ecause many times I
could bear no clothes on but a shirt; and it was a very great help to me
that I had, among all the men's clothes of the ship, almost three dozen
of shirts. There were also, indeed, several thick watch-coats of the
seamen's which were left, but they were too hot to wear: and though it
is true that the weather was so violently hot that there was no need of
clothes, yet I could not go quite naked, no, though I had been inclined
to it, which I was not, nor could I abide the thought of it, though, I
was all alone. The reason why I could not go quite naked was, I could
not bear the heat of the sun so well when quite naked as with some
clothes on; nay, the very heat frequently blistered my skin: whereas,
with a shirt on, the air itself made some motion, and whistling under
the shirt, was twofold cooler than without it. No more could I ever
bring myself to go out in the heat of the sun without a cap or hat; the
heat of the sun beating with such violence as it does in that place,
would give me the head-ach presently, by darting so directly upon my
head, without a cap or hat on, so that I could not bear it; whereas, if
I put on my hat, it would presently go away.

Upon these views, I began to consider about putting the few rags I had,
which I called clothes, into some order: I had worn out all the
waistcoats I had, and my business was now to try if I could not make
jackets out of the great watch-coats that I had by me, and with such
other materials as I had; so I set to work a tailoring, or rather,
indeed; a botching, for I made most piteous work of it. However, I made
shift to make two or three new waistcoats, which I hoped would serve me
a great while: as for breeches or drawers, I made but a very sorry shift
indeed till afterwards.

I have mentioned, that I saved the skins of all the creatures that I
killed, I mean four-footed ones; and I had hung them up, stretched out
with sticks, in the sun, by which means some of them were so dry and
hard that they were fit for little, but others I found very useful. The
first thing I made of these was a great cap for my head, with the hair
on the outside, to shoot off the rain; and this I performed so well,
that after this I made me a suit of clothes wholly of the skins, that is
to say, a waistcoat, and breeches open at the knees, and both loose; for
they were rather wanting to keep me cool than warm. I must not omit to
acknowledge that they were wretchedly made; for