Free The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe by Peter Clines Page B

observation, to be in the latitude of 9 degrees 22 minutes north of the line.
    After I had been there about ten or twelve days, it came into my thoughts that I should lose my reckoning of time for want of books, and pen and ink, and should even forget the Sabbath days from the working days. To prevent this, I cut it with my knife upon a large post in capital letters. Making it into a great cross, I set it up on the shore where I first landed, viz. ‘I came on shore here on the 30th of September, 1659.’ Upon the sides of this square post I cut every day a notch with my knife, and every seventh notch was as long again as the rest, and every first day of the month as long again as that long, and every full moon marked by a second notch across that one for the day. Thus I kept my kalendar, or weekly, monthly, and yearly reckoning of time.

My papers and books, my account,
my chair and table
    But it happened among the many things which I brought out of the ship in the several voyages I made to it, I got several things of less value, but not at all less useful to me, which I found some time after rummaging in the chests. In particular, pens, ink, and paper. Several parcels in the captain's, mate's, gunner's, and carpenter's keeping. Three or four compasses (which point'd in many directions, but ne'er north in the many years on this island), some mathematical instruments, perspective glasses , charts, and books of navigation, all which I huddled together, whether I might want them or no. Also I found three very good bibles, which came to me in my cargo from England and which I had packed up among my things. Some Portugueze books also, and, among them, two or three popish prayer books, and several other books, all which I secured.
    As I observ’d before, I found pens, ink, and paper, and I husbanded them to the utmost. I shall show, while my ink lasted, I kept things very exact, but after that was gone I could not, for I could not make any ink by any means I could devise.
    And this put me in mind that I wanted many things, notwithstanding all I had amassed together. Of these, this of ink was one. Also a spade, pick-axe, and shovel, to dig or remove the earth. Needles, pins, and thread. As for linen, I soon learned to want that without much difficulty.
    This want of tools made every work I did go on heavily. It was near a whole year before I had finished my little pale and surrounded my habitation. The stakes, which were as heavy as I could well lift, were a long time in cutting and preparing in the woods, and more by far in bringing home. I spent sometimes two days in cutting and bringing home one of those posts, and a third day in driving it into the ground. But what need I have been concerned at the tediousness of any thing I had to do, seeing I had time enough to do it in? Nor had I any other employment if that had been over, at least I could foresee, except the ranging the island to seek for food, which I did, more or less, every day.
    I now began to consider my condition, and the circumstance I was reduced to. I drew up the state of my affairs in writing, not so much to leave them to any that were to come after me as to deliver my thoughts from daily poring upon them and afflicting my mind. As my reason began now to master my despondency, I began to comfort myself as well as I could, and to set the good against the evil, that I might have something to distinguish my case from worse. I stated very impartially, like debtor and creditor, the comforts I enjoyed against the miseries I suffered, thus:
    EVIL.
    1) I am cast upon a horrible, desolate island, void of all hope of recovery.
    2) I am singled out and separated, as it were, from all the world to be miserable.
    3) I am divided from mankind, a solitaire, one banished from human society.
    4) I am without any defence, or means to resist any violence.
    5) I have no soul to speak to, or relieve me.
    6) I am afflicted with the memories of what the beast has done.
    GOOD
    1) But I