Fortunately the blacks who were with me came and pulled me ashore, where I slowly recovered.
There was only a slight scratch on my ankle, but for a long time my whole body was racked with pain, and when the natives got to know of the symptoms they told me that I had been attacked by a "sting-rae." The spike or sting measures from two to six inches in length according to the size of the fish.
But to return to my solitary life on the island.

The flesh of the sting- rae was not pleasant to eat, being rather tough and tasteless, so I used it as a bait for sharks.

Turtles visited the island in great numbers, and deposited their eggs in holes made in the sand above high-water mark.
They only came on land during the night, at high tide; and whenever I wanted a special delicacy, I turned one over on its back till morning, when I despatched it leisurely with my tomahawk.

The creatures' shells I always devoted to the extension of my garden, which became very large, and eventually covered fully two-thirds of the island.

The maize and cob- corn flourished remarkably well, and I generally managed to get three crops in the course of a year.