big, and spread so
very much, that there was not the least appearance, to any one's view, of
any habitation behind them.

Near this dwelling of mine, but a little farther within the land, and
upon lower ground, lay my two pieces of corn land, which I kept duly
cultivated and sowed, and which duly yielded me their harvest in its
season; and whenever I had occasion for more corn, I had more land
adjoining as fit as that.

Besides this, I had my country seat, and I had now a tolerable plantation
there also; for, first, I had my little bower, as I called it, which I
kept in repair--that is to say, I kept the hedge which encircled it in
constantly fitted up to its usual height, the ladder standing always in
the inside. I kept the trees, which at first were no more than stakes,
but were now grown very firm and tall, always cut, so that they might
spread and grow thick and wild, and make the more agreeable shade, which
they did effectually to my mind. In the middle of this I had my tent
always standing, being a piece of a sail spread over poles, set up for
that purpose, and which never wanted any repair or renewing; and under
this I had made me a squab or couch with the skins of the creatures I had
killed, and with other soft things, and a blanket laid on them, such as
belonged to our sea-bedding, which I had saved; and a great watch-coat to
cover me. And here, whenever I had occasion to be absent from my chief
seat, I took up my country habitation.

Adjoining to this I had my enclosures for my cattle, that is to say my
goats, and I had taken an inconceivable deal of pains to fence and
enclose this ground. I was so anxious to see it kept entire, lest the
goats should break through, that I never left off till, with infinite
labour, I had stuck the outside of the hedge so full of small stakes, and
so near to one another, that it was rather a pale than a hedge, and there
was scarce room to put a hand through between them; which afterwards,
when those stakes grew, as they all did in the next rainy season, made
the enclosure strong like a wall, indeed stronger than any wall.

This will testify for me that I was not idle, and that I spared no pains
to bring to pass whatever appeared necessary for my comfortable support,
for I considered the keeping up a breed of tame creatures thus at my hand
would be a living magazine of flesh, milk, butter, and cheese for me as
long as I lived in the place, if it were to be forty years; an