Robinson Crusoe

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 276, 22 November 1935, Page 5

Robinson Crusoe

ORIGINAL MONARCH OF SOLITUDE When Captain Watling and his company escaped from Juan Fernandez three years before, they had lett a Mosquito Indian ou the island, who was out hunting goats when the alarm came. This Mosquito-man, named William, was the first and true Robinson Crusoe, the original hermit of this romantic solitude. Immediately on approaching tho island, Dampier and a few of William’s old friends, together with a Mosquito-man named Robin, put off for the shore, where they soon perceived William ready to give them welcome. From tho heights he had seen the ships on the preceding day, and, knowing them to be English vessels by tho way they were worked, ho had killed three goats and dressed them with cabbago of the cabbage tree, to have a feast ready on the arrival of the ships. How great was his delight, as the boat neared tho shore, when Robin leaped to the land, and, running up to him, fell flat on his face at his feet. William raised up his countryman, embraced him, and in turn prostrated himself at Robin’s feet, who lifted him up, and they renewed their embraces. “We stood with pleasure,” says Dampier, “to behold tho surprise, tcn'uerness and solemnity of their interview, which was exceedingly affecting on both sides; and when these, their ceremonies of civility wero over, we also that stood gazing at them drew near, each of us embracing him we had found here, who was overjoyed to see so many of his old friends, coino hither, as he thought, purposely to fetch him.” At the time William was abandoned, he had with him in the woods his gun and knife and a small quantity of powder and shot. As soon as his ammunition was expended, by notching his knife into a saw ho cut up the barrel of his gun into pieces, which he converted into harpoons, lances, and a long knife. To accomplish this, ho struck fire with his gunflint and a piece of the barrel of his gun, which he had hardened for this purposo in a way he had seen practised by tho buccaneers. In this lire ho heated his pieces of iron, hammered them out -with stones, .sawed them with his jagged knife, or ground

them to an edge and tempered them: “which was no more than these Mos-quito-men were accustomed to do in their own country, where they make their own fishing or striking instruments without either forgo or anvil, though they spend a great deal of time about them.’’ Thus furnished, William supplied himself with goats’ flesh and flsli, though, till his instruments were formed, he had been compelled to eat seal. 110 built his house about half a mile from the shore, and lined it snugly with goatskins, with which he also spread his couch or barbecue, which was raised about two feet from the floor. As his clothes wore out, he supplied this. want also with goatskins, and, when first seen, he wore nothing save a goatskin about his waist.