[Victorian Web Home —> Daniel Defoe —> Visual Arts —> Illustration —> Robinson Crusoe —> Next]
It is impossible to express the astonishment of these poor creatures
1820
Wood-block engraving
9.8 cm high by 6.4 cm wide, framed
Source: [Daniel Defoe] Robinson Crusoe, frontispiece. See Page 16. [Plate 2].
[Click on image to enlarge it.]
Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.
I hauled in nearer the shore that I might talk to them, and I found they ran along the shore by me a good way. I observed they had no weapons in their hand, except one, who had a long slender stick, which Xury said was a lance, and that they could throw them a great way with good aim; so I kept at a distance, but talked with them by signs as well as I could; and particularly made signs for something to eat: they beckoned to me to stop my boat, and they would fetch me some meat. Upon this I lowered the top of my sail and lay by, and two of them ran up into the country, and in less than half-an-hour came back, and brought with them two pieces of dried flesh and some corn, such as is the produce of their country; but we neither knew what the one or the other was; however, we were willing to accept it, but how to come at it was our next dispute, for I would not venture on shore to them, and they were as much afraid of us; but they took a safe way for us all, for they brought it to the shore and laid it down, and went and stood a great way off till we fetched it on board, and then came close to us again.
We made signs of thanks to them, for we had nothing to make them amends; but an opportunity offered that very instant to oblige them wonderfully; for while we were lying by the shore came two mighty creatures, one pursuing the other (as we took it) with great fury from the mountains towards the sea; whether it was the male pursuing the female, or whether they were in sport or in rage, we could not tell, any more than we could tell whether it was usual or strange, but I believe it was the latter; because, in the first place, those ravenous creatures seldom appear but in the night; and, in the second place, we found the people terribly frighted, especially the women. The man that had the lance or dart did not fly from them, but the rest did; however, as the two creatures ran directly into the water, they did not offer to fall upon any of the negroes, but plunged themselves into the sea, and swam about, as if they had come for their diversion; at last one of them began to come nearer our boat than at first I expected; but I lay ready for him, for I had loaded my gun with all possible expedition, and bade Xury load both the others. As soon as he came fairly within my reach, I fired, and shot him directly in the head; immediately he sank down into the water, but rose instantly, and plunged up and down, as if he were struggling for life, and so indeed he was; he immediately made to the shore; but between the wound, which was his mortal hurt, and the strangling of the water, he died just before he reached the shore.
It is impossible to express the astonishment of these poor creatures at the noise and fire of my gun: some of them were even ready to die for fear, and fell down as dead with the very terror; but when they saw the creature dead, and sunk in the water, and that I made signs to them to come to the shore, they took heart and came, and began to search for the creature. I found him by his blood staining the water; and by the help of a rope, which I slung round him, and gave the negroes to haul, they dragged him on shore, and found that it was a most curious leopard, spotted, and fine to an admirable degree; and the negroes held up their hands with admiration, to think what it was I had killed him with. [Chapter III, "Wrecked on a Desert Island"]
It is impossible to express the astonishment of these poor creatures at the at the noise and fire of a gun; some were ready to die for fear, and fell down as if dead with the very terror. [See Page 16.]
. . . sparingly on our provisions which began to grow short. We now saw that the land was inhabited, and that all the people we could see were black, and stark naked. Drawing nearer to the land, they ran along the shore a good way, with no weapons in their hands, except one of them, who had a lance. I made signs to them for something to eat and they making signs for me to stay, I lowered my sail and lay by: while two of them ran up into the country, and in less than half an hour returned with two pieces of dried flesh, and some corn; but though I was willing to accept it, I was loath to venture on shore to them, and they were as much afraid of us: but they took a safe way for us all; for they brought it to the shore, and laying it down, went away and stood at a distance till we fetched it in board, and then returned. We made signs to thank them, for we had nothing that we could give them in return.
At this instant an opportunity offered of obliging them, for two furious wild beasts, one pursuing the other came running with great swiftness from the mountains. These naked people were terribly frightened, especially the women: and all fled except the man who had the lance. But without attempting to fall upon the negroes, they plunged into the sea, and at last one of them came nearer our boat, than I first expected. However I was prepared for him, and as soon as he came within my reach, I fired, and shot him through the head, when struggling for life he made towards the shore; but died before he could reach it.
It is impossible to express the astonishment of . . . . [Page 16]
Although the incident of trade and lion-hunting is certainly exciting and has, moreover, undoubted visual appeal, only Thomas Stothard has illustrated this period in Crusoe's life, in Robinson Crusoe and Xury alarmed at the sight of a lion. However, whereas the earlier illustrator focuses on the terror of Crusoe's companion and the sheer size of the "furious wild beast" on the shore. The children's (or, more likely, if one may judge from the level of syntax in the accompanying passage, young adult) illustrator, on the other hand, places Crusoe and his fishing-boat in the background, so that the viewer regards the scene, as it were, from the shore, behind the native holding a lance and making a tentative signal to Crusoe and Xury to venture ashore, even as the other members of his tribe are running from the approaching vessel (right). Even as the man on shore is waving to Crusoe, the plucky Englishman is about to fire his weapon at a lioness swimming towards him.
Left: Thomas Stothard's elegant engraving of the encounter with the lion, Robinson Crusoe and Xury alarmed at the sight of a lion (1790). Right: Colourful children's book realisation of the same episode, Robinson Crusoe's escaping from Sallee (1818). [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
Left: Colourful children's book realisation of the same episode, Robinson Crusoe's escaping from Sallee (1818). Centre: A Chapbook-like woodblock engraving with broken chains, signifying young Crusoe's escaping slavery, Robinson Crusoe throwing the Moor overboard (1815). Right: Wehnert's realisation of the same scene, with a highly realistic and dynamic interpretation: Crusoe throwing the Moor overboard (1862). [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
Above: Cassell's highly realistic wood-engraving of the Corsair fishing-boat and the coast of Sallee, Crusoe escapes with Xury (1863-64). [Click on image to enlarge it.]
Above: One of the larger Cruikshank woodblock vignettes of Crusoe throwing the deckhand off the Moorish fishing-boat, Crusoe tosses the Moorish deckhand overboard (1831). [Click on the image to enlarge it.]
Many thanks for the assistance of the staff at Special Collections and University Archives, particularly John Frederick, Library Assistant, McPherson Library, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Defoe, Daniel (adapted). The Wonderful Life and Surprising Adventures of that Renowned Hero, Robinson Crusoe: who lived twenty-eight years on an uninhabited island, which he afterwards colonized.. London: W. Darton, 1815.
Last modified 20 February 2018