Robinson Crusoe

by Daniel Defoe

that they fell down for meer amazement and fear; and had no more power to attempt their own escape, than their flesh had to resist our shot; and that was the case of those five that Friday shot at in the boat; for as three of them fell with the hurt they receiv’d; so the other two fell with the fright.

21 In all.

nor did men always square their dealings by the obligations they had receiv’d, so much as they did by the advantages they expected.

the children of Israel, though they rejoyc’d at first for their being deliver’d out of Egypt, yet rebell’d even against God himself that deliver’d them, when they came to want bread in the wilderness.

making two and twenty crosses

seven fine leopard’s skins,

I began to regret my having profess’d my self a Papist, and thought it might not be the best religion to die with.

some Italian silks

two pieces of fine English broad cloth, the best I could get in Lisbon, five pieces of black bays, and some Flanders lace of a good value.

we were alarm’d at several towns on the way, with an account, that so much snow was fallen on the French side of the mountains, that several travellers were obliged to come back to Pampeluna,76 after having attempted at an extream hazard to pass on.

Pampeluna

for it was the severest winter all over Europe that had been known in the memory of man.

we heard on both sides the dismallest howling of wolves, and the noise redoubled by the echo of the mountains, that it was to us as if there had been a prodigious multitude of them; and perhaps

indeed there was not such a few, as that we had no cause of apprehensions.

him, he won’t meddle with you; but then you must take care to be very civil to him, and give him the road; for he is a very nice gentleman, he won’t go a step out of his way for a prince; nay, if you are really afraid, your best way is to look another way, and keep going on; for sometimes if you stop, and stand still, and look steadily at him, he takes it for an affront; but if you throw or toss any thing at him, and it hits him, though it were but a bit of a stick, as big as your finger, he takes it for an affront, and sets all his other business aside to pursue his revenge; for he will have satisfaction in point of honour; that is his first quality: The next is, that if he be once affronted, he will never leave you, night or day, till he has his revenge; but follows at a good round rate, till he overtakes you.

presently after we saw about a hundred coming on directly towards us, all in a body, and most of them in a line, as regularly as an army drawn up by experienc’d officers. I scarce knew in what manner to receive them; but found to draw our selves in a close line was the only way: so we form’d in a moment: But that we might not have too much interval, I order’d, that only every other man should fire, and that the others who had not fir’d should stand ready to give them a second volley immediately, if they continued to advance upon us, and that then those who had fir’d at first, should not pretend to load their fusees again, but stand ready with every one a pistol; for we were all arm’d with a fusee, and a pair of pistols each man; so we were by this method able to fire six volleys, half of us at a time; however, at present we had no necessity; for upon firing the first volley, the enemy made a full stop, being terrify’d as well with the noise, as with the fire; four of them being shot into the head, dropp’d, several others were wounded, and went bleeding off, as we could see by the snow: I found they stopp’d, but did not immediately retreat; whereupon remembring that I had been told, that the fiercest creatures were terrify’d at the voice of a man, I caus’d all our company to hollow as loud as we could; and I found the notion not altogether mistaken; for upon our shout, they began to retire, and turn about; then I order’d a second volley to be fir’d, in their rear, which put...

when coming nearer the lane, or pass, we saw a confus’d number of wolves standing just at the entrance. On a sudden, at another opening of the wood, we heard the noise of a gun; and looking that way, out rush’d a horse, with a saddle, and a bridle on him, flying

But here we had a most horrible sight; for riding up to the entrance where the horse came out, we found the carcass of another horse, and of two men, devour’d by the ravenous creatures, and one of the men was

as a private trader to the East Indies: This was in the year 1694.

1694

In this voyage I visited my new collony in the island, saw my successors the Spaniards, had the whole story of their lives, and of the villains I left there; how at first they insulted the poor Spaniards, how they afterwards agreed, disagreed, united, separated, and how at last the Spaniards were oblig’d to use violence with them, how they were subjected to the Spaniards, how honestly the Spaniards used them; a history, if it were entred into, as full of variety and wonderful accidents, as my own part, particularly also as to their battles with the Carribeans, who landed several times upon the island, and as to the improvement they made upon the island it self, and how five of them made an attempt upon the main land, and brought away eleven men and five women prisoners, by which, at my coming, I found about twenty young children on the island.