第59章

In this Frame of Thankfulness，I went Home to my Castle，and began to be much easier now，as to the Safety my Circumstances，than ever I was before；for I observ'd，that these Wretches never came to this Island in search of what they could get；perhaps not seeking，not wanting，or not expecting any Thing here；and having often，no doubt，been up in the cover'd woody Part of it，without finding any Thing to their Purpose. I knew I had been here now almost eighteen Years，and never saw the least Foot-steps of Humane Creature there before；and I might be here eighteen more，as entirely conceal'd as I was now，if I did not discover my self to them，which I had no manner of Occasion to do，it being my only Business to keep my self entirely conceal'd where I was，unless I found a better sort of Creatures than Canibals to make my self known to.

Yet I entertain'd such an Abhorrence of the Savage Wretches，that I have been speaking of，and of the wretched inhuman Custom of their devouring and eating one another up，that I continu'd pensive，and sad，and kept close within my own Circle for almost two Years after this：When I say my own Circle，I mean by it，my three Plantations，viz. my Castle，my Country Seat，which I call'd my Bower，and my Enclosure in the Woods；nor did I look after this for any other Use than as an Enclosure for my Goats；for the Aversion which Nature gave me to these hellish Wretches，was such，that I was fearful of seeing them，as of seeing the Devil himself；nor did I so much as go to look after my Boat，in all this Time；but began rather to think of making me another；for I cou'd not think of ever making any more Attempts，to bring the other Boat round the Island to me，least I should meet with some of these Creatures at Sea，in which，if I had happen'd to have fallen into their Hands，I knew what would have been my Lot.

Time however，and the Satisfaction I had，that I was in no Danger of being discover'd by these People，began to wear off my Uneasiness about them；and I began to live just in the same compos'd Manner as before；only with this Difference，that I used more Caution，and kept my Eyes more about me than I did before，least I should happen to be seen by any of them；and particularly，I was more cautious of firing my Gun，least any of them being on the Island，should happen to hear of it；and it was therefore a very good Providence to me，that I had furnish'd my self with a tame Breed of Goats，that I needed not hunt 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 I never fir'd my Gun once off，though I never went out without it；and which was more，as I had sav'd three Pistols out of the Ship，I always carry'd them out with me，or at least two of them，sticking them in my Goat-skin Belt；also I furbish'd up one of the great Cutlashes，that I had out of the Ship，and made me a Belt to put it on also；so that I was now a most formidable Fellow to look at，when I went abroad，if you add to the former Deion of my self，the Particular of two Pistols，and a great broad Sword，hanging at my Side in a Belt，but without a Scabbard.

Things going on thus，as I have said，for some Time；I seem'd，excepting these Cautions，to be reduc'd to my former calm，sedate Way of Living，all these Things tended to shewing me more and more how far my Condition was from being miserable，compar'd to some others；nay，to many other Particulars 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 are worse，in order to be thankful，than be always Comparing them with those which are better，to assist their Murmurings and Complainings.

As 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 dropp'd 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 my self some Beer：This was really a whimsical Thought，and I reprov'd my self 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 observ'd already，I cou'd never compass；no，though I spent not many Days，but Weeks，nay，Months in attempting it，but to no purpose. In the next Place，I had no Hops to make it keep，no Yeast to make it work，no Copper or Kettle to make it boil；and yet all these Things，notwithstanding，I verily believe，had not these Things interven'd，I mean the Frights and Terrors I was in about the Savages，I had undertaken it，and perhaps brought it to pass too；for I seldom gave any Thing over without accomplishing it，when I once had it in my Head enough to begin it.

But my Invention now run quite another Way；for Night and Day，I could think of nothing but how I might destroy some of these Monsters in their cruel bloody Entertainment，and if possible，save the Victim they should bring hither to destroy. It would take up a larger Volume than this whole Work is intended to be，to set down all the Contrivances I hatch'd，or rather brooded upon in my Thought，for the destroying these Creatures，or at least frighting them，so as to prevent their coming hither any more；but all was abortive，nothing could be possible to take effect，unless I was to be there to do it my self；and what could one Man do among them，when perhaps there might be twenty or thirty of them together，with their Darts，or their Bows and Arrows，with which they could shoot as true to a Mark，I could with my Gun？