第36章

At the End of this March I came to an Opening，where the Country seem'd to descend to the West，and a little Spring of fresh Water which issued out of the Side of the Hill by me，run the other Way，that is due East；and the Country appear'd so fresh，so green，so flourishing，every thing being in a constant Verdure，or Flourish of Spring，that it looked like a planted Garden.

I descended a little on the Side of that delicious Vale，surveying it with a secret Kind of Pleasure，（tho' mixt with my other afflicting Thoughts） to think that this was all my own，that I was King and Lord of all this Country indefeasibly，and had a Right of Possession；and if I could convey it，I might have it in Inheritance，as compleatly as any Lord of a Mannor in England. I saw here Abundance of Cocoa Trees，Orange，and Lemmon，and Citron Trees；but all wild，and very few bearing any Fruit，at least not then：However，the green Limes that I gathered，were not only pleasant to eat，but very wholesome；and I mix'd their Juice afterwards with Water，which made it very wholesome，and very cool，and refreshing.

I found now I had Business enough to gather and carry Home；and I resolv'd to lay up a Store，as well of Grapes，as Limes and Lemons，to furnish my self for the wet Season，which I knew was approaching.

In Order to this，I gather'd a great Heap of Grapes in one Place，and a lesser Heap in another Place，and a great Parcel of Limes and Lemons in another Place；and taking a few of each with me，I travell'd homeward，and resolv'd to come again，and bring a Bag or Sack，or what I could make to carry the rest Home.

Accordingly，having spent three Days in this Journey，I came Home；so I must now call my Tent and my Cave：But，before I got thither，the Grapes were spoil'd；the Richness of the Fruits，and the Weight of the Juice having broken them，and bruis'd them，they were good for little or nothing；as to the Limes，they were good，but I could bring but a few.

The next Day，being the 19th，I went back，having made me two small Bags to bring Home my Harvest：But I was surpriz'd，when coming to my Heap of Grapes，which were so rich and fine when I gather'd them，I found them all spread about，trod to Pieces，and dragg'd about，some here，some there，and Abundance eaten and devour'd：By this I concluded，there were some wild Creatures thereabouts，which had done this；but what they were，I knew not.

However，as I found there there was no laying them up on Heaps，and no carrying them away in a Sack，but that one Way they would be destroy'd，and the other Way they would be crush'd with their own Weight. I took another Course；for I gather'd a large Quantity of the Grapes，and hung them up upon the out Branches of the Trees，that they might cure and dry in the Sun；and as for the Limes and Lemons，I carry'd as many back as I could well stand under.

When I came Home from this Journey，I contemplated with great Pleasure the Fruitfulness of that Valley，and the Pleasantness of the Scituation，the Security from Storms on that Side the Water，and the Wood，and concluded，that I had pitch'd upon a Place to fix my Abode，which was by far the worst Part of the Country. Upon the Whole I began to consider of removing my Habitation；and to look out for a ace equally safe，as where I now was scituate，if possible，in that pleasant fruitful Part of the Island.

This Thought run long in my Head，and I was exceeding fond of it for some Time，the Pleasantness of the Place tempting me；but when I came to a nearer View of it，and to consider that I was now by the Sea-Side，where it was at least possible that something might happen to my Advantage，and by the same ill Fate that brought me hither，might bring some other unhappy Wretches to the same Place；and tho' it was scarce probable that any such Thing should ever happen，yet to enclose my self among the Hills and Woods，in the Center of the Island，was to anticipate my Bondage，and to render such an Affair not only Improbable，but Impossible；and that therefore I ought not by any Means to remove.

However，I was so Enamour'd of this Place，that I spent much of my Time there，for the whole remaining Part of the Month of July；and tho' upon second Thoughts I resolv'd as above，not to remove，yet I built me a little kind of a Bower，and surrounded it at a Distance with a strong Fence，being a double Hedge，as high as I could reach，well stak'd，and fill'd between with Brushwood；and here I lay very secure，sometimes two or three Nights together，always going over it with a Ladder，as before；so that I fancy'd now I had my Country-House，and my Sea-Coast-House：And this Work took me up to the Beginning of August.

I had but newly finish'd my Fence，and began to enjoy my Labour，but the Rains came on，and made me stick close to my first Habitation；for tho' I had made me a Tent like the other，with a Piece of a Sail，and spread it very well；yet I had not the Shelter of a Hill to keep me from Storms，nor a Cave behind me to retreat into，when the Rains were extraordinary.

About the Beginning of August，as I said，I had finish'd my Bower，and began to enjoy my self. The third of August，I found the Grapes I had hung up were perfectly dry'd，and indeed，were excellent good Raisins of the Sun；so I began to take them down from the Trees，and it was very happy that I did so；for the Rains which follow'd would have spoil'd them，and I had lost the best Part of my Winter Food；for I had above two hundred large Bunches of them. No sooner had I taken them all down，and carry'd most of them Home to my Cave，but it began to rain，and from hence，which was the fourteenth of August，it rain'd more or less，every Day，till the Middle of October；and sometimes so violently，that I could not stir out of my Cave for several Days.