dancing himself the while to the music of his own voice. Having no writing materials, and unwilling that all remembrance of his fate should be forgotten, he occasionally amused himself by cutting out his name, the day of the year, and other particulars, on the trees; but these had all disappeared when Lord Anson visited Juan Fernandez in 1741. fuel and candle. Fire he obtained, after the Indian fashion, by rubbing two pieces of pimento wood together, until they ignited. As time wore on, Selkirk not only became reconciled to his lot, but began to take a pleasure in his island kingdom. He ornamented the little dormitory with fragrant branches, cut from the spacious wood near to which it was situated, so that it formed a delicious bower, round which the soft breezes Only two or three memorable events ocof the south played in balmy luxuriance, as curred during Selkirk's residence on the ishe soundly slept after the fatigues of the land. The first was his finding a few iron day. He had food in abundance. The goats hoops on the beach one day in his rambles, supplied him with milk and flesh, and he which had been left by some vessel as unenjoyed great varieties of fish. The craw-worthy of being taken away. To the lonely fish which he caught, weighing eight or nine pounds, he boiled or broiled, seasoning it with pimento (Jamaica pepper). The cabbage-palm, of which there was plenty on the island, served him for bread. He had also a species of parsnip of good flavor, Sicilian radishes, and water-cresses, which latter he found in the neighboring brooks. His mode of catching the goats was solely by speed of foot, the powder which he had brought from the ship having been soon expended; but he was careful to have always a number of tame ones browsing around his huts, by way of supply in case of accident or sickness. From the temperate life he led, coupled with moderate exercise and a salubrious climate, he enjoyed the best health, and became remarkably strong. His mind was also buoyant and cheerful in proportion to his bodily vigor. At first he could only overtake kids in the chase, but ultimately he was capable of overrunning the fleetest goat in a few minutes. He became, of course, intimately familiar with every corner of the is land-all the by-paths and accessible parts of the mountains. He could bound from crag to crag, and slip down the precipices with the utmost confidence. Hunting became his chief amusement, allowing the goats to escape when he did not require them for food. islander they were more precious than gold. Of these he made knives when his own were worn out. One of them, used as a chopper, about two feet in length, was, according to Isaac James, long kept as a curiosity at the Golden Head coffee-house, near Buckingham gate. It had been changed from its original simple form, having, when last seen, a buckhorn handle, with some verses upon it. At different times our hero saw vessels from the island, but two only ever came to anchor. On both occasions he concealed himself, being afraid that they were Spaniards. It was at that time a maxim of Spanish policy never to allow an Englishman to return to Europe who had gained any knowledge of the South Seas. On the last occasion, being anxious to learn whether the ship was Spanish or French, he approached too near, and was perceived. A pursuit was the consequence; but although the sailors fired several shots after him, he easily made his escape, and kept concealed until the vessel left the island. The third and most serious occurrence, was an accident which nearly deprived him of life. In pursuing a goat, he came upon the brink of a precipice of which he was not aware, it being covered with the foliage of trees. Extending his arms to catch the animal as it suddenly stopped, the branches gave way, and both fell from a The only drawback to his happiness-and great height to the ground. He lay upon this annoyance he did not long endure the dead body of the goat for twenty-four arose from the multitude of rats which in-hours, insensible, and when at last able to fested the island, having been brought thither at some period or other by vessels. They used to gnaw his feet and other parts of his body as he slept. He at length caught some of the cats that ran wild on the island, and succeeding, after much labor, in taming them, they put the rats to flight. He used to amuse himself in teaching his feline companions to dance, in which accomplishment he also contrived to instruct the young kids, crawl, he reached his hut with great difficulty. He was for ten days confined to bed by his bruises-no one, of course, being at hand to give him a drink of water. With this exception, he enjoyed uninterrupted good health. The few clothes Selkirk had with him soon wore out. When his shoes were done he never attempted to supply their place ; but as his other habiliments decayed, he con verted the skins of the goats into garments, | nothing but salt provisions for them to live sewing them with slender thongs of leather, upon. When day at length opened, he still which he cut for the purpose, and using a saw them, but at a distance from the shore. sharp nail for a needle. In this way he His fire had caused great consternation on made for himself a cap, jacket, and short board, for they knew the island to be uninbreeches. The hair being retained upon the habited, and supposed the light to have proskin, gave him a very uncouth appearance; ceeded from some French ships at anchor. but in this dress he was enabled to run In this persuasion they prepared for action, through the woods with as little injury as as they must either fight or want water and the animal he pursued. He had a plentiful other refreshments, and stood to their quarsupply of linen in his chest-thanks, no ters all night, ready to engage; but, not doubt, to his good old mother-and with perceiving any vessel, they next day, about the threads of his woolen stockings, which noon, sent a boat on shore, with Captain he untwisted for the purpose, and his nail Dover, Mr. Fry, and six men, all well armed, for a needle, he contrived to keep himself in to ascertain the cause of the fire, and to see good linens. The hair of his head and that all was safe. Selkirk saw the boat leave beard never having been touched since he the Duke, and pull for the beach. He ran left the ship, became of great length, so that down joyfully to meet his countrymen, and his appearance must have been wild in the to hear once more the human voice. He extreme, though, as Howell remarks, quite took in his hand a piece of linen tied upon a neighbor-like beside his cats and goats. small pole as a flag, which he waved as they drew near, to attract their attention. At length he heard them call to him, inquiring for a good place to land, which he pointed out, and, flying as swift as a deer toward it, arrived first, where he stood ready to receive them as they stepped on shore. He embraced them by turns; but his joy was too great for utterance, while their astonishment at his uncouth appearance struck them dumb. At length they began to converse, and he invited them to his hut; but its access was so very difficult and intricate, that only Mr. Fry accompanied him over the rocks which led to it. When Selkirk had entertained him in the best manner he could, they returned to the boat, our hero bearing a quantity of his roasted goat's flesh for the refreshment of the crew. During their repast he gave them an account of his adventures and stay upon the island, at which they were much surprised. Captain Dover and Mr. Fry invited him to come on board; but he declined their invitation, until they satisfied him that Dampier had no command in this expedition; after which, he gave a reluctant consent.' At length the day of relief was at hand. In 1708, another privateering expedition was promoted by Dampier in England. Two ships were fitted up-the "Duke" and "Duchess "to cruise against the French and Spaniards. Dampier, however, held no command, being appointed only "pilot for the South Seas." On the 31st of January, 1709, as Selkirk was as usual surveying the watery waste which circumscribed his small dominion, mentally exclaiming, no doubt "Ye winds, that have made me your sport, Of a land I shall visit no more," he descried two vessels in the distance. Slowly they rose in his view, and as they gradually neared the island, he discovered, to his infinite delight, that they were English. The tumult of joyous feelings with which the sight inspired him, may, to use a common but very expressive phrase, be more easily conceived than described. "It was late in the afternoon," says Howell, "when they first came in sight; and lest they should sail again without knowing that there was a person on the island, he prepared a quantity of wood to burn as soon as it was dark. He kept his eye fixed upon them until night fell, and then kindled his fire, and kept it up till morning dawned. His hopes and fears having banished all desire for sleep, he employed himself in killing several goats, and in preparing an entertainment for his expected guests, knowing how acceptable it would be to them after their long run, with His aversion to Dampier could not be of a personal nature, but proceeded, no doubt, from his experience of him as a commander. When he came on board the "Duke," Dampier gave Selkirk an excellent character, telling Captain Rogers that he was one of the best men on board the Cinque Ports. Upon this recommendation he was immediately engaged as mate of the "Duke." "In the afternoon the ships were cleared, the sails bent and taken on shore to be mended, and to make tents for the sick men. Sel kirk's strength and vigor were of great service to them he caught two goats in the afternoon. They sent along with him their swiftest runners and a bull-dog; but these he soon left far behind and tired out. He himself, to the astonishment of the whole crew, brought the two goats upon his back to the tents. The two captains remained at the island until the 12th of the month, busy refitting their ships, and getting on board what stores they could obtain. During these ten days, Selkirk was their huntsman, and procured them fresh meat. At length, all being ready, they set sail." Thus did Alexander Selkirk, after the long residence of four years and four months, without having intercourse with a human being, bid adieu to the island of Juan Fernandez. And no doubt he did so with a strange mixture of feeling, for the island, in the soothing communion he had held with the great Spirit of the Universe, had become endeared to him. We cannot follow him throughout the privateering expedition, which was on the whole a very successful one. He proved himself an expert and active seaman, though taciturn, and little inclined to mix in the amusements of his comrades. In several instances, where he was intrusted with the command of samll parties on shore, and where the property and person of the inhabitants were at his mercy, he showed, in his mild and considerate behavior, especially in his protection of females, that the religious feelings with which he was impressed in his solitude were not evanescent. The "Duke" and "Duchess" reached London on the 14th of October, 1711, with "a capture of one hundred and seventy thousand pounds value." Of this large sum Alexander Selkirk of course obtained a share. Now comparatively a rich man, and anxious to see his relations after so long an absence, he sought the village of Largo, where he found all his friends in good health. The excitement of their first meeting over, however, he gradually sunk into his usual solitary habit. He resided in the house of his elder brother, his father not having sufficient accommodation for him. Here the record of his life is almost as romantic and interesting as it had been in Juan Fernandez. "It was his custom," says Howell, who acquired the information from the descendants of the family, "to go out in the morning, carrying with him provisions for the day; then would he wander and meditate alone through the secluded and solitary valley of the Keil's Den. The romantic beauties of the place, and, above all, the stillness that reign 66 ed there, reminded him of his beloved island, which he never thought of but with regret for having left it. When evening forced him to return to the haunts of men, he appeared to do so with reluctance; for he immediately retired to his room up stairs, where his chest at present stands (1829), and in the exact place, it is probable, where it then stood. Here was he accustomed to amuse himself with two cats that belonged to his brother, which he taught, in imitation of a part of his occupations on his solitary island, to dance and perform many little feats. They were extremely fond of him, and used to watch his return. He often said to his friends, no doubt thinking of himself in his youth, that were children as docile and obedient, parents would all be happy in them." But poor Selkirk himself was now far from being happy, for his relations often found him in tears. Attached to his father's house was a piece of ground, occupied as a garden, which rose in a considerable acclivity backward. Here, on the top of the eminence, soon after his arrival at Largo, he constructed a sort of cave, commanding an extensive and delightful view of the Forth and its shores. In fits of musing meditation, he was wont to sit here in bad weather and even at other times, and to bewail his ever having left his island. This recluse and unnatural propensity, as it appeared to them, was cause of great grief to his parents, who often remonstrated with him, and endeavored to raise his spirits. But their efforts were made in vain; nay, he sometimes broke out before them in a passion of grief, and exclaimed, "Oh, my beloved island, I wish I had never left thee! I never was before the man I was on thee-I have not been such since I left thee-and, I fear, never can be again!" Having plenty of money, he purchased a boat for himself, and often, when the weather would permit, made little excursions, but always alone; and day after day he spent in fishing, either in the beautiful bay of Largo or at Kingscraig Point, where he would loiter till evening among its romantic cliffs, catching lobsters, his favorite amusement, as they reminded him of the crawfish of Juan Fernandez. The rock to which he moored his boat is still shown. It is at a small distance from Lower Largo, to the east of the Temple houses. Thus was the time passed by Alexander Selkirk during his short stay at Largo. He appears to have been an enthusiast, and to have formed notions of domestic life which never could be realized. He was evidently far from being happy. The religious bias by which his mind had become affected in the island of Juan Fernandez, and the nearness, as it were, with which he had drawn to the Creator, while apart from society, tended to increase the irksomeness of that restraint which intercourse with his fellow-creatures imposed. "At length," continues Howell, "chance threw an object in his way that awakened in his mind a new train of thoughts and feelings, and roused him from his lethargy. In his wanderings up the burnside of Keil's Den to the ruins of Balcruvie Castle and its romantic neighborhood, he met a young girl seated alone, tending a single cow, the property of her parents. Her lonely occupation and innocent looks made a deep impression upon him. He watched her for hours unseen, as she amused herself with the wild flowers she gathered, or chanted her rural lays. At each meeting the impression became stronger, and he felt more interested in the young recluse. At length he addressed himself to her, and they joined in conversation. He had no aversion to commune with her for hours together, and began to imagine that he could live and be happy with a companion such as she. His fishing expeditions were now neglected; even his cave became not so sweet a retreat. His mind led him to Keil's Den and the amiable Sophia. He never mentioned this adventure and attachment to his friends; for he felt ashamed, after his discourses to them, and the profession he had made of dislike to human society, to acknowledge that he was upon the point of marrying, and thereby plunging into the midst of worldly cares. But he was determined to marry Sophia, though as firmly resolved not to remain at home to be the subject of their jests. This resolution form ed, he soon persuaded the object of his choice to elope with him, and bid adieu to the romantic glen. Between lovers matters are soon arranged, and accordingly, without the knowledge of their parents, they both set off for London. Alexander left his chest and all his clothes behind, nor did he ever claim them again; and his friends knew nothing and heard nothing of him for many years after; still they kept his effects untouched in hopes of his return." kirk may be briefly told. He went again to sea in 1717, and died a lieutenant on board his majesty's ship "Weymouth," in 1723. "Both his father and mother were dead," says Howell, "when, in the end of the year 1724, or beginning of 1725, twelve years after his elopement with Sophia Bruce, a gay widow, by name Frances Candis, or Candia, came to Largo to claim the property left to him by his father-the house at the Craigie Well. She produced documents to prove her right, from which it appeared that Sophia Bruce lived but a very few years after her marriage, and must have died some time between the years 1717 and 1720. Frances Candis, having proved her marriage, and the will, which was dated the 12th of December, 1720, and also the death of her husband, her claim was adjusted, and she left Largo in a few days. Neither of his two wives had any children by him, as far as can be learned." The clothes and other effects belonging to Selkirk were long kept as relics by his friends at Largo. "In the house at the Craigie Well strangers are yet shown the room in which he slept, his sea-chest, and a cocoanut shell cup that belonged to him. This cup at one time was richly and tastefully mounted with silver, until it was unfortunately stolen by a traveling pedlar, and all trace of it lost for some months. At length, when all hope of recovering it was gone, the shell was returned from Perth, deprived of its silver. But by far the most interesting relic is his flip-can, in possession of his greatgrand-nephew, John Selcraig. It hold about a Scottish pint, and is made of brown stoneware glazed. It resembles a porter jug, as used at the present day. On it is the following inscription and poesy-as, in former times, everything belonging to a sailor that would admit of it had its rhyme: common The same person has an Indian cane said to have belonged to Selkirk. There is a musket in the possession of Major Lumsden of The subsequent career of Alexander Sel-Luthallan that likewise belonged to him." From the British Quarterly Review. CHEMISTRY OF THE STARS. The Stars and the Earth, or Thoughts upon Space, Time, and Eternity. 1847. London Baillière. MACAULAY'S "History of England" is now in its fifth edition; Layard's "Nineveh" is in its third; and within a few weeks of the issue of a second edition of Sir John Herschel's "Astronomy," it was out of print, and a new issue, equivalent to a third edition, is now on sale. So large a demand as these successive editions imply is a silent but most striking tribute to the interest of the subjects discussed in those works, and the skill of the writers who have handled them. A reviewer may, in these circumstances, safely take for granted, that instead of entering into a critical analysis of works, already judged and approved by his, and their readers, he may profitably make them the occasion of an excursus into regions of speculation, which such volumes have rendered patent to all. We propose to do so on the present occasion with Sir John Herschel's delightful work. It does not call for formal praise. The younger Herschel occupies the first rank among astronomers. He is second only to Humboldt in extensive and minute acquaintance with all the physical sciences, and is his equal in wide general culture and fine taste, and in skill as a writer. This is so well known, and so fully appreciated, that we say no more on the subject, but quote at once a passage from Sir John's preface, which will justify the use which we make of his work, and serve as a text for our present remarks. "If proof were wanted of the inexhaustible fertility of astronomical science in points of novelty and interest, it would suffice to adduce the addition to the list of members of our system of no less than eight new planets and satellites during the preparation of these sheets for the press."-P. viii. From the inexhaustibly fertile field here referred to, we select one point for consideration, and invite our readers, for a brief space, to the discussion of an argument touching the Nature of the Stars and their Inhabitants. To prevent any misconception as to the scope of what follows, we wish it to be understood at the very outset, that we shall enter into no discussion as to the probability or improbability of the heavenly bodies being inhabited. We shall take for granted that they possess inhabitants, or rather shall put the question thus: "If the stars are inhabited, is it probable that the dwellers on them resemble those on this star, or Earth, or is it more likely that they are non-terrestrial beings, unlike us, and our plant, and animal companions, and different in different stars?" We are not anxious to compel the conclusion, that all the stars are inhabited. Many of the excellent of the earth have held that they universally are, and that, too, by rational creatures; and have thought that the denial of this did injustice to our own convictions, and to the omnipotence and bounty of God. But our standard of Utilitarianism can never be a safe one by which to estimate the works of him whose ways are not as our ways, nor does it require the view supposed. It would not be a painful, but a pleasant thing, surely, to learn that some of the stars, such as the new planet Flora, were great gardens, like Eden of old before Adam was created; gardens of God, consecrated entirely to vegetable life, where foot of man or beast had never trod, nor wing of bird or insect fanned the breeze; where the trees never crackled before the pioneer's torch, nor rang with the woodman's axe, but every flower" was born to blush unseen, and waste its sweetness on the desert air.' Neither is it the remembrance of the Arabian Nights, nor thought of Aladdin's lamp, that makes us add that we should rejoice to |