鲁宾孙飘流记 英文版 Robinson Crusoe
丹尼尔.笛福 Daniel Defoe
CHAPTER IV - FIRST WEEKS ON THE ISLAND Page 1
WHEN I waked it was broad day, the weather clear, and the stormabated, so that the sea did not rage and swell as before. But thatwhich surprised me most was, that the ship was lifted off in thenight from the sand where she lay by the swelling of the tide, andwas driven up almost as far as the rock which I at first mentioned,where I had been so bruised by the wave dashing me against it.This being within about a mile from the shore where I was, and theship seeming to stand upright still, I wished myself on board, thatat least I might save some necessary things for my use.
When I came down from my apartment in the tree, I looked about meagain, and the first thing I found was the boat, which lay, as thewind and the sea had tossed her up, upon the land, about two mileson my right hand. I walked as far as I could upon the shore tohave got to her; but found a neck or inlet of water between me andthe boat which was about half a mile broad; so I came back for thepresent, being more intent upon getting at the ship, where I hopedto find something for my present subsistence.
A little after noon I found the sea very calm, and the tide ebbedso far out that I could come within a quarter of a mile of theship. And here I found a fresh renewing of my grief; for I sawevidently that if we had kept on board we had been all safe - thatis to say, we had all got safe on shore, and I had not been somiserable as to be left entirety destitute of all comfort andcompany as I now was. This forced tears to my eyes again; but asthere was little relief in that, I resolved, if possible, to get tothe ship; so I pulled off my clothes - for the weather was hot toextremity - and took the water. But when I came to the ship mydifficulty was still greater to know how to get on board; for, asshe lay aground, and high out of the water, there was nothingwithin my reach to lay hold of. I swam round her twice, and thesecond time I spied a small piece of rope, which I wondered I didnot see at first, hung down by the fore-chains so low, as that withgreat difficulty I got hold of it, and by the help of that rope Igot up into the forecastle of the ship. Here I found that the shipwas bulged, and had a great deal of water in her hold, but that shelay so on the side of a bank of hard sand, or, rather earth, thather stern lay lifted up upon the bank, and her head low, almost tothe water. By this means all her quarter was free, and all thatwas in that part was dry; for you may be sure my first work was tosearch, and to see what was spoiled and what was free. And, first,I found that all the ship's provisions were dry and untouched bythe water, and being very well disposed to eat, I went to the breadroom and filled my pockets with biscuit, and ate it as I went aboutother things, for I had no time to lose. I also found some rum inthe great cabin, of which I took a large dram, and which I had,indeed, need enough of to spirit me for what was before me. Now Iwanted nothing but a boat to furnish myself with many things whichI foresaw would be very necessary to me.
It was in vain to sit still and wish for what was not to be had;and this extremity roused my application. We had several spareyards, and two or three large spars of wood, and a spare topmast ortwo in the ship; I resolved to fall to work with these, and I flungas many of them overboard as I could manage for their weight, tyingevery one with a rope, that they might not drive away. When thiswas done I went down the ship's side, and pulling them to me, Itied four of them together at both ends as well as I could, in theform of a raft, and laying two or three short pieces of plank uponthem crossways, I found I could walk upon it very well, but that itwas not able to bear any great weight, the pieces being too light.So I went to work, and with a carpenter's saw I cut a spare topmastinto three lengths, and added them to my raft, with a great deal oflabour and pains. But the hope of furnishing myself withnecessaries encouraged me to go beyond what I should have been ableto have done upon another occasion.
My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable weight. Mynext care was what to load it with, and how to preserve what I laidupon it from the surf of the sea; but I was not long consideringthis. I first laid all the planks or boards upon it that I couldget, and having considered well what I most wanted, I got three ofthe seamen's chests, which I had broken open, and emptied, andlowered them down upon my raft; the first of these I filled withprovisions - viz. bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses, five pieces ofdried goat's flesh (which we lived much upon), and a littleremainder of European corn, which had been laid by for some fowlswhich we brought to sea with us, but the fowls were killed. Therehad been some barley and wheat together; but, to my greatdisappointment, I found afterwards that the rats had eaten orspoiled it all. As for liquors, I found several, cases of bottlesbelonging to our skipper, in which were some cordial waters; and,in all, about five or six gallons of rack. These I stowed bythemselves, there being no need to put them into the chest, nor anyroom for them. While I was doing this, I found the tide begin toflow, though very calm; and I had the mortification to see my coat,shirt, and waistcoat, which I had left on the shore, upon the sand,swim away. As for my breeches, which were only linen, and open-kneed, I swam on board in them and my stockings. However, this setme on rummaging for clothes, of which I found enough, but took nomore than I wanted for present use, for I had others things whichmy eye was more upon - as, first, tools to work with on shore. Andit was after long searching that I found out the carpenter's chest,which was, indeed, a very useful prize to me, and much morevaluable than a shipload of gold would have been at that time. Igot it down to my raft, whole as it was, without losing time tolook into it, for I knew in general what it contained.
My next care was for some ammunition and arms. There were two verygood fowling-pieces in the great cabin, and two pistols. These Isecured first, with some powder-horns and a small bag of shot, andtwo old rusty swords. I knew there were three barrels of powder inthe ship, but knew not where our gunner had stowed them; but withmuch search I found them, two of them dry and good, the third hadtaken water. Those two I got to my raft with the arms. And now Ithought myself pretty well freighted, and began to think how Ishould get to shore with them, having neither sail, oar, norrudder; and the least capful of wind would have overset all mynavigation.
I had three encouragements - 1st, a smooth, calm sea; 2ndly, thetide rising, and setting in to the shore; 3rdly, what little windthere was blew me towards the land. And thus, having found two orthree broken oars belonging to the boat - and, besides the toolswhich were in the chest, I found two saws, an axe, and a hammer;with this cargo I put to sea. For a mile or thereabouts my raftwent very well, only that I found it drive a little distant fromthe place where I had landed before; by which I perceived thatthere was some indraft of the water, and consequently I hoped tofind some creek or river there, which I might make use of as a portto get to land with my cargo.
thatwhich surprised me most was, that the ship was lifted off in thenight from the sand.
As I imagined, so it was. There appeared before me a littleopening of the land, and I found a strong current of the tide setinto it; so I guided my raft as well as I could, to keep in themiddle of the stream.
But here I had like to have suffered a second shipwreck, which, ifI had, I think verily would have broken my heart; for, knowingnothing of the coast, my raft ran aground at one end of it upon ashoal, and not being aground at the other end, it wanted but alittle that all my cargo had slipped off towards the end that wasafloat, and to fallen into the water. I did my utmost, by settingmy back against the chests, to keep them in their places, but couldnot thrust off the raft with all my strength; neither durst I stirfrom the posture I was in; but holding up the chests with all mymight, I stood in that manner near half-an-hour, in which time therising of the water brought me a little more upon a level; and alittle after, the water still-rising, my raft floated again, and Ithrust her off with the oar I had into the channel, and thendriving up higher, I at length found myself in the mouth of alittle river, with land on both sides, and a strong current of tiderunning up. I looked on both sides for a proper place to get toshore, for I was not willing to be driven too high up the river:hoping in time to see some ships at sea, and therefore resolved toplace myself as near the coast as I could.
At length I spied a little cove on the right shore of the creek, towhich with great pain and difficulty I guided my raft, and at lastgot so near that, reaching ground with my oar, I could thrust herdirectly in. But here I had like to have dipped all my cargo intothe sea again; for that shore lying pretty steep - that is to saysloping - there was no place to land, but where one end of myfloat, if it ran on shore, would lie so high, and the other sinklower, as before, that it would endanger my cargo again. All thatI could do was to wait till the tide was at the highest, keepingthe raft with my oar like an anchor, to hold the side of it fast tothe shore, near a flat piece of ground, which I expected the waterwould flow over; and so it did. As soon as I found water enough -for my raft drew about a foot of water - I thrust her upon thatflat piece of ground, and there fastened or moored her, by stickingmy two broken oars into the ground, one on one side near one end,and one on the other side near the other end; and thus I lay tillthe water ebbed away, and left my raft and all my cargo safe onshore.
My next work was to view the country, and seek a proper place formy habitation, and where to stow my goods to secure them fromwhatever might happen. Where I was, I yet knew not; whether on thecontinent or on an island; whether inhabited or not inhabited;whether in danger of wild beasts or not. There was a hill notabove a mile from me, which rose up very steep and high, and whichseemed to overtop some other hills, which lay as in a ridge from itnorthward. I took out one of the fowling-pieces, and one of thepistols, and a horn of powder; and thus armed, I travelled fordiscovery up to the top of that hill, where, after I had with greatlabour and difficulty got to the top, I saw any fate, to my greataffliction - viz. that I was in an island environed every way withthe sea: no land to be seen except some rocks, which lay a greatway off; and two small islands, less than this, which lay aboutthree leagues to the west.
I found also that the island I was in was barren, and, as I sawgood reason to believe, uninhabited except by wild beasts, of whom,however, I saw none. Yet I saw abundance of fowls, but knew nottheir kinds; neither when I killed them could I tell what was fitfor food, and what not. At my coming back, I shot at a great birdwhich I saw sitting upon a tree on the side of a great wood. Ibelieve it was the first gun that had been fired there since thecreation of the world. I had no sooner fired, than from all partsof the wood there arose an innumerable number of fowls, of manysorts, making a confused screaming and crying, and every oneaccording to his usual note, but not one of them of any kind that Iknew. As for the creature I killed, I took it to be a kind ofhawk, its colour and beak resembling it, but it had no talons orclaws more than common. Its flesh was carrion, and fit fornothing.
Contented with this discovery, I came back to my raft, and fell towork to bring my cargo on shore, which took me up the rest of thatday. What to do with myself at night I knew not, nor indeed whereto rest, for I was afraid to lie down on the ground, not knowingbut some wild beast might devour me, though, as I afterwards found,there was really no need for those fears.
I now began to consider that I might yet get a great many thingsout of the ship which would be useful to me, and particularly someof the rigging and sails, and such other things as might come toland; and I resolved to make another voyage on board the vessel, ifpossible. And as I knew that the first storm that blew mustnecessarily break her all in pieces, I resolved to set all otherthings apart till I had got everything out of the ship that I couldget. Then I called a council - that is to say in my thoughts -whether I should take back the raft; but this appearedimpracticable: so I resolved to go as before, when the tide wasdown; and I did so, only that I stripped before I went from my hut,having nothing on but my chequered shirt, a pair of linen drawers,and a pair of pumps on my feet.
I got on board the ship as before, and prepared a second raft; and,having had experience of the first, I neither made this sounwieldy, nor loaded it so hard, but yet I brought away severalthings very useful to me; as first, in the carpenters stores Ifound two or three bags full of nails and spikes, a great screw-jack, a dozen or two of hatchets, and, above all, that most usefulthing called a grindstone. All these I secured, together withseveral things belonging to the gunner, particularly two or threeiron crows, and two barrels of musket bullets, seven muskets,another fowling-piece, with some small quantity of powder more; alarge bagful of small shot, and a great roll of sheet-lead; butthis last was so heavy, I could not hoist it up to get it over theship's side.
voyages as these, and thought Ihad nothing more to expect from the ship that was worth my meddlingwith.
Besides these things, I took all the men's clothes that I couldfind, and a spare fore-topsail, a hammock, and some bedding; andwith this I loaded my second raft, and brought them all safe onshore, to my very great comfort.
I was under some apprehension, during my absence from the land,that at least my provisions might be devoured on shore: but when Icame back I found no sign of any visitor; only there sat a creaturelike a wild cat upon one of the chests, which, when I came towardsit, ran away a little distance, and then stood still. She sat verycomposed and unconcerned, and looked full in my face, as if she hada mind to be acquainted with me. I presented my gun at her, but,as she did not understand it, she was perfectly unconcerned at it,nor did she offer to stir away; upon which I tossed her a bit ofbiscuit, though by the way, I was not very free of it, for my storewas not great: however, I spared her a bit, I say, and she went toit, smelled at it, and ate it, and looked (as if pleased) for more;but I thanked her, and could spare no more: so she marched off.
Having got my second cargo on shore - though I was fain to open thebarrels of powder, and bring them by parcels, for they were tooheavy, being large casks - I went to work to make me a little tentwith the sail and some poles which I cut for that purpose: and intothis tent I brought everything that I knew would spoil either withrain or sun; and I piled all the empty chests and casks up in acircle round the tent, to fortify it from any sudden attempt,either from man or beast.
When I had done this, I blocked up the door of the tent with someboards within, and an empty chest set up on end without; andspreading one of the beds upon the ground, laying my two pistolsjust at my head, and my gun at length by me, I went to bed for thefirst time, and slept very quietly all night, for I was very wearyand heavy; for the night before I had slept little, and hadlaboured very hard all day to fetch all those things from the ship,and to get them on shore.
I had the biggest magazine of all kinds now that ever was laid up,I believe, for one man: but I was not satisfied still, for whilethe ship sat upright in that posture, I thought I ought to geteverything out of her that I could; so every day at low water Iwent on board, and brought away something or other; butparticularly the third time I went I brought away as much of therigging as I could, as also all the small ropes and rope-twine Icould get, with a piece of spare canvas, which was to mend thesails upon occasion, and the barrel of wet gunpowder. In a word, Ibrought away all the sails, first and last; only that I was fain tocut them in pieces, and bring as much at a time as I could, forthey were no more useful to be sails, but as mere canvas only.
But that which comforted me more still, was, that last of all,after I had made five or six such voyages as these, and thought Ihad nothing more to expect from the ship that was worth my meddlingwith - I say, after all this, I found a great hogshead of bread,three large runlets of rum, or spirits, a box of sugar, and abarrel of fine flour; this was surprising to me, because I hadgiven over expecting any more provisions, except what was spoiledby the water. I soon emptied the hogshead of the bread, andwrapped it up, parcel by parcel, in pieces of the sails, which Icut out; and, in a word, I got all this safe on shore also.
The next day I made another voyage, and now, having plundered theship of what was portable and fit to hand out, I began with thecables. Cutting the great cable into pieces, such as I could move,I got two cables and a hawser on shore, with all the ironwork Icould get; and having cut down the spritsail-yard, and the mizzen-yard, and everything I could, to make a large raft, I loaded itwith all these heavy goods, and came away. But my good luck begannow to leave me; for this raft was so unwieldy, and so overladen,that, after I had entered the little cove where I had landed therest of my goods, not being able to guide it so handily as I didthe other, it overset, and threw me and all my cargo into thewater. As for myself, it was no great harm, for I was near theshore; but as to my cargo, it was a great part of it lost,especially the iron, which I expected would have been of great useto me; however, when the tide was out, I got most of the pieces ofthe cable ashore, and some of the iron, though with infinitelabour; for I was fain to dip for it into the water, a work whichfatigued me very much. After this, I went every day on board, andbrought away what I could get.
I had been now thirteen days on shore, and had been eleven times onboard the ship, in which time I had brought away all that one pairof hands could well be supposed capable to bring; though I believeverily, had the calm weather held, I should have brought away thewhole ship, piece by piece. But preparing the twelfth time to goon board, I found the wind began to rise: however, at low water Iwent on board, and though I thought I had rummaged the cabin soeffectually that nothing more could be found, yet I discovered alocker with drawers in it, in one of which I found two or threerazors, and one pair of large scissors, with some ten or a dozen ofgood knives and forks: in another I found about thirty-six poundsvalue in money - some European coin, some Brazil, some pieces ofeight, some gold, and some silver.