boat, as the boat could not be brought to the sea. But to do
this, I must have dug down to a great depth, which would take one
man some years to do. And when too late, I found it was not wise
to work out a scheme, till I had first thought of the cost and
toil.

"Well," thought I, "I must give up the boat, and with it all my
hopes to leave the isle. But I have this to think of: I am lord
of the whole isle; in fact, a king. I have wood with which I
might build a fleet, and grapes, if not corn, to freight it with,
though all my wealth is but a few gold coins." For these I had no
sort of use, and could have found it in my heart to give them all
for a peck of peas and some ink, which last I stood much in need
of. But it was best to dwell more on what I had, than on what I
had not.

I now must needs try once more to build a boat, but this time it
was to have a mast, for which the ship's sails would be of great
use. I made a deck at each end, to keep out the spray of the sea,
a bin for my food, and a rest for my gun, with a flap to screen
it from the wet. More than all, the boat was one of such a size
that I could launch it.

My first cruise was up and down the creek, but soon I got bold,
and made the whole round of my isle. I took with me bread, cakes,
and a pot full of rice, some rum, half a goat, two great coats,
one of which was to lie on, and one to put on at night. I set
sail in the sixth year of my reign. On the East side of the isle,
there was a large ridge of rocks, which lay two miles from the
shore; and a shoal of sand lay for half a mile from the rocks to