adding to his grotto an apartment outside the rock. This, although being without either spade or mattock he found the earth difficult to deal with, "for, to be sure, it had never been stirred since the creation," he raised with marvellous expedition and facility. His next business was to provide himself with some necessary implements of housekeeping, in the con-: struction of which he is equally clever. He cuts a dock for his boat, makes a cart for the conveyance of water, and out of a number of large gourds, which he found growing upon the taller trees, he manufactures pots and pans, and other household utensils. By various experiments upon the different vegetable productions of the island, having furnished his table, in even a sumptuous manner; he began to enjoy himself in his solitary arkoe, like the absolute and sole lord of the country, as he was. There was nothing, indeed, to dispute possession with him-neither man nor beast, nor any animal, but some squirrels, or something like them, in trees, and a few water rats about the lake. Birds there were of various kinds, both in the lake and woods, but such as he had never before seen.

There being no fear for the present, it became his business to lay up stores against the season of sickness and dark weather, which last he knew, by the experience of the former. year, would be soon upon him. The sun, indeed, he had never seen, since he first entered the gulph, "and though there was very little rain, and but few clouds, yet the brightest day-light never exceeded that of half an hour after sun-set in the summer-time in England, and little more than just reddened the sky."

By ekeing out the materials, with which he had stowed his boat, by the soft rushes which he had cut and dried on the banks of the lake, he made himself a very comfortable bed, in which he slept as soundly as he used to do in his hammock; and made very long nights of it, now the dark season was set in. As thus snugly ensconced he lay awake one night or day, he knew not which, he "very plainly heard the sound of several human voices," but though he could distinguish the articulations, the words were unintelligible. Neither did the voices seem at all like such as he "had any where heard before, but much softer, and more musical." He was startled; and rising immediately, took his gun in hand, and stepped on tip-toe into his anti-chamber, where he heard "the voices much plainer, till, after some little time, they, by degrees, died quite away." He was inclined to open the door of his anti-chamber, but owns he was afraid; besides, he could have discovered nothing, by reason of the thick and gloomy wood that surrounded him. He has a thousand surmises

"Where should this music be? I' the air, or the earth?
It sounds no more."-

How should there be any human beings in his kingdom, and he never yet see them, or any trace of their habitation? But as he had not explored the whole extent of the rock, might there not be innumerable grottos like his own, and this beautiful spot, lonely as it looked, be, after all, very well peopled? Yet, surely, they "don't skulk in their dens, like wild beasts by daylight, and only patrole, for prey, at night? If so, I shall probably, ere long, become a delicious morsel for them an' they meet with me!" This vague fear keeps him much within doors; till hearing no more voices, nor seeing any one, he composed his mind so far, as to think it all a delusion,-to doubt whether he were fully awake when he heard them,-to persuade himself that he had risen in his sleep, in a dream of voices,-calling to mind the stories he had heard of people walking in their sleep,and the strange effects of it;-so the whole notion was now blown over.

Alas! for his tranquillity-hardly a week had elapsed, and he is roused afresh by the same sound of voices, and is obliged, at length, to own himself awake. From the languor of the sound, he judges they are at a considerable distance; and again regrets the thickness of the wood, that prevents him from getting a view of the utterers.

But the light beginning to return, and not having received any fresh alarm, he partly regained his equanimity; and now put in execution the design he had formed of exploring this island round. The result of his tour was a conviction, that he himself was really and truly the only inhabitant, and that the rock afforded no ingress from the ocean, but by the subterranean gulf, through which he himself had come. To the winds then ride his fears!-there is not one rival or enemy to fear in his whole dominions. He now goes quietly about his own business, and among other employments betakes himself to fishing in the lake, having constructed, very cleverly, a large drag net, of some matweed, which he had accidentally discovered, of the thickness and strength of whipcord. The lake he finds well stocked with fish of various descriptions, which enable him to keep a better table than before. On one occasion, upon casting his net, he met with a resistance that quite amazed him. However, exerting all his might, he finally became conqueror; when he brought up "so shocking a monster," that he was just rising to run for his life, at the very sight. But as he reflected the creature was hampered in the net, and out of its element, he mustered courage to disentangle

the thing, and then drawing the net away, a most surprising sight presented itself:

"The creature reared upright, about three feet high, covered all over with long black shaggy hair, like a bear, which hung down from his head and neck quite along his back and sides. He had two fins, very broad and large, which, as he stood erect, looked like arms, and those he waved and whirled about with incredible velocity; and though I wondered at first at it, I found afterwards it was the motion of these fins that kept him upright; for I perceived when they ceased their motion he fell flat on his belly. He had two very large feet, which he stood upon, but could not run, and but barely walk on them, which made me in the less haste to despatch him; and after he had stood upon his feet about four minutes, clapping his fins to his sides, he fell upon his belly.

"When I found he could not attack me, I was moving closer to him; but, upon sight of my stirring, up he rose again, and whirled his fins about as before, so long as he stood. And now I viewed him round, and found he had no tail at all, and that his hinder fins, or feet, very much resembled a large frog's, but were at least ten inches broad, and eighteen long, from heel to toe; and his legs were so short, that when he stood upright his breech bore upon the ground. His belly, which he kept towards me, was of an ash-colour, and very broad, as was also his breast. His eyes were small and blue, with a large black sight in the middle, and rather of an oval than round make. He had a long snout like a boar, and vast teeth. Thus having surveyed him near half an hour living, I made him rise up once more and shot him in the breast. He fell, and giving a loud howl, or groan, expired."

The skin of this beast-fish, as he named it, supplied him with coverlids and cushions,-on broiling some of the flesh, he found that it ran down to excellent oil,-a grand acquisition,and of this he extracted considerable quantities.-He also extracts from it, something almost as valuable as oil,-namely, relief on the subject of his fears,-for having heard the creature make a deep howl at the time of his death, he endeavoured to persuade himself, and did, at last, verily believe, that the voices he had so often heard, in the dark weather, proceeded from numbers of these creatures diverting themselves on the surface of the lake.

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This security of mind, together with the additional comforts he had acquired, rendered his life very easy, yea, even comfortable." But after the darkness of the third year of his abode on the island had set in, the voices were frequently heard again, sometimes few at a time, and then again in vast numbers. More deliberate attention convinces him, that they could be uttered by none, but beings capable of articulate speech; so that he is obliged to give up his notion, that the

beast-fishes made these sounds in their nocturnal gambols on the water. He grows quite melancholy, though he receives no injury, and seems safe from discovery. But his ignorance on the subject ever galls him.-What are they? Where are they? Whence are they?

"At length, one night or day, I cannot say which, hearing the voices very distinctly, and praying very earnestly to be either delivered from the uncertainty they had put me under, or to have them removed from me, I took courage, and arming myself with gun, pistols, and cutlas, I went out of my grotto, and crept down the wood. I then heard them plainer than before, and was able to judge from what point of the compass they proceeded. Hereupon I went forward towards the sound, till I came to the verge of the wood, where I could see the lake very well by the dazzle of the water. Thereon, as I thought, I beheld a fleet of boats, covering a large compass, and not far from the bridge. I was shocked hereat beyond expression. I could not conceive where they came from, or whither they would go; but supposed there must be some other passage to the lake than I found in my voyage through the cavern, and that for certain they came that way, and from some place, of which as yet I had no manner of knowledge.

"Whilst I was entertaining myself with this speculation, I heard the people in the boats laughing and talking very merrily, though I was too distant to distinguish the words. I discerned soon after all the boats (as I still supposed them) draw up, and push for the bridge; presently after, though I was sure no boat entered the arch, I saw a multitude of people on the opposite shore all marching towards the bridge; and what was the strangest of all, there was not the least sign of a boat now left upon the whole lake. I then was in a greater consternation than before; but was still much more so, when I saw the whole posse of people, that, as I have just said, were marching towards the bridge, coming over it to my side of the lake. At this my heart failed, and I was just going to run to my grotto for shelter ; but taking one look more, I plainly discovered that the people, leaping one after another from the top of the bridge, as if into the water, and then rising again, flew in a long train over the lake, the lengthways of it, quite out of my sight, laughing, hallooing, and sporting together; so that looking back again to the bridge, and on the lake, I could neither see person or boat, nor any thing else; nor hear the least noise or stir afterwards for that time."

"This is no mortal business, nor no sound

That the earth owes."

"I am in a land of spirits!"-"I am never safe, even in my grotto; for that can be no security against such beings as can sail on the water in no boats, and fly in the air on no wings, who can be here and there, and every where!" Glad should he have been of some human being to converse with,

but not having any one, he had consoled himself with the thought, that he was, at last, safe from the ills to which man, in society, is obnoxious to. But now-"what may be the consequence of the next hour, I know not."-Though at a distance, these aërial beings may perceive his thoughts and discontent, and be hatching revenge against him, for his dislike of them. His usual resource, in danger and distress, fails him not now. His prayer is, that his doubts may be resolved, and that if not helpful, these beings may, at least, prove not hurt"Hereupon, as I always did on such occasions, I found myself much more placid and easy, and began to hope for the best."

ful.

He is even composed enough in spirits to rest sweetly, till fancy, set at work, doubtless, by the previous agitation; and busy, restless, and toiling, when all the other faculties are defunct; commenced her operations. In plain language, he dreamt; and thought he was in Cornwall, inquiring for his wife and children. He was told they were dead; but that his wife, before her departure, had desired them to tell him, on his arrival, she was only gone to the lake, where he should" be sure to see her, and be happy with her ever after."-" I then, as I fancied, ran to the lake to find her. In my passage she stopped me, crying, Whither so fast, Peter? I am your wife, your Patty. Methought, I did not know her, she was so altered; but, observing her voice, and looking more wistfully at her, she appeared to me as the most beautiful creature I had ever beheld."—"Oh! that this was but a reality," thought he, when he awoke to solitude and terror. How happy could he be with her, though their years should go down the vale of life in the silence and loneliness of his present abode. But as it is -nobody to converse with-nobody to assist, comfort, and counsel him! Thus ran he on lamenting, till, on a sudden, the voices, clear and distinct, and apparently close at hand, broke in upon the silence of the night. Hark! there they are again. "Come life-come death"-he'll face them, though they blast him! but scarcely had he got his gun in hand, with the intention of showing himself to those who uttered them,

"When I felt such a thump upon the roof of my anti-chamber, as shook the whole fabric, and set me all over into a tremor; I then heard a sort of shriek, and a rustle near the door of my apartment; all which together seemed very terrible. But I, having before determined to see what and who it was, resolutely opened my door and leaped out. I saw nobody; all was quite silent, and nothing that I could perceive but my own fears a moving. I went then softly to the corner of the building, and there looking down by the glimmer of my lamp, which stood in the window, I saw something in human shape lying at my feet. I gave the word, Who is there? Still no one answered. My