ROBINSON CRUSOE. 143

than I did before, lest I should happen to’ be seen by any’of
them ; and particularly, I was more cautious of firing my gun,
lest any of them, being on the island, should happen to hear it.
It was, therefore, a very good providence to me that I had fur-
nished myszlf with a tame breed of goats, and that I had no
need to huat any more about the woods, or shoot at them ; and
if I did catch any of them after this, it was by traps and snares,
as I had done before: so that for two years after this, I believe
T never fired my gun once off, though I never went out without
it ; and, what was more, as I had saved three pistols out of the
ship, I always carried them out with me, or at least two of
- them, sticking them in my goat-skin belt. I also furbished up
one of the great cutlasses that I had out of the ship, and made
me a belt to hang it on also; so that I was now a most formi-
dable fellow to look at when I went abroad, if yoti add to the
former description of myself, the particular of two pistols, and
a great broadsword hanging at my side in a belt, but without a
scabbard.

Things going on thus, as I have said, for some time, I
seemed, excepting these cautions, to be reduced to my former
calm, sedate way of living. All these things tended to show
me, more and more, how far my condition was from being mis-
erable, compared to some others ; nay, to many other particu-
lars of life, which it might have pleased God to have made my
lot. It put me upon reflecting how little repining there would
be among mankind at any condition of life, if people would
rather compare their condition.with those that were worse, in
order to be thankful, than be always comparing them with those
which are better, to assist their murmurings and complain-
ings. :

or in my present condition there were not really many
things which I wanted, so, indeed, I thought that the frights I
had been -in about these savage wretches, and the concern I
had been in for my own preservation, had taken off the edge
of my invention for my own conveniences ; and I had dropped
a good design, which I had once bent my thoughts too much
upon, and that was to try if I could not make some of my barley
into malt, and then*try to brew myself some beer. This was
really a whimsical thought, and I reproved myself often for the
simplicity of it: for I presently saw there would be the want of
several things necessary to the making my beer, that it would be
impossible for me to supply ; as, first, casks to preserve it in,
which was a thing that, as I have observed already, I could
never compass: no, though I spent not only many days, but