Wrecked on a desert island

           Afterthisstop,wemadeontothesouthwardcontinuallyfortenortwelvedays,livingverysparinglyonourprovisions,whichbegantoabateverymuch,andgoingnooftenertotheshorethanwewereobligedtoforfreshwater. MydesigninthiswastomaketheriverGambiaorSenegal,thatistosayanywhereabouttheCapedeVerde,whereIwasinhopestomeetwithsomeEuropeanship; andifIdidnot,IknewnotwhatcourseIhadtotake,buttoseekfortheislands,orperishthereamongthenegroes. IknewthatalltheshipsfromEurope,whichsailedeithertothecoastofGuineaortoBrazil,ortotheEastIndies,madethiscape,orthoseislands; and,inaword,Iputthewholeofmyfortuneuponthissinglepoint,eitherthatImustmeetwithsomeshipormustperish. 

           WhenIhadpursuedthisresolutionabouttendayslonger,asIhavesaid,Ibegantoseethatthelandwasinhabited; andintwoorthreeplaces,aswesailedby,wesawpeoplestandupontheshoretolookatus; wecouldalsoperceivetheywerequiteblackandnaked. Iwasonceinclinedtohavegoneonshoretothem;butXurywasmybettercounsellor,andsaidtome, ‘Nogo,nogo.’ However,IhauledinnearertheshorethatImighttalktothem,andIfoundtheyranalongtheshorebymeagoodway. Iobservedtheyhadnoweaponsintheirhand,exceptone,whohadalongslenderstick,whichXurysaidwasalance,andthattheycouldthrowthemagreatwaywithgoodaim; soIkeptatadistance,buttalkedwiththembysignsaswellasIcould;andparticularlymadesignsforsomethingtoeat: theybeckonedtometostopmyboat,andtheywouldfetchmesomemeat. UponthisIloweredthetopofmysailandlayby,andtwoofthemranupintothecountry,andinlessthanhalf-an-hourcameback,andbroughtwiththemtwopiecesofdriedfleshandsomecorn,suchasistheproduceoftheircountry;