For many days after being left alone, Selkirk was under such great dejection of mind, that he never tasted food until urged by extreme hunger; nor did he go to sleep until he could watch no longer; but sat with his eyes fixed in the direction where he had seen his shipmates depart, fondly hoping that they would return and free him from his misery. Thus he remained seated upon his chest, until darkness shut out every object from his sight. Then did he close his weary eyes, but not in sleep; for morning found him still anxiously hoping the return of the vessel. When urged by hunger, he fed upon seals and such shell-fish as he could pick up along the shore. The reason of this was the aversion he felt to leave the beach, and the care he took to save his powder. Though seals, and shell-fish were but sorry fare, his greatest cross was the want of salt and bread, which made him loathe his food until he got used to it. It was in the beginning of October (1704,) which in those southern latitudes is the middle of spring, when nature appears in a thousand varieties of form and fragrance, quite unknown in northern climates; but the agitation of his mind, and the forlorn situation in which he was now placed, caused all its charms to be unregarded. It was in this trying situation, when his mind, deprived of all outward occupation, was turned back upon itself, that the whole advantages of that great blessing, a religious education in his youth, was felt in its consoling influences, when every other hope and comfort had fled. This circumstance ought to lead young people to prize their social and religious privileges, as they know not but that some day, like Selkirk, their lot may be cast far from home, and from pious family opportunities, the absence of which were then so much regretted by this lonely man. By slow degrees he became easy to his fate; and as winter approached, he saw the necessity of procuring some kind of shelter from the weather; for even in that temperate climate, frost is common during the night, and snow is sometimes found upon the ground in the morning. The building of a hut was the first thing that roused him to exertion; and his necessary absence from the shore gradually weaned his heart from that aim which had alone filled all his thoughts and proved a help of his obtaining that peace of mind he afterwards enjoyed; but it was eighteen months before he became fully composed, or could be one whole day absent from the beach, and from his usual hopeless watch for some vessel to relieve him from his melancholy situation. During his stay, he built himself two huts with the wood of the pimento tree, and thatched them with a species of grass, that grows to the height of seven or eight feet upon the plains and smaller hills, and produces straw resembling that of oats. The one was much larger than the other, and situated near a spacious wood.