; I say I quieted my mind with this, and left off afflicting myself with fruitless wishes of being there. Besides, after some thought upon this affair, I considered that if this land was the Spanish coast, I should certainly, one time or other, see some vessel pass or repass one way or other ; but if not, then it was the savage coast between the Spanish country and Brazils, where are found the worst of savages ; for they are cannibals, or men-eaters, and fail not to murder and devour all the human bodies that fall into their hands, With these considerations, I walked very leisurely forward ; I found that side of the island where I now was much pleasanter than mine,—the open or savanna fields sweet, adorned with flowers and grass, and full of very fine woods. Isaw abundance of parrots, and fain I would have caught one, if possible, to have kept it to be tame, and taught it to speak to me. I did, after some painstaking, catch a young parrot, for I knocked it down with a stick, and having recovered it, I brought it home ; but it was some years before I could make him speak ; however, at last, I taught him to call me by my name very familiarly, But the ac- cident that followed, though it be a trifle, will be very diverting in its place. I was exceedingly diverted with this journey. I found inthe low grounds hares (as I thought them to os and foxes; but they differed greatly from all the other kinds I had met with, nor could I satisfy myself to eat them, though I killed several. But I had no need to be venturous, for I had no want of food, and of that which was very good, too, especially these three