Before I set up my tent,I drew a half circle before the hollow place,which took in about ten yards in its semi diameter from the rock,and twenty yards in its diameter from its beginning and ending.In this half circle I pitched two rows of strong stakes,driving them into the ground till they stood very firm like piles,the biggest end being out of the ground about five feet and a half,and sharpened on the top.The two rows did not stand above six inches from one another.
Then I took the pieces of cable which I had cut in the ship,and laid them in rows one upon another,within the circle,between these two rows of stakes,up to the top,placing other stakes in the inside leaning against them,about two feet and a half high,like a spur to a post;and this fence was so strong,that neither man or beast could get into it,or over it.This cost me a great deal of time and labour,especially to cut the piles in the woods,bring them to the place,and drive them into the earth.
The entrance into this place I made to be not by a door,but by a short ladder to go over the top;which ladder,when I was in,I lifted over after me,and so I was completely fenced in,and fortified,as I thought,from all the world,and consequently slept secure in the night,which otherwise I could not have done;though as it appeared afterwards,there was no need of all this caution from the enemies that I apprehended danger from.
Into this fence or fortress,with infinite labour,I carried all my riches,all my provisions,ammunition,and stores,of which you have the account above;and I made me a large tent,which,to preserve me from the rains that in one part of the year are very violent there,I made double,viz.,one smaller tent within,and one larger tent above it,and covered the uppermost with a large tarpaulin,which I had saved among the sails.And now I lay no more for a while in the bed which I had brought on shore,but in a hammock,which was indeed a very good one,and belonged to the mate of the ship.
Into this tent I brought all my provisions,and everything that would spoil by the wet;and having thus enclosed all my goods,I made up the entrance,which,till now,I had left open,and so passed and repassed,as I said,by a short ladder.
When I had done this,I began to work my way into the rock;and bringing all the earth and stones that I dug down out through my tent,I laid them up within my fence in the nature of a terrace,so that it raised the ground within about a foot and a half;and thus I made me a cave just behind my tent,which served me like a cellar to my house.
It cost me much labour,and many days,before all these things were brought to perfection,and therefore I must go back to some other things which took up some of my thoughts.At the same time it happened,after I had laid my scheme for the setting up my tent,and making the cave,that a storm of rain falling from a thick dark cloud,a sudden flash of lightning happened,and after that a great clap of thunder,as is naturally the effect of it.I was not so much surprised with the lightning,as I was with a thought which darted into my mind as swift as the lightning itself.O my powder!My very heart sunk within me when I thought,that at one blast all my powder might be destroyed,on which,not my defence only,but the providing me food,as I thought,entirely depended.I was nothing near so anxious about my own danger;though had the powder took fire,I had never known who had hurt me.
Such impression did this make upon me,that after the storm was over I laid aside all my works,my building,and fortifying,and applied myself to make bags and boxes to separate the powder,and keep it a little and a little in a parcel,in hope that whatever might come it might not all take fire at once,and to keep it so apart,that it should not be possible to make one part fire another.I finished this work in about a fortnight;and I think my powder,which in all was about 240pounds weight,was divided in not less than a hundred parcels.As to the barrel that had been wet,I did not apprehend any danger from that,so I placed it in my new cave,which in my fancy I called my kitchen,and the rest I hid up and down in holes among the rocks,so that no wet might come to it,marking very carefully where I laid it.
