Daniel Defoe

“ On the 1st of September, 1651, I went on board this ship, which was bound for London, and without letting my father know the rash and disobedient step I had taken, set sail; but no sooner was the ship out of the Humber, than the wind began to blow, and the sea to rise in a most terrible manner. Having never been at sea before, I was extremely sick, and my mind was filled with terror. I then began to grow sensible of my wickedness, in disobeying the best of parents.
The next day the wind abated, and the sea grew calm ”

“ Before I set up my tent, I drew a half eircle before the hollow place, which extended twenty yards; and in this half circle pitched two rows of strong stakes, driving them into the ground like piles. Then I took the pieces of eable I had cut in the ship, and laid them in rows one upon another at the top; and this fence was so strong, that neither man nor beast could well enter it. ”

“ The captain returning to the ship, got every thing ready for my reception.
When he was gone, I talked to the men, told them my story, and how I managed all my household business; left a letter for the fifteen Spaniards, and made them promise to treat them in common with themselves. The next day I went on board the ship, taking Friday with me: thus I left the island, after being on it twenty-eight years, and arrived safely in England. ”

“ In this vessel I set sail. We had very good weather for about twelve days; but soon after we had crossed the line, a violent hurricane drove us quite out of our reckoning, and for many days together not any in the ship expected to save their lives. In this distress, one of our men early one morning cried out, “Land!” and we had no sooner run out of the cabin, in hopes of seeing where we were, but the ship struck upon a shoal. It is not easy to conceive our consternation ”

“ A Scots sailor on board called to me, and I answered that I had made my escape from tho Moors at Salee. They very kindly took me in and all my goods.
We had a very good voyage to the Brazils, and arrived at All Saint’s Bay, in about twenty-two days. The captain recommended me to an honest man who had a plantation, with whom I lived till I had learnt the manner of planting and making sugar, after which I purchased a piece of land, and became a planter. I had lived here about four years, and had contracted an acquaintance among several merchants. ”

“ I bid him see what they were doing: he did so, and told me, that they were all about the fire, eating the flesh of one of their prisoners; and that a bearded man lay bound upon the sand, whom he said they would kill next.
I had not a moment to lose, for two were stooped down to untie the Christian, in order to murder him. “Now,” said I, “Friday, do as you see me do. I laid the muskets down, and took one, and then we both fired. Three were killed, and five wounded. The rest jumped up immediately on their feet, but they knew not where to run. ”

“ I had at length a great mind to go to the point of the island to see how the shore lay, and resolved to travel thither by land. And now reader, I will give you a short sketch of the figure I made. I had a great high shapeless cap, made of a goat’s skin, a jacket with the skirts coming down to the middle of my thighs, and a pair of open knee’d breeches of the same, with the goat's hair hanging to the middle of my legs. ”

“ While I was in view of Muley, I stood out to sea, but it no sooner grew dark, than I changed my course, and steered to the south, I made such sail, that before the end of the next day, I believe, I was beyond tho Emperor of Morocco’s dominions. Yet so dreadful were my apprehensions of falling again into my master's hands, that I would not stop to go on shore, till I had sailed in that manner five days; and then the wind shifting to the southward, I ventured to come to an anchor at the mouth of a little river. ”

“ At this instant I saw a villain lift up his arm to kill one of the prisoners, but he did not strike him. The men having left the prisoners, and gone up into the woods, I went up to them with my man Friday, and said to them, “What are you, gentlemen?” they startled at the noise; but prepared to fly. I then said in English, “Gentleman, perhaps you may have a friend near you, whom you little expect. Tell me your case.’
“I was commander of that ship, (replied one of the prisoners) my men have mutinied against me ”

“ In this pleasure boat we frequently went out a-fishing; and one day he had appointed to go out with two or threo Moors of distinction, and had therefore sent over night a larger store of provision than usual, and ordered me to get ready two or three fusces with powder and shot, which were on board his ship, for that they designed to have sport at fowling as well as fishing. But in the morning he came on board, telling me that his guest had deelined going, and ordered me, with the man and boy, to sail out with the hoat, and catch somo fish, for his friends were to sup with him. ”

“ My dog was grown very old sat always at my right hand, and my two cats, one on one side of the table, and the other on the other, expecting now and then a bit from my hand, as a mark of special favour. ”

“ I now went in search of a place where I might fix my dwelling, endeavouring to chooso one where I might have the advantage of a healthy situation, fresh water, and security from being surprised by man or beast. ”

“ I was prescntly eonvinced that the seeing the print of a man's foot was not such a strange thing in the island, as I had imagined, for on my approaching the shore, I was perfeetly eonfounded; nor is it possible to express the horror I felt at sccing the shore spread with skulls, hands, and feet, and other bones of human bodies; and partieularly a plaee, whcre, as I supposed, there had been a fire made, and a eircle dug in the earth for tho savage wretches to sit down to their inhuman feasts. ”

“ In tho rummaging among my things, I found a little bag with some husks of corn in it; and wanting it, I shook it out by the side of my fortifieation. This was just before somo heavy rain; and about a month afterwards, I saw green stalks shooting out of the ground; but how great was my astonishment, when some time after I saw about ten or twelve ears of barley, and a few stalks of riee: these were worth more than fifty times their weight in gold ”