My First Voyage: A great journey with family

My First Voyage: A great journey with family

I was born in York in 1632 of a good family. My father had come to England from Bremen; he did well in business and married and as mother. Her name was Robinson, so my name is Robinson Kreutzner. As that word is difficult to say in English, I am called Robinson Crusoe and even written that way.

I had two older brothers. One was killed in a battle against the Spaniards. As for the other, I do not know what happened to him. My father, a wise and kind man, gave me good education and wanted me to become a lawyer. But I wanted only to go to sea.

My father tried to give me some serious advice.

“But what are your reasons?” he said. “Why do you want to leave your country and father’s house? At sea you will find only trouble and unhappiness.”

The tears ran down his face as he spoke, and I decided not to think of going abroad any more. “I will do as you wish, father,” I said. Xuci & Bob well his companions.

But in a few days time, I changed my mind again and decided to run away from him.

 

One day when I was in Hull, I met a friend. “My father’s ship will sail for London tomorrow,” he said, “do you want to come?”

I agreed at once, and so on September 1, 1651 I went on to the ship. And next day London.

When the ship had left Hull, the wind began to blow and the waves rose in a terrifying manner, and I was fearfully sick in body and terrified in mind.

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“Oh God,” I prayed, “If I get out of this alive, I will go home at once, and never go to sea again.

These serious thoughts continued all through the storm and for sometime after it. Next day the wind died down. I was no longer seasick, the sea, so rough and terrible before, became smooth and beautiful. New companion came along.

“Well, Bob,” he said, “How are you? You weren’t frightened, were you, of a bit of wind last night?”

“A bit of wind?” I said, “Why, that was a terrible storm!”

“A storm? That was nothing. You will soon get used to worse weather……come, have a glass of rum!”

These serious thoughts continued all through the storm and for sometime after it. Next day the wind died down. I was no longer seasick, the sea, so rough and terrible before, became smooth and beautiful. New companion came along.

“Well, Bob,” he said, “How are you? You weren’t frightened, were you, of a bit of wind last night?”

“A bit of wind?” I said, “Why, that was a terrible storm!”

“A storm? That was nothing. You will soon get used to worse weather……come, have a glass of rum!” seasick nauseous from motion of ship at sea.

 

Once or twice I thought I saw the top of the high mountain at Tenerife in the Canaries; but as the wind against me I could get no nearer. Several times we had to land for water. Once we met a lion and I killed it. We took its skin and dried it in the sun, and later used it to lie on in our little boat.

After this we sailed south for ten or twelve days, eating as little as possible, for our food was getting short. I was sure we would meet a ship Sooner or later-but could our supplies last until then? We sailed on, down the African coast.

One day we sawpeople on the shore; black people wearing no clothes. They made signs to us to come nearer, then brought us corn and dried meat.

We were afraid of each other; but they put the food on the sand, then stood a long way off until we carried it on to the boat. Then they came close again. I had nothing to give and did not know how to thank them. Just then a huge wild cat appeared, terrifying the Africans. I fired my gun, and killed it. The noise of the gun filled the Africans with fear, but when they saw the wild cat lying dead, they were happy. I gave them the meat and kept the skin. Then two women brought a great pot, and Xury filled our water pots from it.

With good supplies of food and water, we left our new friends, and sailed on for eleven days, to the Cape Verde Islands.

But there was no wind to carry us there. I sat in the cabin, with the islands in sight, and wondered what to do. Suddenly Xury called me.

“Master, Master! A ship with a sail !” It was a Portuguese ship, and in about three hours we came up with it. They asked me about myself, and I told my story.

You can and among friends. I offered the Captain everything imagine how I felt, free once more, I had, but he refused.

“Someday I may be in the same trouble as your- self,” he said.

“I am on my way to Brazil. I will take you there. You can sell your belongings and buy your passage back to England.

As for my boat, he offered to buy it. I did not want to take any money after he had been so kind; but he gave me eighty pounds for it. The Captain also bought Xury for sixty pounds, but only on condition that he would set him free after ten years.

Now I had time to consider what to do. Thanks to that good Captain, I was able to sell my belongings in Brazil. I bought a small piece of land. I planted sugar and did very well.

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