登陆注册
15685000000075

第75章

His Caution was so seasonable, and his Advice so good, that I could not but be very well pleased with his Proposal, as well as I was satisfy'd with his Fidelity.So we fell to digging all four of us, as well as the Wooden Tools we were furnish'd with permitted; and in about a Month's time, by the End of which it was Seed time, we had gotten as much Land cur'd and trim'd up, as we sowed 22 Bushels of Barley on, and 16 Jarrs of Rice, which was in short all the Seed we had to spare; nor indeed did we leave our selves Barley sufficient for our own Food, for the six Months that we had to expect our Crop, that is to say, reckoning from the time we set our Seed aside for sowing; for it is not to be supposed it is six Months in the Ground in the Country.

Having now Society enough, and our Number being sufficient to put us out of Fear of the Savages , if they had come, unless their Number had been very great, we went freely all over the Island, where-ever we found Occasion; and as here we had our Escape or Deliverance upon our Thoughts, it was impossible, at least for me , to have the Means of it out of mine; to this Purpose, I mark'd out several Trees which I thought fit for our Work, and I set Friday and his Father to cutting them down;

and then I caused the Spaniard, to whom I imparted my Thought on that Affair, to oversee and direct their Work.I shewed them with what indefatigable Pains I had hewed a large Tree into single Planks, and I caused them to do the like, till they had made about a Dozen large Planks of good Oak, near 2 Foot road, 35 Foot long, and from 2 Inches to 4 Inches thick: hat prodigious Labour it took up, any one may imagine.At the same time I contriv'd to encrease my little Flock of tame Goats as much as I could; and to this Purpose, I made Friday and the Spaniard go out one Day, and my self with Friday the next Day; for we took our Turns: And by is Means we got above 20 young Kids to breed up with the rest; for when-ever we shot the Dam, we saved the Kids, and added them to our Flock: But above all, the Season for curing the Grapes coming on, I caused such a prodigious Quantity to be hung up in the Sun, that I believe, had we been at Alicant where the Raisins of the Sun are cur'd, we could have fill'd 60 or 80 Barrels; and these with our Bread was a great Part of our Food, and very good living too, I assure you; for it is an exceeding nourishing Food.

It was now Harvest, and our Crop in good Order; it was not the most plentiful Encrease I had seen in the Island, but however it was enough to answer our End; for from our 22 Bushels of Barley, we brought in and thrashed out above 220 Bushels; and the like in Proportion of the Rice, which was Store enough for our Food to the next Harvest, tho' all the 16 Spaniards had been on Shore with me; or if we had been ready for a Voyage, it would very plentifully have victualled our Ship, to have carry'd us to any Part of the World, that is to say, of America.

When we had thus hous'd and secur'd our Magazine of Corn, we fell to Work to make more Wicker Work, (viz.) great Baskets in which we kept it;

and the Spaniard was very handy and dexterous at this Part, and often blam'd me that I did not make some things, for Defence, of this Kind of Work; but I saw no Need of it.

And now having a full Supply of Food for all the Guests I expected, I gave the Spaniard Leave to go over to the Main , to see what he could do with those he had left behind him there.I gave him a strict Charge in Writing, Not to bring any Man with him, who would not first swear in the Presence of himself and of the old Savage , That he would no way injure, fight with, or attack the Person he should find in the Island, who was so kind to send for them in order to their Deliverance;

but that they would stand by and defend him against all such Attempts, and wherever they went, would be entirely under and subjected to his Commands;

and that this should be put in Writing, and signed with their Hands: How we were to have this done, when I knew they had neither Pen or Ink; that indeed was a Question which we never asked.

Under these Instructions, the Spaniard , and the old Savage the Father of Friday , went away in one of the Canoes, which they might be said to come in, or rather were brought in, when they came as Prisoners to be devour'd by the Savages.

I gave each of them a Musket with a Firelock on it, and about eight Charges of Powder and Ball, charging them to be very good Husbands of both, and not to use either of them but upon urgent Occasion.

This was a chearful Work, being the first Measures used by me in View of my Deliverance for now 27 Years and some Days.I gave them Provisions of Bread, and of dry'd Grapes, sufficient for themselves for many Days, and sufficient for all their Country-men for about eight Days time; and wishing them a good Voyage, I see them go, agreeing with them about a Signal they should hang out at their Return, by which I should know them again, when they came back, at a Distance, before they came on Shore.

They went away with a fair Gale on the Day that the Moon was at Full by my Account, in the Month of October: But as for an exact Reckoning of Days, after I had once lost it I could never recover it again; nor had I kept even the Number of Years so punctually, as to be sure that I was right, tho' as it prov'd, when I afterwards examin'd my Account, I found I had kept a true Reckoning of Years.

It was no less than eight Days I had waited for them, when a Strange and unforeseen Accident interveen'd, of which the like has not perhaps been heard of in History: I was fast asleep in my Hutch one Morning, when my Man Friday came running in to me, and call'd aloud, Master, Master, they are come, they are come.

同类推荐
  • 大小便门

    大小便门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 皇朝经世文续编_2

    皇朝经世文续编_2

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Two Poets

    Two Poets

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 华严经谈玄抉择

    华严经谈玄抉择

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 详刑公案

    详刑公案

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 开天之路在何方

    开天之路在何方

    穿越了,也许叶云动根本没想到,更没有想到的是居然穿越在人家女孩子洗澡的地方,看到了不该看到的东西。从此不得不走向一条悲剧之路。从开始就注定不会有好结局的爱情就这么来的。为什么人家穿越都三妻四妾的,而叶云动的却是痛苦。爱的太痛苦了,又割舍不下呢?没有神马,没有搞笑。绝不太监的书,不到黄河不死心的新人。
  • 沧澜之境

    沧澜之境

    一曲乱世的葬歌,一场江湖的博弈,一世江湖的飘摇。她说,这一生愿意一辈子跟随阁主,死生无异。她本可以不加入这场纷乱的争斗,而这却与她有着不可分割的关系。直到那年她偶遇沧澜阁阁主。三国之争,还是为了一己私欲,争夺遗留的九州至宝,使人起死回生。江湖,朝堂,各路势力聚集。这天下之大,有你就好。
  • 谋爱成婚

    谋爱成婚

    她对他情深如海,却等来一纸代孕协议,还用她好友的命逼她签字,唐悠一怒之下,弃他而去。再次出现,她是他对手医学院从国外聘请回来的骨科专家。顾少霆闻讯赶来,她如看陌生人般笑的嫣然:“顾院长是在等我?”男人目光却燃烧着火:“不仅等你,还一直在找你!”她如听到天大笑话:“找我?代孕?”他为一个女人的腿和她纠缠不清。“知道我今天为什么出现在这里,那你也该明白自己怎么做!”她一口回绝:“这怕要让顾院长失望了。”话落,她整个人都压在车上,她看他的眼神依旧陌生:“怎么?打算用强的?”
  • 不需要爱人的影子

    不需要爱人的影子

    知道真相的她,陷入了绝望,但又被他的温柔给拉回来!“厉承凛,真的败给你了!”“我说过我爱的是你,并不需要怀念她”该死的,我不需要爱人的影子,我只要现在在我面前的你!
  • 邪魅总裁:娇妻别跑

    邪魅总裁:娇妻别跑

    自从爸爸娶了继母后,安若雅就成为现实版的灰姑娘,还要受他同父异母妹妹的欺负。家里只有奶奶最疼她,爱她,为了给奶奶治病,她给别人当家教,不幸遇上恶魔总裁。他愿意帮她,只要她成为他的情人。每次她从那豪华别墅逃走,就会被他抓回去。他说:“安若雅,你这辈子注定是我的。”
  • 乖女也同居

    乖女也同居

    蓝楹儿,一个普通的外语系大学生,因为拖欠学费被派给前来视察的董事长孙子做翻译。说是翻译其实就是女佣。
  • 红楼梦(上)(中国古典四大名著)

    红楼梦(上)(中国古典四大名著)

    《红楼梦》又名《石头记》,我国古典四大名着之一,清代最优秀的长篇言情小说,诞生于清朝的“乾隆盛世”。流传二百多年来,其影响之深远、广泛,是我国任何一部古典文学作品都难以与之相比的。《红楼梦》不但受到千千万万读者的珍爱,而且一直有许多学者潜心研究它,并形成了一种专门的学问——“红学”,甚至外国也出现了“红学家”。这种文化现象,在我国文学史上是极其罕见的。
  • 桃花满天下

    桃花满天下

    戴家有女难出嫁,被夫三次休复休。第一回嫁给了天下第一富人,第二回嫁给了天下第一商人,第三回嫁给了天下第一才人,而这一次……嫁给了天下第一穷人!
  • 被免费午餐

    被免费午餐

    《被免费午餐》是湖北作家邵火焰的第一部小说作品集,收录了作者2009年和2010年发表在《读者》、《长江文艺》、《小小说选刊》、《微型小说选刊》、《杂文选刊》、《羊城晚报》等多家报刊上的100篇作品。
  • 你亦是我的命

    你亦是我的命

    主角:EXO鹿晗一个任性傲娇的女孩,一个善良义气的男孩,和一段虐心的异国恋。他那么爱你,一心希望和你永远在一起,你是否能够懂的呢?