Робінзон Крузо
First Weeks on the Island
asinparticular,pens,ink,andpaper,severalparcelsinthecaptain’s,mate’s,gunner’s,andcarpenter’skeeping,threeorfourcompasses,somemathematicalinstruments,dials,perspectives,charts,andbooksofnavigation, allofwhichIhuddledtogether,whetherImightwantthemorno. AlsoIfoundthreeverygoodBibles,whichcametomeinmycargofromEnglandandwhichIhadpackedupamongmythings; somePortuguesebooks,also,andamongthemtwoorthreePopishprayer-books,andseveralotherbooks,allofwhichIcarefullysecured. AndImustnotforget,thatwehadintheshipadogandtwocats,ofwhoseeminenthistoryImayhaveoccasiontosaysomethinginitsplace; forIcarriedboththecatswithme;andasforthedoghejumpedoutoftheshipofhimself,andswamonshoretomethedayafterIwentonshorewithmyfirstcargo,andwasatrustyservanttomemanyyears. Iwantednothingthathecouldfetchme,noranycompanythathecouldmakeuptome; Ionlywantedtohavehimtalktome,butthatwouldnotdo. AsIobservedbefore,Ifoundpen,ink,andpaper,andIhusbandedthemtotheutmost; andIshallshowthatwhilemyinklasted,Ikeptthingsveryexact; butafterthatwasgone,Icouldnot,forIcouldnotmakeanyinkbyanymeansthatIcoulddevise.
AndthisputmeinmindthatIwantedmanythings,notwithstandingallthatIhadamassedtogether; andofthese,thisofinkwasone,asalsospade,pick-axe,andshovel,todigorremovetheearth,needles,pins,andthread; asforlinen,Isoonlearnedtowantthatwithoutmuchdifficulty.
ThiswantoftoolsmadeeveryworkIdidgoonheavily; anditwasnearawholeyearbeforeIhadentirelyfinishedmylittlepaleorsurroundedhabitation.
