第54章

Besides this，I had my Country Seat，and I had now a tollerable Plantation there also；for first，I had my little Bower，as I call'd it，which I kept in Repair；that is to say，I kept the Hedge which circled it in，constantly fitted up to its usual Height，the Ladder standing always in the Inside；I kept the Trees which at first were no more than my Stakes，but were now grown very firm and tall；I kept them always so cut，that they might spread and grow thick and wild，and make the more agreeable Shade，which they did effectually to my Mind. In the Middle of this I had my Tent always standing，being a piece of a Sail spread over Poles set up for that Purpose，and which never wanted any Repair or Renewing；and under this I had made me a Squab or Couch，with the Skins of the Creatures I had kill'd，and with other soft Things，and a Blanket laid on them，such as belong'd to our Sea-Bedding，which I had saved，and a great Watch-Coat to cover me；and here，whenever I had Occasion to be absent from my chief Seat，I took up my Country Habitation.

Adjoyning to this I had my Enclosures for my Cattle，that is to say，my Goats：And as I had taken an inconceivable deal of Pains to fence and enclose this Ground，so I was so uneasy to see it kept entire，lest the Goats should break thro'，that I never left off till with infinite Labour I had stuck the Out-side of the Hedge so full of small Stakes，and so near to one another，that it was rather a Pale than a Hedge，and there was scarce Room to put a Hand thro' between them，which afterwards when those Stakes grew，as they all did in the next rainy Season，made the Enclosure strong like a Wall，indeed stronger than any Wall.

This will testify for me that I was not idle，and that I spared no Pains to bring to pass whatever appear'd necessary for my comfortable Support；for I consider'd the keeping up a Breed of tame Creatures thus at my Hand，would be a living Magazine of Flesh，Milk，Butter and Cheese，for me as long as I liv'd in the Place，if it were to be forty Years；and that keeping them in my Reach，depended entirely upon my perfecting my Enclosures to such a Degree，that I might be of keeping them together；which by this Method indeed I so effectually secur'd，that when these little Stakes began to grow，I had planted them so very thick，I was forced to pw some of them up again.

In this Place also I had my Grapes growing，which I principally depended on for my Winter Store of Raisins；and which I never fail'd to preserve very carefully，as the best and most agreeable Dainty of my whole Diet；and indeed they were not agreeable only，but physical，whole-some，nourishing，and refreshing to the last Degree.

As this was also about half Way between my other Habitation，and the Place where I had laid up my Boat，I generally stay'd，and lay here in my Way thither；for I used frequently to visit my Boat，and I kept all Things about or belonging to her in very good Order；sometimes I went out in her to divert my self，but no more hazardous Voyages would I go，nor scarce ever above a Stone's Cast or two from the Shore，I was so apprehensive of being hurry'd out my Knowledge again by the Currents，or Winds，or any ether Accident. But now I come to a new Scene of my Life. It happen'd one Day about Noon going towards my Boat，I was exceedingly surpriz'd with the Print of a Man's naked Foot on the Shore，which was very plain to be seen in the Sand：I stood like one Thunder-struck，or as if I had seen an Apparition；I listen'd，I look'd round me，I could hear nothing，nor see any Thing，I went up to a rising Ground to look farther，I went up the Shore and down the Shore，but it was all one，I could see no other Impression but that one，I went to it again to see if there were any more，and to observe if it might not be my Fancy；but there was no Room for that，for there was exactly the very Print of a Foot，Toes，Heel，and every Part of a Foot；how it came thither，I knew not，nor could in the least imagine. But after innumerable fluttering Thoughts，like a Man perfectly confus'd and out of my self，I came Home to my Fortification，not feeling，as we say，the Ground I went on，but terrify'd to the last Degree，looking behind me at every two or three Steps，mistaking every Bush and Tree，and fancying every Stump at a Distance to be a Man；nor is it possible to describe how many various Shapes affrighted Imagination represented Things to me in，how many wild Ideas were found every Moment in my Fancy，and what strange unaccountable Whimsies came into my Thoughts by the Way.

When I came to my Castle，for so I think I call'd it ever after this，I fled into it like one pursued；whether I went over by the Ladder as first contriv'd，or went in at the Hole in the Rock，which I call'd a Door，I cannot remember；no，nor could I remember the next Morning，for never frighted Hare fled to Cover，or Fox to Earth，with more Terror of Mind than I to this Retreat.