I WAS born in the city of York, in England, in the year 1632. My father was a man of some wealth, able to give me a good home and send me to school. It was his wish that I should be a lawyer buy my head began to be filled very early with thoughts of rambling¹, and I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea. My father gave me strong and earnest counsel against it, but with little effect. One day, being at Hull², I met a school-fellow who was about to sail for London in his father's ship, and he prompted me to go with him, and in an evil hour, without asking God's blessing³ or my father's, I went on board.

On the way to London, a storm arose, the ship was wrecked⁴, and we barely escaped with our lives. I went on foot to London, where I met with the master of a vessel⁵ which traded to the coast of Africa. He took a fancy to me, and offered me a chance to go with him on his voyages, which I gladly accepted.

A great storm came up, and the ship was tossed about for many days, until we did not know where we were. Suddenly we struck a bank of sand, and the sea broke over the ship in such a way that we could not hope to have her hold many moments without breaking into pieces. In this distress⁶ we launched a boat. After we had been driven four or five miles, a raging wave struck us so furiously that it overset the boat at once. Though I swam well the waves were so strong that I was dashed against a rock with such force that it left me senseless. But I recovered a little before the waves returned, and, running forward, got to the mainland safely.

Then I began to look about to see if any of my comrades had escaped, but I could see no sign of any of them.

The night coming on, I climbed into a thick, bushy tree to sleep, not knowing but that there might be ravenous⁸ beasts there. When I awoke, next morning, the sea was clam⁹, and I could see the ship about a mile from the shore; and when the tide ebbed¹⁰, I swam out to her. I found that all the provisions were dry, and being very hungry, I filled my pockets with biscuit, and eat as I went about other things; for I saw that I must lose no time in getting ashore¹¹ all that I could from the ship. I first threw overboard several spare yards and spars. Then I went down the ship's side and tied them together, and laying a few short pieces of plank¹² upon them, I had a raft strong enough to bear a moderate weight. Next I lowered upon it three seamen's chests, and filed them with provisions. After a long search I found the carpenter's chest, which was a great prize to me. I lowered it upon the raft, and then secured a supply of guns and gunpowder¹³. With this cargo¹⁴ I started for the shore, and, with a great deal of trouble, succeeded in landing it safely.

My next work was to view the country and seek a proper place to stow my goods. I knew not yet where I was, whether on the continent or an island. There was a hill not over a mile away, very steep and high; and I climbed to the top of it, and saw that I was on an island, barren, and as I saw good reason to believe, uninhabited.

Every day, for twelve days, I made a trip to the vessel, bringing ashore all that I thought would be useful to me. The night of the twelfth day there was a violent wind, and when I awoke in the morning the ship was nowhere to be seen.

Then I gave my thoughts to providing myself with a safe habitation. I found a little plain, on the side of a hill, whose front towards the plain was very steep, and had in it a hollow place like the door of a cave. Here I resolved to pitch my tent, which I made of sails that I had brought from the ship. Around it I drew a half circle, and drove two rows of piles into the ground, making a kind of fortress¹⁵. I left no entrance, but used a short ladder to go over the top, and when I was in, lifted it over after me. Then I enlarged the hollow place I have spoken of until I had made quite a cave, which served as a cellar for my house, which 'I called my castle.

I had found aboard a dog and two cats. I carried the cats ashore on the raft, but as for the dog he swam ashore himself, and was a trusty servant to me for many years. Besides the company of these pets, I had that of a parrot which I caught, and which I taught to speak; and it often gave me much amusement.

I went out every day with my gun to hunt for food. I found that there were goats running wild on the island, and often succeeded in shooting one. But I saw that my ammunition¹⁶ would in time all be gone, and that to have a steady supply of goat's flesh, I must breed them in flocks. So I set a trap to take some alive, and succeeded in catching¹⁷ several. I enclosed a piece of ground for them to run in; and in course of time, had a large flock, which furnished me with all the meat I needed.

I saved the skins of all the creatures I shot, and dried them; and when my clothes were worn out, replaced them with garments made of these. Then, at the expense of a great deal of time and trouble, I made an umbrella, also of skins, which I needed much to keep off both sun and rain.

For a long time I brooded over the idea of making a canoe of the trunk of a tree, as the Indians do, and at last set to work at the task. I cut a large tree, and spent over three months shaping it into the form of a boat. Then I found it too large to move to the water. I afterwards made a smaller one, and succeeded in launching it, and set out to make a tour around the island in it. But when I had been out three days, such a storm arose that I was near being lost. At last I was able to bring my boat to the shore, in a little cove⁷; and there I left it, and went across the island, on foot, to my castle, not caring to go to sea again in such an unsafe vessel.