Робінзон Крузо
Return to England
TothisIaddedaveryhandsomepresentofsomeItaliansilksforhiswifeandtwodaughters,forsuchthecaptain’ssoninformedmehehad, withtwopiecesoffineEnglishbroadcloth,andbestIcouldgetinLisbon,fivepiecesofblackbaize,andsomeFlanderslaceofagoodvalue.
Havingthussettledmyaffairs,soldmycargo,andturnedallmyeffectsintogoodbillsofexchange,mynextdifficultywaswhichwastogotoEngland. Ihadbeenaccustomedenoughtothesea,andyetIhadastrangeaversiontogoingtoEnglandbyseaatthattime; andthoughIcouldgivenoreasonforit,yetthedifficultyincreaseduponmesomuch,thatthoughIhadonceshippedmybaggageinordertogo,yetIalteredmymind,andthatnotonce,buttwoorthreetimes.
ItistruethatIhadbeenveryunfortunatebysea,andthismightbesomeofthereason;butletnomanslightthestrongimpulsesofhisownthoughtsincasesofsuchmoment. TwooftheshipswhichIhadsingledouttogoin,Imeanmoreparticularlysingledoutthananyother,thatistosay,soasinoneofthemtoputmythingsonboard,andintheotherwaytohaveagreedwiththecaptain; Isay,twooftheseshipsmiscarried,viz.,onewastakenbytheAlgerines,andtheotherwascastawayontheStart,nearTorbay,andallthepeopledrownedexceptthree; sothatineitherofthosevesselsIhadbeenmademiserable;andinwhichmost,itwashardtosay.
Havingbeenthusharassedinmythoughts,myoldpilot,towhomIcommunicatedeverything,pressedmeearnestlynottogobysea,buteithertogobylandtotheGroyne,andcrossovertheBayofBiscaytoRochelle,fromwhenceitwasaneasyandsafejourneybylandtoParis,andsotoCalaisandDover; ortogouptoMadrid,andsoallthewaybylandthroughFrance.
