"Crusoe Making Baskets" for Daniel Defoe's "Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" (1863-64)

Crusoe Making Baskets (p. 65) — the volume's nineteenth composite wood-block engraving for Defoe's The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe of York, Mariner. Related by himself (London: Cassell, Petter, and Galpin), 1863-64. VII, "Agricultural Experience." The illustrator presents a rejuvenated Crusoe, recovered from the tropical fever and now a thorough Evangelical Christian after his near-death experience on a remote island off the South American coast. As the rain pours down outside his cave, Crusoe teaches himself wickerwork during the rainy season. Half-page, framed: 12 cm high x 14.1 cm wide, including a frame of wicker-work. Running head: "A Survey of the Island" (p. 67). [Click on image to enlarge it.]

Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

The Passage Illustrated

The rainy seasons sometimes held longer or shorter as the winds happened to blow, but this was the general observation I made. After I had found by experience the ill consequences of being abroad in the rain, I took care to furnish myself with provisions beforehand, that I might not be obliged to go out, and I sat within doors as much as possible during the wet months. This time I found much employment, and very suitable also to the time, for I found great occasion for many things which I had no way to furnish myself with but by hard labour and constant application; particularly I tried many ways to make myself a basket, but all the twigs I could get for the purpose proved so brittle that they would do nothing. It proved of excellent advantage to me now, that when I was a boy, I used to take great delight in standing at a basket-maker’s, in the town where my father lived, to see them make their wicker-ware; and being, as boys usually are, very officious to help, and a great observer of the manner in which they worked those things, and sometimes lending a hand, I had by these means full knowledge of the methods of it, and I wanted nothing but the materials, when it came into my mind that the twigs of that tree from whence I cut my stakes that grew might possibly be as tough as the sallows, willows, and osiers in England, and I resolved to try. Accordingly, the next day I went to my country house, as I called it, and cutting some of the smaller twigs, I found them to my purpose as much as I could desire; whereupon I came the next time prepared with a hatchet to cut down a quantity, which I soon found, for there was great plenty of them. These I set up to dry within my circle or hedge, and when they were fit for use I carried them to my cave; and here, during the next season, I employed myself in making, as well as I could, a great many baskets, both to carry earth or to carry or lay up anything, as I had occasion; and though I did not finish them very handsomely, yet I made them sufficiently serviceable for my purpose; thus, afterwards, I took care never to be without them; and as my wicker-ware decayed, I made more, especially strong, deep baskets to place my corn in, instead of sacks, when I should come to have any quantity of it. [Chapter VII, "Agricultural Experience," page 72]

Commentary

The particular moment realised reinforces Crusoe's status for much of the first half of the story as the active castaway and sole colonist of the island, which lies south of Trinidad off the mouth of the Orinoco River. Crusoe, Here, Crusoe has rebounded from the pernicious effects of disease and climate to continue his "value-added" labours on the island as he develops a skill that will prove extremely useful for home-construction with the colonists such as Will Atkins in the second half of the book, as in Will Atkins' Tent.

Related Material

Bibliography

De Foe, Daniel. The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe of York, Mariner. Related by himself. With upwards of One Hundred Illustrations. London: Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, 1863-64.

Last modified 11 March 2018