Dungeons and Colonies Chapter 1

I arrived in the New World near a coast line full of giant cliffs and Swiss cheese caverns.  My first priority was to find a place safe enough for me to get to, but remote enough that I would be safe at night.  I found an area of cliffs which I named Dover(rhymes with over), which had a nice cave drilled into it naturally.  I spent the night there and gathered stone as I cleaned out the cave and searched for coal.  The surrounding mountains are rich in coal, possibly the most I have seen in such a small area, a perfect place for the colony.  The whole next day I devoted to creating a set of steps and even a small port of sorts under my cave.  There was the natural fresh water spring near the bottom, so I created a basin to collect some of the water before it hit the salty sea.

Next I set out to explore the area.  I found some interesting landmarks around my cave home.  There is a vast forest across from my cave, and in the middle of it I found cave descending down.  I was not prepared to explore it, but I did see a waterfall near the bottom.  The second one I found was past the forest, on another coast.  It was an almost perfect circle lagoon, the likes of which I have never seen occur in Minecraftia before.  I have no idea if it is natural or man... err creature made.  I will look to the bottom later and see what I find.  Then on the way home, I was heading back to the cave when I saw something underwater in the waters just beyond my shelter.  It looks like GLASS!  Underwater structures!  I wonder if it was an accident that it is there or if... I can not swim far enough down to tell, its too deep and I come too close to dying.

All there pictures can be clicked to see larger. 

It has been a few days now, and I have collected some food, some coal, and an amazing amount of iron for such an early start.  I have 10 days before the Colony Ship is to be here, so I mark each day with a torch.  There is a little outlet between two hills, not far from my cave, that I keep docking my little canoe at so that it does not float away.  It is the best place I can think of for a colony, so I start clearing.  After a few days time, I have it cleared pretty well, and also built the bay up a bit so there is an actual beach to land on.  I start running low on food, so I go to the herd of cows I had found a few days ago... only I see something.  It looks as big as a tree, but I can't get a clear view because of the trees around it.  I walk cautiously and just can't see what it is... then, suddenly it turned and came right at me.  As you can see in the screenshot I did not have time to clear my UI while taking a picture, the thing was coming for me and trees were NOT slowing it down.  I get home, and await the ship that is to come tomorrow.