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Note. Three things I wanted exceedingly for this work, ork viz. a pickaxe, a shovel, and a wheelbarrow, or basket; so desisted from my work, and began to consider how to supply these wants, and make me some tools. As for a pickaxe, I made use of the iron crows, which were proper enough, though heavy; but the next thing was a shovel or spade; this was so absolutely necessary, that, indeed, I could do nothing effectually without it; but what kind of one to make I knew not.

Nov. 18. The next day, in searching the woods, I found a tree of that wood, or like it, which, in the Brazils, they call the iron tree, from its exceeding hardness: of this, with great labor, and almost spoiling my axe, I cut a piece, and brought it home, too, with difficulty enough, for it was exceeding heavy. The excessive hardness of the wood, and my having no other way, made me a long while upon this machine; for I worked it effectually, by little and little, into the form of a shovel or spade; the handle exactly shaped like ours in England, only that the broad part having no iron shod upon it at bottom, it would not last me so long: however, it served well enough for the uses which I had occasion to put it to; but never was a shovel, I believe, made after that fashion, or so long a-making.

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I was still deficient; for I wanted a basket, or a wheelbarA basket I could not make by any means, having no such things as twigs that would bend to make wicker ware; at least, none yet found out; and as to the wheelbarrow, I fancied I could make all but the wheel, but that I had no notion of; neither did I know how to go about it: besides, I had no possible way to make iron gudgeons for the spindle or axis of the wheel to run in: so I gave it over: and, for carrying away the earth which I dug out of the cave, I made me a thing like a hod, which the laborers carry mortar in for the bricklayers. This was not so difficult to me as the making the shovel; and yet this and the shovel, and the attempt which I made in vain to make a wheelbarrow, took me up no less than four days; I mean always excepting my morning walk with my gun

which I seldom omitted, and very seldom failed also bringing home something fit to eat.

Nov. 23. My other work having now stood still, because of my making these tools, when they were finished I went on; and, working every day, as my strength and time allowed, Í spent eighteen days entirely in widening and deepening my cave, that it might hold my goods commodiously.

Note. During all this time, I worked to make this room, or cave, spacious enough to accommodate me as a warehouse or magazine, a kitchen, a dining-room, and a cellar. As for a lodging, I kept to the tent; except that, sometimes, in the wet season of the year, it rained so hard that I could not keep my. self dry; which caused me afterwards to cover all my place within my pale with long poles, in the form of rafters, leaning against the rock, and loaded them with flags and large leaves of trees, like a thatch.

December 10. I began now to think my cave or vault finished; when on a sudden (it seems I had made it too large) a great quantity of earth fell down from the top and one side; so much, that, in short, it frightened me, and not without reason too; for if I had been under it, I should never have wanted a grave-digger. Upon this disaster, I had a great deal of work to do over again, for I had the loose earth to carry out; and, which was of more importance, I had the ceiling to prop up, so that I might be sure no more would come down.

Dec. 11. This day I went to work with it accordingly, and got two shores or posts pitched upright to the top, with two pieces of board across over each post: this I finished the next day; and setting more posts up with boards, in about a week more I had the roof secured; and the posts, standing in rows, served me for partitions to part off my house.

Dec. 17. From this day to the 30th, I placed shelves, and knocked up nails on the posts, to hang every thing up that could be hung up: and now I began to be in some order within doors.

Dec. 20. I carried every thing into the cave, and began to

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furnish my house, and set up some pieces of boards, like a dresser to order my victuals upon; but boards began to be very scarce with me: also I made me another table.

Dec. 24. Much rain all night and all day; no stirring out. Dec. 25. Rain all day. Dec. 26. No rain; and the earth much cooler than before, and pleasanter.

Dec. 27. Killed a young goat; and lamed another, so that I catched it, and led it home in a string: when I had it home, I bound and splintered up its leg, which was broke.

N. B. I took such care of it that it lived; and the leg grew well, and as strong as ever; but, by nursing it so long, it grew tame, and fed upon the little green at my door, and would not go away. This was the first time that I entertained a thought of breeding up some tame creatures, that I might have food when my powder and shot was all spent.

Dec. 28, 29, 30, 31. Great heats, and no breeze; so that there was no stirring abroad, except in the evening, for food : this time I spent in putting all my things in order within doors.

January 1. Very hot still; but I went abroad early and lite with my gun, and lay still in the middle of the day. This evening, going farther into the valleys which lay towards the centre of the island, I found there was plenty of goats, though exceeding shy, and hard to come at; however, I resolved to try if I could not bring my dog to hunt them down. Accordingly, the next day, I went out with my dog, and set him upon the goats: but I was mistaken, for they all faced about upon the dog; and he knew his danger too well, for he would not come near them.

Jan. 3. I began my fence or wall; which, being still jealous of my being attacked by somebody, I resolved to make very thick and strong.

N. B. This wall being described before, I purposely omit what was said in the journal: it is sufficient to observe, that I was no less time than from the 3d of January to the 14th of April, working, finishing, and perfecting this wall: though it

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was no more than about 25 yards in length, being a half-circle, from one place in the rock to another place, about twelve yards from it, the door of the cave being in the centre, behind it.

All this time I worked very hard; the rains hindering me many days, nay, sometimes weeks together: but I thought I should never be perfectly secure till this wall was finished; and it is scarce credible what inexpressible labor every thing was done with, especially thể bringing piles out of the woods, and driving them into the ground; for I made them much bigger than I neede to have done.

When this wall was finished, and the outside double-fenced, with a turf-wall raised up close to it, I persuaded myself that if any people were to come on shore there, they would not per ceive any thing like a habitation; and it was very well I did so, as may be observed hereafter, upon a very remarkaNe occasion.

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During this time, I made my rounds in the woods for gano every day, when the rain permitted me, and made frequer discoveries, in these walks, of something or other to my advar tage; particularly, I found a kind of wild pigeons, who build not as wood-pigeons, in a tree, but rather as house-pigeons, in the holes of the rocks: and, taking some young ones, I endeavored to breed them up tame, and did so: but when they grew older, they flew all away; which, perhaps, was at first for want of feeding them, for I had nothing to give them however I frequently found their nests, and got their young ones, which were very good meat. And now, in the managing my household affairs, I found myself wanting in many things. which I thought at first it was impossible for me to make, a indeed, as to some of them, it was: for instance, could never make a cask to be hooped. I had a small runlet or two, as I observed before; but I could never arrive to the capacity of making one by them, though I spent many weeks about it; J could neither put in the heads, nor join the staves so true to one another as to make them hold water; so I gave that also over.

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