I could find anything washed on shore from
the ship, though I found my side and my head
very sore; but I could find nothing that had
been washed on shore. And next thing I
looked for was to see if I could find anything
like a flint; for my chief object was to try to
get a fire, for then I should be able to cook
my meat; for I had found, in my poor
ship-mate's pockets, a knife and a gimlet, and a
few nails, and some chalk; and I tried my
knife and his knife on all the stones that
looked like flint stones, to try to strike fire;
but I could not find any that would do, so the
only thing that I had to do was to try to get
two pieces of touchwood and rub them
together; but now I had nothing but two pocket
knives, but I thought that, with God's help,
I should be able to manage it. And I went
back to my grove, where I had slept the
night before, to get something to eat; but,
not coming back the same way that I went,
I found some sorrel—which has a small leaf
and a big stem—which is a capital thing to
quench your thirst; for the stem is full of
moisture, of a sourish taste, and it is a very
good substitute for water. At finding this
prize, I returned my hearty thanks to God
for sending me in the way to find it. Although
the water that I got out of the tortoise's
bladder was very good, still the sorrel and it
made it more pleasant; and, after I and my
dog had our breakfast, we went to look for
some touchwood, which, thanks be to God, I
found, after a good deal of trouble. And it
cost me nearly three months' trouble and
hard work before I got a fire, which I did
by rubbing the two pieces of wood together;
and during this time I lived nearly as I have
mentioned, only that I tried several more
herbs; and I found a sort of asparagus
which I found contained a good deal of
moisture, which was a great help to me; and
I tried a good many different barks of trees
to make something as a substitute for bread;
and, at last, after trying a good many, I found
some that, after being baked in the sun, did
very well; so, thanks be to God, I got on
better and better every day. Now I must
tell you the way I kept an account of my
time:—I dug two holes in the earth, and I
got thirty small stones, and the day that I was
cast away upon the island being the 3rd day
of February, I counted from that time, and
put a stone into the empty hole every day,
till the thirty stones were all gone; and then
with my knife I cut a great notch on a tree
that stood close by; so, by these means, I
could tell how many days I had been on the
island. And now, after I got a fire, I used to
cook my meat, and make myself as comfortable
as my circumstances would allow me
to be. But you might perhaps wish to know
what I did for a pot or a frying-pan ?—why,
I used the top shell of the tortoise for a pot,
and the under shell for a frying-pan. And I
took great care that my fire should not go
out, for there was plenty of cork or match-wood
on the island; and I knew, by former
trials, that the wood would keep alight
whilst there was a bit of it left, but it would
never come to a blaze; and, to prevent my
fire from going out, I always had two or three
pieces alight.

Being busy the chief part of the time that I
had been on the island in making a fire, I
had scarcely gone any distance from the beach,
and from my grove. I resolved now to go
into the interior of the island, and with this
intent I lighted a couple of large pieces of
match-wood, that I knew would last two or
three days; and away I and my dog started
for the middle part of the island; and we
travelled on a good while, when my dog fell
a barking at something; and to my great
surprise, what should it be but two wild goats,
that had been laying down, when the dog
came close to them. Now, my seeing these
goats put a desire into my head, that I
should like to get some of them; for I thought
that I might get some goat's milk, which
would be a great addition to me. I began
to get tired of walking, and I went and got
a small tortoise, and killed him; and I found
plenty of sorrel here, so I give my dog
something to eat and to drink. I had some myself;
for I had taken care to bring a piece of match-wood
along with me, and there being plenty of
dry brushwood, I soon made a fire, and roasted
my meat; and after I had my dinner, and
returned thanks to God, I and my dog
went on our travels again; and we travelled
a good distance, and we saw plenty more
goats. And by tracing the goats I found a
small spring of water, and you may depend
that I shall never forget how sweet the first
drop of water tasted, that I had; and after
having a good drink, I returned thanks to the
Almighty for his wonderful mercy to me.
And now, as it was beginning to be late, I
resolved to stop where I was for the night;
so, on that account, I began to look out for a
place to shelter from the dew; and when I
had found one, I gathered some leaves and some
moss, and made myself a bed. As it was early
yet, I looked round to see what sort of place
I had got to; but I soon found that I had
nearly got to the north-east part of the island,
for I had not walked far from my new habitation,
when I could see the sea: and finding
the place so convenient to the sea, and more
cool than the lee-side of the island, I resolved
to shift my habitation round to this part of
the island; and, with this intention, I went
to my new lodging; and, after I had some
supper, and given some to my dog, and
returned my sincere thanks to God for the
many blessings he had showered down on me,
I laid myself down to sleep: but I could not
sleep for a long time, for my thoughts were
occupied, how I should be able to make
myself master of some of the goats that I had
seen. At length I came to the resolution to
make myself a bow and some arrows; and
I thought that if I was able to wound a