would raise-captain, officers, seamen, marines, ordinary seamen, servants, and boys, altogether!"

66

They would, indeed, Captain."

"Sailors have been asleep a long while as to holy things. They make preparation for every other port but the last they will put into, and of that their log says right little. Death, judgment, heaven, and hell, are subjects that blue jackets seldom overhaul. In his own good time, God will take away the scales from their eyes, that they may see. Look you here, boys, at my pocket compass, and see what God will do for those of stony hearts, when once their prayer is directed towards him in sincerity. A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.' And again, As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways; for why will ye die?' The old sea Captain has seen many a mariner spelling over the word of God; and he trusts that the time is coming when thousands of them will rejoice in the gospel of Jesus Christ."

"Poor Jack Tars! They are a hard-working set of people, but very thoughtless."

you

"Put them in your prayers, boys! Put them in your prayers! and when you grow older, will find a way of lending them a helping hand. I feel for them all as brothers, and I want to see them going along the right gangway. There are more Bibles afloat now than there

used to be. Let us hope, and pray, and trust, that God's word will not only reach the hands of sailors, but their hearts. You have had another long spell, boys; so now tack about. You are in good sailing trim, let us see what you can do under a press of sail."

6

"You want us to sheer off' again, Captain. Thank you for all you have told us. Here we go, at the rate

of nine knots!"

"Fair breezes, and God's blessing go with you, my Farewell, boys, farewell !"

young craft

Coming to an anchor-The American skipper-Sailor's libraryPort of London-The wreck of the Atalanta-The great steadiness of Captain Hickey-Every one of the crew saved-Bells of the watch-Sailors' biscuits-Jack of the bread room-Boxhauling.

"HOA! The ship ahoay! You are coming to an anchor are you? You have made land near the roadstead, and you are close-hauled on the larboard tack. You can fetch a safe place till the wind comes round. Mind, my hearties! the top-gallant sails, courses, jib and staysails must be taken in; then, with her fore-top-mast

stay-sail, mizen, and three top-sails, she'll stand on till near her berth. Let go the anchor! Veer away the cable! clap on the stopper forwards! Throw the bight of the cable over the bits, and clap the stoppers on aft! Now, my hearties, up to the yards to furl the sails!"

66

Captain! Captain! You know that we cannot understand you."

"Not understand me! Why I have been telling you how to come to an anchor, and I might just as well have been singing out to the porpoises. Well, boys! what cheer? If you cannot palaver in my lingo, I must just join you in yours."

"We are come up once more to Cape Come-again to pick up what information we can from our good friend the old sea Captain."

"Pull up, then, at the larboard gangway, and come aboard. Let me see; did I ever tell you of the American skipper? a skipper is the master of a small merchant ship.'

66

No, Captain! you never told us: what did the American skipper do?"

"Whatever he might do, boys, there was one thing that he did not do; he did not do his duty: but you shall hear. The people at Nahant, in America, are well known for their industry. I have put into the port myself before now, with a cargo, and found the people ever ready to lend a hand in unloading and loading. An American skipper, on one occasion, returning from the banks with a cargo, passed by a vessel in distress. Indeed, for the matter of that, she was ready to sink,

and gave signals accordingly. The skipper, caring more for his cargo than for the lives of the men in the sinking ship, paid no attention to the signals, and continued his course. It happened, however, in God's providence, that the crippled ship, bad as her case was, won her way through the billows, and reached the harbour. No sooner was it known to the people at Nahant how the skipper had acted, than a party of them rose in a body, seized the skipper, and gave him a round dozen or two, as good as he would have got at the gangway; after which, he was seized, tarred and feathered, and carted about the boundaries of the township, with a label hung round his neck, stating, that he was tarred and feathered for his hard-heartedness."

"Well, really, it did serve him right! he was a very cruel man for his pains."

"A shipwreck is a terrible calamity, and in such seasons, sailors ought to have every possible assistance."

"If ever we go to the seaside, when the ships are sailing away, or coming into port, we shall know more about sailors."

"You are right, boys! You are right, my hearties! Such as have never strained their eye-balls to catch the lessening sails of a vessel outward bound, and never welcomed her on her return into harbour; such as have never seen a ship with towering spars bending to the breeze under a press of sail, nor witnessed one dismasted, shattered, water-logged, and sinking, rolling a helpless hulk in the trough of the troubled ocean