Робинзон Крузо
Builds a House — The Journal
Asforapick-axe,Imadeuseoftheironcrows,whichwereproperenough,thoughheavy; butthenextthingwasashovelorspade. Thiswassoabsolutelynecessary,thatindeedIcouldnonothingeffectuallywithoutit;butwhatkindofonetomake,Iknewnot.
November18. —Thenextday,insearchingthewoods,Ifoundatreeofthatwood,orlikeit,whichintheBrazilstheycalltheirontree,foritsexceedinghardness; ofthis,withgreatlabor,andalmostspoilingmyaxe,Icutapiece,andbroughtithome,too,wasdifficultyenough,foritwasexceedingheavy.
Theexcessivehardnessofthewood,andhavingnootherway, mademealongwhileuponthismachine,forIworkediteffectually,bylittleandlittle,intotheformofashovelorspade,thehandleexactlyshapedlikeoursinEngland,onlythatthebroadparthavingnoironshoduponitatbottom,itwouldnotlastmesolong. However,itservedwellenoughfortheuseswhichIhadoccasiontoputitto;butneverwasashovel,Ibelieve,madeafterthatfashion,orsolonga-making.
Iwasstilldeficient,forIwantedabasketorawheel-barrow. AbasketIcouldnotmakebyanymeans,havingnosuchthingsastwigsthatwouldbendtomakewickerware,atleastnoneyetfoundout. Andastoawheelbarrow,IfanciedIcouldmakeallbutthewheel,butthatIhadnonotionof,neitherdidIknowhowtogoaboutit; besides,Ihadnopossiblewaytomaketheirongudgeonsforthespindleoraxisofthewheeltorunin,soIgaveitover; andsoforcarryingawaytheearthwhichIdugoutofthecave,Imademeathinglikeahodwhichthelaborerscarrymortarin,whentheyservethebricklayers.
