Dec. 10. No sooner did I think my habitation finished, but suddenly a great deal of the top broke in, so that it was a mercy I was not buried in the ruins. This occasioned a great deal of pains and trouble to me, before I could make it firm and durable.
Dec 17. I nailed up some shelves and drove nails and staples in the wall and posts to hang things out of the way.
Dec 20. Every thing I got into its place, then made a sort of a dresser, and another table.
Dec. 24. 25. Rain in abundance.
Dec. 26. Very fair weather.
Dec. 27. I chanced to light on some goats, shot one and wounded another. I led it home in a string, bound up its leg, and cured it in a little time; at length it became so tame and familiar as to feed before the door, and follow me where I pleased. This put me in mind to bring up tame creatures, in order to supply me with food after my ammunition was spent.
Dec. 28, 29, 30. The weather being excessively hot, with little air, obliged me for the most part, to keep within doors.
Jan 1. Still sultry, however, obliged by necessity, I went out with my gun, and found a great store of goats in the valleys; they were exceedingly shy, nor could my dog hunt them down.
Jan. 3 to 14. My employment this time was to finish the wall before described, and search the island. I discovered a kind of pigeons like our house-pigeons in a nest among the rocks. I brought them home, nursed them till they could fly, and then they left me. After this, I shot some, which proved excellent food. Some time I spent vainly in contriving to make a cask; I may well say it was vain, because I could neither joint the staves; nor fix the heads, so as to make it tight: So, leaving that, took some goat's tallow I had about me, and a little okum for the wick, and provided myself with a lamp, which served me instead of candles.