But, leaving this part, I return to my Journal.
My condition began now to be much easier to my mind. My thoughts being directed to things of a higher nature I had a great deal of comfort within, which till now I knew nothing of. Also, as my health and strength returned, I bestirred me to furnish myself with every thing I wanted and make my way of living as regular as I could.
From the 4th of July to the 14th, I was chiefly employed in walking about with my gun in my hand, a little and a little at a time, as a man that was gathering up his strength after a fit of sickness. It is hardly to be imagined how low I was and to what weakness I was reduced. The application which I made use of was new and perhaps what had never cured an ague before. Neither can I recommend it to any one to practise, by this experiment. Tho’ it did carry off the fit it rather contributed to weakening me, for I had frequent convulsions in my nerves and limbs for some time.
I learned from it also this, in particular. Being abroad in the rainy season was the most pernicious thing to my health that could be, especially in those rains which came attended with storms and hurricanes of wind. As the rain which came in the dry season was almost always accompanied with such storms, so I found this rain was much more dangerous than the rain which fell in September and October.
I had now been on this unhappy island above 10 months. All possibility of rescue or escape from this condition seemed to be taken from me. I firmly believed no human shape had ever set foot upon that place, and yet I was lighter of heart and spirit than ever in my memory. Having secured my habitation fully to my mind, I had a great desire to make a more perfect discovery of the island and to see what other productions I might find which I yet knew nothing of.
fruitful valley, strange behaviors,
my anniversary
It was on the 15th of July I began to take a more particular survey of the island itself. I went up the creek first, where, as I hinted, I brought my rafts on shore. I found, after I came about two miles up, the tyde did not flow any higher. It was no more than a little brook of running water, very fresh and good. This being the dry season, there was hardly any water in some parts of it.
On the banks of this brook I found many pleasant savannahs or meadows, plain, smooth, and covered with grass. On the rising parts of them, next to the higher grounds where the water never overflowed, I found a great deal of tobacco growing to a very great and strong stalk. There were diverse other plants which I had no knowledge of, or understanding about, and might, perhaps, have virtues of their own, which I could not find out.
I searched for the cassava root, which the Indians in all that climate make their bread of, but I could find none. I saw large plants of aloes but did not understand them. I saw several sugar-canes, but wild and, for want of cultivation, imperfect. I contented myself with these discoveries for this time and came back, musing with myself what course I might take to know the virtue of any of the fruits or plants which I should discover, but could bring it to no conclusion. For, in short, I had made so little observation while I was in the Brasils that I knew little of the plants in the field. At least, very little that might serve me to any purpose now.
The next day, the 16th, I went up the same way again. After going something farther than I had gone the day before, I found the brook and the savannahs began to cease, and the country became more woody than before. In this part I found different fruits. I found melons upon the ground, in great abundance, and grapes upon the trees. The vines, indeed, had spread over the trees and the clusters of grapes were now just in their prime, very ripe and rich. This was a surprising discovery and I was exceedingly glad of them, but I was warned by my experience to eat sparingly of them. When I was ashore in Barbary, the eating of grapes killed several of our Englishmen who were slaves there, throwing them into fluxes and fevers. I found, however, an excellent use for these grapes, and that was to cure or dry them in the sun and keep them as dried grapes or raisins are kept.
I spent all evening there and went not back to my habitation, which, by the way, was the first night I had lain from home, as I might say, discounting those nights when the beast ran free. At night I got up into a tree, where I slept well, and the next morning proceeded on my discovery, traveling near four miles, as I might judge by the length of the valley, keeping still due north, with a ridge of hills on the south and north sides of me.