第58章

I immediately went to Work with this Piece of Ground，and in less than a Month's Time，I had so fenc'd it round，that my Flock or Herd，call it which you please，who were not so wild now as at first they might be supposed to be，were well enough secur'd in it. So，without any farther Delay，I removed ten young She-Goats and two He-Goats to this Piece；and when they were there，I continued to perfect the Fence till I had made it as secure as the other，which，however，I did at more Leisure，and it took me up more Time by a great deal.

All this Labour I was at the Expence of，purely from my Apprehensions on the Account of the Print of a Man's Foot which I had seen；for as yet I never saw any human Creature come near the Island，and I had now liv'd two Years under these Uneasinesses，which indeed made my Life much less comfortable than it was before；as may well be imagin'd by any who know what it is to live in the constant Snare of the Fear of Man；and this I must observe with Grief too，that the Discomposure of my Mind had too great Impressions also upon the religious Part of my Thoughts，for the Dread and Terror of falling into the Hands of Savages and Canibals，lay so upon my Spirits，that I seldom found my self in a due Temper for Application to my Maker，at least not with the sedate Calmness and Resignation of Soul which I was wont to do；I rather pray'd to God as under great Affliction and Pressure of Mind，surrounded with Danger，and in Expectation every Night of being murther'd and devour'd before Morning；and I must testify from my Experience，that a Temper of Peace，Thankfulness，Love and Affection，is much more the proper Frame for Prayer than that of Terror and Discomposure；and that under the Dread of Mischief impending，a Man is no more fit for a comforting Performance of the Duty of praying to God，than he is for Repentance on a sick Bed：For these Discomposures affect the Mind as the others do the Body；and the Discomposure of the Mind must necessarily be as great a Disability as that of the Body，and much greater，Praying to God being properly an Act Of the Mind，not of the Body.

But to go on；After I had thus secur'd one Part of my little living Stock，I went about the whole Island，searching for another private Place，to make such another Deposit；when wandring more to the West Point of the Island，than I had ever done yet，and looking out to Sea，I thought I saw a Boat upon the Sea，at a great Distance；I had found a Prospective Glass，or two，in one of the Seamen's Chests，which I sav'd out of our Ship；but I had it not about me，and this was so remote，that I could not tell what to make of it；though I look'd at it till my Eyes were not able to hold to look any longer；whether it was a Boat，or not，I do not know；but as I descended from the Hill，I could see no more of it，so I gave it over；only I resolv'd to go no more out without a Prospective Glass in my Pocket.

When I was come down the Hill，to the End of the Island，where indeed I had never been before，I was presently convinc'd，that the seeing the Print of a Man's Foot，was not such a strange Thing in the Island as I imagin'd；and but that it was a special Providence that I was cast upon the Side of the Island，where the Savages never came：I should easily have known，that nothing was more frequent than for the Canoes from the Main，when they happen'd to be a little too far out at Sea，to shoot over to that Side of the Island for Harbour；likewise as they often met，and fought in their Canoes，the Victors having taken any Prisoners，would bring them over to this Shore，where according to their dreadful Customs，being all Canibals，they would kill and eat them；of which hereafter.

When I was come down the Hill，to the Shore，as I said above，being the S.W. Point of the Island，I was perfectly confounded and amaz'd；nor is it possible for me to express the Horror of my Mind，at seeing the Shore spread with

Skulls，Hands，Feet，and other Bones of humane Bodies；and particularly I observ'd a Place where there had been a Fire made，and a Circle dug in the Earth，like a Cockpit，where it is suppos'd the Savage Wretches had sat down to their inhumane Feastings upon the Bodies of their Fellow-Creatures. I was so astonish'd with the Sight of these Things，that I entertain'd no Notions of any Danger to my self from it for a long while；All my Apprehensions were bury'd in the Thoughts of such a Pitch of inhuman，hellish Brutality，and the Horror of the Degeneracy of Humane Nature；which though I had heard of often，yet I never had so near a View of before；in short，I turn'd away my Face from the horrid Spectacle；my Stomach grew sick，and I was just at the Point of Fainting，when Nature discharg'd the Disorder from my Stomach；and having vomited with an uncommon violence，I was a little reliev'd；but cou'd not bear to stay in the Place a Moment；so I gat me up the Hill again，with the Speed I cou'd，and walk'd on towards my own Habitation.

When I came a little out of that Part of the Island，I stood a while as amaz'd；and then recovering my self，I look'd with the utmost Affection of my Soul，and with a Flood Tears in my Eyes，gave God Thanks that had cast my Lot in a Part of the World，where I was distinguish'd from such dreadful Creatures as these；and that though I had esteem'd my present Condition very miserable，had yet given me so many Comforts in it，that I had still more to give Thanks for than to complain of；and this above all，that had even in this miserable Condition been comforted with the Knowledge of himself，and the Hope of his Blessing，which was a Felicity more than sufficiently equivalent to all the Misery which I had suffer'd，or could suffer.