ROBINSON CRUSOR. 10g
forced to go over it myself, and drag a great heavy bough of a
tree over it, to scratch it as it may be called, rather than rake
or harrow it. When it was growing, and grown, I have ob-
served already how many things I wanted to fence it, secure it,
mow or reap it, cure and carry it home, thrash, part itfrom the
chaff, and save it. Then I wanted a mill to grind it, sieves to
dress it, yeast and salt to make it into bread, and an oven to
bake it ; but all these things I did without, as shall be seen ;
and yet the corn was an inestimable comfort and advantage
to me too. All this, as I said, made everything laborious and
tedious to me: but that there was no help for ; neither was my
time so much loss to me, because, as I had divided it, a certain
part of it was every day appointed to these works; and as I
had resolved to use none of the corn for bread till I hada
greater quantity by me, I had the next six months to apply
myself wholly, by labor and invention, to furnish myself with
utensils proper for the performing all the operations necessary
for making the corn, when I had it fit for my use.

But first I was to prepare more land, for I had now seed
enough to sow above an acre of ground. Before I did this, I
‘had a week’s work at least to make me a spade, which, when it
was done, was but a sorry one indeed, and very heavy, and
required double labor to work with it. However, I got through
that, and sowed my seed in two large flat pieces of ground, as
near my house as I could find them to my mind, and fenced
them in with a good hedge, the stakes of which were all cut off
that wood which I had set before, and knew it would grow ; so
that, in one year’s time, I knew I should have a quick or living
hedge, that would want but little repair. This work did nottake
me up less than three months, because a great part of that time
was the wet season, when I could not go abroad. Within doors,
that is, when it rained, and I could not go out, I found employ-
ment in the following occupations,—always observing, that all
the while I was at work, I diverted myself with talking to my
parrot, and teaching him to speak ; and I quickly taught him to
know his own name, and at last to speak it out pretty loud,
Poll, which was the first word I ever heard spoken in the island
by any mouth but my own. This, therefore, was not my work,
but an assistance to my work; for now, as I said, I had a great
employment upon my hands, as follows: I had long studied to
make by some means or other, some earthen vessels, which,
indeed, I wanted sorely, but knew not where to come ai them.
However, considering the heat of the climate, I did not doubt
but if I could find out any clay, I might make some pots that