(Continuing from Part 42)
After Friday told me about the seventeen Europeans living on the mainland, I began thinking seriously about leaving the island.
For many years, I had wished for a chance to escape. Now I had a companion who understood the surrounding sea and knew people on the opposite shore.
I believed that together we might succeed where I had failed alone.
But before beginning our preparations, I wanted to be certain that Friday understood my intentions.
One day, I took him to the place where I had kept my small canoe.
The boat had suffered from long exposure to the weather, and it was no longer in good condition.
Friday examined it with interest.
I asked whether he thought we could use it to reach his country.
He shook his head.
The canoe was too small for such a journey, especially if we wished to carry food and other supplies.
I agreed with him.
Then I asked whether he could help me make a larger one.
He answered eagerly that he could.
His people were accustomed to making canoes from trees, and he understood the work.
I was delighted.
At last, I had someone who could advise me rather than merely follow my instructions.
We began searching for a suitable tree.
I remembered the enormous canoe I had built years earlier.
It had been a great failure.
I had cut down a large tree and hollowed out its trunk, but I had made the foolish mistake of building it too far from the water.
When the boat was finished, I could not move it.
All that labor had been wasted.
I told Friday about this mistake.
He listened with interest.
Then we searched for a tree growing close enough to the shore that we could launch the finished canoe.
We walked through the woods, examining many trees.
Some were too small.
Others stood on ground that was too steep.
At last, we found one that seemed suitable.
It was large and strong, and the route toward the water was manageable.
Friday examined the trunk and appeared satisfied.
We began cutting it down.
The work was difficult, but two people could accomplish much more than one.
We took turns using the tools.
Friday was especially skilled at handling the wood.
He showed me how his people shaped canoes.
I had expected him to hollow the trunk with fire, as I understood some communities did.
But I preferred to use my metal tools, which allowed us to work more carefully.
Friday soon learned how to use them.
He handled the axe with strength and skill.
I was impressed by how quickly he adapted to unfamiliar equipment.
After many days, the tree fell.
We removed its branches and began shaping the trunk.
We cut away unnecessary wood from the outside.
Then we worked on the hollow space where we would sit.
The task required patience.
We had to make the sides strong enough to withstand the water without leaving the boat unnecessarily heavy.
Friday helped me judge the proper shape.
I found his experience extremely valuable.
As we worked, we talked about the journey we hoped to make.
I asked him about the distance to the mainland.
He explained that it depended on where we landed.
Some parts of the coast were farther away than others.
He also told me about the currents and the best conditions for crossing.
I listened carefully.
I had learned through painful experience that the sea could not be treated carelessly.
We continued working for several weeks.
Gradually, the rough trunk began to resemble a canoe.
At last, we completed the hollowing and smoothing.
The boat was large enough to carry both of us, along with provisions.
I was pleased with our success.
But one important task remained.
We had to move it into the water.
Fortunately, we had chosen the location carefully.
The distance was not too great.
We prepared the ground and used wooden rollers to help move the heavy canoe.
The work was slow and tiring.
Sometimes we moved it only a short distance in an entire day.
But we continued steadily.
At last, we brought it to the water.
I felt enormous satisfaction when I saw it floating.
Unlike my first great canoe, this one could actually be used.
Friday was delighted.
He climbed aboard and showed me how it could be handled.
He seemed completely comfortable on the water.
I watched him with admiration.
The canoe was not merely a product of my labor.
It was something we had made together.
I now began thinking about improving it.
I wanted to add a mast and sail.
Friday was accustomed to paddling, but I knew that a sail could make a long journey easier.
I explained my idea.
He did not immediately understand how a sail worked.
I showed him the small sailing arrangements I had used before.
Then we prepared a mast and made a sail from materials I possessed.
We also arranged a rudder so that the boat could be steered more easily.
Friday watched carefully as I demonstrated these things.
At first, he was surprised that the wind could move the canoe.
But he learned quickly.
We practiced near the shore whenever the weather was suitable.
I taught him how to turn the sail and guide the boat.
Soon he became skillful at handling it.
I was pleased to see how confidently he managed the canoe.
We now possessed a vessel that might carry us toward the mainland.
But I did not wish to depart immediately.
The rainy season was approaching, and I knew that traveling during unsettled weather would be dangerous.
I decided that we should wait until conditions improved.
In the meantime, we could prepare food and other supplies.
We gathered grain, dried grapes, and stored provisions that would keep during the voyage.
We also considered what tools and weapons to carry.
I wanted to be ready for difficulties both at sea and on land.
Friday helped willingly.
He seemed excited by the prospect of returning to his country.
I understood his feelings.
For years, I had longed to see England again.
Now Friday had the chance to return to the people he remembered.
I hoped that our journey might bring us both closer to home.
As we worked, I began to feel that my years of isolation were finally approaching an end.
I had a companion, a boat, and a possible destination.
But I also knew that plans could change suddenly.
I had learned this lesson many times during my life.
And before we could begin our voyage, an unexpected event would force us to make a very different decision.