Робінзон Крузо
Wreck of a Spanish Ship
Ilookedatitallthatday,andsoonperceivedthatitdidnotmove; soIpresentlyconcludedthatitwasashipatananchor. Andbeingeager,youmaybesure,tobesatisfied,Itookmyguninhandandrantowardthesouthsideoftheisland,totherockswhereIhadformerlybeencarriedawaywiththecurrent; andgettingupthere,theweatherbythistimebeingperfectlyclear,Icouldplainlysee,tomygreatsorrow,thewreckofaship,castawayinthenightuponthoseconcealedrockswhichIfoundwhenIwasoutinmyboat; andwhichrocks,astheycheckedtheviolenceofthestream,andmadeakindofcounter-streamoreddy,weretheoccasionofmyrecoveringfromthemostdesperate,hopelessconditionthateverIhadbeenininallmylife.
Thus,whatisoneman’ssafetyisanotherman’sdestruction; foritseemsthesemen,whoevertheywere,beingoutoftheirknowledge,andtherocksbeingwhollyunderwater,hadbeendrivenupontheminthenight,thewindblowinghardatE.andENE. Hadtheyseentheisland,asImustnecessarilysupposetheydidnot,theymust,asIthought,haveendeavoredtohavesavedthemselvesonshorebythehelpoftheirboat; buttheirfiringofgunsforhelp,especiallywhentheysaw,asIimagined,myfire,filledmewithmanthoughts. First,Iimaginedthatuponseeingmylight,theymighthaveputthemselvesintotheirboat,andhaveendeavoredtomaketheshore;butthattheseagoingveryhigh,theymighthavebeencastaway. OthertimesIimaginedthattheymighthavelosttheirboatbefore,asmightbethecasemanyways;as,particularly,bythebreakingoftheseaupontheirship,whichmanytimesobligesmentostave,ortakeinpiecesoftheirboat,andsometimestothrowitoverboardwiththeirownhands. OthertimesIimaginedtheyhadsomeothershiporshipsincompany,who,uponthesignalsofdistresstheyhadmade,hadtakenthemupandcarriedthemoff.
