第45章

This at length put me upon thinking，Whether it was not possible to make my self a Canoe，or Periagua，such as the Natives of those Climates make，even without Tools，or，as I might say，without Hands，viz. of the Trunk of a great Tree. This I not only thought possible，but easy，and pleas'd my self extreamly with the Thoughts of making it，and with my having much more Convenience for it than any of the Negroes or Indians；but not at all considering the particular Inconveniences which I lay under，more than the Indians did，viz.Want of Hands to move it，when it was made，into the Water，a Difficulty much harder for me to surmount，than all the Consequences of Want of Tools could be to them；for what was it to me，That when I had chosen a vast Tree in the Woods，I might with much Trouble cut it down，if after I might be able with my Tools to hew and dub the Out-side into the proper Shape of a Boat，and burn or cut out the In-side to make it hollow，so to make a Boat of it：If after all this，I must leave it just there where I found it，and was not able to launch it into the Water.

One would have thought，I could not have had the least Reflection upon my Mind of my Circumstance，while I was making this Boat；but I should have immediately thought how I should get it into the Sea；but my Thoughts were so intent upon my Voyage over the Sea in it，that I never once consider'd how I should get it off of the Land；and it was really in its own Nature more easy for me to guide it over forty five Miles of Sea，than about forty five Fathom of Land，where it lay，to set it a float in the Water.

I went to work upon this Boat，the most like a Fool，that ever Man did，who had any of his Senses awake. I pleas'd my self with the Design，without determining whether I was ever able to undertake it；not but that the Difficulty of launching my Boat came often into my Head；but I put a stop to my own Enquiries into it，by this foolish Answer which I gave my self，Let's first make it，I'll warrant I'll find some Way or other to get it along，when 'tis done.

This was a most preposterous Method；but the Eagerness of my Fancy prevail'd，and to work I went. I fell'd a Cedar Tree：I question much whether Solomon ever had such a One for the Building of the Temple at Jerusalem. It was five Foot ten Inches Diameter at the lower Part next the Stump，and four Foot eleven Inches Diameter at the End of twenty two Foot，after which it lessen'd for a while，and then parted into Branches：It was not without infinite Labour that I fell'd this Tree：I was twenty Days hacking and hewing at it at the Bottom. I was fourteen more getting the Branches and Limbs，and the vast' spreading Head of it cut off，which I hack'd and hew'd through with Axe and Hatchet，and inexpressible Labour：After this，it cost me a Month to shape it，and dub it to a Proportion，and to something like the Bottom of a Boat，that it might swim upright as it ought to do. It cost me near three Months more to clear the In-side，and work it out so，as to make an exact Boat of it：This I did indeed without Fire，by meer Malett and Chissel，and by the dint of hard Labour，till I had brought it to be a very handsome Periagua，and big enough to have carry'd six and twenty Men，and consequently big enough to have carry'd me and all my Cargo.

When I had gone through this Work，I was extremely delighted with it. The Boat was really much bigger than I ever saw a Canoe，or Periagua，that was made of one Tree，in my Life. Many a weary Stroke it had cost，you may be sure；and there remain'd nothing but to get it into the Water；and had I gotten it into the Water，I make no question but I should have began the maddest Voyage，and the most unlikely to be perform'd，that ever was undertaken.

But all my Devices to get it into the Water fail'd me；tho' they cost me infinite Labour too. It lay about one hundred Yards from the Water，and not more：But the first Inconvenience was，it was up Hill towards the Creek；well，to take away this Discouragement，I resolv'd to dig into the Surface of the Earth，and so make a Declivity：This I begun，and it cost me a prodigious deal of Pains；but who grutches Pains，that have their Deliverance in View：But then this was work'd through，and this Difficulty manag'd，it was still much at one；for I could no more stir the Canoe，than I could the other Boat.

Then I measur'd the Distance of Ground，and resolv'd to cut a Dock，or Canal，to bring the Water up to the Canoe，seeing I could not bring the Canoe down to the Water：Well，I began this Work，and when I began to enter into it，and calculate how deep it was to be dug，how broad，how the Stuff to be thrown out，I found，That by the Number of Hands I had，being none but my own，it must have been ten or twelve Years before I should have gone through with it；for the Shore lay high，so that at the upper End，it must have been at least twenty Foot Deep；so at length，tho' with great Reluctancy，I gave this Attempt over also.

This griev'd me heartily，and now I saw，tho' too late，the Folly of beginning a Work before we count the Cost；and before we judge rightly of our own Strength to go through with it.

In the middle of this Work，I finish'd my fourth Year in this Place，and kept my Anniversary with the same Devotion，and with as much Comfort as ever before；for by a constant Study，and serious Application of the Word of God，and by the Assistance of his Grace，I gain'd a different Knowledge from what I had before. I entertain'd different Notions of Things. I look'd now upon the World as a Thing remote，which I had nothing to do with，no Expectation from，and indeed no Desires about：In a Word，I had nothing indeed to do with it，nor was ever like to have；so I thought it look'd as we may perhaps look upon it hereafter，viz. as a Place I had liv'd in，but was come out of it；and well might I say，as Father Abraham to Dives，Between me and thee is a great Gulph fix'd.