One day, in his ramble along the beach, he found a few iron hoops, which had been left by some vessel, as unworthy to be taken away. This was to him a discovery that imparted more joy than if he had found a treasure of gold or silver; for with them he made knives when his own was worn out, and bad as they were, they stood him in great stead. One of them, which he had used as a chopper, was about two feet in length, and was long kept as a curiosity, at the Golden Head Coffee-house, near Buckingham Gate, in England. It had been changed from its original simple form, having when last seen, a buck’s horn handle with some verses upon it. [Illustration: Selkirk fired upon by the Spaniards.] Alexander Selkirk, at different times during his stay, saw vessels pass the island; but only two ever came to an anchor. At these times he concealed himself; but, being anxious on one occasion to learn whether the ship was French or Spanish, he approached too near, and was perceived. A pursuit immediately commenced, and several shots were fired in the direction in which he fled; but fortunately none of them took effect, and he got up into a tree unobserved. His pursuers stopped near it, and killed several of his goats, but the vessel soon left the island. Cook says, “The prize being so inconsiderable, it is likely they thought it not worth while to be at great trouble to find it.” Had they been French, Alexander would have given himself up to them; but, being Spaniards, he chose rather to stay upon the island, and run the risk of dying alone, and even of being devoured by his own cats, than fall into their hands, as they would, as he supposed, either have murdered him in cold blood, or caused him to linger out a life of misery in the mines of Peru or Mexico, unless he chose to profess himself a Roman Catholic, and even then he would have been compelled to pass his weary days in one of their coasting vessels in the Pacific Ocean; for as we have already mentioned, it was one of their maxims never to allow an Englishman to return to Europe, who had gained any knowledge of the South Seas. This adventure made him resolve to use more caution in future; never a day passed but he anxiously looked out for some sail over the vast expanse of ocean that lay before him; for, even in all his tranquillity and peace of mind, the wish to leave the island never entirely ceased to occupy his thoughts, and he would still have hailed the arrival of an English ship with rapture.