"Spaniard protecting the Savage" for Daniel Defoe's "Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" (1863-64)

Spaniard protecting the Savage (page 241) — the volume's sixty-third 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). Part II, The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Chapter IV, "Renewed Invasion of the Savages." Three-quarter-page, framed: 14.3 cm high x 13.7 cm wide.

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.]

Passage Illustrated: Colonists quarrel over the treatment of the aboriginals

And now [the Spanish settlers] had another broil with the three Englishmen; one of whom, a most turbulent fellow, being in a rage at one of the three captive slaves, because the fellow had not done something right which he bade him do, and seemed a little untractable in his showing him, drew a hatchet out of a frog-belt which he wore by his side, and fell upon the poor savage, not to correct him, but to kill him. One of the Spaniards who was by, seeing him give the fellow a barbarous cut with the hatchet, which he aimed at his head, but stuck into his shoulder, so that he thought he had cut the poor creature's arm off, ran to him, and entreating him not to murder the poor man, placed himself between him and the savage, to prevent the mischief. The fellow, being enraged the more at this, struck at the Spaniard with his hatchet, and swore he would serve him as he intended to serve the savage; which the Spaniard perceiving, avoided the blow, and with a shovel, which he had in his hand (for they were all working in the field about their corn land), knocked the brute down. Another of the Englishmen, running up at the same time to help his comrade, knocked the Spaniard down; and then two Spaniards more came in to help their man, and a third Englishman fell in upon them. They had none of them any firearms or any other weapons but hatchets and other tools, except this third Englishman; he had one of my rusty cutlasses, with which he made at the two last Spaniards, and wounded them both. This fray set the whole family in an uproar, and more help coming in they took the three Englishmen prisoners. The next question was, what should be done with them? They had been so often mutinous, and were so very furious, so desperate, and so idle withal, they knew not what course to take with them, for they were mischievous to the highest degree, and cared not what hurt they did to any man; so that, in short, it was not safe to live with them. [Chapter IV, "Renewed Invasion of the Savages," pp. 242-43]

Related Material

Parallel Illustration by Cruikshank (1831)

Above: George Cruikshank's vignette of the same incident, born of racism and a false sense of entitlement on the part of the ex-mutineers, A Spaniard with a shovel comes to the assistance of an Indian. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]

Above: Wal Paget's half-page lithograph of the continuing conflict between the three former mutineers and the other colonists, "Placed himself between him and the savage.". [Click on the image to enlarge it.]

Last modified 28 March 2018