Робинзон Крузо
Surveys His Position
Withinexpressiblehackingandhewing,Ireducedbothsidesofitintochipstillitbeguntobelightenoughtomove; thenIturnedit,andmadeonesideofitsmoothandflatasaboardfromendtoend;thenturningthatsidedownward,cuttheotherside,tillIbroughttheplanktobeaboutthreeinchesthick,andsmoothonbothsides. Anyonemayjudgethelaborofmyhandsinsuchapieceofwork; butlaborandpatiencecarriedmethroughthat,andmanyotherthings. Ionlyobservethisinparticular,toshowthereasonwhysomuchofmytimewentawaywithsolittlework,viz.,thatwhatmightbealittletobedonewithhelpandtools,wasavastlabor,andrequiredaprodigioustimetodoalone,andbyhand. Butnotwithstandingthis,withpatienceandlabor,Iwentthroughmanythings,and,indeed,everythingthatmycircumstancesmadenecessarytometodo,aswillappearbywhatfollows.
Iwasnow,inthemonthsofNovemberandDecember,expectingmycropofbarleyandrice. ThegroundIhadmanuredordugupforthemwasnotgreat;forasIobserved,myseedofeachwasnotabovethequantityofhalfapeck; forIhadlostonewholecropbysowinginthedryseason.Butnowmycroppromisedverywell,whenonasuddenIfoundIwasindangeroflosingitallagainbyenemiesofseveralsorts,whichitwasscarcepossibletokeepfromit; as,firstthegoatsandwildcreatureswhichIcalledhares,who,tastingthesweetnessoftheblade, layinitnightandday,assoonasitcameup,andeatitsoclose,thatitcouldgetnotimetoshootupintostalk.
ThisIsawnoremedyforbutbymakinganenclosureaboutitwithahedge,whichIdidwithagreatdealoftoil,andthemore,becauseitrequiredspeed.
