ade one side of it smooth and flat, as a
board, from end to end: then turning that side downward, cut the other
side till I brought the plank to be about three inches thick, and smooth
on both sides. Any one may judge the labour of my hands in such a piece
of work; but labour and patience carried me through that and many other
things; I only observe this in particular, to shew the reason why so
much of my time went away with so little work, viz. that what might be a
little to be done with help and tools, was a vast labour, and required a
prodigious time to do alone, and by hand.

But notwithstanding this, with patience and labour, I went through many
things, and indeed ever thing that my circumstances made necessary for
me to do, as will appear by what follows.

I was now in the months of November and December, expecting my crop of
barley and rice. The ground I had manured or dug up for them was not
great; for, as I observed, my seed of each, was not above the quantity
of half a peck; for I had lost one whole crop by sowing in the dry
season; but now my crop promised very well, when on a sudden I found I
was in danger of losing it all again by enemies of several sorts, which
it was scarce possible to keep from it; as first, the goats, and wild
creatures which I called hares, which, tasting the sweetness of the
blade, lay in it night and day, as soon as it came up, and ate it so
close, that it could get no time to shoot up into stalks.

This I saw no remedy for, but by making an enclosure about it with a
hedge, which I did with a great deal of toil; and the more, because it
required a great deal of speed; the creatures daily spoiling my corn.
However, as my arable land was but small, suited to my crop, I got it
totally well fenced in about three weeks time, and shooting some of the
creatures in the day-time, I set my dog to guard it in the night, tying
him up to a stake at the gate, where he would stand and bark all night
long; so in a little time the enemies forsook the place, and the corn
grew very strong and well, and began to ripen apace.

But as the beasts ruined me before, while my corn was in the blade, so
the birds were as likely to ruin me now, when it was in the ear; for
going along by the place to see how it throve, I saw my little crop
surrounded with fowls of I know not how many sorts, which stood as it
were watching till I should be gone. I immediately let fly among them
(for I always had my gun with me.