For this purpose I marked out several
trees, which I thought fit for our work, and I set Friday and his
father to cut them down; and then I caused the Spaniard, to whom I
imparted my thoughts on that affair, to oversee and direct their
work. I showed them with what indefatigable pains I had hewed a
large tree into single planks, and I caused them to do the like,
till they made about a dozen large planks, of good oak, near two
feet broad, thirty-five feet long, and from two inches to four
inches thick: what prodigious labour it took up any one may
imagine.
At the same time I contrived to increase my little flock of tame
goats as much as I could; and for this purpose I made Friday and
the Spaniard go out one day, and myself with Friday the next day
(for we took our turns), and by this means we got about twenty
young kids to breed up with the rest; for whenever we shot the dam,
we saved the kids, and added them to our flock. But above all, the
season for curing the grapes coming on, I caused such a prodigious
quantity to be hung up in the sun, that, I believe, had we been at
Alicant, where the raisins of the sun are cured, we could have
filled sixty or eighty barrels; and these, with our bread, formed a
great part of our food - very good living too, I assure you, for
they are exceedingly nourishing.
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