"whose young, when they had any, [I always drowned.] " Could anyone help to explain what [ ] mean?
Context " They(The cats that Robinson kept) all ran wild into the woods, except two or three favourites, which I kept tame, and whose young, when they had any, [I always drowned.] "

This is from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. Robinson was a good man, and I could not believe that he said that he drowned the kitties of his favorite cats in such a heartless manner. Does drown really mean to kill someone by submerge them in water here?

Question

"whose young, when they had any, [I always drowned.] "  Could anyone help to explain what [ ] mean?
Context " They(The cats that Robinson kept) all ran wild into the woods, except two or three favourites, which I kept tame, and whose young, when they had any, [I always drowned.] "

This is from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. Robinson was a good man, and I could not believe that he said that he drowned the kitties of his favorite cats in such a heartless manner. Does drown really mean to kill someone by submerge them in water here?

Answer

Yes, he did do that. And in the proceding context he had even shoot them to keep them from 'devouring me and all I had', because the cats are always multiplying, and the supplies were limited.

Answer

Yes. They purposely kill them by submerging them in water

Answers · 4

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