The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)

It seems the carpenter, who was preparing to grave the outside of the ship, as well as to pay the seams, where he caulked to stop the leaks, had gotten two kettles just let down in the boat, one filled with boiling pitch, and the other with rosin, tallow, oil, and such stuffs as the shipwrights use; the carpenter's man had a great iron ladle with which he used to supply the workmen with hot stuff, & as two of the enemies entered the boat where the fellow stood, he saluted them with a full ladle of the hot boiling liquor; which, the poor creatures being half naked, made them roar out, and jump into the sea. Well done, Jack, says the carpenter, give them the other dose: and so stepping forward himself, takes a mop, and dipping it into the pitch-pot, he and his man so plentifully flung it among them, as that none escaped being scalded; upon which they all made the best of their way, crying and howling in such a frightful manner, that, in all my adventures, I never heard the like. And, indeed, never was I better pleased with any conquest than I was with this, there being so little bloodshed, and having an aversion to killing such savage wretches, (more than was necessary) as knowing they came on errands, which their laws and customs made them think were just and equitable. By this time, all things being in order, and the ship swimming, they found their mistake, so they did not venture a second attack. Thus ended our merry fight; and, having got rice, bread, roots, and sixteen good hogs on board the day before we set sail, not daring to go into the bay of Tonquin, but steering N.E. toward the isle of Formosa, or as tho' we would go to the Manillas, or Phillippine islands, for fear of meeting with any European ships; when we anchored at the isle of Formosa, the inhabitants not only courteously supplied us with provisions and fresh water, but dealt very fairly and honestly with us in their bargains and agreements. From this place we steered north, keeping still off the coast of China, till we were beyond all its ports where European ships usually come; and, at length, being come to the latitude of thirty degrees, we resolved to put into the first trading port we should come at; and standing for the shore, a boat came off two leagues to us, with an old Portuguese pilot on board, who offered his service; we very gladly accepted him, and sent the boat back again. And now, having the man on board, I talked to him of going to Nanquin, the most northward part of the coast of China. What will you do there? said he, smiling. I told him that we would sell our cargo, and purchase calicoes, raw and wrought silks, tea, &c. and so return the same way back. O, said he, you had better put in at Macao, where you may buy China wares as cheap as at Nanquin, and sell your opium at a greater advance. "But' said I 'we are gentlemen as well as merchants, and design to see the great city of Pekin, and the magnificent court of the monarch of China," Why then, said he, you should go to Ningpo, where is a navigable river that goes through the heart of that vast empire, two hundred and seventy leagues from the sea, which crosses all the rivers, passes considerable hills, by the help of the sluices and gates, and goes even up to the city of Pekin. Youmay go to Nanquin if you please, and travel to Pekin, and there is a Dutch ship just before bound that way. At the name of a Dutch or English ship, I was struck with confusion; they being as great a terror to me in this vessel, as an Algerine man of war is to them in the Mediterranean. The old man finding me troubled, Sir, said he, I hope the Dutch are not now at war with your nation. "No," said I, "but God knows what liberty they may take when out of the reach of the law." Why, says he what occasion is there for peaceable merchants to fear? For believe me, they never meddle with any but PIRATES.

At the mentioning the word pirates, my countenance turned to that of scarlet; nor was it possible for me to conceal it from the old pilot; who was taking notice of it, Sir, said he take what course you please, I'll do you all the service I can. "Seignior," said I, "I am a little concerned at your mentioning pirates; I hope there are none such in these seas, because you see in what weak condition we are to defend ourselves." O, Sir, said he, if that's all, don't be concerned, I don't remember one in these seas these fifteen years, except above a month ago one was seen in the bay of Siam, but he is gone to the southward; neither was she built for a privateer, but was run away with by a reprobate Captain, and some of his men, the right Captain having been murdered by the Malayans.

"What," said I, (as though ignorant of what had happened) "did they kill the Captain?" No, said he, it is generally thought the Malayans murdered him; but they justly deserve hanging. The rogues were lately discovered in the bay of Siam, in the river of Cambodia, by some Dutchmen who belonged to the ship, and had much ado to escape the five boats that pursued them, but they have solemnly sworn to give no quarter to the Captain or the seamen but hang them every one up at the yard-arm, without any formal business of bringing them to a court of judicature.

Being sensible, that, having the old man on board, he was incapable of doing me any mischief, "Well, Seignior, (said I) it is for this very reason I would have you carry us up to Nanquin, where neither English nor Dutch ships come; and I must tell you, their Captains are a parcel of rash, proud, insolent rascals, that neither know what belongs to justice, nor how to behave themselves as the laws of God or nature direct; fellows that would prove murderers to punish robbers, and take upon them to adjudge innocent men to death, without any proof to prove them guilty, but perhaps I may live to call them to account for it, in a place where they may be taught how justice is to be executed." And so I told him all the story of buying the ship, and how we were saved by the means of two men; that the murder of the Captain by the Malayans, as also the running away with the ship, I believed to be true; but that we, who bought it, were turned pirates, was a mere fiction to cover their cowardice and foolish behaviour, when they attacked us, & the blood of those men we killed in our own just defence, lay at their door, who sent to attack us by surprise.

"Sir, (said the old man, amazed) you have taken the right course to steer to the north, and, if I might advise you, I would have you sell your ship in China, and buy or build another in that country; and I'll procure people to buy the one and sell the other." "Well, but, Seignior, (said I) if I sell the ship in this manner, I may bring some innocent persons into the same dangers I have gone through, perhaps worse, even death itself; whereby I should be as guilty of their murder as their villainous executioners." "That need not trouble you, (says the old man) I'll find a way to prevent that; for these commanders you talk of I know very well, and will inform them rightly of the matter as you have related, and I am persuaded they will not only believe me, but act more cautiously for the future." "And will you deliver one message from me to them?" "Yes, (said he) if you will give it under your hand, that I may prove it is not of my own production," Hereupon I wrote a large account of their attacking me in their long-boat, the pretended reason and unjust design of it; that they had done what they might be ashamed of, and could not answer for at any tribunal in England. But this letter was writ in vain. Providence ordered things another way. We sailed directly for Nanquin, and in about thirteen day's sail, came to an anchor at the south-west point of the great gulf of that place, where we learned, that two Dutch ships were gone the length before us, and that we should certainly fall into their hands. We were all at a great loss in this exigency, and would very gladly have been on shore almost any where; but our old pilot told me, that if I would sail to the southward about two and forty leagues, there was a little port called Quinchange, where no European ships ever came, and where we might consider what was further to be done. Accordingly we weighed anchor the next day, calling only twice on shore by the way to get fresh water. The country people very courteously sold us roots, tea, rice, fowls, and other provisions. After five days sail we came to the port, and landed with unspeakable joy. We resolved to dispose of ourselves and effects in any other way possible, than enter on board that ill-fated vessel more; for no state can be more miserable than a continued fear, which is a life of death, a confounder of our understandings, that sets the imagination at work to form a thousand frightful things that may never happen. And we scarce slept one night without dreaming of halters, yard-arms, or gibbets, of fighting, being taken, and being killed; nay, so violent were our apprehensions, that we would bruise our hands and heads against the sides of the cabin, as though actually engaged. The story of the Dutch cruelty at Amboyns, often came into our thoughts when awake; and, for my part, I thought my condition very hard; that after so many difficulties and such signal deliverances, I should be hanged in my old age, though innocent of any crime that deserved such punishment; but then religion would seem to represent to me, as though the voice of it had said; 'consider, O man! what sins you have been formerly guilty of; which now thou art called to an account for, to expiate with thy blood! And as to thy innocence, what art thou more innocent than thy blessed Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who suffered for thy offences, and to whose providence you ought to submit, let what will happen?' After this, natural courage would inspire me to resist to the last drop of blood, and sooner die than suffer myself to be taken by boorish, rascally Dutchmen, who had arts to torment beyond death itself.

But now, thank kind Heaven, being ashore; our old pilot procured us a lodging and a warehouse for our goods; it was a little hut with a large warehouse joining to it, all built with canes, and pallisadoed round with large ones, to keep out pilfering thieves, which are very numerous in that country. The magistrates allowed us a little guard during the night, and we employed a centinel with a kind of halbert for three pence a day. The fair, or mart, we found, had been over for some time; however, there remained in the river four junks and two Japan ships, the merchants of the latter being on shore. In the first place, our old pilot brought us acquainted with the missionary Roman priests, who were converting the people to Christianity: two of them were reserved, rigid, and austere, applying themselves to the work they came about with great earnestness, but the third, who was a Frenchman, called Father Simon, was of a freer conversation, not seemingly so serious and grave, yet no worse Christian than the other two, one of whom was a Portuguese, and the other a Genoese. Father Simon, it seems, was appointed to go to Pekin, the royal seat of the Emperor of the Chinese; and he only waited for another priest, who was ordered from Macao to accompany him. We never met together, but he was prompting me to accompany him in that journey: Sir, said he, I will show you the glorious things of this mighty empire, and a city, the city of Pekin, far exceeding London and Paris, put them both together. One day in particular, being at dinner with him, I showed some inclination to go; which made him press the more upon me and my partner, to gain our perfect consent. But, Father Simon, said my partner, what satisfaction can you have in our company, whom you esteem as heretics, and consequently objects not worthy your regard? O, said he, you may be as good Catholics in time as those I hope to convert to our religion. And so, said I, we shall have you preaching to us all the way, instead of pleasing us with a description of the country. Sir, said he, however our religion may be villified by some people, it is very certain it neither divests us of good manners or Christian charity; and as we are gentlemen, as such we may converse together, without making one another uneasy.

But we shall leave him a while, to consider our ship and the merchandise which we had to dispose of. There was but very little trade in the place where we were; and I was once resolved to venture to sail to the river Kilam, and so to the city of Nanquin; but Providence ordered it otherwise, by our old pilot's bringing a Japan merchant to us, to see what goods we had. He immediately bought our opium, for which he gave us a very good price in gold by weight, some wedges of which were about ten or eleven ounces. It came into my head that perhaps he might buy the ship too; and I ordered the interpreter to propose it to him. He said nothing then, but shrugged up his shoulders; yet in a few days after he came accompanied by a missionary priest, who was his interpreter, with this proposal, That as he had bought a great quantity of our goods, he had not money enough to purchase our ship; but if I pleased he would hire her, with all my men, to go to Japan, and from thence with another loading to the Philippine islands, the freight of both which he would very willingly pay to us before; and at their return to Japan, would buy the ship. Upon this we asked the Captain and his men if they were willing to go to Japan; to which they unanimously agreed. While this was in agitation, the young man my nephew left to attend me, told me, "That as I did not care to accept his prospect of advantage he would manage it for me as I pleased, and render me a faithful account of his success, which would be wholly mine." Indeed I was very unwilling to part with him; but considering it might be for the young man's good, I discoursed with my partner about it, who, of his own generosity, gave him his share of the vessel, so that I could do no otherwise than give him mine: but, however, we let him have but the proper half of it, and preserved a power, that when we met in England, if he had obtained success, he should account to us for one half of the profit of the ship's freight and the other should be his own. Thus having taken a writing under his hand, away he sailed to Japan, where the merchant dealt very honestly by him, got him a licence to come on shore, sent him loaded to the Philippines with a Japanese supercargo, from whence he came back again loaded with European goods, cloves, and other spiceries. By this voyage he cleared a considerable sum of money, which determined him not to sell his ship, but to trade on his own account; so he returned to the Manillas, where, getting acquaintance, he made his ship free, was hired by the governor privately to go to Acapulco in America, on the Mexican coast, with a licence to travel to the great city of Mexico. This traffic turned out greatly to account, and my friend finding means to get to Jamaica, returned nine years after exceedingly rich into England.

In parting with the ship, it comes in course to consider of those men who had saved our lives when in the river of Cambodia; and though, by the way, they were a couple of rogues, who thought to turn pirates themselves, yet we paid them what they had before demanded, and gave each of them a small sum of money, making the Englishman a gunner, and the Dutchman a boatswain, with which they were very well contented.

We were now about 1000 leagues farther from home, than when at Bengal. All the comfort we could expect was, that there being another fair to be kept in a month's time, we might not only purchase all sorts of that country's manufactures, but very possibly find some Chinese junks, or vessels from Tonquin, to be sold, which would carry us and our goods wheresoever we pleased. Upon these hopes, we resolved to continue; and, to divert ourselves, we took several little journies in the country. About ten days after we parted with the ship, we travelled to see the city of Nanquin. The city lies in latitude 30 degrees north of the line: it is regularly built, and the streets are exactly straight, and cross one another in direct lines, which sets it out to the greatest advantage. At our return, we found the priest was come from Macao, that was to accompany Father Simon to Pekin. That Father earnestly solicited me to accompany him, & I referred him to my partner. In short, we both agreed, and prepared accordingly; and we were so lucky as to have liberty to travel among the retinue of one of their Mandarines, who is a principal magistrate, and much reverenced by the people.

We were five and twenty days travelling thro' this miserable country, infinitely populous, but as indifferently cultivated; and yet their pride is infinitely greater than their poverty, insomuch that they priests themselves derided them. As we passed by the house of one of their country gentlemen, two leagues off Nanquin, we had the honour, forsooth, to ride with the Chinese squire about two miles. Never was Don Quixote so exactly imitated! Never such a compound of pomp and poverty seen before!

His habit, made of calico, was dirty, greasy, and very proper for a Mersy Andrew or Scaramouch, with all its tawdry trappings, as hanging sleeves, tassels, &c. though torn and rent in almost every part; his vest underneath it was no less dirty, but more greatly; resembling the most exquisite sloven or greasy butcher; his horse (worse than Rosinante, or the famous steed of doughty Hudibras) was a poor starved decrepid thing, that would not sell for thirty shillings in England; and yet this piece of worshipful pomp was attended with ten or twelve slaves who guarded their master to his country seat. We stopped at a little village for refreshment; and when we came by the country seat of this great man, we found him sitting under a tree before his door, eating a mess of boiled rice, with a great piece of garlic in the middle, and a bag filled with green pepper by him, and another plant like ginger, together with a piece of lean mutton in it: this was his worship's repast: but pray observe the state of the food! two women slaves brought him his food, which being laid before him, two others appeared to perform their respective offices; one fed him with a spoon, while the other scraped off what fell upon his beard and taffety vest, and gave it to a particular favourite to eat. And thus we left the wretch pleased with the conceit of our admiring his magnificence, which rather merited our scorn and detestation.

At length we arrived at the great city of Pekin, accompanied by two servants, and the old Portuguese pilot, whose charges we bore, and who served us as an interpreter by the way. We had scarce been a week at Pekin, but he comes laughing to us. "Ah! Seignior Inglise, (said he) me something tell you make your heart glad, but make me sorry: for your bring me here twenty-five days journey, and now you leave me go back alone; and which way shall I make my port after, without de ship, without de horse, without pecune?" so he called money in his broken Latin. He then informed me, that there was a great caravan of Muscovite and Polish merchants in the city, who were preparing to set out for Muscovy by land within six weeks; and, that he was certain we would take this opportunity, and consequently that he must go home by himself. Indeed this news infinitely surprised & pleased me. "Are you certain of this?" said I, "Yes, Sir, (says he) me sure its true." And so he told me, that having met an old acquaintance of his, an Armenian, in the street, who was among them, and who had come from Astracan, with a design to go to Tonquin, but for certain reasons having altered his resolutions, he was now resolved to go with the caravan, and to return by the river Wolga to Astracan. "Well, Seignior, (said I) don't be discontented about your returning alone; and if, by this means, I can find a passage to England, it will be your own fault if you return to Macao at all." And so consulting with my partner what was best to be done, he referred it to me as I pleased, having our affairs so well settled at Bengal, that if he could convert the good voyage he had made in China silks, wrought or raw, he would be satisfied to go to England; and so return to Bengal in the Company's ships. Thus resolved, we agreed that if our pilot would go with us, we would bear his charges either to Moscow or England; and to give him in a present the sum of one hundred and seventy pounds sterling. Hereupon we called him in, and told him the cause of his complaint should be removed, if he would accompany us with the caravans; and, therefore, we desired to know his mind. At this he shook his head, "Great long journey, (said he) me no pecune carry me to Moscow, or keep me there." But we soon put him out of that concern, by making him sensible of what we would give him here to lay out the best advantage; and, as for his charges, we would set him safe on shore, God willing, either in Muscovy or England, as he pleased, at our own charge, except the carriage of his goods. At this proposal, he was like a man transported, telling us he would go with us all the world over; and we made preparations for our journey; but it was near four months before all the merchants were ready.

In the mean time, my partner and the pilot went express to the port where we first put in, to dispose of what goods had been left there, while I accompanied a Chinese merchant who was going to Nanquin, and there bought twenty-nine pieces of damask, with about three hundred more of other fine silks; and, by the time my partner returned to Pekin, I had them all carried thither; our cargo in silks amounted to 45col. sterling, which, together with tea, fine calicoes, nutmegs, and cloves, loaded eighteen camels for our share, besides what we rode upon, with two or three spare horses, and two more loaden with provisions; the company now was very great, making about four hundred horse, and above one hundred and twenty men, well armed and provided. We were of several nations, among whom were five Scotch merchants, inhabiting in Moscow, and well experienced in trade.

We set out from Pekin the beginning of February our stile; and in two days more, we passed through the gate of the great China wall, which was erected as a fortification against the Tartars, being one hundred English miles long. We then entered a country not near so populous, chiefly under the power of plundering Tartars, several companies of whom we perceived riding on poor starved horses, contemptible as themselves without order of discipline. One time our leader, for the day, gave us leave to go a hunting; but what do you think we hunted? only a parcel of sheep, which indeed exceeded any in the world for wildness and swiftness; but while we were pursuing this game, it was our chance to meet with about forty Tartars, who no sooner perceived us, but one of them blew a horn, at the sound of which there soon appeared a troop of forty or fifty more, at about a mile's distance. Hereupon, one of the Scots merchants (who knew their ways) ordered us to advance towards them, and attack them immediately, As we advanced, they let fly a volley of arrows, which happily fell a little short of us; this made us halt a little, to return the compliment with bullets; and then being led up by the bold Scot, we fired our pistols in their faces, and drew out our swords; but there was no occasion; for they flew like timorous sheep, & only three of them remained, beckoning to the rest to come back. But our brave commander gallops up to them by himself, shot one dead, knocked another of his horse, while the third ran away; and thus ended our battle with the Tartars.

We travelled a month more through the Emperor of China's dominions; and at length coming to one of their towns about a day and a half's journey from the city of Naum, I wanted to buy a camel. The person I spoke to would have brought me one, but, like a fool, I must go along with him, about two miles from the village. My old pilot and I walked on foot, forsooth, for some variety, when coming to the place where the camels were kept as in a park guarded by Chinese soldiers, we there agreed and bought one, which the Chinese man that came along with me led along the road. But we had not gone far, before we were attacked by five Tartars, mounted on horseback, two of whom seized the man, took the camel from him, and rode away, while the other three approached us, the first of whom suddenly seized me as I was drawing my sword, the second; knocked me down, but my old trusty Portuguese taking a pistol out of his pocket, which I knew nothing of, and coming up to the fellow that struck me, he with one hand pulled him off his horse, and then shot him dead upon the spot; then taking his scymitar, he struck at the man that stopped us, but missing him, cut off one of his horses ears, the pain of which made him throw his rider to the ground. The poor Chinese who had led the camel, seeing the Tartar down, runs to him, and seizing upon his pole-ax, wrenched it from his hands, and knocked his brains out. But there was another Tartar to deal with, who seeming neither inclined to fight nor fly, and my old man having begun to charge his pistol, the very sight of it struck such a terror into the wretch, that away he scoured, leaving my old pilot, rather my champion and defender, an absolute victory.