would be. The rain had fallen plentifully a few days before; and about a month after, to my great amazement, something began to look out very green and flourishing; and when [ came to view it more nicely, every day as it I found about ten or twelve ears of green grew, barley of the very same shape and make as that in England.

I can scarcely express the agitation of my mind at this sight. Hitherto I had been used, like too many in the world, to look with indifference upon the marks of God's goodness, which are every where visible. Indeed so ignorant was I, that I had even thought health, and food, and clothing to be the mere result of our own labour and care and foresight, without ever reflecting, that the Almighty is the bestower of every good and perfect gift, and that it is his blessing alone upon our efforts which makes them to prosper. The appearance of the barley flourishing so unexpect edly in a barren soil, and my ignorance of the manner in which it came there, led me into a singular opinion. I concluded that miracles were not ceased, and that God had appointed the barley to grow there without any seed, purely for my sustenance in this miserable and desolate island. And indeed such great effect had this upon me, that it often made me melt into tears through a grateful sense of God's mercies and the greater still was my thankfulness, when I perceived about this little field of barley, some rice stalks, also wonderfully flourishing.

While thus pleased in mind, I concluded there must be some more corn in the island, and therefore made a diligent search narrowly among the rocks; but not being able to find any, on a sudden it came into my mind, how I had shaken the husks of corn out of the bag, and then so blind was my understanding, that my admiration ceased, and with it my grati tude to the Divine Being, as thinking it was but natural, and not to be conceived a miracle: though even the manner of its preserva-, tion might have made me own it as a wonderful event of God's kind providence.

It was about the latter end of June when the ears of this corn ripened, which I laid up very carefully, together with 20 or 30 stalks of rice, expecting one day I should reap the fruit of my labour: yet four years were expired before I could allow myself to eat any barley bread; and much longer time, before I had any rice. After this, with indefatigable pains and industry. for three or four months, at last I finished my house, having no way to go into it, but by a ladder against the wall.

April 16. I finished my ladder, and ascended it; afterwards pulled it up, then let it down on the other side, and descended into my new abitation, where I had space enough, and was so fortified, that nothing could attack me without scaling the walls.

But what does all human art and industry avail, if the blessing of God does not crown our labours? Or who can stand before the Almighty, when he stretcheth forth his arm!

For, one time, when I was at the entrance of my cave, there happened such a dreadful earthquake, that not only the roof of the cave came tumbling about my ears, but the posts seemed to crack terribly at the same time. This put me in a great amazement; and running to the ladder and getting over the wall, I then plainly knew it was an earthquake, the place I stood on sustaining three terrible shocks in less than three minutes. But judge of my terror when I saw the top of a great rock roll into the sea: I then expected the island would be swallowed up every moment: and what made the scene still more dreadful, was to see the sea thrown into the most violent agitations and disorders by this tremendous convulsion of nature.

For my part, I expected every moment to be swallowed up. At the moving of the earth, I was, as it were, sea-sick; and very much afraid lest the rock, under which was my fence and habitation, should overwhelm me and it in a lasting tomb.

It was only the day after, when a horrible tempest arose, at the same time attended with a hurricane of wind. Three hours did this storm continue, and in so violent a manner as to tear the very trees up by the, roots, which was suc. ceeded by abundance of rain. When the tem pest was over, I went to my tent; but the rain coming on in a furious manner, I was obliged to take shelter in the cave, where I was forced to cut a channel through my fortification. to let the water out. It continued raining all that

night, and some time the next day. These accidents made me resolve, as soon as the wea ther cleared up, to build me a little but in some open place, walled round to defend me from wild creatures and savages; not doubting, but, at the next earthquake, the mountain would fall on my habitation and me, and swallow up all in its bowels; but to resume the thread of my narration which this mention of the storin has interrupted.

April 16-20. These days I spent, in con. triving how and in what manner I should fix my place of abode. All this while, I was under the most dreadful apprehensions. When I looked round my habitation, every thing I found in its proper place. I had several debates whether I should move or not; but at length resolved to stay where I was, till I found out a convenient place where I might pitch my

tent.

April 22. When I began to put my resolu tions in practice, I was stopped for want of tools and instruments to work with. Most of my axes and hatchets were ueless, occasioned by cutting the hard timber that grew on the island. It took me up a full week to make my grindstone of use to me; but at last I found out a way to turn it about with my foot, by help of a wheel and a string.

April 30. My bread falling short, I allowed myself but one biscuit a day.

May 1. As I walked along the sea shore, I found a barrel of gun powder, and several pieces of the wreck which the sea had flung

1

up. Having secured these, I made to the ship, whose stern was torn off, and washed a great distance ashore; but the rest lay in the sands, This, I suppose, was occasioned by the earthquake. I now resolved to keep my old place of abode and also to get to the ship that day, but found it impossible.

May 3. This day I went on board the wreck, which still remained upon its bed of rock, though the waves had carried away all its upper works and left nothing standing but the part between decks, and with my saw sawed off one of the beams, which kept her quarter deck.I then cleared the sand till flood.

May 4. I caught some fish, but they were not wholesome. The same day, I also caught a young dolphin.

May 5. This day also I repaired to the wreck, and sawed another piece of timber; and when the flood came, I made a float of three great planks, which were driven ashore by the tide.

May 6-9. These days, I brought off th iron bolts, opened the deck with the iron crow, and carried two planks to land, having made a way into the very middle of the wreck.

May 10-14. All this time I spent in bringing off great quantities of iron and timber.

May 15. Took with me two hatchets on purpose to cut off some lead from the roll, but all in vain, for it lay too low under water.

May 24. To this day, I worked on the wreck, and with great difficulty loosened some things so much with the crow, that at the first blowing tide, several casks floated out, and se,