t to sleep.

While I had read the Bible to Jackson, I had often been puzzled by
numbers being mentioned, and never could understand what was meant; that
is, I could form no idea of the quantity represented by seventy or
sixty, or whatever it might be. Jackson's answer was, "Oh! It means a
great many; I'll explain to you by-and-bye, but we have nothing to count
with, and as I am blind, I must have something in my hand to teach you."
I recollected that at the bathing-pool there were a great many small
shells on the rocks, about the size of a pea; there were live fish in
them, and they appeared to crawl on the rocks. I collected a great
quantity of these, and brought them up to the cabin, and requested
Jackson would teach me to count. This he did, until he came to a
thousand, which he said was sufficient. For many days I continued to
count up to a hundred, until I was quite perfect, and then Jackson
taught me addition and subtraction to a certain degree, by making me add
and take away from the shells, and count the accumulation, or the
remainder. At last, I could remember what I had gained by manipulation,
if I may use the term; but further I could not go, although addition
had, to a degree, made me master of multiplication, and subtraction gave
me a good idea of division.

This was a new delight to me, and occupied me for three or four weeks.
At last I had, as I thought, learned all that he could teach me in his
blind state, and I threw away the shells, and sighed for something more.

Of a sudden it occurred to me, that I had never looked into the book
which still lay upon the shelf in the cabin, and I saw no reason now
that I should not; so I mentioned it to Jackson, and asked him why I
might not have that book?

"To be sure you may," replied he; "but you never asked for it, and I
quite forgot it."

"But when I asked you before, you were so particular that I should not
open it. What was your reason then?"

Jackson replied--"I had no reason except that I then disliked you, and I
thought that looking into the book would give you pleasure. It belonged
to that poor fellow that was drowned; he had left it in the stern-sheets
of the boat when we were at Valdivia, and had forgotten it, and we found
it there when we landed on the island. Take it down, it will amuse
you."

I took down the book, and opened it. It was, if I recollect right,
called "Mayor's Natural History." At all events, it was a Natural
Histor