Star.
London, England, 1825-07-21 00:00:00

ALEXANDER SELKIRK.

The following is the history of Alexander Stlkirkil
divested of fable. He was born in Largo in 1676,
Having gone to sea in his youth, and in the year 170&
being sailing master of the ship Cinque Ports, Captain
Stradling, bound for the South Seas, he was put on
shore on the island of Juan Fernandez, in cons: quence
of a quarrel with the Captain. In that solitude he re-
`strained four years and four months, from which he was
at last relieved and brought to England by Captain
NVoods Rogers. He had with him in the island his
clothes and bedding, with a fitelock, some powder, bul-
lets, and tobacco, a hatchet, knife, bottle, =them-
tical instrumetts, and Bible. He built two huts of pi-
mento trees, and covered them with long grass. and in
a short time lined them with skins of goats, which he
killed with his musket so long as his powder lasted,
which at first was but a pound. When that Was Spent,
lie caught them by speed of foot. Having learned to
produce fire by rubbing two pieces of wood together.
be dressed his victbals in one of his huts, and slept in
the other, which was at some distance from his kitchen.
A multitude of rats often disturbed his repose, by gnaw.
ftet and other parts of his body, •whith induced
hitt% to feed a number of cats for his protection. In a
khnit time these became so tame, that they would lie
:kaut him in hundreds end r 9911 delivered hint from
thii rats his enemits. Upon itis return lie Jectatte.l to
111 friends, that nothing gave him so much uneasiness as
trie,thought, that when he died his body would be de-.
• eouredby these very cats he had with so much care
tamed and led. To divert his mind from such mien-
clOy thoughts, he would sometimes dance and sing
anionic his kids and goats, at other times tetire to his
&lotion. His clothes and shoes were soon worn by
tanning through the woods. In the want of shoes be
found little inconvenience, as the soles of his feet be-
came so hard that he could run everywhere without
difficulty. As for clothes he made for himself a coat
and cap of goat-skins, sewed with little thongs of the
same, cut into proper form with his knife. His only
needle was a nail. When his knife was worn to the
back he made others, as well as he could of some iron
Imops that had been left on shore, by beating them and
grinding them on stones. By his 1 ng seclusion from
intercom se with men, he had so far fotgot the use of
speech, that the people on board Captain Rogers's ship
could scarcely understand him, for he seemed to speak
his words by halves. Ile died in 1723, mate of his
Majesty's ship Weymouth: He bequeathed his property
which was considerable, to a female Mind near Ply-
mouth, whom he had married. He bad no manu-
scripts. The story, therefore, of his having been de-
frauded of them by De Foe is untrue.

A Supplement to Tuesday's Gazelle was published
yesterday, containing the official dispatches relative to
the conquest of Assam, which we gave from the Cal-
cutta Papers of Tuesday.
Baron WRAGEL, the Russian Officer, who lately re-
turned from an expedition into Siberia, is about to set
tilt from St. Petersburgh on a voyage round the world
to Kamt,chatka, and the Russian settlements on the
North-west coast of America.
As a 000E4 the rapid and extensive increase of build-
ings in this town and its immediate vi inity, we notice
the fact,- that within the last six weeks no less a sum
than four thousand pounds was paid for the duty on
bricks. manufactured in this neighbourhood, faom which
it will, be seen that 40,0001. have been expended on
bricks .only.—.Ckeltenha et Chronicle.
The scotch Missionaries, who obtained permission
some years since to settle in the Crimea, the Govern-
ment of' AstracAn and the Provinces of Caucasus and
Georgia, for the purpose of converting the heathen,
tad lately broken up all their establishments on their
return to (it eat Uritain.
At seven o'clock. on Tuesday evening, an I..quisition
was taken at the -Mitt, Tasern, in Broad-wall, situate'
in the parish of Christehutch, before R ICIIA RD CARTER,
Esq. the Surrey Coroner, on the bodies of Mr. 11. AT-.
WOOD 'and GOEBT, who were both unfortunately
a!rowned, on Scaday morning la.t, and picked up
yesterday ie the river. Of the former deceased man it
'appeared, that be had gone rut with a party of friends
tor the purpose cf bathing, when several went into the
water, and all came out safe, except the deceased, who,
21thottgh an expert swimmer, sunk to rice no more, in
the presence of his companions. Gooey, who was a
coal-porter,had gone into the river with all his clothes on
except his jacket ; he at first was ohsei veal to swim we,
but very'stiortly after the decease 1 disappeared, and
did n. t rise again. The Jury tettstnesl a verdict 01
4 Ac6,lertaPy DI owned:"
The Bali:non, .Iforning Chronicle mentions, that the
wile.of Mr. Dim, who resides near that city, has
had, two husbands, trrenty-ninc children in Airili
yearrl-4.;er:ye..rogest scn is rut sever months old.