th of October; but as for an exact
reckoning of days, after I had once lost it, I could never recover it
again; nor had I kept even the number of years so punctually as to be
sure I was right; though, as it proved, when I afterwards examined my
account, I found I had kept a true reckoning of years.

It was no less than eight days I had waited for them, when a strange and
unforeseen accident intervened, of which the like has not perhaps been
heard of in history. I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning, when my
man Friday came running in to me, and called aloud, "Master, master,
they are come, they are come!" I jumped up, and, regardless of danger, I
went out as soon as I could get my clothes on, through my little grove,
which, by the way, was by this time grown to be a very thick wood; I
say, regardless of danger, I went without my arms, which was not my
custom to do: but I was surprised, when turning my eyes to the sea, I
presently saw a boat at about a league and a half distance, standing in
for the shore, with a shoulder of mutton sail, as they call it, and the
wind blowing pretty fair to bring them in: also I observed presently,
that they did not come from that side which the shore lay on, but from
the southernmost end of the island. Upon this, I called Friday in, and
bade him lie close, for these were not the people we looked for, and
that we might not know yet whether they were friends or enemies. In the
next place, I went in to fetch my perspective-glass, to see what I could
make of them; and having taken the ladder out, I climbed up to the top
of the hill, as I used to do when I was apprehensive of any thing, and
to take my view the plainer, without being discovered. I had scarce set
my foot upon the hill, when my eye plainly discovered a ship lying at an
anchor, at about two leagues and a half distance from me, S.S.E. but not
above a league and a half from the shore. By my observation, it appeared
plainly to be an English ship, and the boat appeared to be an English
long-boat.

I cannot express the confusion I was in; though the joy of seeing a
ship, and one that I had reason to believe was manned by my own
countrymen, and consequently friends, was such as I cannot describe; but
yet I had some secret doubts hung about me, I cannot tell from whence
they came, bidding me keep upon my guard. In the first place, it
occurred to me to consider what business an English ship could have in
that part of the world, sinc