great deal of labour, as I had a full mile to go to the lake
for every load of stuff, and could carry but little at once, it was so
heavy; but there was neither water for tempering, nor proper earth to
make it with any nearer. At last, however, I completed my building in
every respect but a door, and for this I was forced to use the lid of my
sea chest; which indeed I would have chosen not to apply that way, but
I had nothing else that would, do; and there was, however, this
conveniency, that it had hinges ready fixed thereon.
I now began to enjoy myself in my new habitation, like the absolute and
sole lord of the country, for I had neither seen man nor beast since my
arrival, save a few animals in the trees like our squirrels, and some
water-rats about the lake; but there were several strange kinds of birds
I had never before seen, both on the lake and in the woods.
That which now troubled me most was how to get my water nearer to me
than the lake, for I had no lesser vessel than the cask, which held
above twenty gallons, and to bring that up was a fatigue intolerable.
My next contrivance, therefore, was this: I told you I had taken my
chest-lid to make a door for my ante-chamber, as I now began to call it;
so I resolved to apply the body of the chest also to a purpose different
from that it originally answered. In order to this, I went to the lake
where the body of the chest lay, and sawed it through within about three
inches of the bottom. Of the two ends, having rounded them as well as I
could, I made two wheels; and with one of the sides I made two more. I
burnt a hole through the middle of each; then preparing two axle-trees,
I fastened them, after putting on the wheels, to the bottom of the chest
with the nails I had drawn out, of it. Having finished this machine, on
which I bestowed no small labour, I was hugely pleased with it, and only
wished I had a beast, if it were but an ass, to draw it; however, that
task I was satisfied to perform myself, since there was no help for it;
so I made a good strong cord out of my fishing-lines, and fixed that
to drag it by. When all was thus in readiness, filling my water-cask,
I bound it thereon, and so brought it to the grotto with such ease,
comparatively, as quite charmed me. Having succeeded so well in the
first essay, I no sooner unloaded but down went I again with my cart,
or truckle rather, to the lake, and brought from thence on it my other
chest, which I had left
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