Towards night, I fixed upon a proper place, under a rock, and marked out a semicircle for my encampment ; which I resolved to strengthen with a work, wall, or fortification, made of double piles, lined within with cables, and without with turf.
The Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner By Daniel Defoe
First published on 25 April 1719, the book is considered to be a classic and a forerunner of the modern English novel, which explains why snippets or entire passages are cited in English grammar/language books for Italian high school students and why I end up translating this into Italian for private students. But I'm stumped here.
There are a number of things which I find puzzling; the first being the singular noun a work, it is tempting to say that it must refer to a job, or a task but how does one strengthen a task?
Oxford Dictionaries provides a solution in its sixth definition
6 usually (works) Military
[count noun] A defensive structure.
Therefore, when Crusoe talked about a work he must have been referring to a type of small fort. Is that correct?
My next perplexity is the phrase “lined within with cables”. Does it mean the walls were lined inside with cables?
Finally, that strange expression “without with turf”. This seems to be an oxymoron, the walls of Robinson Crusoe's shelter were wadded with cables and without turf? Or were the walls covered with clumps of turf?
What did/does "without with" mean?