luded then,
that it must be some more dangerous creature, viz. that it must be some
of the savages of the main land over against me, who had wandered out to
sea in their canoes, and either driven by the currents or by contrary
winds, had made the island, and had been on shore, but were gone away
again to sea; being as loth, perhaps, to have stayed in this desolate
island as I would have been to have had them.

While these reflections were rolling upon my mind, I was very thankful
in my thoughts that I was so happy as not to be thereabouts at that
time, or that they did not see my boat, by which they would have
concluded that some inhabitants had been in the place, and perhaps have
searched farther for me: then terrible thoughts racked my imagination
about their having found my boat, and that there were people here; and
that if so, I should certainly have them come again in greater numbers,
and devour me; that if it should happen so that they should not find me,
yet they would find my enclosure, destroy all my corn, and carry away
all my flock of tame goats, and I should perish at last for mere want.

Thus my fear banished all my religious hope, all that former confidence
in God, which was founded upon such wonderful experience as I had had of
his goodness, as if he that had fed me by miracle hitherto could not
preserve, by his power, the provision which he had made for me by his
goodness. I reproached myself with my laziness, that would not sow any
more corn one year than would just serve me till the next season, as if
no accident would intervene to prevent my enjoying the crop that was
upon the ground; and this I thought so just a reproof, that I resolved
for the future to have two or three years' corn beforehand; so that
whatever might come, I might not perish for want of bread.

How strange a chequer-work of Providence is the life of man! and by what
secret different springs are the affections hurried about, as different
circumstances present! To-day we love what to-morrow we hate; to-day we
seek what to-morrow we shun; to-day we desire what to-morrow we fear,
nay, even tremble at the apprehensions of; this was exemplified in me,
at this time, in the most lively manner imaginable; for I, whose only
affliction was that I seemed banished from human society, that I was
alone, circumscribed by the boundless ocean, cut off from mankind, and
condemned to what I called silent life; that I was as one whom Heaven
thought no