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.

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, should 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.

EXERCISE LIX.

WILD TREES OF PALESTINE. - Nevin.

The cedar, to which so frequent allusion is made in Scripture, is a most stately tree. Its roots spread far around below; 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 exceedingly 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 thousand 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 especially 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 f the brook or river stream, or over the bosom of the fruitful 'lain, 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.

EXERCISE LX-·

DAVID'S LAMENT OVER SAUL AND JONATHAN.-C. T. Bartol.

The paraphrast has introduced, in this version, the beautiful idea suggested by many critics, that David, in the phrase, 'beauty of Israel,' has reference to the literal meaning of the Hebrew word -'the gazelle,' and compares the death of Jonathan, the young and graceful, on Mount Gilboa, to the gazelle, which, when wounded, is said to go up into high places to die. The literal rendering would be, 'Thy gazelle, O Israel, is slain upon her high places.'

Thy beauty bleeds, O Israel!

How low the great and mighty lie!
Alas! thy beautiful gazelle

Climbs her high places there to die.

How would Philistia's maids rejoice,
How would their boastings fill the sky;
Yea, the uncircumcised the voice
Of taunt and triumph lift on high!

Ye mountain-heights of Gilboa!

Let there, henceforth, be no more dew
By night, nor showers descend by day,
Nor fields of offerings wave on you.

For there the shield of Saul was seen
A trampled, vile, dishonored thing,
Of Saul, -as though he had not been
Of God anointed prophet-king.

The blood of captains slain might track
The bow of Jonathan; and when
Did once the sword of Saul come back,
Unfleshed with fat of mighty men?