94 " CRUSOE'S ISLAND. 



it was surprising to see how mucli I had turned over 

 with my spade when February came in. It was hard 

 labor in one sense, but sweetened by the conscious- 

 ness that every stroke and every spadeful tended 

 toward that improvement of my condition which 

 should be my highest aim. It could not be called 

 menial, for it was deprived of every groveling ele- 

 ment by its own dignity, since I was doing it for my- 

 self and not for hire. Never, since my birth into a 

 world of work, have I consciously enslaved myself ; 

 I have always been a free man. And I was free now, 

 free to live a life of idleness if I chose — and would 

 pay the penalty ! The work was its own reward, 

 aside from the ultimate fruition of what I planted 

 there, in that little garden under the palms. 



The cassava was set out, the grains of corn were 

 planted, and on the outskirts of the savanna I sowed 

 some wild rice and buried the tubers of a certain 

 plant, called the tania. This latter is a pretty plant 

 when growing, having large, arrow-shaped leaves, 

 and is allied to the famous taro of the Hawaiian 

 Islands. 



From the corn I expected a harvest in less than 

 three months, and from the others in not less than 

 six to eight ; and even then I must use sparingly, in 

 order to save enough for another planting. I varied 

 my agricultural operations with excursions into the 

 forest and along the shore ; and now, having a good 

 set of fishing poles made from the bamboos, I caught 

 many a fish from the rocks at the mouth of the 

 harbor. 



