103].] C 201 ] 



IMONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE. 



Sir Edward Seaward's Narrative of his Shipwreck, and coi^sequent 

 Discovery of certain Islands in the Carribean Sea, with a De- 

 tail OF many extraordinary and highly-interesting Events in 

 his Life, from 1/33 to 1749, as written in his own Diary. Edited 

 by Miss J. Porter. 3 vols. 12mo. 



This is truly a " romance of real life," and, in point of interest, and even 

 of detail, realizes, and more than realizes, the imaginations of Defoe. It 

 is the self-told tale of a young man, who, with his wife and a little dog, 

 was wrecked on a reef of rocks inclosing and protecting two small, unoc- 

 cupied islands — and of his residence there for ten or twelve years. Mr. Sea- 

 ward left England when about twenty-three, as the supercargo of a vessel 

 bound for the bay of Honduras, in 1733 — accompanied by his new-married 

 wife, three or four years younger than himself. The vessel was driven by 

 a storm upon the rocks — the crew took to the boat, which was swamped — 

 and Seaward and his wife, who adhered to the wreck, were the sole survivors. 

 The return of the tide lifted the vessel off the rocks, and enabled him to get it 

 into a creek, and thus secure it against future storms. With the stores of the 

 vessel they were in no danger of starving ; and, in a spirit of thankfulness for 

 their preser\'ation, they quickly bestirred themselves to provide, as far as they 

 could, for their personal security and comfort. The island was very small ; but 

 they were the lords of it, and had no conflicting interests to contend with. Igu- 

 anas, peccaries, and armadillos were the only animals they met with : the first 

 their little dog killed — but the peccaries made fight, and gave them some trouble. 

 The shore supplied them with mullets and crabs, and turtle abounded. The 

 stranded vessel was their home ; and on the island they sowed and planted, and 

 domiciliated the ducks, and fowls, and goats which they had on board. Seaward 

 laboured hard with the planks, which fortxmately had formed part of the cargo, 

 at building a house, and making enclosures for his fruits, and corn, and stock. 

 Fondly attached as were Seaward and his bride, their lone situation drew the 

 chords of affection the closer ; and the island, in a blissful climate, was their 

 paradise. It is impossible for the coldest heart to read and not melt at the 

 details of their attachment. 



In the island they found a cave — the retreat of large flocks of pigeons — where 

 their attention was one day attracted by the appearance of artificial brick-work. 

 They removed the bricks, and discovered a mass of treasure — doubloons — to the 

 extent of forty or fiftj' thousand pounds, with vessels of gold and silver in great 

 abundance, chiefly church plate. Though, apparently, all this was of no more 

 value to them than the diamond to yEsop's cock, they carefully closed up the 

 aperture, and, after some scruples, resolved to appropriate the prize — they might 

 not stay there for ever. At the end of about six months, a boat, with five 

 negroes — two men and three women — run-a-way Spanish slaves — landed, and, 

 being kindly welcomed, proved themselves faithfully devoted to their service. 

 Seaward was thus relieved from severe personal labour, and had nothing further 

 to do than direct the willing industry of his new friends. A few more months 

 rolled away, when an American vessel appeared off the rocki^ pursued by a 

 Spanish guarda-costa. Seaward and his negroes assisted in repelling the Spa- 

 niard ; and in the American, which remained some weeks for repairs, he finally 

 took a i)assage for himself, his wife, and the treasure to Jamaica — leaving 

 behind him the negroes, with directions till his return. At Jamaica he took 

 measures for securely transferring his doubloons, &c. to a London banker, with 

 a ])rudence and caution (|uite exemplary. 



Instead of following his treasures, he had resolved to return to the island ; 

 and purchasing a vessel, and fitting it out with a cargo of useful matters, and 

 a crew of negroes and labourers, and a naval officer to command — furnishing 

 himself also with a commission from the conmiandant at Jamaica — he soon reached 



