alf
a dozen young goats in each place; so that if any disaster happened to
the flock in general, I might be able to raise them again with little
trouble and time: and this, though it would require a great deal of time
and labour, I thought was the most rational design.

Accordingly, I spent some time to find out the most retired parts of the
island; and I pitched upon one, which was as private, indeed, as my
heart could wish for: 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 pieces 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, who were not so wild now as at first they might be
supposed to be, were well enough secured in it: so, without any farther
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 the account of the print
of a man's foot which I had seen; for, as yet, I never saw 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 too great impressions
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,