14
goats in the island, but they were so shy, that it was the most difficult thing in the world to come up with them ; but observing that they did not easily see objects above them, I killed them by climbing the roeks, and shooting at those in the valley.
After I had been about ten or twelve days on shore, it came
into my thoughts, that I should lose my reckoning of time, and should not be able to distinguish the Sundays from the working days. To prevent this, I set up a large square post on the shore where I first landed, and cut upon it with a knife, “I came on shore here the 30th of September, 1659, R. C.” Upon the sides I eut every day a notch, and every seventh notch was as long again as the rest, and every first day of the month as long again as that long one, and thus I kept my weekly, monthly, and yearly reckoning.
I had got from the ship some pens, ink, and paper; somo
mathematical instruments, and three good Bibles, with several other books, which I carefully secured. I also brought to shore with me two eats, and a dog swam on shore, which was a trusty servant to me many years; nay, he was so good a companion to me, that I was at a loss for nothing that he could fetch mo ; and he only wanted power of speech to hecome a most agreeable friend.
When my habitation was finished, I found it far too small to
contain my moveables, I had hardly room to turn myself, so I set about enlarging my eave, and laboured till I had worked sideways into tho roek farther than my outside pale, and hewing a way through, made a back door to my store-house. I then made me a table and chair, which were great conveniences; shelved one side of my cave, and knocked up pieces of wood into the rock, to hang my things on. When my eave was set to rights, it looked like a general magazine of all necessary things.
In the rummaging among my things, I found a little bag
with some husks of eorn in it ; and wanting it, I shook it out by the side of my fortification. This was just before some 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 harley, and a few stalks of riee : these were worth moro than fifty times their weight in gold ; and I carefully preserved them for seed.
When I had been about a year in the island, I was taken
extremely ill. This fit of illness proved a violent ague, which made me so weak, I could hardly carry my gun. One night as I was ruminating on my sad condition, expecting the return of my fit, it occurred to my thoughts, that the Brazilians took
