"The Rescued Crew on the deck of Crusoe's Ship" for Daniel Defoe's "Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" (1863-64) (original) (raw)

The Passage Illustrated: Crusoe to the Rescue Once Again

In the midst of their consternation, every one being hopeless and ready to despair, the captain, with tears in his eyes, told me they were on a sudden surprised with the joy of hearing a gun fire, and after that four more: these were the five guns which I caused to be fired at first seeing the light. This revived their hearts, and gave them the notice, which, as above, I desired it should, that there was a ship at hand for their help. It was upon the hearing of these guns that they took down their masts and sails: the sound coming from the windward, they resolved to lie by till morning. Some time after this, hearing no more guns, they fired three muskets, one a considerable while after another; but these, the wind being contrary, we never heard. Some time after that again they were still more agreeably surprised with seeing our lights, and hearing the guns, which, as I have said, I caused to be fired all the rest of the night. This set them to work with their oars, to keep their boats ahead, at least that we might the sooner come up with them; and at last, to their inexpressible joy, they found we saw them.

It is impossible for me to express the several gestures, the strange ecstasies, the variety of postures which these poor delivered people ran into, to express the joy of their souls at so unexpected a deliverance. Grief and fear are easily described: sighs, tears, groans, and a very few motions of the head and hands, make up the sum of its variety; but an excess of joy, a surprise of joy, has a thousand extravagances in it. There were some in tears; some raging and tearing themselves, as if they had been in the greatest agonies of sorrow; some stark raving and downright lunatic; some ran about the ship stamping with their feet, others wringing their hands; some were dancing, some singing, some laughing, more crying, many quite dumb, not able to speak a word; others sick and vomiting; several swooning and ready to faint; and a few were crossing themselves and giving God thanks. [Chapter I, "Revisits the Island," page 213]

Relevant illustrations from the other 19th c. editions, 1831 and 1891

Above: George Cruikshank's small-scale realisation of the disaster aboard the Quebec vessel, Crusoe sees a ship on fire at sea (1831). [Click on the image to enlarge it.]

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Above: Wal Paget's effective lithographic rendering of the calamity at sea,"The ship blew up." [Click on the image to enlarge it.]

Above: Cruikshank's small-scale realisation of the suffering of the French passengers and crew, The French survivors of the fire aboard the Quebec Merchantman (1831). [Click on the image to enlarge it.]

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Bibliography

Defoe, Daniel. The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe Of York, Mariner. As Related by himself. With upwards of One Hundred Illustrations. London: Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, 1863-64.

Last modified 25 March 2018