The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe Page 2

  Towards evening, the mate and boatswain begged the master of our ship to let them cut away the fore-mast, which he was very unwilling to do, but the boatswain protested to him if he did not the ship would founder. He consented, and when they had cut away the fore-mast the main-mast stood so loose and shook the ship so much they were obliged to cut her away also and make a clear deck.

  Anyone may judge what a condition I was in at all this, who was but a young sailor. But if I can express the thoughts I had about me, I was in tenfold more horror of mind upon account of my former convictions, and having returned from them, than I was at death itself. These, added to the terror of the storm, put me in such a condition I can by no words describe it.

  But the worst was not come yet. The storm continued with such fury the seamen themselves acknowledged they had never known a worse. We had a good ship, but she was deep laden and wallowed in the sea. The seamen every now and then cried out she would fall to the shoggoths. It was my advantage, in one respect, that I did not know what they meant by shoggoths. However, the storm was so violent, I saw what is not often seen; the master, the boatswain, and some others more sensible than the rest, at their prayers, though the words and language of their prayers were unknown to me. When the boatswain saw me intruding upon their time with their Lord and master, I was given a heated glare and sent away.

  In the middle of the night one of the men cried out we had sprung a leak. All hands were called to the pump. At that very word my heart died within me and I fell backwards upon the side of my bed where I sat. However, the men roused me and told me I who was able to do nothing was as well able to pump as another. I stirred up and went to the pump and worked very heartily.

  While this was doing, the master, seeing some light colliers who would not come near us, ordered us to fire a gun as a signal of distress. I was so surprised I thought the ship had broke or some dreadful thing had happened. We worked on but it was apparent the ship would founder. Tho’ the storm began to abate a little, it was not possible she could swim till we might run into a port, so the master continued firing guns for help. A light ship who had rid it out just ahead of us ventured a boat out to help. It was with the utmost hazard the boat came near us, till at last the men rowed very heartily, and ventured their lives to save ours. Our men cast them a rope over the stern which they took hold of. We hauled them close under our stern and got all into their boat.

  We were not much more than a quarter of an hour out of our ship but we saw her sink. Then I understood for the first time what was meant by shoggoths. I must acknowledge I had hardly eyes to look up when the seamen told me she was overrun. The shapes, like pale worms or catter-pillers, tore at the hull and twisted upon the deck. From that moment, my heart was dead within me, partly with fright, partly with horror of mind, and the thoughts of what was yet before me. They rode the ship beneath the waves, and the boatswain said another prayer to the Lord, whom he also muttered as "--Gon."

  While we were in this condition, the men yet labouring at the oar to bring the boat near the shore, we could see a great many people running along the strand to assist us. We made slow way towards the shore, nor were we able to reach it till, being past the light-house at Winterton, the shore falls off to the westward so the land broke off a little of the violence of the wind. Here we got all safe on shore and walked afterwards on foot to Yarmouth, where, as unfortunate men, we were met with great humanity by the magistrates of the town, who assign’d us good quarters and had money given us sufficient to carry us either to London or back to Hull, as we thought fit.

  But my ill fate pushed me on now with an obstinacy nothing could resist. Tho’ I had several times loud calls from my reason to go back to Hull, I had no power to do it, even with the moon a week upon me. Certainly, nothing but some such decreed, unavoidable misery which was impossible for me to escape could have pushed me forward against the calm reasonings and persuasions of my most retired thoughts, and against two such visible instructions as I had met with in my first attempt.

  My comrade, Jakob, who had helped to harden me before, and who was the master's son, was now less forward. The first time he spoke to me after we were at Yarmouth, which was not till two or three days, for we were separated in the town to several quarters, it appeared his tone was altered. Shaking his head, he asked me how I did, telling his father who I was and how I had come this voyage only for a trial, in order to go farther abroad.

  Master Martenese turn’d to me with a very grave and concerned tone. “Young man,” said he, “you ought never to go to sea any more. You ought to take this for a plain and visible token you are not to be a seafaring man.”

  “Why, Sir,” said I, “will you go to sea no more?”

  “That is another case,” said he. “It is my calling, and therefore my duty. But as you made this voyage for a trial, you see what a taste Heaven has given you of what you are to expect if you persist. Perhaps this has all befallen us on your account, like Jonah in the ship of Tarshish. Pray,” continued he, “what are you, and on what account did you go to sea?”

  Upon that I started that he may be experienc’d in the ways of knowing the beast in mortal form, for it was four days fore the first night of the moon and the signs were most definitely upon me. Yet I was not certain of his meaning, for he seem’d not afraid. So I told him but some of my story, of my defiance of my father, and of my inclinations against his wishes.

  At the end he burst out with a strange kind of passion. "What had I done," says he, "that such an unhappy wretch should come into my ship? I would not set my foot in the same ship with thee again for a thousand pounds.” This indeed was, as I said, an excursion of his spirits, which were yet agitated by the sense of his loss, and was farther than he could have authority to go. However, he afterwards talked very gravely to me, exhorting me to go back to my father, and not tempt Providence to my ruin. "And young man," said he, "depend upon it, if you do not go back, wherever you go, you will meet with nothing but disasters and disappointments, till your father's words are fulfill’d upon you."

  We parted soon after, for I made him little answer, and I saw Jakob and his father no more. As for me, having some money in my pocket, I traveled to London by land. On the road I had many struggles with myself. By the sun I dwelt on what course of life I should take, and whether I should go home, or go to sea. And by night, I let the beast come upon me as it has been wont to do since the first moon of my tenth year, and it kill’d many sheep and a cow.

  My second voyage, my third voyage,

  my life among the Moors

  I remained some time uncertain what course of life to lead. As I stayed a while, the remembrance of the distress I had been in wore off. As that abated, the little notion I had in my desires to a return wore off with it, till at last I quite laid aside the thoughts of it and looked out for a voyage.

  That evil influence which carried me away from my father's house hurried me into the wild notion of raising my fortune, and impressed those conceits so forcibly upon me as to make me deaf to all good advice. I went on board a vessel bound to the coast of Africk, or, as our sailors call it, a voyage to Guinea.

  It was my great misfortune that in all these adventures I did not ship myself as a sailor. I might have learnt the duty and office of a foremast-man. I might, in time, have qualified myself for a mate or lieutenant, if not for a master. But as it was always my fate to choose for the worse, so I did here. Having money in my pocket and good cloathes upon my back, I would always go on board in the habit of a gentleman, and so I neither had any business in the ship or learnt to do any.

  It was my lot first of all to fall into pretty good company in London, which does not always happen to such loose and unguided young fellows as I then was. I fell acquainted with the master of a ship who had been on the coast of Guinea. He was resolv’d to go again, having had very good success there. Hearing me say I had a mind to see the world, he told me if I would go the voyage with him I should be at no expense. I should be his mess
mate and his companion. If I could carry any thing with me, I should have all the advantage of it that the trade would admit.

  I embraced the offer and entered into a strict friendship with this captain, who was an honest and plain-dealing man. I went the voyage with him and carried a small investment with me, which, by the honesty of my friend the captain, I increased very considerably. For I carried about £40 in such toys and trifles as the captain directed me to buy. This £40 I had mustered together by the assistance of some of my relations whom I corresponded with, and who, I believe, got my father, or at least my mother, to contribute so much as that to my first adventure.

  This was the only voyage which was successful in all my adventures, which I owe to the integrity and honesty of my friend the captain. Under him also I got a competent knowledge of the mathematics and rules of navigation, learnt how to keep an account of the ship's course, take an observation, and, in short, to understand some things that were needful to be understood by a sailor. In a word, this voyage made me both a sailor and a merchant, for I brought home five pounds nine ounces of gold-dust for my adventure, which yielded me in London at my return almost £300. This fill’d me with those aspiring thoughts which have so completed my ruin.

  Yet even in this voyage I had my misfortunes too. I was continually sick, being thrown into a violent calenture by the excessive heat of the climate, our principal trading being upon the coast, from the latitude of 15 degrees north even to the line itself. I also pass’d no less than six moons on board, and while four were hid in my cabin by the fierce fever which even quell'd the beast, two I spent in the deep bowels of the ship’s brig clapped in irons. True, plain iron could not contain the beast, but my father had shewn me, as a lad, how a few silver coins can be placed within knots and against locks, and thus they are render’d incorruptible before the beast’s fearsome strength.

  I was now set up for a Guinea trader. My friend, to my great misfortune, dying soon after his arrival, I resolv’d to go the same voyage again and I embarked in the same vessel, once again after the last night of the full moon. Alas! I fell into terrible misfortunes in this voyage.

  Our ship, making her course between the Canary Islands and the African shore, was surprised in the grey of the morning by a Turkish rover of Sallee who gave chase to us with all the sail she could make. We crowded as much canvas as our yards would spread or our masts carry, but finding the pirate gained upon us, and would come up with us in a few hours, we prepared to fight.

  He came up with us, bringing to just athwart our quarter, and we brought eight of our guns to bear on that side and poured in a broadside upon him. This then made him sheer off after returning fire and pouring in also his small-shot from near 200 men which he had on board. However, we had not a man touched, all our men keeping close.

  He prepared to attack us again and we to defend ourselves. Laying us on board the next time upon our other quarter, he entered sixty men upon our decks who fell to cutting and hacking the sails and rigging. We plied them with small-shot, half-pikes, powder-chests, and such, and cleared our deck of them twice. During this fighting, I wish’d I could call out the beast as my father has told me his father could, but alas! I was still young and foolish, and the nights of the full moon were still more than a week away.

  However, to cut short this melancholy part of our story, our ship being disabled, three of our men killed and eight wounded, we were obliged to yield. We were carried into Sallee, a port belonging to the Moors. I was not carried up to the emperor's court, as the rest of our prisoners were, but was kept by the captain of the rover as his proper prize and made his slave.

  At this surprising change of my circumstances, from a merchant to a miserable slave, I was perfectly overwhelmed. I looked back upon my father's prophetic discourse to me, that I should be miserable and have none to relieve me. Now the hand of Heaven had overtaken me and I was undone without redemption. But this was but a taste of the misery I was to go through.

  As my new patron, or master, had taken me home to his house, so I was in hopes he would take me with him when he went to sea again, believing it would sometime or other be his fate to be taken by a Spanish or Portugal man of war and then I should be set at liberty. But this hope of mine was soon taken away, for my patron, it seem'd, knew the signs of my nature and had kept me thus for himself. The day of the first moon, stout manakles, plated with silver, were brought, and in my patron’s courtyard I was strip’d naked and chayn’d to a fountain. Many wise men and vizeers came to view me and study me, for they had heard of almustazeb, which was their word for the beast.

  The moon rose and the mantle of the beast came upon me. When this happens, my flesh is burned with unseen fire and great aches and pains fill my limbs and jaw. The world is as if seen thru a lens darken'd with smoke, and heard as if a heavy woolen blanket wrapt round my head. Yet always I have no more freedom than a helpless passenger on a storm-wrack’d ship with a mad captain, and that captain is the beast. I could see the wise men as they discust my change and the beast before them, but their words were but noise, and to my intoxicated mind they look’d like good, succulent meat does to a starv’d man. I could remember they did feed the beast a young lamb, but also prickt its flesh and pluckt its fur and sketch’d it for their scrolls.

  The three nights pass’d, and I was left chayn’d thru-out, yet during the day my needs were cared for. I was given wine and shayde and fish and good flat bread which they call’d peetah. Here I meditated nothing but my escape and what method I might take to effect it, but found no way that had the least probability in it.

  On the morning after the third night of the moon, I was freed of the silver manakles, which had left welts and blisters on my flesh, and my cloathes return’d to me. I was then order’d by my patron to look after his little garden, and do the common drudgery of slaves about his house. When he came home from his cruise, were he absent for a time, he order'd me to lie in the cabin to look after the ship.

  Thus it was for four weeks, until the moon was close again. Then the manakles appear’d once more and I was chayn’d naked yet again where the other slaves could not see me. Two of the wise men return’d to witness my changes again, and with them three new scholars and a new vizeer I had not lay’d eyes on before.

  This, then, is how each of my months pass’d in Sallee. The wise men would study the beast each night of the moon, and I would feel the pain and rage of it at being chayn'd and unable to run free as was its nature. The scholars would discourse with me during the day, and many of them spoke Spanish, of which I spoke only a little, and good King’s English, of which I could of course speak freely, and they would ask many questions, viz. what was my name and my age and for how long I had carry’d the beast within me, and of my history and family, and if they carry’d the beast as well. But my father had long instructed not to speak of family, and so these questions I would not answer.

  Many times in these conversations would come mention of a great book or work, which they called Nekri Nomikan. I asked of the nature of this work, but depending on which of the wise men I asked, each would give a different answer. One vizeer call’d it a book of history which told of things like the almustazeb, while another spoke of it as like a Bible, but for the worship of dark, heathen gods. Still another told it as a book of magick written by a sorcerer who had been driven mad by the writing of it.

  After about two years of this life, an odd circumstance presented itself which put the thought of making some attempt for my liberty again in my head. My patron used once or twice a week, sometimes oftener, to go out into the road a-fishing. He always took me (when it was between moons) and a young Moresco with him. We made him very merry, and I proved very dexterous in catching fish, insomuch that sometimes he would send me with one of his kinsmen and the youth to catch a dish of fish for him.

  Having the long-boat of our English ship, he ordered the carpenter of his ship to build a little cabin in the middle of the long-boat, like that of a barge, with a plac
e to stand behind it to steer. She sail'd with a shoulder-of-mutton sail, and the boom gibbed over the top of the cabin, which lay very snug and low, and had in it room for him to lie and a table to eat on, with some small lockers.

  It happened he had appointed to go out in this boat with two or three Moors of some distinction and had therefore sent on board a larger store of provisions than ordinary, and had order'd me to get ready three fuzees with powder and shot, for they design'd some sport of fowling as well as fishing.

  I got all things ready as he had directed and waited the next morning with the boat washt clean, her ensign and pendants out, and every thing to accommodate his guests. By and by my patron came on board alone and told me his guests had put off going, upon some business that fell out. He order'd me with the man and boy, as usual, to go out with the boat and catch them some fish, for his friends were to sup at his house, and commanded as soon as I got some fish I should bring it home to his house.

  This moment my former notions of deliverance darted into my thoughts, for now I found I was like to have a little ship at my command. My master being gone, I prepar’d to furnish myself for a voyage.

  My first contrivance was to make a pretence to speak to this Moor, to get something for our subsistence on board. I told him we must not presume to eat of our patron's bread.

  He said, "That is true." So he brought a large basket of rusk, or bisket of their kind, and three jars with fresh water into the boat. I knew where my patron's case of bottles stood and I conveyed them into the boat while the Moor was on shore, as if they had been there before for our master. I conveyed also a great lump of bees-wax into the boat, which weighed above half a hundred weight, with a parcel of twine or thread, a hatchet, a saw, and a hammer. His name was Ismael, whom they call Moley. So I called him. "Moley," said I, "our patron's guns are on board the boat. Can you not get a little powder and shot? It may be we may kill some alcamies for ourselves, for I know he keeps the gunner's stores in the ship."