150 ROBINSON CRUSOE.

very likely I might have taken notice of, if I had seen with the.
same eyes then that I see with now. But it is never too late to
be wise; and I cannot but advise all considering men, whose
lives are attended with such extraordinary incidents as mine, or
even though not so extraordinary, not to slight such secret in-
timations of, Providence, let them come from what invisible
intelligence they will. That I shall not discuss, and perhaps
cannot account for ; but certainly they are a proof of the con-
verse of spirits, and a secret communication between those em-
bodied and those unembodied, and such a proof as* can never
be withstood ; of which I shall have occasion to give some very
remarkable instances in the remainder of my solitary residence
in this dismal place.

I believe the reader of this will not think it strange, if I con-
fess that these anxieties, these constant dangers I lived in, and
the concern that was now upon me, put an end to all invention,
and to all the contrivances that I had laid for my future accom-
modations and conveniences. I had the care of my safety more
now upon my hands than that of my food. Icared not todrive
a nail, or chop a stick of wood now, for fear the noise I might
make should be heard ; much less would I fire a gun for the
same reason: and, above all, I was intolerably uneasy at mak-
ing any fire, lest the smoke, which is visible at a great distance
in the day, should betray me. For this reason, I removed that
part of my business which required fire, such as burning of pots
and pipes, &c., into my new apartment in the woods ; where,
after I had been some time, I found to my unspeakable conso-
lation, a mere natural cave in the earth, which went in a vast
way, and where, I dare say, no savage, had he been at the mouth
of it, would be so hardy as to venture in; nor, indeed, would
any man else, but one who, like me, wanted nothing so much
as a safe retreat.

The mouth of this hollow was at the bottom of a great rock,

-where (by mere accident I would say, if I did not see abundant
reason to ascribe all such things now to Providence) I was cutting
down some thick branches of trees to make charcoal ; and be-
fore I go on I must observe the reason of my making this char-
coal, which was thus: I was afraid of making a smoke about
my habitation, as I said before ; and yet I could not live there
without baking my bread, cooking my meat, &c. ; so I contrived
to burn some wood here, as I had seen done in England, under
turf, till it betame chark or dry coal; and then putting the fire
out, I preserved the coal to carry home, and perform the other
services for which fire was wanting, without danger of smoke.