[00:01.03] January 26th, 1660.
[00:04.40] I have taken great care of my injured goat, and now it has recovered.
[00:10.14] To my surprise, however, although the little creature could easily run away, it has become so tame that it feeds on the grass nearby and refuses to leave me.
[00:20.59] This has given me the idea of breeding goats, so that I don't have to hunt for food.
[00:29.88] April 16th, 1660.
[00:35.71] Yesterday I finished the wall.
[00:38.92] It is very thick and strong, and I have finally persuaded myself that if anyone comes from the shore, my camp will be perfectly disguised.
[00:49.71] But today, disaster struck again.
[00:56.87] Suddenly, the earth came crumbling down from the roof of my cave, and two of the posts that were propping up the roof cracked in the most terrifying manner.
[01:07.67] I ran out of the cave, climbed up the ladder and scrambled over the wall.
[01:13.63] Rocks were falling from the hillside around me, and below me, the waves crashed on the beach with tremendous force.
[01:22.81] I was in the middle of an earthquake.
[01:27.94] Suddenly, I looked up and saw a chunk of rock tumbling down the hillside towards me.
[01:34.68] I threw myself to one side only just in time.
[01:40.87] After a while, I could feel no more shocks, and I sat on the ground in a days.
[01:49.47] Gradually, the sky became overcast and the wind began to rise.
[01:55.97] In less than half an hour, the most dreadful hurricane broke out, far worse than the storm that had wrecked my ship.
[02:07.24] The sea was covered with foam and froth, the shore was flooded, and trees were torn up by their roots.
[02:15.65] The hurricane lasted for about three hours, and I sat and watched its tremendous force, knowing that I was far safer outside than I was in my cave or anywhere near the trees or rocks.
[02:32.23] At last, the wind began to blow itself out, and the sea became calm again.
[02:40.68] Then the rain came down, and I felt it was safe enough for me to go back into my cave.
[02:51.05] June 16th, 1660.
[02:57.46] Going down to the beach today, I found a large turtle.
[03:03.70] It was the first time I had seen such a creature on the island.
[03:09.65] I killed the thing, and spent a long time cooking her over my fire.
[03:17.58] I also found three score eggs inside her.
[03:23.51] Her flesh is the most savory and succulent that I have ever tasted in my life.
[03:34.01] June 25th, 1660.
[03:40.04] Whether it was the earthquake, the hurricane, the perpetual rain or the turtle, I've no idea.
[03:49.52] But I soon found myself feeling sick and shivering violently.
[03:57.89] On June 20th, I lay awake all night, feverish and with violent pains in my head.
[04:08.73] Was I dying?
[04:12.98] I had no medicines to dose myself with, and being ill so far from civilization terrified me.
[04:24.07] I prayed to God to help me, although I was so sick and confused, I hardly knew what I was saying.
[04:32.79] For the next three days, I lay desperately ill.
[04:39.92] The fever has passed now, but it has made me realize how truly alone I am here.
[04:55.80] June 26th, 1660.
[05:01.65] I was feeling a little better this morning, so I took myself off with my dog and my gun, hoping to hunt.
[05:10.57] I found myself so weak, however, that I could barely walk.
[05:16.63] I forced myself on and managed to kill a she goat, but I hardly had the strength to carry her home, as I now thought of my camp.
[05:29.34] Once back in the cave, I cooked some of the goat and ate it slowly.
[05:36.37] I wish I could have stewed the thing and made some broth, but I have no pot.
[05:46.31] June 28th, 1660.
[05:52.43] Yesterday I fell ill again and lay in bed all day in despair, neither eating nor drinking.
[06:04.03] Then last night, I had the most dreadful dream.
[06:11.04] I imagined I was sitting on my wall, when I saw a man of fire descend from a great black cloud and stand on the grass in front of me.
[06:23.13] I couldn't bear to look at him because his body was so bright.
[06:29.27] His face was a terrible sight.
[06:33.97] So terrible that I can't describe it.
[06:39.79] And when he strode upon the ground, the earth shook, as if he was the very spirit of the earthquake itself.
[06:51.30] The ghostly figure began to walk towards me with a long spear in his hand, and I realized he was going to kill me.
[07:05.18] Then, he shouted, "seeing all these things have not brought thee to repentance, now thou shalt die."
[07:19.82] As he spoke these words, my terrifying visitor lifted his spear, pointed it at my heart, and disappeared from sight in a massive sheet of flame.
[07:35.46] It was only a nightmare, but that did not stop me thinking about it afterwards.
[07:43.93] It is true, I have not been a good man.
[07:49.80] Some would say I've had a misspent life.
[07:57.59] Suddenly, I began to wonder if being shipwrecked on this island is my punishment for some of the things I've done.
[08:10.99] Was I condemned then to spend the rest of my life here?
[08:18.75] The thought plunged me into despair.
[08:24.95] Then, for some reason, I remembered the Bible I had saved from the ship.
[08:33.13] When I opened it, my eyes fell on the words, call on me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee.
[08:46.38] Suddenly, I seemed to see an answer.
[08:54.18] Perhaps being shipwrecked here is a punishment, but I have been spared from death for a reason.
[09:05.62] There is hope, if I can put my trust in God.
[09:13.67] From now on, I will try to be a better man.
[09:24.76] July 15th, 1660.
[09:30.53] At last, I feel stronger, and it looks as if I'm really getting better.
[09:37.45] Maybe the island gave me the illness so I could build up resistance to the tropical diseases that must abound here.
[09:49.26] Was that a God-given gift?
[09:55.94] I'm alone, battling against the elements, and I have to be grateful for anything I'm given.
[10:05.49] Today, I decided I had to explore.
[10:11.59] I have no real idea of how big the island is.
[10:16.94] If I do a survey, I might, after all, find something to my advantage.
[10:25.38] Possibly even another human being.
[10:31.17] Or is that just a fantasy?
[10:39.77] I set off up the creek where I had first brought my rafts ashore.
[10:45.74] After two miles, I discovered the tide didn't flow any higher, and the creek became no more than a little brook.
[10:56.04] The water was fresh and cool, and simply marvelous to drink.
[11:03.08] Meadows surrounded my little stream, and I found not only tobacco plants, but also several sugarcanes.
[11:15.07] There were other fruits and plants too, but I couldn't identify them, so I have no idea whether they are poisonous or not.
[11:26.21] I have named the place the Valley of Plenty.
[11:36.69] July 16th, 1660.
[11:42.97] Today, as I continued to explore, I found the countryside became much more wooded, and I came across fruit I could recognize, such as clusters of grapes and melons.
[12:01.66] Further on there were cocoa trees, orange and lemon and other citrus trees, and green limes whose juice I mixed with water.
[12:13.53] I have laid up a store of fruit which will help me through the rainy season.
[12:20.38] I have brought home all I could carry and will return for the rest.
[12:27.28] I will try to dry the grapes to make raisins.
[12:34.91] I walked home feeling much more cheerful.
[12:41.53] This would be a good place to live.
[12:45.84] I will spend more time there and see if I like it.
[12:57.47] August 3rd, 1660.
[13:03.35] I have decided to pitch a tent down in the Valley of Plenty and build a fence around it.
[13:12.15] Although there is less shelter here than in my original camp on the hillside, the land is fertile and I am easily able to find food.
[13:23.78] I will call this my country estate.
[13:34.03] August 14th, 1660.
[13:40.90] It has begun to rain again, so I will return to my original camp.
[13:50.98] September 20th, 1660.
[13:58.34] I'm surprised by the sudden increase in my family of cats.
[14:03.73] One of them had run away and I had feared she was dead.
[14:09.78] But eventually, around the end of August, she returned home with three kittens at her side.
[14:20.53] The wild cat I had killed with my gun was very different from the cats found in Europe.
[14:28.70] But although the ship's cat must have mated with one of the wild cats, her kittens seem to me to look exactly the same as the ones I'd been used to.
[14:43.09] Soon the same thing happened with my other cat, who was also female.
[14:49.85] Before long, I may be pestered by dozens of kittens.
[15:01.86] The rain has been lashing down continuously since the middle of August, and I have hardly stirred out of the cave.
[15:13.45] I went out twice and came back soaked to the skin, but at least with food.
[15:22.06] My menu is now becoming less boring, particularly after I found another turtle.
[15:32.40] Today, for example, I ate some raisins for my breakfast, a bunch of grapes that I had dried, a piece of goat, and some turtle flesh for my lunch, and a few turtle eggs for supper.
[15:53.06] September 30th, 1660.
[16:00.57] I have now come to the anniversary of my shipwreck and my landing on the island.
[16:08.58] I've been keeping a check on the days by making notches on a cross, and they now amount to 365 days.
[16:20.63] I knelt down, thanking God for his mercy, and to show my gratitude, I fasted for over 12 hours, not touching a morsel of food or taking one drop to drink.
[16:36.15] I then ate some biscuit and some fresh grapes and went to bed.
[16:46.18] October 3rd, 1660.
[16:54.27] This evening, I have had to accept that my ink is running out.
[17:01.76] I have therefore decided to use it more sparingly and to write down only the most important events of my life from now on.
[17:14.86] November 15th, 1660.
[17:21.29] This morning, I sowed some grain.
[17:26.29] I only have a little, so I decided not to risk all of my store.
[17:35.21] Only time will tell whether it succeeds.
[17:43.93] November 25th, 1660.
[17:51.72] Today I returned to inspect my country estate.
[17:57.25] It was still intact, although I had some difficulty finding it because of a surprising change.
[18:10.42] Where I expected to find my home, all I could see was a clump of young trees.
[18:19.99] On closer inspection, these proved to be the stakes I had cut to make the fence.
[18:27.87] They had sprouted long branches and grown taller, taking on a life of their own.
[18:36.03] In fact, they have become young trees, and I am delighted by their sturdy growth.
[18:45.38] I will make a similar fence around my original camp, as it will then be perfectly disguised.
[18:57.06] I now understand that the seasons of the year on the island can't be divided into spring, summer, autumn and winter, but into rainy seasons and dry seasons.
[19:13.69] This is how they work out.
[19:19.20] Half February, March, half April, rainy.
[19:29.32] Half April, May, June, July, half August, dry.
[19:41.34] Half August, September, half October, rainy.
[19:52.31] Half October, November, December, January, half February, dry.