A Shipwrecked Sailor
--Daniel Defoe
The author and the text :
Daniel Defoe (1660 --173 1) was an English writer and journalist He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe. A prolific and versatile writer, Defoe is
also known for pamphlets and journals on various topics.
The followmg text is adapted from a section of Daniel Defoe’s famous novel 'Robinson Crusoe: and tells us how Crusoe, after being shipwrecked found himself
an a dismal island is also gives us an inspiring account of how he makes the island habitable with his hard work.
On September 30, 1659, l, miserable Robinson Crusoe, being shipwrecked during a violent storm, came on shore on this dismal island. I call it the Island of Despair. l was almost dead and the rest of my ship’s company was drowned. i had neither food, house nor clothes. I feared I would be devoured by wild beasts.
When night came, I slept in a tree for fear of wild creatures. it rained all night.
The rain continued through the next day with gusts of wind. Only a wreck of my ship was to be seen at low water. I swam to the wreck to rescue and secure for my survival some food and other provisions. I was able to collect some wood, cable, string, a knife, nails and a gun. I also collected a hammock and some canvas with which I made a tent. I got some ink and paper. I also found some money, but they Were useless to me in this barren island. I was some hundred leagues out of the ordinary course of the trade of mankind. l was convinced i had to spend the rest Of my life alone in this wild, desolate island.
l searched long for a place of safe habitation. I found a little plain on the side of a rising hill. 0n the rocky wall of the hill there was a hollow place worn in, like the entrance to a cave. On the flat of the green, just before this hollow, l resolved to
pitch my tent.
i cut the wood I collected, into stakes. I drove them into the ground in a semicircle around my tent. The stakes stood six inches apart from each other. I put the cables i had rescued from the ship around the stakes in the manner of a fence. i used a short ladder to go over the fence. Once in, I withdrew the ladder after me so that l was completely fortified against the world outside. Into this tent I brought all my stores and provisions.
After I had been on the island for ten or twelve days, it occurred to me that i would lose the measure of time. This was because I had neither watch nor calendar. To prevent this, I cut with my knife upon a large post the date of my landing; i put
a notch with my knife for everyday.
After along spell of rain, I saw some fair weather around 7‘h November. I spent the next couple of days making small wood boxes to keep my provisions dry from the rain.
Among the things i rescued from the ship there was a small bag of corns meant for poultry feed. Most of it had been devoured by rats. I saw nothing but husks and dusts in the bag. I emptied the contents outside my wall. This was a little time before the great rains. A month later I discovered green stalks shooting out of the ground. l was astonished to discover it was perfect green barley. By the
June of 1660, I had gained security of food and shelter.
in this same month i developed a high fever and lay weak and thirsty. l recovered
around 30‘” and gradually felt stronger
On 15th of July I took a more particular survey of the island. Around two miles up, Ifound a brook with pleasant meadows by its bank, plain, smooth and covered by grass. In a woody part I found melons in great abundance, and grape trees. The grapes were ripe and rich. Further into the land I found a great number of cocoa, orange and lemon trees. I carried great parcels of fruit homeward and the journey took me three days.
l was tempted to. transfer my habitation to this valley of fruits. I did not, because I still hoped to be rescued by some passing ship on the sea. I did not want to enclose myself in hill and woods. I stayed in view of the sea. Ten months had
passed since I had set foot on this island.
Previously I had no lamp after dark. I collected a little tallow and a small clay dish.
To this l added a wick. I had thus made myself a lamp.
I now began to seriously consider the circumstance l was reduced to. I decided to describe my state of affairs in writing. I began to keep a journal of everyday’s
employment. I could not include all particulars because gradually I ran out ink.
Ifound, by the notches I cast on the post, it was September 30th again. I had spent
three hundred and sixty five days on this island.
