ROBINSON'S ADVENTURES AT SEA -2-

PART 1/2 

Robinson's Adventures at Sea

During the last part of the his discourse the tears ran down his face, especially when he spoke of my brother. When he said that I would regret my choice, he was so moved* that he could say no more.

I was sincerely affected by his words and decided not to think of going abroad any more. But alas! In a few days I began to dream of the sea again. I spoke to my mother. I told her that I still desired to go to sea and that nothing else would make happy. I said that I was eighteen years old, too old to begin another profession. I asked her to persuade my father to let me go to sea.

This made her very angry. She said it would be useless to speak to my father. if I wanted  to ruin myself, she said, there was nothing she or my father could do to stop me. However, they would never agree to it.

A year later, I ran off to sea. This is how it hapepened. One day I went to the port of Hull. A friend of mine was going by sea to London in his father's ship. He asked me to go with him. Since it would cost me nothing. I decided to go, without even telling my mother and father. Thus* on the first of September 1651 I went on board a ship for the first time.

As soon as the ship was at sea, the wind began to blow. I felt very sick and frightened*. I thought that God was punishing me for leaving my father's house. The storm grew* worse although it was not as bad as many I have seen since. It was not even as bad as the storm I saw just a few days later, but it frightened me then. I thought the sea would retun to my father's house and never go to sea again.

The next day the sea grew calm and the sun shone. I no longer fel sick or frightened. My friend said, "Well, Bob, how do you feel? Were you afraid?

'It was terrible storm´, said I.

´Do you call that a storm?´ said he. ´that was nothin. Let's drink some rum and forget about it.´

We drank the rum, and I forgot my promise to God. A few days later, there was a really terrible storm. The waves were as high as mountais. I was very frightened. I felt sorry that I had my promise to God.

*moved: affected with emotion(past of the verv ´to move').

*thus. so, consecuently.

*frightened: afraid,scared.

*grew: (here) become ( to grow-grew-grown).

*swallow: cause  something to disappear.

*swore: promised solemnly with an oath ( to swear- swore- sworn).