Робинзон Крузо
Agricultural Experience
Icontentedmyselfwiththesediscoveriesforthistime,andcameback,musingwithmyselfwhatcourseImighttaketoknowthevirtueandgoodnessofanyofthefruitsorplantswhichIshoulddiscover; butcouldbringittonoconclusion; for,inshort,IhadmadesolittleobservationwhileIwasintheBrazils,thatIknewlittleoftheplantsinthefield,atleastverylittlethatmightservemetoanypurposenowinmydistress.
Thenextday,the16th,Iwentupthesamewayagain; andaftergoingsomethingfartherthanIhadgonethedaybefore,Ifoundthebrookandthesavannasbegantocease,andthecountrybecamemorewoodythanbefore. InthispartIfounddifferentfruits,andparticularlyIfoundmelonsuponthegroundingreatabundance,andgrapesuponthetrees. Thevineshadspreadindeedoverthetrees,andtheclustersofgrapeswerejustnowintheirprime,veryripeandrich. Thiswasasurprisingdiscovery,andIwasexceedinggladofthem; butIwaswarnedbymyexperiencetoeatsparinglyofthem,rememberingthatwhenIwasashoreinBarbarytheeatingofgrapeskilledseveralofourEnglishmen,whowereslavesthere,bythrowingthemintofluxesandfevers. ButIfoundanexcellentuseofthesegrapes;andthatwas,tocureordrytheminthesun,andkeepthemasdriedgrapesorraisinsarekept, whichIthoughtwouldbe,asindeedtheywere,aswholesomeasagreeabletoeat,whennograpes;mightbetobehad.
Ispentallthateveningthere,andwentnotbacktomyhabitation;which,bytheway,wasthefirstnight,asImightsay,Ihadlainfromhome. Inthenight,Itookmyfirstcontrivance,andgotupintoatree,whereIsleptwell; andthenextmorningproceededuponmydiscovery,travellingnearfourmiles,asImightjudgebythelengthofthevalley,keepingstillduenorth,witharidgeofhillsonthesouthandnorthsideofme.
