Page 426 - Child's own book

my snares were broken, and my bait devoured. At length* I
resolved to try pit-falls; in one of which I found three kids—a
male and twu females; these kids 1 brought home. It was
some time before they would feed : but, however, they grew
tame, and I found that I might supply myself wiili goats’ flesh,
when I had no powder and shot left. I inclosed a piece of
ground to keep my goats, proposing, as my flock increased, to
add more ground to my enclosure ; and I had soon, not only
goal's flesh to feed upon, but milk too; for now 1 set up a dairy,
and made myself butter and cheese. It would have made a sioie
smile, to see me and my family sit down to dinner. There was
my majesty* all alone like a king, attended by my servants.
Poll, my favourite, was the only person permitted to talk lo
me. Sty dog* grown very old, sat always at my right hand,
and my two cats, one on one side of the tahie, and the other on
the oilier, ejecting now and then a bit from my hand, as a
mark of special favour. 1 had at length a great mind to go tu
the point of the island, to we how the shore lay, and resolved
to travel there by land. And HOW, reader, 1 will give thee a
short sketch of the figure I made. I had a great, high, shape­
less cap, made of a goat’s skin, a jacket, with the skirts coming
duwn to the middle oF my thighs ; and a pair of open-knee d
breechra of Uiu same, with the goat’s hair hanging to the middle
of my leg. Stockings and sh»es I had none ; but I made a pair
of som ethings, I scarcely know what to call them, to flap over
my legs like spatterdashes, but of a most barbarous shape ;
and so, iudeed, were all the rest of my clothes. I had a broad
hclt of dried goat skin ; and 1 hung on one side a saw, and on
the other a hatchet; I had another belt, not so broad, fastened
over my shoulder. Under my arm hung two pouches, for my
shot and powder. On my back 1 carried a basket; on mv
shoulder a gun, and over my head, a great clumsy umbrella*
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