Chapter 10: Managing My Household Affairs

This chapter, again in journal form, gives more details of ten months of Crusoe's life on the island. Many of the incidents have already been mentioned earlier. He tells how by mid-April he finishes the wall and the ladder. He explains how he discovers new things during his wanderings on the island. He puts many of the discoveries to practical and ingenious use. He catches some wood pigeons and tries breeding them. He burns the fat from a goat to light a lamp. Needing a sack, he shakes out a bag of corn in which there is nothing but husks and dust. A month later he is surprised to see green shoots and finds that they are ears of barley. He saves those few grains and sows them the next season. He repeats this process for four years and supplies himself with grain.

An earthquake hits the island while he is in his cave. When the earth comes crumbling down from the roof and two of the posts crack, he runs out in fear. After the tremors are over, he regains his confidence and begins his work to reinforce his cave. Meanwhile, parts of the shipwreck are driven towards the shore by the hurricane that follows the earthquake. For the next few weeks Crusoe works on trying to salvage as many useful things as possible.

The narrative continues in journal form, repeating some earlier facts and introducing many new details about Crusoe's life. It is obvious that his enterprising nature is very useful to him on the island, as he fashions many things he needs out of simple supplies, almost like an engineer.

Providence again smiles favorably on Crusoe. The husks he shakes out of a bag contain seeds which grow into barley; the grain will feed him in later years and become a staple crop to others when the island is settled. Although Crusoe thanks God for the barley, he is still oblivious to the fact that heaven is interested in him as an individual and cares about his progress.

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