Робинзон Крузо
First Weeks on the Island
Ifinishedthisworkinaboutafortnight; andIthinkmypowder,whichinallwasabout240poundsweight,wasdividedinnotlessthanahundredparcels. Astothebarrelthathadbeenwet,Ididnotapprehendanydangerfromthat,soIplaceditinmynewcave,whichinmyfancyIcalledmykitchen,andtherestIhidupanddownandinholesamongtherocks,sothatnowetmightcometoit,markingverycarefullywhereIlaidit.
Intheintervaloftimewhilethiswasdoing,Iwentoutonce,atleast,everydaywithmygun,aswelltodivertmyself,astoseeifIcouldkillanythingfitforfood,andasnearasIcouldtoacquaintmyselfwithwhattheislandproduced. ThefirsttimeIwentout,Ipresentlydiscoveredthatthereweregoatsintheisland,whichwasagreatsatisfactiontome; butthenitwasattendedwiththismisfortunetome,viz.,thattheyweresoshy,sosubtle,andsoswiftoffoot,thatitwasthedifficultestthingintheworldtocomeatthem. ButIwasnotdiscouragedatthis,notdoubtingbutImightnowandthenshootone,asitsoonhappened; forafterIhadfoundtheirhauntsalittle,Ilaidwaitinthismannerforthem. Iobservediftheysawmeinthevalleys,thoughtheywereupontherocks,theywouldrunawayasinaterriblefright; butiftheywerefeedinginthevalleys,andIwasupontherocks,theytooknonoticeofme,fromwhenceIconcludedthat,bythepositionoftheiroptics,theirsightwassodirecteddownward,thattheydidnotreadilyseeobjectsthatwereabovethem. SoafterwardItookthismethod: Ialwaysclimbedtherocksfirsttogetabovethem,andthenhadfrequentlyafairmark.
