Myfathercametoexpectmetostudylaw,butIjustwantedtogosailing.Oneday,Iwenttothehull,afellowofminewasabouttotakehisfathersshiptoLondon,nothingmorethanthiscrackedmeup,Imustgowithhim-itwasinAugust1651,Iwas19yearsold.
Shipjustoutofhaikou,thenmetwithaterriblewaves,makesmefeelwholebodycan sayhowsad,theinthemindveryfear.Ifoundinpainfulmoodanoath,ifgodleavingmylifeinthevoyage,afterIboardedtheland,hasbeenbacktomylovingparents,fromnowonmustlistentotheiradvice.
Butthenextdaythewindstopped,thewavealsorested.Thesunissetting,isabeautifulandlovelyafterthatevening,thendrankmypartnermadeabowlofsweetwine,Itakeithomeafterthetriptothrowtotheoutsideofthecloudnine.Mythiskindofbehaviorcausedagreatmisfortunetomylife-thewillfulactionoftenbroughtdisastertome,butIalwaysnotatthemomentofdisastertorepent.Staytothedangerinthepast,forgetalloftheoath,anddesperatetoputmylifenotricks.
Afterthefirststormlikesailing,Ihavehadseveraldifferentrisk.WhendoingbusinessinguineatoAfrica,IcapturedbyaTurkishpirateship,soldintoslavery,throughmanydangers,IfledtoBrazil,wherealonehaveasugarcaneplantation,liveverywell.ButthenIalsobecamethevictimofthetemptation.Brazilbecauseoflackofartificial,aresomeplantationownersknowIhadbeentoAfricaforbusinesssomeslaveportmarket,theytriedtocoaxmetomakeavoyage,totheareatobuysomeslavesbacktotheirplantations.
Listentobadidea,peoplewillbeoutofluck.OurshipontherocksinthenorthofSouthAmericaanamelessisland,allthesailorsandthepassengerswerealldrowned,godbless,onlyIapersonishighthewavestotheshore,andsavedalife.Atthattime,allIhaveisaknife,apipeandabitoftobaccointhebox.Untilmyphysicalrecovery,canwalk,whenIwalkedalongthecoast.IwaspleasedthatIfoundfreshwater.Afterdrinkingthewater,tookahandfulofstarvationtobaccoinyourmouth.Iwillliveonatree,acomfortablesleeptocheerthespirit,theseaiscalm.Butthemostletmehappyis,Ihaveseentheshipuntilthetide,seeitwasclosetothecoast,Ifoundthatcanbeeasilyswimtotheboat.Theshipleftadogandtwocats,thereisnoothercreatures.Buttheshiphasalotofdailynecessities,so,Iwilldryup.Inordertobringthosethingsovertotheislandsabay,Ispeciallymadearaft,alsoontheislandofthefreshwaterandrelativelyflatahighlandismyhome.Bread,cheeseandlamb,rice,barleyandwheat,sugar,flour,drywood,logs,therope--allofthese,plusseveralmuskets,twopistolsandafewashotgun,ahammer,and-thatisthemostuseless-thirtysixpoundssterling.AllthesethingsIdayafterday-betweentidefromshiptoshore.Thethirtiethdaynight,Imhandlingworkisdone,whenIlaydown,althoughafraidasusual,butmyheartisfilledwithgratitude,becauseIknow,Ihavepreparedforlatertodealwiththisdesertislandandfeelsecure.
Havealotofwildfruittreesontheisland,butthisisIhaddiscoveredtheforalongtime,Iputitintoraisins.Andrunwildgoatsontheisland,butifitwerenotformetogetthegunsfromtheship,theywhatisthebenefittome?SoIhavereasontothankgod,lettheshipputasideonthecoast,untilImovedtoeverythingthatwasusefultome.
IfyouwanttomakesureIcansurviveonthisisland,therearemanythingstodo.IhavedoneasmuchaspossibleafewthingImustdoit.Butmyeffortsisnotalwayshandinyourgoodluck.Isowedtheseedsofbarleyandriceforthefirsttime,thesepreciousstockhalfwasted,thereasonisthatseedingisnotwell.Ispentafewmonthshardwork,dugseveralcellarforstorageoffreshwater.Spent42daystime,tocutatreeinmyfirstpieceoflongwoodenboard.IturnedtodryforseveralweeksandIwanttocreateadaowheatstonemortar,buthadtohollowoutalargepieceofwood.Ittookmefivemonthsofwork,cutdownabigtreecycas,splitandcut,letitbecomeaverydecentcanoe,standbytoescapefromtheisland,butonlybecausehowalsocan makeitdowntothesea,andithadtobeleftbehind.However,eachpilefailure,taughtIdidn knowsomeknowledge.
Asforthenaturalenvironment,theislandhasthestorm,andtheearthquake.Iwasalsoadaptedforeverything.Igrowandharvestthebarleyandwheat;Ipickedwildgrapes,thesun,theybecameverynutritiousraisins;Ikeeptamegoats,thenkilltoeat,smokedandpickled.Sincethesupplyoffoodisvaried,soisnotbad.Sofortwelveyears,meantime,theislandinadditiontome,Ihaveneverseenapeople.Thishasbeentothatbigday,Istumbleduponapersononthebeachoflightfootprints.
Ijustgotaboltfromtheblue.Iturnmyheadtolistentothesong,thepoor,butheardnothingandsawnothing.Irantotheshore,andtheseatosee,butthetotalisonlythenafootprint!Iscaretotheextreme,likeapersonbetrackingdown,fledbacktomyplace.Forthreedaysandthreenights,Idarenotgoout.
Thisisoneofthebest!Twelveyearsaftertwelveyearsofpainandhardwork,strugglewiththenaturalenvironment,wouldbeforapersonsafootprintterrornervous!Butthingsarelikethat.Afterobservation,Irealizedthatthisisthebraverythatthecontinentsahabit.TheytookthewarcaughtcaptivetotheislandIrarelygotothatplace,killedafterbigeatameal.Onemorning,Isawfromthetelescopethirtysavagesaredancingaroundthebonfire.Theyarecookingupacaptive,andtwoarepreparingtoputontothefireroasted,thenIcarriedintwoloadedmuskets,andtheswordhandle,rantowardthemdownthesavedthemintimetoeataprisoner.Isavemythispersoncalled"Friday",inmemoryofhisisrescuedthisday,hisspeechvoicebecamemytwenty-fiveyearsontheislandforthefirsttimeIheardvoices.Heisyoung,intelligent,isamoreadvancedtribalbarbarians,laterinthetimeIstayontheisland,hehasalwaysbeenmyareliablepartner.AfterItaughthimafewwordsofEnglish,onFridaytoldmeonthemainland.Idecidedtoleavetheisland.Wemadeaboat,thisisnotfaroffthecoast.Whenwearealmostreadytosetsailboat,andthereweretwenty-onesavagesinthreecanoe,tookthreecaptivetotheislandtoopenparty.Oneoftheprisonersisawhite,thiscanturnmyspiritisbroken.Iputthetwoshotguns,fourmuskets,twopistolsarefittedwithdoubleammunition,gaveasmallaxonFriday,alsohehaddrunkalotofsugarcane,Ibringthesword,werusheddownthehillandkillthemall,onlyawayfourbarbarians.
OneoftheprisonerswhoisthefatherofFriday.IsthatwhiteisSpanish,Isawafewyearsagothatshipontherocksonmyislandofasurvivor,Iwasalsofromtheshiptomorethanonethousandtwohundredpiecesofgold,butforthemoneyIhavenovalue,becausetheyarenotmorevaluablethanalotofsandonthebeach.
IgavetheSpaniardandFridaysfathergunsandfood,lettheminmynewboattotheSpanishshipwreckedsailorscameuptomyisland.Waitingforwhentheycomeback,thereisaBritishshipforsailorsriotedconkedoutonmyisland.Ihelpedthecaptaintorecapturehisship,withhisbacktotheUK.WewalkawaytwohonestsailorsalsowanttogobacktotheUK,andmaketroubletosomeofthemostfiercesailorontheter,theSpaniardback,staydownontheisland.Thetwoatthebeginningoftheirquarrel,butaftersettled,finallyestablishedathrivingcolony,overtheyears,Ihavehadbeentotheislandonceagain.
WhenIlefttheisland,hastwomonthsontheislandfortwenty-eightyears29days.IalwaysthoughtIwouldmaketotheUK,Ididn thinkIhavebecomeastrangerthere.Myparentshavedied,itwasreallytoosad,orIcannowtotheirfilialpiety,becauseIinadditiontotheSpanishshiptooktoonethousandtwohundredgoldCOINS,andtwentythousandwaitingformetogotheretoreceiveanhonestfriend,thefriendisaPortuguesecaptain,beforeIdothathaplesserrand,IcommissionedhimtooperateinBrazilsestate.ItistodothejobthatIlivedontheislandfortwenty-eightyears.Isawhewassohonest,veryhappy,IdecidedtopayhimonehundredgoldCOINSPortugaleachyear,andeveryyeartopayhissonafterhisdeath50COINS,Portugalastheirlife-longbenefits.
Igotmarriedandhadthreechildren,becauseinadditiontotheaboveIsayIlivedintheislandtosee,andmadeavoyage,notroamagain.Iliveinhere,forIdidnotdeservetoenjoygrateful,determinationisnowreadytomakealltravelthelongestjourney.IfIlearnedanything,itistorealizethevalueoftheretirementandprayoverafterourdaysinpeace.
Fivestories:inadditiontomaketheirhomesindistressatsea,island,saveonFriday,justice,fight,saygoodbyetoadesertisland.
