taken by a policeman, and next morning found himself sober in custody. Witnesses testified hard against him, but their testimony was neutralized by the general sympathy of his friends who pronounced him an honest fellow, and by no means addicted to such an obliquity as had brought him to an interview with the magistrate. His wife also pleaded with tears for his discharge. He was released with a fine of 5s. for being found drunk. The cost of court was not exacted. His faithful "rib" soon obtained the amount of the fine, paid it over with a throbbing, but glad heart, and said—“ Come Tommy, come home." The last and most affecting case is the following:-A young man was arrested in the street in the act of defending himself from certain roguish urchins, amused with his nudity and strange gestures. He was brought before the magistrate trembling with cold and fear. When he entered, I fancied there was something in his eye and lip that spoke of a better condition. A kind of dignified consciousness, that circumstances above his control had brought him thither. There was genius in his look— there was honesty-the hasty glances which he cast upon the council, the police, and spectators. His head would have put Gall and Spürtzheim into ecstacies, and his form might have been a model for the chisel of Proxiteles. But then he is a prisoner. Questions were proposed to him ; -"What is your name?-why are you here?-what have you been doing?" He looked about him choked with grief. At length, recovering himself, gave his history in Latin, naturally imagining the import of these interrogatories. The court could not understand him. I volunteered my services as interpreter. He was a Polish sailor-his father an ecclesiastic-his education highly classical. He gave a brief history of his school-boy days, quoted Homer, Demosthenes, and Virgil-told how he had been cast away and wandered like Eneas; and I suppose he felt that the shadowy ghosts which that pious adventurer met in Tartarus, were here substantially to mock and seize, and condemn him. The policeman seemed ill at ease with the favorable interpretation of his history. He was however dismissed, with a present from the mayor, and some trifling contributions from others. I followed him a short distance, gave him a little money and advice, which he received with gratitude, then bade him farewell. This incident introduced me to the mayor and council, and gave me a good opportunity to present the sailors' claims. Mr. Worsfold has accepted an agency for us in Barnstaple, and a few young ladies have taken cards. My recollections of Devon will be sweet. I love its hills and streams, its cliffs and bays, its abbeys and castles; but I love more tenderly, its hospitable people. I value the many friendships formed with them, and reflect with gratitude upon many pleasing and valuable expressions of their interest for my dear companion and myself; and above all, upon their practical proofs of disinterested pious benevolence. May the Lord bless those friends! "May grace, mercy, and peace, abound toward them!" NAUTICAL INTELLIGENCE. LATE DREADFUL SHIPWRECKS. Never in our editorial character has it fallen to our lot to record more heart rending disasters than what are described below. What soul is not moved? What scenes have not been realized in hundreds of families in this country? How many dwellings have been converted into the house of mourning? How many hearts have been agonized and torn with grief? And when the sea is sending forth such a tale of woe through the land, who can refuse to sympathise with the sailors' cause? British christians! will you deny to the sailor the consolations of the gospel? Read-reflect-determine! LOSS OF THE WATERLOO IN TABLE BAY. The loss of life by the wreck of the Waterloo is, we learn as follows:-convicts 143, soldiers 15, sailors 14, women 4, children 14 total 190. So great a loss of life has not happened in Table Bay since the year 1799. On the 5th of November of that year his Majesty's ship Sceptre, captain Edwards was driven on shore and like the Waterloo, immediately went to pieces, being an accursed old hulk on her way home to be broken up. A few hours after she struck not a vestige of her was to be seen. On the same day several other vessels went on shore, among the rest a Danish man-of-war of 64 guns. But their crews were all saved, as in the case of the Abercrombie Robinson on the present occasion. LOSS OF THE RELIANCE EAST INDIAMAN. It appears that the Reliance left Canton on the 7th of May, with a cargo of 27,000 chests of tea, having 35 Lascars and 85 white persons on board. At the time the Reliance struck the wind was fair, and it is inferred from this, that those in command could not have seen the land, the vessel going on shore about 2 o'clock a. m. One of Lloyd's agents states, the number on board to have been as follows:-75 Englishmen, 27 Chinese, and 20 Dutchmen. Among those saved are.Robert Dixon, carpenter; W. O'Neill, of Kingstown, Ireland; Johan Anderson of Laurvig, Norway; Charles Batts, of Dantzic and three Malays. "It is said that another vessel was lost on Saturday night in the Baie d'Authie, when four of her crew perished. She was laden with wine." LOSS OF THE WILLIAM. On Wednesday morning the 9th November, between three and four o'clock, the ship William, capt. Houston, while on her passage from Gloucester to Glasgow, was totally wrecked at Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute while in the act of wearing, during a heavy storm. Poetry. LINES WRITTEN FOR MRS. S, UNITED STATES, Whose Brother was lost at Sea. Not the pearl and flashing gem, Not the beauteous coral wreath, Spoils are scattered o'er thy bed, Yet thou art insatiate, sea! Oh, could tears recal the dead, They would win mine own from thee. But thy stormy billows rise, Coldly mocking at my sighs. Dark, untamed, unfeeling power, Gold and wrecks, they are thy dower, 'Neath thy treacherous waves to keep. But the warm, the youthful heart, Claim not, 'tis another's part. Thou must yield thy captured life, Summoning the dead to rise! "By His might who walked the wave," Then a sister's eye shall see, And a wife her lost one find, Then shall cherub infancy,* Like a living star enshrined, In a father's bosom be, Where there shall be no more sea. TO THE MEMORY OF A FRIEND Devoted to the welfare of Seamen. Friend of the sailor, art thou gone from earth? Nor soothe his sorrow, when in deep distress? The lost brother's child, who died before him. Friend of the sailor, is it true that thou But though thou'rt gone, yet thy works still shall live, Thou labored hard and many times, For the poor sailor, comforts sacrificed; But now your great reward appears in view,- Methinks I hear thee speak, as from the tomb, You need not leave your homes and friends most dear, Yes! pray, collect, and of your substance give, The Saviour will your efforts bless, and souls shall live. THE END OF TIME. Rev. x. 6. Behold the angel stand Upon the sea and shore, And loud proclaim with lifted hand, There shall be time no more. Hear the loud trumpet sound! The globe is wrapt in fire! Before their Maker's voice The heav'ns themselves pass and expire, The Judge ascends his seat; Before him nations come; Ten thousand times ten thousand meet To hear the gen'ral doom. List to the silence dread! No voice, no sound is heard: And nought but God appear'd, POETRY. Hear ye those rapturous sounds? Those dismal piercing cries! Lord Jesus! save my soul, And hide me in that hour; When earth's funereal bell shall toll, And time shall be no more. THE SAILOR'S PLEA. With due thanks to my brethren on shore Will they suffer me yet to implore Their kind help for the sons of the sea? I'll not talk of TORNADOES dire, Nor the dread whirlwind's foundering swell- Nor the rock-stricken keel, fast aground- Nor the terrific breakers' death sound- Nor the "brain spattering" cannon's dark frown-- Nor the SCREAM, as the conquered sink down- Nor the PIRATE's hands buried in gore- Nor the wretch sold and chained to the oar- Of wrecks on rude rocks-stormy seas-savage shore- No!-of woes such as these I'll not tire your ear, Sailor's sorrows full oft have claimed SYMPATHY's tear. J*. T* |