It happened to be in the evening that Paine and Proudfoot, with the provisions, were landed at a convenient point, where two comfortable huts were discovered, roofed with grass, the habitations, doubtless, of some former adventurers. The boat had to return again to the schooner, to take off more provisions, and four other men; but, after getting on board, a smart breeze sprung up; the vessel was driven to leeward; and nothing more was seen or heard of her at the island. The two men were thus left to themselves; and, in the morning, examining the extent and quality of their resources, they found that almost all the stock of salt had been destroyed by the surf; and that neither of them, (a most extraordinary circumstance for sailors,) had even a knife, Paine's being in his jacket pocket, accidentally left in the boat; and Proudfoot having lent his to a messmate. Their only clothing was on their backs. They seem to have husbanded their little store of bread and provisions with great care, having made them last five months. After that, they were thrown entirely on their own ingenuity and exertions for every meal they had. EXERCISE LVIII. THE SAME SUBJECT, CONCLUDED. - Destitute, in a remarkable degree, of the means of assisting themselves, without tool or instrument, fortune contributed a little to the aid of the poor sufferers. They found on the rocks, at different times, a needle, an old knife, and a spike nail: with the latter they made a hook; and a piece of coil-rope supplied them with a line. With this they contrived to catch fish; but, their being no barb at the point of the hook, they had often the misfortune to lose their prey. The only kind of fish they could obtain, was what the sailors call the trumpeter, and the only shell-fish, limpets. They were much distressed for want of fresh water. The rocky surface not being covered with more than two or three feet of earth, digging for a spring was out of the question, even if they had been furnished with the means. They had, therefore, to search for pools of rain-water, and, sometimes, they had to go several miles for a draught to quench their thirst. The whole island was well furnished with wild hogs; but all the time they were on it they could not manage to catch above five. These they ran down, and felled with a stick, torn from a stunted tree, only two or three inches in diameter. 'You must have run very fast for your dinner?' said the captain. Certainly, we ran fast for a dinner,' was the reply; but the pig had to run for his life!' The flesh of the Amsterdam wild hog was very dry and hard, without an atom of fat. Once they caught a few young ones, which afforded the two Robinson Crusoes a sumptuous banquet. 6 They had a tinder-box when they landed; but the tinder was soon expended; and there was nothing to be found, of a vegetable nature, dry enough to supply its place. Keeping up the fire in the hut, therefore, during the latter part of their residence, became a subject of most painful anxiety, especially in the night; for, if it happened to go out, there was no chance of lighting it again; and the preservation of the 'vestal flame' seems to have been the only, at least, the chief cause of any quarrelling or difference between them. The younger was a heavy sleeper; so that upon Proudfoot, more frequently, fell the imperative and indispensable duty of watching. And if they went together any distance from the hut, it was usual with them to keep the fire with peat and moss; and sometimes, for better security, they carried a piece of ignited peat along with them. The island produces nothing edible, except parsley, which is found in great quantity. It is covered with thick underwood and tussoc; and dried grass was the only thing that they had to supply the place of a bed, or to keep them in any degree warm during the night. No snow fell in the winter months, but hail and sleet continually; and it was extremely cold at that season of the year. Their health continued good without interruption; and the only accident that occurred, was a fall, which Proudfoot experienced, from a precipice; and which confined him, with a violent sprain in the shoulder, for four months. The only birds they could get hold of were the snowy petterel; and these they caught in holes, the flesh, of course, dry and fishy;-but the eggs were good. The albatrosses laid their eggs, and continued themselves, in the most precipitous and inaccessible parts of the rocks, defying the exertions of man to disturb their repose. On the 4th of November, when the Palmira was first seen by them, Paine was sanguine enough to anticipate their deliverance, and offered a wager that his notion was right. Proudfoot, less confident than his younger companion, derided the idea; but, seeing the vessel come nearer, they both rushed down from the height upon which they stood, and instantly lighted as large a fire as they could, to give intimation of the presence of human beings on the spot. Nearing the island, the ship hoisted her colors; and then their happiness was complete; for they then felt certain of their sufferings being at an end. The surf, though on the lee side of the island, was very high, and threatened destruction to the boat. The officer hailed the men; and, the moment his voice was heard, Paine said to his companion, 'I am sure that is my old chief mate:' and so it was; for, three or four years before, they had belonged to the same ship, the Regalia, and had been at Macquarrie Island together. As the surf ran so high, it was fortunate that they had left a sufficient length of coilrope to throw into the boat, and hold on by, which enabled them to get on board without much difficulty. *. RULE FOR THE READING OF FAMILIAR NARRATIVES. Narrative pieces, in FAMILIAR style, like the preceding, shoutd be read with a LIVELY TONE, resembling that of animated conversation, and differing from the mode of SERIOUS and IMPRESSIVE narrative, in a LOUDER, HIGHER, and QUICKER voice. Regard, at the same time, should always be paid to MODERATING the qualities of utterance, so as to avoid the effect of mere light ANECDOTE. The cedar, to which so frequent allusion is made in Scrip ture, is a most stately tree. Its roots spread far around be low; it rises to a lofty height; its branches reach a great distance out, on every side, forming a large and delightful shade, and remaining covered with green leaves, from one end of the year to the other. Its trunk often becomes exceed ingly large, sometimes measuring twelve yards around; the wood is of a beautiful brownish color, with a pleasant smell; being somewhat bitter, it is not touched by worms; so that it has been known to last, in a building, two thousand years. The principal growth of cedars was anciently on Mount Lebanon: most of them, however, have since been cut down; so that only a few can be found, growing amid the snows in the highest part of the mountain. Kings, great men, and proud men, are compared to cedars, on account of their strength or their loftiness: so also the righteous, on the other hand, in allusion to their usefulness and beauty. Oaks abounded anciently in different parts of Palestine, Those which grew on Bashan were considered peculiarly fine. The broad and refreshing shade which they supplied, was particularly grateful in that warm climate. It was -common, in early times, to choose such a shade as the most pleasant place to set up a tent. Under the shadow of the oak, also, idols were often erected by the corrupt, where they resorted, from time to time, to engage in the abominable rites of their worship; and sometimes whole groves of this venerable tree were turned into retreats of impiety and shame, on account of the agreeable and secret shelter which they afforded. Under the name of oak, in our translation of the Bible, is included, (besides the common tree so called,) the terebinth, or turpentine tree, which belongs to the East. This is a large evergreen tree, with wide-spreading branches and numerous leaves. If allowed to stand, it is said that it will live a thou sand years; and when it dies, its place is soon supplied by a new trunk, rising on the same spot, to equal size, and flourishing to an equal age. It was on account of this lasting character, and because of the single and separate manner in which they grew, that these trees were sometimes used to designate particular places; and an aged terebinth was spoken of with something of the same sort of distinction as that with which we make mention of a castle or a city. Thus, we read of the oak by Shechem, the oak by Ophrah, the oak by Jabesh, &c., as being perfectly well known to every person that had ever been in those places. Several such trees grew in the region of Hebron, where Abraham dwelt a considerable time. Mamre, the brother of Aner and Eschol, was a personage of chief importance in that district, to whom it especially belonged. Hence, it was called, according to the usage just noticed, the oaks, or terebinths, of Mamre; for this seems to be what we are to understand by the 'plains of Mamre,' where the ancient patriarch pitched his tent. Under the shade of one of those long-living trees, his simple dwelling stood; and it is said, that the very same tree continued standing till after the time of our Saviour. There might have been one growing on the same spot. The fir-tree grows to a great height, and continues, like the cedar, and the terebinth, green all the year. It was anciently used for building, and for making furniture. It grew especi"ally on Lebanon and Carmel. Several other kinds of trees grew wild on the mountains; such as the tall, straight cypress, used at times for the purpose of making idols, because its wood did not rot; and the stately pine, well known in every quarter of the world. On lower grounds, along the mountain foot, or by the sides of the brook or river stream, or over the bosom of the fruitful plain, grew various trees and shrubs of humbler appearance. Among these were the linden, or teil tree, the alder, the poplar, the willow, the laurel, and the myrtle. This last is a large shrub, sometimes growing to the size of a small tree, very common in the valleys of Palestine. It is perpetually covered with leaves of the most beautiful green; and, in its season, produces a great abundance of rose-like flowers, which delight the eye, and breathe a most fragrant perfume on all the air around. |