was forced to go over it myself, and drag
a great heavy bough of a tree over it, to scratch it, as it may be
called, rather than rake or harrow it. When it was growing, and grown, I
have observed already how many things I wanted to fence it, secure it,
mow or reap it, cure and carry it home, thrash, part it from the chaff,
and save it. Then I wanted a mill to grind it sieves to dress it, yeast
and salt to make it into bread, and an oven to bake it; but all these
things I did without, as shall be observed; and yet the corn was an
inestimable comfort and advantage to me too. All this, as I said, made
everything laborious and tedious to me; but that there was no help for.
Neither was my time so much loss to me, because, as I had divided it, a
certain part of it was every day appointed to these works; and as I had
resolved to use none of the corn for bread till I had a greater quantity
by me, I had the next six months to apply myself wholly, by labour and
invention, to furnish myself with utensils proper for the performing all
the operations necessary for making the corn, when I had it, fit for my
use.

CHAPTER IX--A BOAT

But first I was to prepare more land, for I had now seed enough to sow
above an acre of ground. Before I did this, I had a week's work at least
to make me a spade, which, when it was done, was but a sorry one indeed,
and very heavy, and required double labour to work with it. However, I
got through that, and sowed my seed in two large flat pieces of ground,
as near my house as I could find them to my mind, and fenced them in with
a good hedge, the stakes of which were all cut off that wood which I had
set before, and knew it would grow; so that, in a year's time, I knew I
should have a quick or living hedge, that would want but little repair.
This work did not take me up less than three months, because a great part
of that time was the wet season, when I could not go abroad.
Within-doors, that is when it rained and I could not go out, I found
employment in the following occupations--always observing, that all the
while I was at work I diverted myself with talking to my parrot, and
teaching him to speak; and I quickly taught him to know his own name, and
at last to speak it out pretty loud, "Poll," which was the first word I
ever heard spoken in the island by any mouth but my own. This,
therefore, was not my work, but an assistance to my work; for now, as I
said, I had a great employment up