house was a piece of ground, occupied as a garden, which rose in a considerable acclivity backwards: here, on the top of the eminence, soon after his arrival in 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 endeavoured to raise his spirits. But their efforts were made in vain; and he sometimes broke out before them in a passion of grief, and exclaimed: "O my beloved island! I wish I had never left thee! I never before was 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, he made little excursions, but always alone; and day after day he spent in fishing in the beautiful Bay of Largo, or at Kingscraig Point, where he would loiter till evening among the romantic cliffs catching lobsters-his favourite amusement, as they reminded him of the crawfish of Juan Fernandez. The rock to which he moored his boat is still shewn.' Selkirk at length resolved to abandon this mode of life; and the execution of his design was probably hastened by an attachment he had formed to a young girl named Sophia Bruce, whom he often met, tending her mother's cow, in his wanderings through Keil's Den. He never,' says Mr Howell, ' mentioned the 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 on the point of marrying. But to marry he was determined, though as firmly resolved not to remain at home to be the subject of their jests. He soon persuaded the object of his choice to elope with him, and bid adieu to the romantic glen. Without the knowledge of their parents, they both set out for London. He 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.' At the time of this sudden departure from Largo, Selkirk was nearly forty years of age. In London, Selkirk seems to have lived some time. Nothing, however, is known of his movements till 1717, in which year we find him executing a will and power of attorney, by the hands of a notary in Wapping, in favour of Sophia Bruce, the object of his affection; being then on the point of again going to sea. The will, which is dated the 13th of January 1717, runs as follows: 'In the name of God, Amen, I, Alexander Selkirk of Largo, in the shire of Fife, in North Britain, mariner, being now bound out on a voyage to sea, but calling to mind the perils and dangers of the seas, and other uncertainties of this transitory life, do, for avoiding controversies and disputes which may happen to arise after my decease, make, publish, and declare this my last will and testament." After one or two unimportant clauses, he continues: 'I give and bequeath unto my loving and well-beloved friend, Sophia Bruce, of the Pall-Mall, London, spinster, all and singular my lands, tenements, outhouses, gardens, yards, orchards, situate, lying, and being in Largo aforesaid, or in any other place or places whatsoever, during her natural life, and no longer; and at and after her decease, I hereby give, devise, and bequeath the same unto my loving nephew, Alexander Selkirk, son of David Selkirk of Largo aforesaid, tanner, &c., and to his heirs or assignees. Item, my will and mind is, and I hereby declare it so to be, that my honoured father, John Selkirk, should have and enjoy the easternmost house on the Craggy Wall in Largo aforesaid, for and during his natural life, and have and receive the rents, issues, and profits thereof to his own proper use; and that after his decease it should fall into the hands of the said Sophia Bruce, and so into the hands of my said loving nephew, Alexander Selkirk, in case he outlive my said loving friend, Sophia Bruce; and as for and concerning all and singular the rest, residue, and remainder of my salary, wages, goods, wares, profits, merchandises, sum and sums of money, gold, silver, wearing apparel, as well linen and woollen, and all other my effects whatsoever, as well debt outstanding either by bond, bill, book, account, or otherwise, as any other thing whatsoever which shall be due, owing, payable, and belonging or in anywise of right appertain-` ing unto me at the time of my decease, and not herein otherwise disposed of, I hereby give, devise, and bequeath the same unto my said loving friend, Sophia Bruce, and to her heirs and assignees for ever; and I do hereby nominate, make, elect, and appoint my said trusty and loving friend, Sophia Bruce, full and sole executrix of this my last will and testament.' The only other known particulars respecting Selkirk's life came to light in the year 1724, when a gaily dressed lady, named Frances Candis, presented herself at Largo as the widow of Alexander Selkirk, and claimed the property which had been left him by his father, including the house of Craggy Wall, mentioned in the foregoing will. She produced documents which proved her marriage with Selkirk; a will, also dated the 12th of December 1720, entitling her to the property; and lastly, an attestation of the death of her husband, Lieutenant Alexander Selkirk, on board his Majesty's ship Weymouth in the year 1723. From the second of these documents, it is inferred that Sophia Bruce had died some time between 1717, when the first will was executed in her favour, and 1720, when the second will was drawn up in favour of Frances Candis. Having had her claims adjusted, Selkirk's widow took her departure from Largo after a few days. So far as can be ascertained, Selkirk left no children either by her or by Sophia Bruce. RELICS OF SELKIRK-PRESENT CONDITION OF HIS ISLAND. The house in which Selkirk lived during his last residence at Largo has recently been pulled down and rebuilt; it is still possessed and occupied by descendants of his brother John. His chest and his cocoa-nut shell cup are now in the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries, Edinburgh. His flip-can exists in the possession of another relation; and his gun is the property of S. R. Lumsdaine, Esq., of Lathallan, near Largo. The flip-can,' says Mr Howell, 'holds about a Scottish pint [two quarts], and is made of brown stoneware, glazed. On it is the following inscription and posy-sailors being in all ages notoriously addicted to inscribing rhymes on such articles : "Alexander Selkirk, this is my one. When you take me on board of ship, The handle of the jug is gone; its mouth is broken in two places; and a crack in the stoneware is patched with pitch, probably put on by Selkirk's own hands.' The representatives of the family retain the original spelling, Selcraig, which is a corruption of selch-craig, that is, seal-rock, so called from seals basking on it. The island of Juan Fernandez, which may also be considered as a relic of Alexander Selkirk, has passed through the hands of a succession of owners since he quitted it. For upwards of thirty years after his departure it remained in the condition in which he had left it—an uninhabited island, where ships, sailing along the western coast of South America, occasionally put in for water and fresh victuals. Once or twice, indeed, the chances of shipwreck gave it one or two inhabitants, who did not remain long. In 1750, the Spaniards again formed a settlement on it, and built a fort. Both were destroyed by an earthquake in the following year; but another town was built at a greater distance from the shore. It continued to be inhabited for about twenty years, but was then abandoned, as the former Spanish settlement in the island had been. Early in the present century, the Chilian government began to use Juan Fernandez as a penal settlement, transporting their state criminals to it; but in consequence of the expense, it was soon given up; and when Lord Cochrane visited the island in 1823, there were but four men stationed on it, apparently in charge of some cattle. The following description is given of the island by a lady who accompanied Lord Cochrane and a party on shore: 'The island is the most picturesque I ever saw, being composed of high perpendicular rocks, wooded nearly to the top, with beautiful valleys, exceedingly fertile, and watered by copious streams, which occasionally form small marshes. The little valley where the town is, or rather was, is exceedingly beautiful. It is full of fruit-trees and flowers, and sweet herbs, now grown wild; near the shore, it is covered with radish and sea-side oats. A small fort was situated on the sea-shore, of which there is nothing now visible but the ditches and part of one wall. Another, of considerable size for the place, is on a high and commanding spot. It contained barracks for soldiers, which, as well as the greater part of the fort, are ruined; but the flag-staff, front wall, and a turret are standing; and at the foot of the flag-staff lies a very handsome brass gun, cast in Spain, 1614 A.D. A few houses and cottages are still in a tolerable condition, though most of the doors, windows, and roofs have been taken away, or used as fuel by whalers and other ships touching here. In the valleys we found numbers of European shrubs and herbs-"where once the garden smiled." And in the half-ruined hedges, which denote the boundaries of former fields, we found apple, pear, and quince trees, with cherries almost ripe. The ascent is steep and rapid from the beach, even in the valleys, and the long grass was dry and slippery, so that it rendered the walk rather fatiguing; and we were glad to sit down under a large quince-tree on a carpet of balm, bordered with roses, now neglected, and feast our eyes with the lovely view before us. Lord Anson has not exaggerated the beauty of the place, or the delights of the climate. We were rather early for its fruits, but even at this time we have gathered delicious figs, cherries, and pears, that a few days more of sun would have perfected. The landing-place is also the wateringplace. There a little jetty is thrown out, formed of the beach pebbles, making a little harbour for boats, which lie there close to the fresh water, which comes conducted by a pipe, so that, with a hose, the casks may be filled without landing with the most delicious water. Along the beach some old guns are sunk, to serve as moorings for vessels, which are all the safer the nearer in-shore they lie, as violent gusts of wind often blow from the mountain for a few minutes. The height of the island is about three thousand feet.' ment. With all its beauties and resources, the island seemed destined never to retain those who settled on it-whether from its isolated position at so great a distance from the continent, or from some other cause, is uncertain. Not long after Lord Cochrane's visit, however, it received an accession of inhabitants, some of them English, who settled in it under the protection of the Chilian governIt was afterwards held in lease by an American company; and according to the latest accounts it was ceded in 1868 to a society of Germans, under the guidance of an engineer of the name of Robert Wehrhan, who intended to colonise it. On taking possession they found it overrun by countless herds of goats, some thirty half-wild horses, and sixty donkeys. In 1868, Commodore Powell and the officers of H.M.S. Topaze erected a tablet on the island commemorative of Selkirk's solitary sojourn. It is firmly set into hard rock at a point near Selkirk's outlook, 'a beautiful spot about 1700 feet above the sea, having an extensive sea-view.' THE WOODEN SPOON. ALTERED FROM THE SWEDISH. HERE is silence in the forests. Nothing is more beautiful than on a fine sunny summer-day to wander in the vast firforests of Sweden, especially those which are here and there broken up by patches of light-green grass, covered over by pieces of moss-grown rocks and solitary in these few open places, that, unless a trap is seen, set in the winter to catch foxes, one might believe no human being had ever been there. tall birch-trees. It is so Every Swede feels a necessity for being alone at times with himself; he indulges a fervent love for that quiet hidden nature, within whose shade he played when a child. Always, even in the most stirring scenes of life, he hears a voice from his silent forests, The beginning of this story is translated from a Swedish work by Uncle Adam.' Throughout the remainder, the original idea only has been preserved. No. 135. I |