The Wilmingtonian., 1823-12-18

kirk /; but it appears ny Capt. Cartere,,
account of his voyage in the Swaov
,loop, that other persons practised m.
mode of marking. as he found goat wifi MA
his ears slit on the neighbouring island n
where Selkirk never was. H.
made companions of his tame goats AMI
cats. often dancing and singing with them
Though he constantly performed his a,
yotions at stated hours, and read alOui
vet, when he was taken off the island Ii
language from disuse of conversation W.,
become scarcely ineligible. In this sa
litude he continued four years and or
during which time only two inc.
dents happened which he thought worS
the occurrences of every day b..
ing in his circumstances nearly simhr
The one was. that pursuing goat eas.r,
he caught it just on the edge of prets
pice, which was covered with bushes, s
that he did not perceive it, and he fell ovy
to the bottom where he lay, (according d
Captain Rogers accounD fourteen houu
but, as he related to Sir R
Steele, he computed by the alteration d
the moon, that he had lain three days
When he regained, his senses, he found
the goat was lying under him dead. II
was with great difficulty that he could i
crawl to his habitation, whence he was uu
able to stir for ten days. and did not re-
cover his bruises for long time. The O. I
ther event was the arrival Of a ship, which
he at first supposed to be French; and .
such is the natural love Of society in TN
human mind, that he was eager to aban
don his solitary felicity. and surrenda
himself to them. although enemies; but
upon their landing approaching them, b.
found them to be Spaniards, Of whom h
had too great dread to trust himselfn
their hands. They were by this time
near that it required all bis agility to ss.
cape. which he effected by climbing into,
thick tree, being shot at several times as
he ran off. Fortunately the Spaniard,
did not discover him, thOugh they stayed
some time under the tree where he wu
hid, and killed some goats just by. In this
solitude Selkirk remained until the end
of February. 1909, when he saw two ships
come into the bay, and knew them to be
English. He Immediately lighted 6r|
as a signal, and on their coming on shore
found they were the Duke. Capt. Rogers,
and the Dutchess, Capt. Courtney, two
privateers from Bristol. He gave them
the best entertainment he could afford.
and as they had been long time without
fresh provisions his goats were highly &C.
lceptable. His habitation, consisting Of
two huts, one to sleep in, and the other to
dress his food in, was so obscurely sltua.
tied, and so difficult Of access, that on!
one of the ships officers would accompa'
10y him to it. Dampier, who was pilot on
board the Duke. and knew Selkirk very
we'll, informed Capt. Rogers. that when on
i. board the Cinque Ports, he was the hes'
lseaman on board the vessel upon whici
.Gapt. Rogers appointed him masters mate
of the Duke. After fortnight's stay al
Juan Fernandes, the ships proceeded ol
f|their cruise against the Spaniards, and re
turned by way Of the East Indies to Eng
land. where they arrived the first of Octo
|ber, 17l1; Selkirk having been absent
years. more than half of which time he ha'
|spent alone on the Island. The public Gu
|riosity being excitedrespecting him, he wa
induced to put his papers into the hand
of Defoe, to arrange, and form them int
| a regular narrative. These papers mus
y|have been drawn up after he left Juan Fs'
! anandes, as he had no means of recordin
4 his transactions there. Capt. Cooke IT
marks as an extraordinary circumstanc'
that he had contrived to keep an accoun
vlof the days of the week and month bu
this might be done, as Defoe makes R'
4 |binson Crusoe do, by cutting notches in
post, or many other methods. From th'
account of Selkirk, Defoe took the idea
writing more extensive work, ,sthe rt
nance of Robinson Crusoe, and very dA
honestly defrauded the original proprieto
off share Of the profits. / conclude th
a story with Selkirk's observation to
d Steele, only remarking, that it is prof
j. how apt we mortals are to imagine th'
o ohappiness is to be found in any situate
n except that in which we happen to be. !
d use his own words "I am now worth elsF
IS hundred pounds, but shall never be SO hal
e|py as when was not worth farthing'
b FATAL EFFECTS OF FEAR.
From the last number of the London hedlc'
/, Repository.
d A man of colour. of middle age, raA
E. above the common stature, robust and !,
II parently in good health. was received