"Wringing my sword out of his hand" — illustration for Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" (1891)

Wringing my sword out of his hand

Wal Paget (1863-1935)

lithograph dropped into the letter-press

13.5 cm high by 10.5 cm wide, vignetted.

1891

Robinson Crusoe (1891): page 173.

Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.

[You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

Passage Illustrated: The Spaniard grapples with one of his captors

I kept my piece in my hand still without firing, being willing to keep my charge ready, because I had given the Spaniard my pistol and sword: so I called to Friday, and bade him run up to the tree from whence we first fired, and fetch the arms which lay there that had been discharged, which he did with great swiftness; and then giving him my musket, I sat down myself to load all the rest again, and bade them come to me when they wanted. While I was loading these pieces, there happened a fierce engagement between the Spaniard and one of the savages, who made at him with one of their great wooden swords, the weapon that was to have killed him before, if I had not prevented it. The Spaniard, who was as bold and brave as could be imagined, though weak, had fought the Indian a good while, and had cut two great wounds on his head; but the savage being a stout, lusty fellow, closing in with him, had thrown him down, being faint, and was wringing my sword out of his hand; when the Spaniard, though undermost, wisely quitting the sword, drew the pistol from his girdle, shot the savage through the body, and killed him upon the spot, before I, who was running to help him, could come near him.[Chapter XVI, "Rescue of the Prisonersfrom the Cannibals," pp. 169-170]

Commentary

Complementing the stuff of a boy's adventure bookPaget maintains the suspense as the Spaniard, whom Crusoe has discovered to be alive in the previous illustration, is about to lose control of his weapon to one of his captors. Paget has placed Crusoe well in the background to suggest that he may not reach the Spaniard in time to rescue him. As the native wrests the cutlass away from the European, the former captive is just pulling out his pistol, so that the contest will be decided in his favour momentarily. Although the conventional chapter title emphasizes the rescue of two prisoners, the European and Carib (who by coincidence turns out to be Friday's father), nineteenth-century British illustrations tend to focus on Crusoe's coming to the aid of the cannibals' Spanish prisoner. More accurately and less dramatically than previous illustrators, Paget depicts Friday as Defoe describes him, firing on the cannibals as they flee in their canoe.

Related Material

Relevant illustrations from other 19th century editions, 1790-1891

Above: George Cruikshank's suspenseful wood-engraving of Crusoe and Friday's scouting the cannibals' position prior to attempting to rescue Spanish prisoner and dinner-guest, Crusoe and Friday watch the Cannibals from hiding (1831). [Click on the image to enlarge it.]

Above: Wal Paget's dramatic lithograph of Crusoe and Friday's shooting the enemy from cover prior to rescuing the cannibals' European captive, "I fired again among the amazed wretches." (1891).

Above: Phiz's's dramatic steel-engraving of Crusoe's rescuing the cannibals' European captive, Robinson Crusoe rescues the Spaniard (1864). [Click on the image to enlarge it.]

Left: The original Stothard copper-plate engraving in which Crusoe welcomes both former captives, the Spaniard and Friday's father (1790), Robinson Crusoe builds a tent for Friday's father and the Spaniard. Right: John Gilbert's realisation of the rescue scene, de-emphasizing the violence and bloodshed, The Rescue of the Spaniard (1860s).

Reference

Defoe, Daniel. The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe Of York, Mariner. As Related by Himself. With upwards of One Hundred and Twenty Original Illustrations by Walter Paget. London, Paris, and Melbourne: Cassell, 1891.

Last modified 4 May 2018