"Friday's first interview with Robinson Crusoe" [Plate 7] — Illustrated Edition of "Robinson Crusoe" (1818)

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Friday's first interview with Robinson Crusoe

1818

Hand-tinted copper-engraving

8.1 cm high by 5.3 cm wide, framed

Pages: ii, 195 p., [12] leaves of illustrations

Source: Illustration for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, facing page 106 [Plate 7].

[Click on image to enlarge it.]

Illustrations of children’s editions

Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.

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Passage Illustrated

I beckoned with my hand to him to come back; and, in the meantime, I slowly advanced towards the two that followed; then rushing at once upon the foremost, I knocked him down with the stock of my piece. I was loath to fire, because I would not have the rest hear; though, at that distance, it would not have been easily heard, and being out of sight of the smoke, too, they would not have known what to make of it. Having knocked this fellow down, the other who pursued him stopped, as if he had been frightened, and I advanced towards him: but as I came nearer, I perceived presently he had a bow and arrow, and was fitting it to shoot at me: so I was then obliged to shoot at him first, which I did, and killed him at the first shot. The poor savage who fled, but had stopped, though he saw both his enemies fallen and killed, as he thought, yet was so frightened with the fire and noise of my piece that he stood stock still, and neither came forward nor went backward, though he seemed rather inclined still to fly than to come on. I hallooed again to him, and made signs to come forward, which he easily understood, and came a little way; then stopped again, and then a little farther, and stopped again; and I could then perceive that he stood trembling, as if he had been taken prisoner, and had just been to be killed, as his two enemies were. I beckoned to him again to come to me, and gave him all the signs of encouragement that I could think of; and he came nearer and nearer, kneeling down every ten or twelve steps, in token of acknowledgment for saving his life. I smiled at him, and looked pleasantly, and beckoned to him to come still nearer; at length he came close to me; and then he kneeled down again, kissed the ground, and laid his head upon the ground, and taking me by the foot, set my foot upon his head; this, it seems, was in token of swearing to be my slave for ever. I took him up and made much of him, and encouraged him all I could. [Chapter XIV, "A Dream Realised"]

Facing Page of Text

. . . was that of a man overcome by terror, and he shewed a disposition to escape again. Crusoe beckoned him to approach, and after the invitation had been several times repeated the poor savage ventured forward a few steps, and then stopped short again. He doubtless concluded that he had been made a prisoner a second time, and that he was about to be killed like his two enemies. Crusoe having again beckoned to him and shewed every sign of encouragement, he at length approached, but very slowly, kneeling down at every ten or twelve steps in token of acknowledgement to him who had saved his life. On coming close toRobinson Crusoe he knelt again down, and took one of his deliverer's feet and placed it on his own head, apparently acknowledging him as his master and swearing to be ternally his slave. Crusoe consoled him by repeated caresses. He by degrees began to recover from his alarm, when he perceived that the savage . . . . [page 126]

Commentary

Robinson Crusoe, bearded and in his "island dress," has now been on the island by himself eighteen years. In this hand-tinted engraving he has just rescued the young aboriginal whom he dubs "Friday" from the cannibals. The interview is not nearly so dramatic as Stothard's realisation of the same scene, Robinson Crusoe first sees and rescues his man Friday in Chapter XIV, "A Dream Realised." Although Friday should logically be depicted as a Carib Indian, the anonymous illustrator has given him a Negro's hair and skin colour. The submissive posture may imply wonder and gratitude, but an early nineteenth-century reader might have interpreted it as Friday's acceptance of servitude. In contrast, George Cruikshank's depiction of Friday's captors, despite their darkened bodies against the fire, suggests by their long hair that they are South American aborigines. In the background, one of Friday's pursuers lies dead, but the other, an archer, is merely temporarily stunned — and remains to be dealt with.

Related Scenes from Stothard (1790), Cruikshank (1831), and Cassell's (1863-64)

Left: Stothard's 1790 realisation of the rescue scene, an illustration of which Cruikshank was probably aware, Robinson Crusoe first sees and rescues his man Friday (copper-plate engraving, [[Chapter XIV, "A Dream Realised"). Centre: Cruikshank's frontispiece for volume one, Crusoe having just rescued Friday (1831). Right: Cassell's later interpretation of Friday as an aboriginal, wondering, but not servile: Crusoe and Friday (1863). [Click on the images to enlarge them.]

Reference

Defoe, Daniel. The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. A new and improved edition, interspersed with reflections, religious and moral. Adorned with engravings. London: J. Harris, 1818.

Last modified 12 February 2018