retired parts of the
island; and I pitched upon one, which was as private, indeed, as my heart
could wish: it was a little damp piece of ground in the middle of the
hollow and thick woods, where, as is observed, I almost lost myself once
before, endeavouring to come back that way from the eastern part of the
island. Here I found a clear piece of land, near three acres, so
surrounded with woods that it was almost an enclosure by nature; at
least, it did not want near so much labour to make it so as the other
piece of ground I had worked so hard at.

I immediately went to work with this piece of ground; and in less than a
month's time I had so fenced it round that my flock, or herd, call it
which you please, which were not so wild now as at first they might be
supposed to be, were well enough secured in it: so, without any further
delay, I removed ten young she-goats and two he-goats to this piece, and
when they were there I continued to perfect the fence till I had made it
as secure as the other; which, however, I did at more leisure, and it
took me up more time by a great deal. All this labour I was at the
expense of, purely from my apprehensions on account of the print of a
man's foot; for as yet I had never seen any human creature come near the
island; and I had now lived two years under this uneasiness, which,
indeed, made my life much less comfortable than it was before, as may be
well imagined by any who know what it is to live in the constant snare of
the fear of man. And this I must observe, with grief, too, that the
discomposure of my mind had great impression also upon the religious part
of my thoughts; for the dread and terror of falling into the hands of
savages and cannibals lay so upon my spirits, that I seldom found myself
in a due temper for application to my Maker; at least, not with the
sedate calmness and resignation of soul which I was wont to do: I rather
prayed to God as under great affliction and pressure of mind, surrounded
with danger, and in expectation every night of being murdered and
devoured before morning; and I must testify, from my experience, that a
temper of peace, thankfulness, love, and affection, is much the more
proper frame for prayer than that of terror and discomposure: and that
under the dread of mischief impending, a man is no more fit for a
comforting performance of the duty of praying to God than he is for a
repentance on a sick-bed; for these discomposures affect the mind