In this time I found much employment, and very suitable also to the time. I found great occasion for many things which I had no way to furnish myself with but by hard labour and constant application. During the next season, I employed myself in making, as well as I could, several baskets to carry earth or lay up any thing as I had occasion for. Tho’ I did not finish them very handsomely, yet I made them serviceable for my purpose.
At this point another business took me up more time than it could be imagined I could spare. I mention’d before I had a great mind to see the whole island. I had traveled up the brook and so on to where I had built my bower, and where I had an opening quite to the sea on the other side of the island. I now resolv’d to travel quite across to the sea-shore on that side.
When I had passed the vale where my bower stood, I came within view of the sea to the west. It being a very clear day, I fairly descried land, whether an island or continent I could not tell. It lay very high. By my guess it could not be less than fifteen or twenty leagues off.
I could not tell what part of the world this might be. I knew it must be part of America and, as I concluded by all my observations, must be near the Spanish dominions and perhaps was all inhabited by savages. If I should have landed there, I had been in a worse condition than I was now. I quieted my mind with this.
Besides, after some pause upon this affair, I considered if this land was the Spanish coast, I should, one time or other, see some vessel pass or repass one way or other. If not, then it was the savage coast between the Spanish country and the Brasils, whose inhabitants are indeed the worst of savages. They are cannibals, or men-eaters, and fail not to murder and devour all human beings that fall into their hands.
With these considerations, I walk’d very leisurely forward. I found this side of the island where I now was much pleasanter than mine, the open or savannah fields adorned with flowers and grass and full of very fine woods. I saw abundance of parrots and fain would have caught one, if possible, to have kept it to be tame and taught it to speak to me. I did, after taking some pains, catch a young parrot. I knock’d it down with a stick and, having recover’d it, I brought it home. It was some years before I could make him speak, as the scent of the beast would oft send him into a flurry, and e'en then he spoke at length but once, which was a terrible thing I shall recount in time.
I was amused with this journey. I found in the low grounds hares, as I had seen oft thru the beast's eyes, and foxes, but they differed from all the other kinds I had met with. But I had no need to be venturous, for I had no want of food and of that which was very good too.
I never travel’d on this journey above two miles outright in a day, or thereabouts. Yet I took so many turns and returns to see what discoveries I could make that I came weary enough to the place where I resolv’d to sit down for the night. Then I either reposed myself in a tree or surround’d myself with a row of stakes, set upright in the ground, either from one tree to another, or so as no wild creature could come at me without waking me.
As soon as I came to the sea-shore, I was surpriz’d to see I had taken up my lot on the worst side of the island. Here indeed the shore was covered with innumerable turtles, whereas on the other side I had found but three in a year and a half. Here was also an infinite number of fowls of many kinds, some of which I had seen and some of which I had not seen before and many of them very good meat.
I confess this side of the country was much pleasanter than mine, yet I had not the least inclination to remove. As I was fixed in my habitation it became natural to me, and I seem’d all the while I was here to be as it were upon a journey and from home. Still, this was a pleasing divershin, and for three nights the beast did run gleefully on the shore as it had not done in many moons.
I travel’d along the sea-shore towards the east, I suppose about twelve miles. Then setting up a great pole upon the shore for a mark, I concluded I would go home again. The next journey I took should be on the other side of the island, east from my dwelling, and so round till I came to my post again.