what art thou good for? Thou art not worth to me, no, not the taking
off of the ground; one of those knives is worth all this heap. I have
no manner of use for thee; even remain where thou art, and go to the
bottom as a creature whose life is not worth saving." However, upon
second thoughts I took it away; and wrapping all this in a piece of
canvas, I began to think of making another raft; but while I was
preparing this, I found the sky overcast, and the wind began to rise,
and in a quarter of an hour it blew a fresh gale from the shore. It
presently occurred to me that it was in vain to pretend to make a raft
with the wind off shore, and that it was my business to be gone before
the tide of flood began, otherwise I might not be able to reach the
shore at all. Accordingly I let myself down into the water, and swam
across the channel, which lay between the ship and the sands, and even
that with difficulty enough, partly with the weight of the things I
had about me, and partly the roughness of the water; for the wind rose
very hastily, and before it was quite high water it blew a storm.

But I was gotten home to my little tent, where I lay with all my
wealth about me very secure. It blew very hard all that night, and in
the morning when I looked out, behold, no more ship was to be seen. I
was a little surprised, but recovered myself with this satisfactory
reflection, viz., that I had lost no time, nor abated no diligence, to
get everything out of her that could be useful to me, and that indeed
there was little left in her that I was able to bring away if I had
had more time.

ROBINSON CRUSOE'S FIRST HOME ON THE ISLAND

_By Daniel Defoe_

I now gave over any more thoughts of the ship, or of anything out of
her, except what might drive on shore from her wreck, as indeed divers
pieces of her afterwards did; but those things were of small use to
me.

My thoughts were now wholly employed about securing myself against
either savages, if any should appear, or wild beasts, if any were in
the island; and I had many thoughts of the method how to do this, and
what kind of dwelling to make, whether I should make me a cave in the
earth, or a tent upon the earth; and, in short, I resolved upon both,
the manner and description of which it may not be improper to give an
account of.

I soon found the place I was in was not for my settlement,
particularly because it was upon a low moo