In which the stranded mariner, with great industry and prudence, establishes a secure habitation upon a desolate island, carefully fortifying his shelter and arranging his provisions to endure the vicissitudes of a solitary life; and as he surveys the bleak horizon of his new condition, he meditates deeply on the balance of good and evil, finding cause for gratitude amid the hardships, whilst setting down a methodical account of his days and labours. Thus begins a quiet chronicle of patient endeavour and inward reflection, marked by reason’s steady hand amid the solitude of exile.