ot do. As I observed before, I
found pens, ink, and paper, and I husbanded them to the utmost; and I
shall show that while my ink lasted, I kept things very exact, but after
that was gone I could not, for I could not make any ink by any means that
I could devise.

And this put me in mind that I wanted many things notwithstanding all
that I had amassed together; and of these, ink was one; as also a spade,
pickaxe, and shovel, to dig or remove the earth; needles, pins, and
thread; as for linen, I soon learned to want that without much
difficulty.

This want of tools made every work I did go on heavily; and it was near a
whole year before I had entirely finished my little pale, or surrounded
my habitation. The piles, or stakes, which were as heavy as I could well
lift, were a long time in cutting and preparing in the woods, and more,
by far, in bringing home; so that I spent sometimes two days in cutting
and bringing home one of those posts, and a third day in driving it into
the ground; for which purpose I got a heavy piece of wood at first, but
at last bethought myself of one of the iron crows; which, however, though
I found it, made driving those posts or piles very laborious and tedious
work. But what need I have been concerned at the tediousness of anything
I had to do, seeing I had time enough to do it in? nor had I any other
employment, if that had been over, at least that I could foresee, except
the ranging the island to seek for food, which I did, more or less, every
day.

I now began to consider seriously my condition, and the circumstances I
was reduced to; and I drew up the state of my affairs in writing, not so
much to leave them to any that were to come after me--for I was likely to
have but few heirs--as to deliver my thoughts from daily poring over
them, and afflicting my mind; and as my reason began now to master my
despondency, I began to comfort myself as well as I could, and to set the
good against the evil, that I might have something to distinguish my case
from worse; and I stated very impartially, like debtor and creditor, the
comforts I enjoyed against the miseries I suffered, thus:--

_Evil_. _Good_.
I am cast upon a horrible, But I am alive; and not drowned,
desolate island, void of all hope as all my ship's company were.
of recovery.
I am singled out and separated, But I am singled out, too, from
as it were, from all the world, a