o venture out in my boat to this
wreck, not doubting but I might find something on board that might be
useful to me. But that did not altogether press me so much as the
possibility that there might be yet some living creature on board, whose
life I might not only save, but might, by saving that life, comfort my
own to the last degree; and this thought clung so to my heart that I
could not be quiet night or day, but I must venture out in my boat on
board this wreck; and committing the rest to God's providence, I thought
the impression was so strong upon my mind that it could not be
resisted--that it must come from some invisible direction, and that I
should be wanting to myself if I did not go.

Under the power of this impression, I hastened back to my castle,
prepared everything for my voyage, took a quantity of bread, a great pot
of fresh water, a compass to steer by, a bottle of rum (for I had still a
great deal of that left), and a basket of raisins; and thus, loading
myself with everything necessary. I went down to my boat, got the water
out of her, got her afloat, loaded all my cargo in her, and then went
home again for more. My second cargo was a great bag of rice, the
umbrella to set up over my head for a shade, another large pot of water,
and about two dozen of small loaves, or barley cakes, more than before,
with a bottle of goat's milk and a cheese; all which with great labour
and sweat I carried to my boat; and praying to God to direct my voyage, I
put out, and rowing or paddling the canoe along the shore, came at last
to the utmost point of the island on the north-east side. And now I was
to launch out into the ocean, and either to venture or not to venture. I
looked on the rapid currents which ran constantly on both sides of the
island at a distance, and which were very terrible to me from the
remembrance of the hazard I had been in before, and my heart began to
fail me; for I foresaw that if I was driven into either of those
currents, I should be carried a great way out to sea, and perhaps out of
my reach or sight of the island again; and that then, as my boat was but
small, if any little gale of wind should rise, I should be inevitably
lost.

These thoughts so oppressed my mind that I began to give over my
enterprise; and having hauled my boat into a little creek on the shore, I
stepped out, and sat down upon a rising bit of ground, very pensive and
anxious, between fear and desire, about my voyage;