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

290 ROBINSON CRUSOE.
work to form a thonfand frightful things that may
never happen. And we fcarce flept one night, with- ,
out dreaming of halters, yard-arms, or gibbets ; of
fighting, being taken, and being killed; nay, fo vio¬
lent were our apprehenfions, that we would bruife
our hands and heads againft the fides of the cabin,
as though actually *engaged. The ftory of the Dutch
cruelty at Airipona often came into our thoughts ,
when awake ; and, for my part, I thought my con-
d’tion very hard, that, after fo many difficulties, and
fueh fignal deliverances, I fliould be hanged in my
old age, though innocent of any crime that deferved
iisch punifhment; but then religion would feem to
reprefent to me, as though the voice of it had laid, ^
Confider, O man ! what nns you have been former- ;
ly guilty of, which now thou art called to an account
for, to expiate with thy blood ! And as to thy in¬
nocence, what art thou more innocent than thy
bleffed Redeemer Jefus Chrift, who fullered for thy ,
offences, and to whofe providence you ought to fub- 1
mit, let what will happen ? After this, natural courage f
would infpire me to refifl to the laft drop of blood, ,
and fooner die than futfer myf'elf to be taken by
boorifh, rafcally Dutchmen, who had arts to tor¬
ment beyond death itfelf.
Eut now, thank kind Heaven, being afbore, cur
old pilot procured us a lodging and q, warehoufe for i
our goods ; it was a little hut with a large warehoufe
joining to it, all built with canes, and palliiadoed
round with large ones, to keep out pilfering thieves,
who are very numerous in that country. The ma-
gillrates allowed us a little guard during the night,
and we employed a centinel with a kind of halbert
for t,hree pence a-dayi The fair or mart, we found,
had been over for fome time ; however, there re- j
mained in the river four junks and two Japan fliips,
the merchants of the latter being on ffiore. In the
firll: place, our old pilot brought us acquainted with ■
the