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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."

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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

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."

The subsequent career of Alexander Sel

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:

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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

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learn that there was such a thing as an otherwise uninhabited star, peopled solely by magnificent crystals. What a grand thing a world would be, containing, though it contained nothing else, columns of rock crystal" like icebergs, and mountains of purple amethyst, domes of rubies, pinnacles and cliffs of emeralds and diamonds, and gates and foundations of precious stones, such as John saw in the Holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven! All who reach the Happy Land are to enter heaven as little children, and it may please God, besides other methods of instruction, to teach his little ones his greatness and his power, by showing them such a world as we have imagined.

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And even if some heavenly messenger, Gabriel, that stands in the presence of God," or one of the other angels that excel in strength, should descend amongst us, and proclaim, "There is no life of any kind in any star but the earth," should we be entitled to murmur at the news? Such is the pride and selfishness of man, that he does not hesitate to proclaim any world a desert, from which himself or his fellows are excluded. But even if it should be certain that every star but the earth is a ball of lifeless granite, or barren lava, it would be for us, if we were wise, to say of it, as the Psalmist would have said, Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" In the most deserted and solitary of worlds, as we might call it, God is present. The fullness of him that filleth all in all, fills it; the Saviour and the Holy Spirit are there. If our ears were not stop. ped like the deaf adder's, we should, if visitants of such an orb, hear a voice say, "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." We leave, then, the question of the universal habitation of the heavenly bodies untouched, and intend, moreover, to refer chiefly to the nature of the stars, and not to that of their inhabitants. The character or quality of the dwellers in the heavenly bodies is, doubtless, a more generally attractive topic than that of their habitations, as most thoughtful men would consider the most forlorn and degraded savage a more truly interesting object than the grandest palace. Our only hope, however, in the meanwhile, of ascertaining anything concerning the dwellers in the stars is founded upon what we can discover concerning the stars themselves.

We shall judge this case in the same way. The stars themselves shall be appealed to for a reply to the question we are curious to

have answered. They shall appear at the bar, and learn that a charge has been preferred against them, that "they are of the earth, earthly." The question shall be put to each, Earthly or not earthly?" and the jury shall give their verdict according to the answer returned. Our twelve honest men, then, having sworn in the presence of the great Judge to give a righteous verdict, shall be taken to the summit of some heaven-kissing hill, and left there as long as they please, to make acquaintance with the stars. Far away from anxious author and captious critics, they shall read for themselves the lesson of the universe. The heavens shall declare the glory of God: the firmament show his handiwork. Day unto day shall utter speech in their hearing night unto night show knowledge before them. They shall watch the guiding of Arcturus and his sons: and behold the bands of Orion: they shall feel the sweet influences of the Pleiades, and listen to the morning stars singing together. "The Sirian star, that maketh the summer deadly," shall shine forth before them on the forehead of the sky, and they shall hearken to the solemn tread of the host of heaven, as, drawn up in their constellations, they nightly repeat their sentinel march from horizon to horizon.

And when the unsatisfied senses are still filled with desire, all needful help shall be furnished to gratify their longing. The Herschel forty-feet telescope shall be granted our jury to gaze through, and the courteous Lord Rosse will not refuse the giant reflector. Pulkowa, and Altona, and the Cape shall lend the best instruments of their observatories, and the ingenious Lassell shall record for them what he witnesses with his spacepiercing tube. The wise and filial Herschel shall stand by to explain; and the eloquent Arago and sweet-tongued Humboldt make the wayfaring man, though a stranger, at home in the universe. As witnesses, however, witnesses only, shall these high priests of nature be called, and speak to facts, but offer no opinions.

Our twelve shall first cast a glance at our own solar system, and observe that no one of its planets has the same magnitude, inclination of axis, so far as that has been observed, density, time of rotation, or arrangement of orbit; but that each, in all these particulars, differs greatly from its brethren. They shall notice that several of the planets have no moons: that our earth has one relatively very large one: Jupiter, four relatively small ones: Saturn, seven of greatly varying di

mensions: Uranus, as is believed, six; and Neptune, two or more. They shall see the splendid girdles which Saturn, and, as some think, Neptune, wear, and be warned that two at least of the moons of Uranus move from east to west, or in a direction opposite to that of their planet, and of all the other bodies of the solar system.

The enormous differences in the length of the planetary years shall startle them; that of Mercury, for example, being equal to about three of our months; that of Neptune, to 164 of our years. The lesser, but marked diversities in the length of their days shall awaken notice, the Mercurial day being like our own, twenty-four hours long, the Saturnine only ten. The variations in the amount of heat and light received from the Sun by each of its attendants shall not be forgotten; Uranus, for example, obtaining two thousand times less than Mercury, who receives seven times more than the earth. They sha'l also observe the extent to which the planets are subject to changes of season; the Earth knowing its four grateful vicissitudes; Jupiter knowing none; whilst the winter in Saturn under the shadow of his rings is fifteen years long. All those unresembling particulars shall be made manifest to our observant twelve. Neither shall they be forgetful of those dissimilarities in relation to atmosphere, and perhaps to physical constitution which astronomers have detected. When so much diversity has been seen to shine through the unity of the Solar system, our twelve shall gaze forth into space to see if all be sameness there. Sameness! They shall discern stars of the first magnitude, stars of the second magnitude, of the third, of the fourth, of the seventh, down to points so small, even to the greatest telescopes, that the soberest of philosophers can devise no better name for them than star-dust; and one of them declares that for anything experience has hitherto taught us, the number of the stars may be really infinite, in the only sense in which we can assign a meaning to the word." They shall find that the Dog-star is a sun, whose light has an intrinsic splendor sixtythree times greater than that of our own solar orb, and that he is not counted chief of the stars. They shall search in vain through the abysses for a system similar to our own, and find none, but perceive instead, multitudes of double-stars or twin suns, revolving round each other. They shall learn that there are triple systems of suns, and that there may

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*Herschel's Astronomy, Second Edition, p. 520.

be more complex ones; and try to conceive how unlike our planetary arrangements must be the economy of the worlds to which these luminaries furnish light. They shall gaze at purple and orange suns, at blue and green and yellow and red ones; and become aware of double systems where the one twin appears to be a self-luminous sun, and the other a dark sphere of corresponding magnitude, like a sun gone out, as if modern science would assign an exact meaning to Origen's reference to " stars, which ray down darkness." Herschel shall show them the sidereal clusters, many of which "convey the complete idea of a globular space filled full of stars [i. e. suns] insulated in the heavens, and constituting in itself a family or society apart from the rest, and subject only to its own internal laws." Lord Rosse shall exhibit the nebulæ, resolved and unresolved. The Continental observatories shall furnish records of those strange heavenly bodies which periodically wax and wane, now shining like

candles of the Lord," now darkening with Ichabod on their foreheads. Tycho Brahe shall tell of those mysterious unabiding stars, which have flashed almost in a moment into existence in the heavens, and have died away like all precocious things prematurely, appearing as if to verify the poet's prediction, that the sun himself will prove a transient meteor in the sky. The Chinese astronomers shall proclaim the paths of ancient comets, which neither Greek nor Roman had courage or science enough to trace through the heavens; and Humboldt, after describing the wanderings of the comets of later days, shall supply the commentary that so great are the differences among these eccentric bodies, 'that the description of one can only be applied with much caution to another." The American observers shall detail how thick and fast the "fiery tears" fall from the November meteors and a thousand other witnesses stand ready to affirm "of diversity there is no end." But we may suppose our somewhat distracted twelve, at this stage of the proceedings, to decline further evidence, and bethink themselves what their verdict shall be.

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"These stars!" one juryman will say, a chandler we may guess, or oil merchant, or perhaps only a lamp-lighter-" these stars! these suns! these street lamps,' as Carlyle has called them, 'in the city of God,' are they to be counted, my brethren, so many argand burners, each cast in the same mould, with wick clipped to the same length, and fed with the like modicum of oil, that it may

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