him a welcome visitor at the houses of the great and good.

In consideration of the scanty resources of Pitcairn's Island, some noblemen and gentlemen were induced, on the recommendation of Admiral Moresby, to raise a fund of moderate amount toward the passage and outfit of Mr. Nobbs, and for the supply of such things as were deemed requisite for the inhabitants. Labourers' and carpenters' tools, a proper bell for the church, medicines, two or three clocks, clothing of various sorts, simple articles of furniture, and cooking utensils, were needed. Supplies of some of these things are likely to be required for a few years to come. It appears from recent accounts, that the crops on the island have lately failed, owing to a very long period of drought.

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, at a general meeting, at which Mr. Nobbs was present, unanimously granted one hundred pounds toward the fund.

The Society for the Propagation of the

Gospel placed Mr. Nobbs on its list of missionaries, with a salary of £50 per annum.

The directors of the Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company generously provided him with a free passage to Navy Bay.

Mr. Nobbs was anxious, before returning to his little flock in Pitcairn, to be admitted to the presence of the queen. As he had friends among those high in rank, arrangements were easily made for his admittance to an audience. Two days before he quitted England, he embarked at Portsmouth, on board the yacht Fairy, and proceeded, by appointment, to Osborne House, the residence of the queen in the Isle of Wight, where he was presented to Prince Albert. His royal highness was very kind, asked many questions as to the island, and appeared much pleased with the answers given.

In a letter written the next day, he says, "Prince Albert was very urbane, and asked me many questions about our island, and appeared much pleased with the answers I gave him. He then inquired what he could do for the community. I said,

her majesty's community had supplied us with all we had need of at present, but that if he would present us with her majesty's picture, including himself and the royal children, we should consider it a great favor. He smiled, and said I should have it.

After a little more conversation, I saw that he was designing to withdraw, and not a word had been said about seeing her majesty. No time was to be lost, so I screwed up my courage and said, 'Will your royal highness permit me to pay my duty to the queen?' He replied, 'I am just going to inquire if her majesty will see you.' After a few minutes I went into the room where her majesty was:" and worthy Mr. Nobbs proceeds to say that he was instantly set at ease by the affable condescension of the queen.

We can imagine the wonder and delight with which the Pitcairn Islanders will listen to the story of their pastor's interview with the Queen of England, and the joy with which they will receive the pictures of the royal family, which have been kindly sent to them by her command.

If, as a subject of the British government, he regards it as a high privilege that he was permitted to approach and address the monarch of a great nation, how much higher a privilege is granted to every one of us, the privilege of drawing nigh to the King of kings, of making known to him all our wants, and of having him make his abode within us! Do we prize this honour as highly as we should?

Mr. Nobbs sailed from Southampton in the royal mail steamship La Plata, on the 17th December, 1852, and reached the island of St. Thomas early in the year 1853 from thence he proceeded in another steamer to Navy Bay. At the head of Navy Bay lies the town of Aspinwall. There is the terminus of the railroad. by which the traveller is conveyed about 25 miles, at a high rate, to the station at Barbacoas, on the river Chagres. Thence there is a conveyance up the river by canoes, about 14 miles, to the town of Cruces. From Cruces the journey overland to Panama, about 25 miles, is completed on mules, over one of the very worst

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roads that exist in the known world. From the island of Tabôga, near Panama, an excellent steamer plies continually to Valparaiso, touching at Callao, a port of Peru.

Mr. Nobbs, though a well-tried traveller, equal to the endurance of no small amount of hardship, experienced a full share of the trouble and annoyance for which the journey over the Isthmus of Panama is proverbial. He had purposely avoided taking much luggage. Not only, however, was the charge of conveyance exorbitant; but, notwithstanding all his care, he, for some time, lost sight of a trunk, which contained, among other articles of importance, a beautiful set of communion-plate, which had been intrusted to his care by a friend at Fulham, for use in the church at Pitcairn. This painful event, added to the ill effect of the climate, brought on an attack of fever, the symptoms of which were slight, until his leaving Panama. By God's blessing this sickness passed away. Through the active zeal of the British consul at Panama, the goods, which had