ich
otherwise I could not have done; though, as it appeared afterwards,
there was no need of all this caution from the enemies that I
apprehended danger from.

Into this fence, or fortress, with infinite labour, I carried all my
riches, all my provisions, ammunition, and stores, of which you have the
account above; and I made a large tent, which, to preserve me from the
rains, that in one part of the year are very violent there, I made
double, viz. one smaller tent within, and one larger tent above it, and
covered the uppermost with a large tarpaulin, which I had saved among
the sails.

And now I lay no more for a while in the bed which I had brought on
shore, but in a hammock, which was indeed a very good one, and belonged
to the mate of the ship.

Into this tent I brought all my provisions, and every thing that would
spoil by the wet; and having thus enclosed all my goods, I made up the
entrance which till now I had left open, and so passed and repassed, as
I said, by a short ladder.

When I had done this, I began to work my way into the rock, and bringing
all the earth and stones that I dug down out through my tent, I laid
them up within my fence in the nature of a terrace, so that it raised
the ground within about a foot and an half; and thus I made me a cave,
just behind my tent, which served me like a cellar to my house. It cost
me much labour and many days, before all these things were brought to
perfection; and therefore I must go back to some other things which took
up some of my thoughts. At the same time it happened, after I had laid
my scheme for the setting up my tent, and making the cave, that a storm
of rain falling from a thick, dark cloud, a sudden flash of lightning
happened, and after that, a great clap of thunder, as is naturally the
effect of it. I was not so much surprised with the lightning, as I was
with a thought, which darted into my mind as swift as the lightning
itself: O my powder! My very heart sunk within me when I thought, that
at one blast, all my powder might be destroyed; on which, not my defence
only, but the providing me food, as I thought, entirely depended. I was
nothing near so anxious about my own danger, though, had the powder took
fire, I had never known who had hurt me.

Such impression did this make upon me, that after the storm was over, I
laid aside all my works, my building and fortifying, and applied myself
to make bags and boxes, to separate the powder, and to keep