point, and if you find yourselves destitute of this well-founded expectation of heaven, repair with eager haste to the throne of grace, where, renouncing your sins, and depending on the Crucified One, you will obtain the salvation that is in him, with the hope of eternal glory. (To be continued.) THE GOOD PILOT. "Well, messmate," replied the boatswain, "since we are now upon that tack, and you are high learnt, I'd just like to know how a chap's to square away by the lifts and braces, and trim his sails, and get safe into the good port? ' "The Bible is the word of God," observed the young seaman, "and may be properly compared to a chart. On this chart, then, the latitude and longitude of the good port is correctly laid down; here every rock, shoal, quicksand, and breaker is faithfully and clearly pointed out. The true course is also laid down, and, what is of still greater advantage to poor sailors, the track is marked off on this chart from this world to the broad bay of heaven, so that we may correctly learn our position each day; for there can be no mistakes in this log-book. There is one thing more that is necessary to ensure a safe passage, and happy entrance into port, and that is, we must take on board the heavenly pilot. Now, this pilot is not only an able seaman, but a most skilful navigator; he has never lost a ship, neither has he run any on shore, or carried away a spar or a rope-yarn; but, then, it is necessary that the strictest attention should be given to all his orders; if we fail to do this, he will leave the ship, and there are nine chances out of ten that she will become a perfect wreck on the shoals of destruction. There is one thing more: when you take this pilot on board, you must not doubt his ability and power to get you safe into port; if you do, you will be likely either to disobey his commands, or there will be indifference on your part to obey them promptly; and thus you may weary his patience, so that he may leave you to the mercy of the winds and the waves. To secure the favour, as well as the assistance, of this pilot on board of your vessel, you must attend strictly to his written instructions." "What are they?" inquired the boatswain. "First, you are to relinquish every evil practice, and especially those to which sailors are so much accustomed. I do not say that you are in the habit of committing many transgressions and sins, but then you will soon discover, by reading those instructions, that there is one clause which reads thus-He that offendeth in one, is guilty of all; that is, you can never get this good pilot on board, so long as you voluntarily disobey the least part of these instructions. But, again, there is a full obedience to this part of the instruction; then, you must heave in stays, and get on the other tack, for, as you have been on the wrong course all your life, and could never receive the favour or service of the pilot on that tack, so now you must get on the true course, where you will be sure not only to fall in with the good pilot, but he will then most cheerfully come on board by your request and permission." "Well," interrupted the boatswain hastily, "I don't exactly understand, although I've been boxing the compass for many years, and can work a ship in all kinds of weather, and under any sail; yet, I say, messmate, I don't exactly know how to get this old hulk of mine about on the other tack." Why, as to that," replied the young seaman, "this knowledge is only to be obtained by the written instructions." "Aye, aye," answered the boatswain, “but, then, what's a chap to do that can't read a word in the book? tell me that, messmate." "I will inform you, according to the best of my knowledge in these matters," replied the young seaman. "What I mean by your having steered the wrong course all your life, and getting on the other tack, is this: you and I have been committing sin, and have lived all our days in open violation of the commandments of God; this is the wrong course. Now, what I mean by heaving in stays, is to be sorry for having pursued this course, and then, by sincere and unfeigned repentance, to fill away on the other tack; again, what I mean by steering on the true and the right course is, by making prayer to God, and an implicit reliance upon the ability and willingness of this good pilot to save your old weather-beaten hulk, and bring her safely into port. Then, and not until then, will this pilot take possession of your ship; and so long as you keep him cn board you are safe. Aye, although there are sunken rocks, shoals, and the foaming billows may sometimes dash their crested tops over your bark, and although the thunders may roll, and the lightnings flash, nevertheless, if you keep this pilot on board, attend to his orders, and keep a good look-out ahead, by faith and prayer, he will get your weather-beaten bark safely into the port of eternal rest."-New York Sailor's Magazine. Shipwrecks and Disasters at Sea. DISASTROUS STORM ON THE EAST COAST OF SCOTLAND. Aberdeen, Jan. 11. The east coast of Scotland has this week been visited by a most disastrous storm. Last week, the weather was unusually fine, the wind prevailing from the south and south-west, with keen frost. On Monday, there was a change; the morning was mild, the barometer fell about an inch, and the wind eastward. As the tide rose, a heavy sea came rolling in, and by mid-day it was not safe for vessels to be on the coast. About tide-time, the Union, of Stonehaven, a schooner from Newcastle, with coals, in taking the harbour, missed the channel, struck on the breakwater outside the pier, and in a quarter of an hour was in pieces. The crew were saved by means of life-buoys thrown from the shore. A poor little boy was observed clinging to a spar, then to disappear, and twenty minutes afterwards, when he was given up for lost, he was washed up on the pier, and his life saved. About the same time, the fine schooner Mansfield, of and for Aberdeen, got embayed to the southward, and, having carried away her foremast, drove ashore at John's Haven, near Montrose. The crew were with great difficulty saved; the vessel has since become a wreck. On Tuesday, the wind moderated, and the weather became as mild and warm as if it had been a spring day. The glass, after rising a few degrees, suddenly fell again, and the tide rose to a most unusual height. In expectation of another storm, our life-boat was kept in readiness on the quay, and the lifebuoys were all in order. As night came down, the wind settled in the south east, and yesterday morning it blew a gale, with a tremendous sea. A good number of vessels were seen in the offing, labouring hard, and, as the broken water spread outwards to a great distance, it soon became evident that some of them would not be able to beat off, so as to clear the headlands, and run the Murray Frith. In the afternoon, the Isabella, of Dundee, from Riga, for Ireland, with linseed, had to run ashore on the sands. The vessel took the ground well, and, an efficient crew having manned the life-boat, the whole of the ship's crew were rescued from the wreck. About seven o'clock, the Elizabeth, of Aberdeen, also came on shore; but, owing to the darkness of the night, and the sea making a clean breach over her, the life-boat could render but small assistance, and the captain, the mate, and a boy were drowned; the other men were saved. Early this morning, a third vessel, the Dahlia, of Newcastle, coal laden, came ashore on the sands; the tide being up, the vessel was well beached, and the crew got safely to land as the tide receded. To the southward of the Girdleness, a vessel is said to have foundered on the outer rocks of the Bay of Nigg. From the north, the accounts are of the most disastrous character. Several vessels have been wrecked in Peterhead Bay. At Boddam, near the Buchanness Lighthouse, about nine o'clock this morning (Wednesday), two schooners and a brig were seen standing to the northward, the sea running mountains high. It soon became evident that the brig would not clear the Buchanness. When about three quarters of a mile from the Ness, and about a furlong from the shore, she went down with all hands. The vessel appeared to be about 140 tons, with white paint streak and figure-head. Three or four men were seen in the boat on deck, and one or two on the ship's quarter. Fragments of the boat came on shore shortly after the vessel foundered. It was an old boat, fir plank outside, and painted black; inside a brown-red, gunwales light blue or lead grey; the stern had no ship's name on it. A large vane came ashore at the same time. It was of red woollen stuff, with "C" in white cotton wove into it. About two o'clock, the two schooners got into Peterhead Bay, and were driven on shore-the one is the Catherine, of Aberdeen; the other, the Hero, of Fraserburgh. One man was drowned from the Hero. A brig, with seven men, is lost at the Scores of Cruden. The damage done along this coast is great. The bridge of communication between the Buchanness Lighthouse and the shore is carried away. The barometer, put up here by Lord Aberdeen, is at 28.55, and appearing to rise. From Peterhead, we learn that ten men, who were on the quay in readiness to assist any vessel that might attempt the harbour, were swept into the basin by a heavy sea, and three of them drowned. The coast is strewed with wrecks; twelve ships are wrecked between Aberdeen and Fraserburgh, and it is greatly to be feared that the worst is not yet known. In recording these shipwrecks, two important subjects suggest themselves for consideration-viz., the necessity for a harbour of refuge at Peterhead, and the advantages of the new model in the construction of sailing vessels, known as the "Aberdeen Bow." It is a painful fact that, although the iron-bound coast of Scotland, on the eastward margin, is a most dangerous navigation, there is not a harbour of refuge from the East Neuk o' Fife, at the entrance of the Frith of Forth, to Kinnaird Head, at the opening of the Murray Frith, a distance of 120 miles. Had there been a harbour of refuge at Peterhead on Wednesday, the vessels now lying on the shore there would have been safe, and, doubtless, several of the others now wrecked on the coast would also have managed to have run to it for shelter. Evidence is before the Admiralty of the necessity for such a harbour, and it is generally admitted that, at a comparatively small expense, a refuge could be constructed sufficient to accommodate some hundreds of vessels with the greatest ease. As regards the improved model, there was yesterday a pleasing proof of its advantages. Among the vessels embayed off this port was a clipper schooner, built on the plan of Hall's improved bow. This vessel rounded the Ness without shipping a drop of sea, and stood for the harbour. The captain, finding that it would be unsafe to cross the bar, wore his vessel; and while two other ships laboured heavily, making much leeway, the clipper hauled right out in the wind's eye, and in two hours was at a sufficient offing to enable him to clear the heads, and run the Murray Frith. This was the only vessel of all the ships then in sight that weathered the storm. TOTAL LOSS OF H.M.S. " MUTINE," NEAR VENICE. The following details of the melancholy wreck of this beautiful brig are from a letter written by one of her young officers :- The Mutine was at anchor, waiting off Venice for her captain, when it came on to blow from the eastward, with threatening weather, and the brig weighed, and ran down off Port Malamoco, firing a gun and hoisting the jack for a pilot. This was on the 20th Dec., and while waiting for a pilot the Mutine came to an anchor a considerable distance from the shore. Soon after it came on to blow a heavy gale right on the shore, with a tremendous sea, and her bower anchor having parted, the sheet, spare, and storm anchors were let go, besides two 39-cwt. shell guns bent on ten hawsers. In the meantime topmasts and lower yards were struck, but the brig continuing to drive, the lower masts were cut away, and early in the morning of the 21st Dec., she struck astern. All the guns were immediately thrown overboard, and the water started and pumped out. The terrific sea now made a fair breach over the unhappy wreck, but fortunately, by the help of a studding sail set on the stump of the foremast, she was driven close to the beach. Many breakers were now launched overboard, with lead-lines attached, but they did not reach the beach, owing to the great outdraught. An attempt was then made to send a line by the jelly-boat, but she capsized, and poor Whiting, mate, was killed on the rocks. Rogers, mate, then tried to swim on shore with a line, but he was hauled on board insensible. At length a breaker reached the shore, and a hawser was pulled to the beach, by which, after great suffering, all lives were saved, except Charlton, mate; Burke, assistaut surgeon; Dowse, the carpenter, and James, a marine, frozen to death, besides poor Whiting already mentioned. The writer had three fingers and his great toes frost-bitten, and many of the crew suffered very severely, though all were recovering when the latter left Trieste, on Christmas-day. The Ardent steamer took the crew from Malamoco to Trieste, where they were received on board H.M.S. Spartan. So excessive was the cold, though in the latitude of 45 deg., that the seas froze as they fell on the decks! There remained scarcely a hope of saving anything from the wreck, and the officers and crew were to be sent to Malta, where a court-martial would be held on them. It should be stated, that the first lieutenant and master (the latter, Mr. Maunder, of Truro, or the neighbourhood) remained on the wreck all night, exposed to great danger and suffering, and reached the shore safely in the morning. The Mutine was one of the beautiful experimental brigs built at Chatham, in 1844, by Mr. Fincham. Her tonnage was 428, and during many trials, in 1847, she proved the fastest sailer in the Mediterranean fleet. Poetry. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."-Eccles. ix. 10. Do something, do it soon, with all thy might; And yield thee fruits divine in Heaven's immortal bowers. PUBLIC MEETING AT CARLISLE, IN AID OF THE NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE AUXILIARY. A public meeting, in conuection with the Newcastle Auxiliary Sailors' Society, took place on Tuesday evening last, in the lecture-room of the Athenæum, T. H. Graham, Esq., of Edmond Castle, in the chair, supported by the Rev. Mr. Ward, the Rev. Mr. Hunter, and T. G. Bell, Esq., of Newcastle, the Hon. Secretary to the society. The Rev. Mr. WARD having read an appropriate chapter from the Bible, and opened the proceedings with prayer, The CHAIRMAN said that the object for which they had met together was undoubtedly interesting, at the same time that it was one in which few present had been in the habit of taking an active part. But we must remember that we were a maritime nation, and that upon our navy we depended for our safety, our power, and prosperity. Our ships then must be manued by sailors; and the object of this society was to promote the spiritual good of these men ; and, as there was a gentleman present who would tell them how far it had succeeded up to the present time, he should at once introduce him to their notice. Mr. T. G. BELL, Hon. Secretary, then came forward, and said that he felt proud that the first time he had the pleasure to attend a meeting in Carlisle was in connection with a subject of such peculiar interest as the evangelising of sailors. The object of the society he represented was simply to improve and elevate the moral condition and religious character of our sailors. The means by which they were carrying it out were, in the first instance, by the circulation of the Word of God amongst them; and, to effect this, they employed persons to go about from ship to ship with Bibles and Testaments, offering them for sale at reduced prices. The society had been established about three years and a half, and during that period it had sold to seamen no less than 4,613 copies of the Word of God; and they had also the satisfaction of knowing that these Bibles had been blessed to those who had become possessed of them. They also distributed tracts in the same way, and during the same time they had thus circulated 424,356 religious tracts. The society had charge of the port of Newcastle, part of the coast of Durham, the coast of Northumberland, and the coast of Berwickshire; and they found, as they went on, that sailors had |