Робінзон Крузо
A Boat
butmythoughtsweresointentuponmyvoyageovertheseainit,thatIneveronceconsideredhowIshouldgetitofftheland; anditwasreally,initsownnature,moreeasyformetoguideitoverforty-fivemilesofsea,thanaboutforty-fivefathomsofland,whereitlay,tosetitafloatinthewater.
Iwenttoworkuponthisboatthemostlikeafoolthatevermandidwhohadanyofhissensesawake. Ipleasedmyselfwiththedesign,withoutdeterminingwhetherIwaseverabletoundertakeit. Notbutthatthedifficultyoflaunchingmyboatcameoftenintomyhead; butIputastoptomyowninquiriesintoit,bythisfoolishanswerwhichIgavemyself, "Let’sfirstmakeit;I’llwarrantI’llfindsomewayorothertogetitalongwhen’tisdone."
Thiswasamostpreposterousmethod;buttheeagernessofmyfancyprevailed,andtoworkIwent. Ifelledacedartree: IquestionedmuchwhetherSolomoneverhadsuchaoneforthebuildingoftheTempleatJerusalem. Itwasfivefeetofteninchesdiameteratthelowerpartnextthestump,andfourfeeteleveninchesdiameterattheendoftwenty-twofeet,afterwhichitlessenedforawhile,andthenpartedintobranches. ItwasnotwithoutinfinitelaborthatIfelledthistree. Iwastwentydayshackingandhewingatitatthebottom;Iwasfourteenmoregettingthebranchesandlimbs,andthevastspreadingheadofitcutoff,whichIhackedandhewedthroughwithaxeandhatchet,andinexpressiblelabor. Afterthis,itcostmeamonthtoshapeitanddubittoaproportion,andtosomethinglikethebottomofaboat,thatitmightswimuprightasitoughttodo. Itcostmenearthreemonthsmoretocleartheinside,andworkitsoastomakeanexactboatofit. ThisIdid,indeed,withoutfire,bymeremalletandchisel,andbythedintofhardlabor,tillIhadbroughtittobeaveryhandsomeperiagua,andbigenoughtohavecarriedsixandtwentymen,andconsequentlybigenoughtohavecarriedmeandmycargo.
