Robinson Crusoe "Chapter Xvi"

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Robinson Crusoe makes a canoe In the Chapter XVI we observe efforts of Robinson Crusoe to make a canoe. The fact is that Robinson had thought about the way to return to the mainland for quite a long time, and understanding that there was no possibility to do that on the boat from the ship that was blown away, he considered the idea of making his own periagua. From the very beginning Crusoe understood that his plan could fail. First reason was - not a big choice of tools, the other – the want of hands. It was much more difficult a canoe alone and then to move it. Still Robinson decided to start implementing his plan, so when the canoe would have been ready, it to his mind would be easier to consider how to launch it. So instead of thinking how to transport periagua, he was enjoying his future journey. He was quite sure “Let me first make it; I warrant I will find some way or other to get it along when it is done.” He thought whether he was able “to hew and dub the outside into the proper shape of a boat, and burn or cut out the inside to make it hollow, so as to make a boat” and started his work. To hack a canoe, Crusoe with help of axe and hatchet fell a cedar-tree that was up to five feet ten inches diameter.” Hacking and hewing, cutting off and dubbing, he spent several months to shape the tree and make it proportional. As he said using “most preposterous method”, working hard with a mallet and a chisel, Crusoe managed to make a very handsome to his mind periagua, and only when his canoe was ready he began to think about its transportation to water. Although in the very beginning Robinson was sure that as soon as his canoe would be ready, he would find the way to take it to the water, just seeing how huge his creation Crusoe understood the problem. “The first inconvenience was, it was up hill towards the creek” and to remove it Robinson decided to dig the
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