Contents
Chapter I
My birth and parentage—At nineteen years of age I determine to go
to sea—Dissuaded by my parents—Elope with a schoolfellow, and go on
board ship—A storm arises, during which I am dreadfully
frightened—Ship founders—Myself and crew saved by a boat from
another vessel, and landed near Yarmouth—Meet my companion's father
there, who advises me never to go to sea more, but all in
vain
Chapter II
Make a trading voyage to Guinea very successfully—Death of my
captain—Sail another trip with his mate—The vengeance of Providence
for disobedience to parents now overtakes me—Taken by a Sallee
rover and all sold as slaves—My master frequently sends me
a-fishing, which suggests an idea of escape—Make my escape in an
open boat, with a Moresco boy
Chapter III
Make for the southward, in hope of meeting with some European
vessel—See savages along shore—Shoot a large leopard—Am taken up by
a merchantman—Arrive at the Brazils, and buy a settlement
there—Cannot be quiet, but sail on a voyage of adventure to
Guinea—Ship strikes on a sand-bank in unknown land—All lost but
myself, who am driven ashore, half-dead
Chapter IV
Appearance of the wreck and country next day—Swim on board of the
ship, and, by means of a contrivance, get a quantity of stores on
shore—Shoot a bird, but it turns out perfect carrion—Moralize upon
my situation—The ship blown off land, and totally lost—Set out in
search of a proper place for a habitation—See numbers of
goats—Melancholy reflections
Chapter V
I begin to keep a journal—Christen my desert island the Island of
Despair—Fall upon various schemes to make tools, baskets, etc., and
begin to build my house—At a great loss of an evening for candle,
but fall upon an expedient to supply the want—Strange discovery of
corn—A terrible earthquake and storm
Chapter VI
Observe the ship driven farther aground by the late storm—Procure a
vast quantity of necessaries from the wreck—Catch a large turtle—I
fall ill of a fever and ague—Terrible dream, and serious
reflections thereupon—Find a bible in one of the seamen's chests
thrown ashore, the reading whereof gives me great comfort
Chapter VII
I begin to take a survey of my island—Discover plenty of tobacco,
grapes, lemons and sugar-canes, wild, but no human
inhabitants—Resolve to lay up a store of these articles, to furnish
me against the wet season—My cat, which I supposed lost, returns
with kittens—I regulate my diet, and shut myself up for the wet
season—Sow my grain, which comes to nothing; but I discover and
remedy my error—Take account of the course of the weather
Chapter VIII
Make a second tour through the island—Catch a young parrot, which I
afterwards teach to speak—My mode of sleeping at night—Find the
other side of the island much more pleasant than mine, and covered
with turtle and sea-fowl—Catch a young kid which I tame—Return to
my old habitation—Great plague with my harvest
Chapter IX
I attempt to mould earthen-ware, and succeed—Description of my mode
of baking—Begin to make a boat—After it is finished, am unable to
get it down to the water—Serious reflections—My ink and biscuit
exhausted, and clothes in a bad state—Contrive to make a dress of
skins
Chapter X
I succeed in getting a canoe afloat, and set out on a voyage in the
sixth year of my reign, or captivity—Blown out to sea—Reach the
shore with great difficulty—Fall asleep, and am awakened by a voice
calling my name—Devise various schemes to tame goats, and at last
succeed
Chapter XI
Description of my figure—Also of my dwelling and
enclosures—Dreadful alarm on seeing the print of a man's foot on
the shore—Reflections—Take every possible measure of
precaution
Chapter XII
I observe a canoe out at sea—Find on the shore the remnant of a
feast of cannibals—Horror of mind thereon—Double arm
myself—Terribly alarmed by a goat—Discover a singular cave or
grotto, of which I form my magazine—My fears on account of the
savages begin to subside
Chapter XIII
Description of my situation in the twenty-third year of my
residence—Discover nine naked savages round a fire on my side of
the island—My horror on beholding the dismal work they were about—I
determine on the destruction of the next party, at all risks—A ship
lost off the island—Go on board the wreck, which I discern to be
Spanish—Procure a great variety of articles from the
vessel
Chapter XIV
Reflections—An extraordinary dream—Discover five canoes of savages
on shore—Observe from my station two miserable wretches dragged out
of their boats to be devoured—One of them makes his escape, and
runs directly towards me, pursued by two others—I take measures so
as to destroy his pursuers, and save his life—Christen him by the
name of Friday, and he becomes a faithful and excellent
servant
Chapter XV
I am at great pains to instruct Friday respecting my abhorrence of
the cannibal practices of the savages—He is amazed at the effects
of the gun, and considers it an intelligent being—Begins to talk
English tolerably—A dialogue—I instruct him in the knowledge of
religion, and find him very apt—He describes to me some white men
who had come to his country, and still lived there
Chapter XVI
I determine to go over to the continent—Friday and I construct a
boat equal to carry twenty men—His dexterity in managing her—Friday
brings intelligence of three canoes of savages on shore—Resolve to
go down upon them—Friday and I fire upon the wretches, and save the
life of a poor Spaniard—List of the killed and wounded—Discover a
poor Indian bound in one of the canoes, who turns out to be
Friday's father
Chapter XVII
I learn from the Spaniard that there were sixteen more of his
countrymen among the savages—The Spaniard and Friday's father,
well-armed, sail on a mission to the Continent—I discover an
English ship lying at anchor off the island—Her boat comes on shore
with three prisoners—The crew straggle into the woods, their boat
being aground—Discover myself to the prisoners, who prove to be the
captain and mate of the vessel, and a passenger—Secure the
mutineers
Chapter XVIII
The ship makes signals for her boat—On receiving no answer, she
sends another boat on shore—Methods by which we secure this boat's
crew, and recover the ship
Chapter XIX
I make inquiries about my family—I receive a present of money—I go
over to Lisbon with Friday—I find my trustees dead, but as my
partner in the Brazils has acted honestly, the estate is increased
in value, and yields comfortable returns—Returning overland to
England, Friday has an adventure with a bear—We are attacked by
wolves—I take to myself a wife—Some years after I visit my property
in the Brazils