(Continuing from Part 52)
The English ship was once again under the command of its rightful captain.
I could hardly believe that I might soon leave the island where I had lived for so many years.
But before we sailed, several important matters remained.
The captain had recovered his vessel, yet some of the rebellious sailors were still prisoners on shore.
We had to decide what to do with them.
The captain told me that the worst offenders might face trial and execution if they were taken back to England.
The men knew this and were greatly afraid.
I considered their situation.
They had committed serious crimes against their captain, but I did not wish to see more lives lost if it could be avoided.
I suggested that some of them might prefer to remain on the island.
At first, the captain was surprised.
He knew how lonely and difficult my life had been there.
But I explained that the island was no longer the terrible place I had first discovered.
There were houses, fields, goats, tools, and stores of food.
Men who worked together could live there comfortably.
I also knew that the Spaniard and Friday’s father would eventually return from the mainland.
If the sailors remained, they might join them.
The captain agreed to let me speak with the prisoners.
I went to them and explained their choices.
They could return to England, where they might be punished for their rebellion, or they could remain on the island and begin a new life.
The men listened carefully.
They understood the danger awaiting them in England.
Several immediately said that they would rather stay.
They begged me to allow them to remain.
I warned them that life on the island required hard work.
They would have to plant grain, care for animals, and make their own tools and clothing.
They could not expect everything to be provided for them.
The men promised to work.
They seemed grateful for the opportunity.
I decided that five of them would remain behind.
Before leaving, I wanted to teach them everything necessary for survival.
I showed them my main shelter and the strong walls that protected it.
I explained how I had built the entrance and concealed it from strangers.
I took them to my fields and showed them where the barley and rice grew.
I explained when to plant and when to harvest.
I also showed them how to grind grain and make bread.
They were surprised by the number of useful things I had made.
I told them about my goats.
I showed them the enclosures where I kept the animals and explained how to care for them.
I warned them not to kill too many at once.
If they managed the herds wisely, they would always have meat and milk.
I also showed them where I kept my tools, baskets, and pottery.
I gave them weapons and ammunition for protection and hunting.
Then I told them about the dangers of the island.
I explained that people from the mainland sometimes visited the shore.
The sailors must remain watchful and avoid unnecessary conflict.
I also showed them the places where I had found fresh water and useful plants.
I wanted them to understand the island as well as possible before I left.
But one matter troubled me.
The Spaniard and Friday’s father were still away.
They had traveled to the mainland to bring back the seventeen Europeans.
They knew nothing about the arrival of the English ship.
I did not wish them to return and find strangers occupying my home without explanation.
I therefore left careful instructions.
I told the sailors that two men would probably return in a canoe.
One was a Spaniard, and the other was Friday’s father.
They might bring several Europeans with them.
The sailors must welcome these men and treat them fairly.
I explained the agreement I had made with the Spaniard.
The returning men were to share the island’s supplies and work together.
I warned the sailors not to quarrel with them or attempt to take everything for themselves.
They promised to obey my instructions.
I hoped that they would keep their word.
I also left a letter for the Spaniard.
In it, I explained how the English ship had arrived and how the captain had recovered it.
I told him why I had decided to leave before his return.
I described the supplies and tools I had left behind.
I also urged him to cooperate peacefully with the men who remained.
When these arrangements were complete, I felt more at ease.
The island had been my home for nearly twenty-eight years.
I did not wish to abandon it without making some provision for those who would live there after me.
I walked once more through the places I knew so well.
I visited my fields and the paths I had cleared.
I looked at the trees beneath which I had rested during the hottest days.
I stood before the shelter that had protected me through countless storms.
Every part of the island reminded me of some difficulty I had overcome.
I remembered the first terrible days after the shipwreck.
I had been frightened, hungry, and almost without hope.
I remembered carrying supplies from the wreck, building my walls, and learning to grow grain.
I remembered my illness and the comfort I had found in prayer.
I remembered the footprint that had filled me with fear.
And I remembered the day I rescued Friday.
That meeting had changed my life.
Now Friday stood beside me, preparing to leave the island too.
I asked whether he was ready to travel.
He answered that he was.
He trusted me and wished to accompany me.
I was pleased.
I could not imagine leaving him behind.
At last, the captain announced that everything was prepared.
The ship was ready to sail.
I gathered the few possessions I wished to carry.
I took my money, which had been almost useless on the island, and several small objects that reminded me of my years there.
I also kept my old goatskin cap, my umbrella, and the parrot that had so often called my name.
These things were strange souvenirs, but they meant much to me.
Then I went down to the shore.
A boat waited to carry us to the ship.
I turned and looked back at the island.
For twenty-eight years, two months, and nineteen days, it had been my home.
I had arrived there alone, a frightened survivor of a terrible shipwreck.
Now I was leaving with Friday, aboard an English vessel.
I climbed into the boat.
As we moved away from shore, I watched the trees and hills grow smaller.
I felt gratitude, relief, and sadness together.
I was finally free.
On the nineteenth day of December, 1686, I left the island.
The long journey home had begun.