Робінзон Крузо
A Boat
WhenIhad,gonethroughthiswork,Iwasextremelydelightedwithit. TheboatwasreallymuchbiggerthanIeversawacanoeorperiagua,thatwasmadeofonetree,inmylife. Manyawearystrokeithadcost,youmaybesure; andthereremainednothingbuttogetitintothewater; andhadIgottenitintothewater,ImadenoquestionbutIshouldhavebegunthemaddestvoyage,andthemostunlikelytobeperformed,thateverwasundertaken.
Butallmydevicestogetitintothewaterfailedme,theycostmeinfinitelabor,too. Itlayaboutonehundredyardsfromthewater,andnotmore; butthefirstinconveniencewas,itwasuphilltowardsthecreek. Well,totakeawaythisdiscouragement,Iresolvedtodigintothesurfaceoftheearth,andsomakeadeclivity. ThisIbegan,anditcostmeaprodigiousdealofpains; butwhogrudgespains,thathavetheirdeliveranceinview? Butwhenthiswasworkedthrough,andthisdifficultymanaged,itwasstillmuchatone,forIcouldnomorestirthecanoethanIcouldtheotherboat.
Thenmeasuredthedistanceofground,andresolvedtocutadockorcanal,tobringthewateruptothecanoe,seeingIcouldnotbringthecanoedowntothewater. Well,Ibeganthiswork;andwhenIbegantoenterintoit,andcalculatehowdeepitwastobedug,howbroad,howthestufftobethrownout,IfoundthatbythenumberofhandsIhad,beingnonebutmyown,itmusthavebeenoftenortwelveyearsbeforeshouldhavegonethroughwithit; fortheshorelayhigh,sothatattheupperenditmusthavebeenatleasttwentyfeetdeep; soatlength,thoughwithgreatreluctancy,Igavethisattemptoveralso.
Thisgrievedmeheartily; andnowIsaw,thoughtoolate,thefollyofbeginningaworkbeforewecountthecost,and,beforewejudgerightlyofourownstrengthtogothroughwithit.
