Daniel Defoe

Name: Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal
Author: Daniel Defoe

Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

Summary

“Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal”, is a work by Daniel Defoe. It explores elements such as cave, rain and corn.

Quotes from Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal (Daniel Defoe)

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ All this while I had not the least serious religious thought; nothing but the common “Lord have mercy upon me!” and when it was over that went away too.
While I sat thus, I found the air overcast and grow cloudy, as if it would rain. Soon after that the wind arose by little and little, so that in less than half-an-hour it blew a most dreadful hurricane; the sea was all on a sudden covered over with foam and froth; the shore was covered with the breach of the water, the trees were torn up by the roots, and a terrible storm it was. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ It continued raining all that night and great part of the next day, so that I could not stir abroad; but my mind being more composed, I began to think of what I had best do; concluding that if the island was subject to these earthquakes, there would be no living for me in a cave, but I must consider of building a little hut in an open place which I might surround with a wall, as I had done here, and so make myself secure from wild beasts or men; for I concluded, if I stayed where I was, I should certainly one time or other be buried alive. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ But the rain was so violent that my tent was ready to be beaten down with it; and I was forced to go into my cave, though very much afraid and uneasy, for fear it should fall on my head. This violent rain forced me to a new work - viz. to cut a hole through my new fortification, like a sink, to let the water go out, which would else have flooded my cave. After I had been in my cave for some time, and found still no more shocks of the earthquake follow, I began to be more composed. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ I spent this day in covering and securing the goods which I had saved, that the rain might not spoil them.
Oct. 26. - I walked about the shore almost all day, to find out a place to fix my habitation, greatly concerned to secure myself from any attack in the night, either from wild beasts or men. Towards night, I fixed upon a proper place, under a rock, and marked out a semicircle for my encampment; which I resolved to strengthen with a work, wall, or fortification, made of double piles, lined within with cables, and without with turf. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ From the 26th to the 30th I worked very hard in carrying all my goods to my new habitation, though some part of the time it rained exceedingly hard.
The 31st, in the morning, I went out into the island with my gun, to seek for some food, and discover the country; when I killed a she-goat, and her kid followed me home, which I afterwards killed also, because it would not feed.
November 1. - I set up my tent under a rock, and lay there for the first night; making it as large as I could, with stakes driven in to swing my hammock upon. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ As for my lodging, I kept to the tent; except that sometimes, in the wet season of the year, it rained so hard that I could not keep myself dry, which caused me afterwards to cover all my place within my pale with long poles, in the form of rafters, leaning against the rock, and load them with flags and large leaves of trees, like a thatch.
December 10. - I began now to think my cave or vault finished, when on a sudden (it seems I had made it too large) a great quantity of earth fell down from the top on one side ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ Nov. 5. - This day went abroad with my gun and my dog, and killed a wild cat; her skin pretty soft, but her flesh good for nothing; every creature that I killed I took of the skins and preserved them. Coming back by the sea-shore, I saw many sorts of sea-fowls, which I did not understand; but was surprised, and almost frightened, with two or three seals, which, while I was gazing at, not well knowing what they were, got into the sea, and escaped me for that time. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ When this wall was finished, and the outside double fenced, with a turf wall raised up close to it, I perceived myself that if any people were to come on shore there, they would not perceive anything like a habitation; and it was very well I did so, as may be observed hereafter, upon a very remarkable occasion.
During this time I made my rounds in the woods for game every day when the rain permitted me, and made frequent discoveries in these walks of something or other to my advantage ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ The little remainder of corn that had been in the bag was all devoured by the rats, and I saw nothing in the bag but husks and dust; and being willing to have the bag for some other use (I think it was to put powder in, when I divided it for fear of the lightning, or some such use) , I shook the husks of corn out of it on one side of my fortification, under the rock. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ All this time I worked very hard, the rains hindering me many days, nay, sometimes weeks together; but I thought I should never be perfectly secure till this wall was finished; and it is scarce credible what inexpressible labour everything was done with, especially the bringing piles out of the woods and driving them into the ground ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ Jan. 3. - I began my fence or wall; which, being still jealous of my being attacked by somebody, I resolved to make very thick and strong.
N.B. - This wall being described before, I purposely omit what was said in the journal; it is sufficient to observe, that I was no less time than from the 2nd of January to the 14th of April working, finishing, and perfecting this wall, though it was no more than about twenty-four yards in length, being a half-circle from one place in the rock to another place, about eight yards from it, the door of the cave being in the centre behind it. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ Dec. 11. - This day I went to work with it accordingly, and got two shores or posts pitched upright to the top, with two pieces of boards across over each post; this I finished the next day; and setting more posts up with boards, in about a week more I had the roof secured, and the posts, standing in rows, served me for partitions to part off the house. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal

“ Nov. 14, 15, 16. - These three days I spent in making little square chests, or boxes, which might hold about a pound, or two pounds at most, of powder; and so, putting the powder in, I stowed it in places as secure and remote from one another as possible. On one of these three days I killed a large bird that was good to eat, but I knew not what to call it.
Nov. 17. - This day I began to dig behind my tent into the rock, to make room for my further conveniency.
Note. - Three things I wanted exceedingly for this work - viz. a pickaxe, a shovel, and a wheelbarrow or basket ”

Daniel Defoe

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Quotes from Robinson Crusoe — Build a House - The Journal (Daniel Defoe)

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