Робінзон Крузо
A Boat
Itwouldmakethereaderpityme,orratherlaughatme,totellhowmanyawkwardwaysItooktoraisethispaste; whatodd,misshapen,uglythingsImade; howmanyofthemfellin,andhowmanyfellout,theclaynotbeingstiffenoughtobearitsownweight; howmanycrackedbytheover-violentheatofthesun,beingsetouttoohastily; andhowmanyfellinpieceswithonlyremoving,aswellbeforeasaftertheyweredried; and,inaword,how,afterhavinglaboredhardtofindtheclay,todigit,totemperit,tobringithome,andworkit,Icouldnotmakeabovetwolargeearthenuglythings(Icannotcallthemjars)inabouttwomonths’labor.
However,asthesunbakedthesetwoverydryandhard,Iliftedthemverygentlyup,andsetthemdownagainintwogreatwickerbaskets,whichIhadmadeonpurposeforthem,thattheymightnotbreak; andasbetweenthepotandthebaskettherewasalittleroomtospare,Istuffeditfullofthericeandbarleystraw, andthesetwopotsbeingtostandalwaysdry,Ithoughtwouldholdmydrycorn,andperhapsthemeal,whenthecornwasbruised.
ThoughImiscarriedsomuchinmydesignforlargepots,yetImadeseveralsmallerthingswithbettersuccess; suchaslittleroundpots,flatdishes,pitchers,andpipkins,andanythingsmyhandturnedto; andtheheatofthesunbakedthemstrangelyhard. Butallthiswouldnotanswermyend,whichwastogetanearthenpottoholdwhatwasliquid,andbearthefire,whichnoneofthesecoulddo. Ithappenedaftersometime,makingaprettylargefireforcookingmymeat,whenIwenttoputitoutafterIhaddonewithit,Ifoundabrokenpieceofoneofmyearthenwarevesselsinthefire,burntashardasastone,andredasatile. Iwasagreeablysurprisedtoseeit,andsaidtomyself,thatcertainlytheymightbemadetoburnwhole,iftheywouldburnbroken.
