Accidents > Life and most surprising adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, mariner, who lived eight and twenty years in an uninhabited island on the coast of America, near the mouth of the great river Oroonoque

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ROBINSON CRUSOE.
But here I began madly, pitching upon a piece of
meadow l&nd fo large, that had I inclofed it with
infinite pains, this hedge or pale muft have been at
leaft two miles about. Indeed had it been ten miles
I had time enough to do it in ; but then I did not
confider that my goats would be as wild in fo much
compafs as if they had had the whole ifland, and
confequently as difficult for me to catch them. And
this thought came into my head; after I had carried
on, I believe, about fifty yards ; when I refolved to
enclofe a piece of ground 150 yards in length and
100 in breadth, fufficient enough for as many as
would maintain me, till fuch time as my flock en-
creafed, and then I could add more ground. Upon
which, I vigoroufly profecuted my work, and it took
me about three months in hedging the firft jpiece ; in
which time I tethered the three kids in the beft part
of it, feeding them as near me as poffible to make
them familiar : And indeed very often would I carry
fome ears of barley, or a handful of rice, and feed
them out of my hand ; by which means they grew
fo tame, that when my enclofure was finiflied, and I
had let them loole, they would run after me for an
handful of corn. This indeed anfwered my end ;
and in a year and a half’s time I had a flock of about
twelve goats, kids and all; and in two years after
they amounted to three and forty, befides what I had
taken and killed for my fuftenance. After this, I
enclofed five feveral pieces of ground to feed them in,
with pens to drive them into, that I might take them
as I had occafion.
But ftill I had additional bleffings, not only in
having plenty of goat’s flelh, but milk too, which in
my beginning I did not fo much as think of: And
indeed, though I had never milked a cow, muchlefs
a goat, or feen butter or cheefe made, yet after fome
eflays and mifcarriages I made me both, and never
afterwards wanted.
How