GOOD ADVICE TO SEAMEN AND OTHERS.

Oahu, October, 1849. Dear Sir,-With your permission, I wish, through the Friend, to say a few words to my fellow-voyagers on the sea of life, relative to the chart that is given to guide us to the haven of eternal rest. When reading the book, "Two Years before the Mast," I was gratified with the account the author gave of his method of shortening the time of his solitary watch on deck, viz.-by revolving, or reciting mentally, various things previously committed to memory, among which he mentioned portions of the Bible.

Having been accustomed more than thirty years to spend much of the time occupied in solitary walks and rides, and also wakeful hours of the night, in reciting mentally parts of the sacred Scriptures, I can recommend the practice with the utmost confidence in its utility, not merely in enabling those who pursue it to pass the time pleasantly, but more especially for its salutary effect on the mind and heart. And as the sons of the ocean have ordinarily more leisure hours than most others, I am anxious to persuade them to try the experiment. In order to this, it will be necessary for those who have not previously attended to it, to begin by treasuring up in their mental storehouse the portions of Scripture to be recited and pondered. I say pondered, for I would not have any one recite merely, but give the mind full liberty to dwell on any sentence that, at the time, might present a new or striking thought. I feel persuaded that, by doing so, new and soulcheering views of Divine truth would be obtained, such as tend to encourage in the hour of danger, and raise the heart above all fear, except the fear of "Him who has power to destroy both soul and body" for ever.

Although all Scripture is of Divine origin, and therefore profitable for instruction, yet as some parts are more plain and striking than others, I beg leave to recommend a few passages which I deem peculiarly so. To the young, and to those who have good memories, I would recommend the following chapters:

Genesis, the first three, and the 44th and 45th; Exodus 20th; Job 4, 5, 11, 38, 39, and 42; Psalms, the first five, 11, 15, 19, 23, 24, 25, 27, 32, 34, 46, 51, 53, 56, 57, 91, 103, 104, 116, 121, 125, 139, 145, 146; Proverbs 1, 2, 6, 7, and 9; Isaiah 40, 53, and 60.

In the New Testament-Christ's sermon, in the 5th, 6th, and 7th of Matthew; John 1, 3, 14, 15, 16, and 17; Romans 3, 5, 8, and 12; Hebrews 10 and 11; Revelations 1, 21, and 22.

To those who have not a well-grounded hope that they are Christians, I would say, begin with the passages named in the New Testament, for there the way to be saved is most clearly pointed out.

To the aged, and those whose memories are poor, I would recommend as follows:-Genesis, 1st chapter, with the first three verses of the 2nd; 3rd, the first seven and the last three verses; Psalms 1, 103, 116, and 139'; and the chapters above specified in the New Testament.

Now, let no one be discouraged by the number of chapters and psalms pointed out, since all who begin can stop when they choose. And no one should be discouraged because his memory is treacherous; this will improve by practice. If you have no experience in committing, your memory may at first act like a green-hand on shipboard; but by practice you will find it will soon "know the ropes." Still, to secure what you learn, it should be accurately and thoroughly committed, and often repeated the oftener the better. Having found this a delightful employment, both at sea and ashore, I am very desirous that you should all share with me in this privilege. "O taste, and see that the Lord is good. The words of the Lord are puro words; more to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honey-comb." Yours very sincerely, SENEX..

Honolulu Friend.

WRECK OF THE SHIP MARY FLORENCE.

The annexed interesting details, relative to the loss of the ship Mary Florence, on the Arabian coast, have been furnished by Messrs. Henry and Calvert Toulmin, owners of the vessel.

The Mary Florence left London for Aden on the 16th of February last, with coals, which she had taken on board at Shields. She was quite a new ship, copper-bottomed, and this was her first voyage, her cargo being for the depôt of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, at Aden. Her master, Captain Christopher Short, it seems, had a small share in the vessel. He was accompanied by his wife, a lady of very respectable connexions residing at Blyth, in Durham; and the crew consisted of first and second officers, carpenter, steward, and twelve seamen. The ship, we understand, sighted the Comoro Islands, in the Mozambique Channel, on the 25th of May, and Cape Guardafui on the 3rd of June. The latter is a headland forming the extreme eastern portion of the African coast, a few hundred miles southeast of the port of Aden and the entrance of the Red Sea. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when the Cape, as the master supposed it to be, was sighted, though, from what has since transpired, it is evident he was mistaken, and that he had taken the top of a high mountain inland for the headland at the point. The course of the ship was north-west by north, while the point of land round which they had to bear stood north-north-west. She had her topsail single-reefed, top-gallant sails set, and was running about nine miles per hour, with a smart wind blowing south-west. She continued in this course till about twenty minutes after ten o'clock at night, when the crew were startled by the ship striking heavily, and discovered, to their utter amazement, that she had run ashore. The impression on their minds just before was that they had rounded the Cape, and were bearing up for Aden. Attempts were instantly made to get the vessel off, but without success. A heavy sea and a strong current running in from the Indian Ocean swept the ship in towards the land. Next morning some of the natives swam off to the vessel, and appeared friendly, offering to render assistance. The master, finding he could not get the vessel off, accepted their aid, and with some of his crew contrived to get an anchor ashore, and bent a hawser to it, securing the other end to the mast head. On the following day, the 5th, the sea increasing and beating over the stern of the ship, the stores and sails were got ready to send ashore, and by means of the hawser the first officer gained the beach, and two seamen followed, when those on the deck commenced floating the stores to them. The natives exhibited every desire to assist, and in the course of the afternoon large numbers came down to the beach. Most of them were armed, and a chief headed them. The latter displayed the same feeling as the others, and appointed a guard to protect the property that had been got ashore. The next day, the same friendly spirit being evinced, the master continued to send his stores ashore, and in the afternoon it was determined to effect a safe passage along the hawser for Mrs. Short, as the weather was becoming boisterous. By means of slings attached to the hawser she was conveyed to the shore in safety. Captain Short was about to follow, when the unfortunate lady, notwithstanding the protection of the first officer and seamen, was at once seized by the Arabs, and apparently, to those in the ship, was carried away, the natives at the same time attacking the crew with spears, and driving them into the sea. The chief officer got hold of the hawser that communicated with the ship, and was making an attempt to gain it, when the natives rushed forward and cut the rope. He was consel quently precipitated into the sea, and must have perished had not one of the seamen swam to his assistance, and brought him into shallow water. Captain Short had the pinnace instantly launched, and was in the act of jumping into it, with one or two of his men, to go to his wife's assistance, when a sen struck

the boat, and broke her away, and she was carried ashore. The moment the boat touched the shore it was seized by the natives, who got into it and endeavoured to push off, as it was supposed, to board the vessel; but owing to a very heavy ground-swell, as soon as they got off, the boat was carried back again farther up on the beach. Already had the plunder commenced. The stores and goods that had been landed were scattered in all directions, and a general scuffle took place among the natives in their endeavours to possess themselves of the property, amidst yells and cries of exultation. Captain Short was most anxious to afford assistance to his unfortunate wife, but it was impossible, with the few hands he had with him, to make any endeavour to rescue her, all the fire-arms and ammunition having been sent ashore. The captain and the men who remained on board were on deck the whole night, in the hope of meeting with an opportunity to gain the beach in the long boat, but they were deterred from making the attempt, in consequence of the hostile attitude assumed by the natives.

In the course of the night shrieks were heard from the shore, which were supposed to proceed from Mrs. Short and the men belonging to the ship. Next morning the chief and his followers were seen strutting about in the articles of European clothing they had stolen from the ship's stores. Captain Short, expecting an attack would be made on the vessel, resolved to launch the longboat and abandon the wreck. This was accordingly done, and, putting into the boat all the provisions that remained, the crew shoved off, and anchored about 300 yards from the ship. The natives soon afterwards swam off to the vessel in great numbers, and boarding her, proceeded to strip her of everything that was valuable. Having completed this outrage they attempted to gain possession of the longboat, and would have succeeded had not the crew immediately put out to sea. Having a fair wind for Aden, the boat in two days gained eighty miles up the coast, when, the wind veering to the N.W., she was driven back. An effort was then made to obtain fresh water from a place called Cape Felix, but the natives came down to the beach, and drove the hapless mariners away. About ten miles lower down, however, they succeeded in getting ten gallons of water at the price of a gold watch and other valuables. They then took a course down the coast of Africa, enduring horrible privations. The allowance of water was only one gill per day each man, with hardly anything to eat. On the 19th of June they anchored about 300 yards from the shore, in a small bay about 100 miles south-east of Cape Guardafui. In this bay, it appears, a vessel named the Dewan was lying, though the crew of the Mary Florence were not aware of her proximity. The natives swam to the boat, and plundered the unfortunate seamen of their money, a chronometer, sextant, and other articles. One of the natives, who could speak a little English, offered to apprise the people of the Dewan of the condition of the unfortunate sufferers. Captain Short immediately wrote a note, which the native undertook to deliver, and on the following day the master (Mr. J. Reed Jefferies) came overland to the assistance of his countrymen. In weighing the longboat anchor a sudden squall capsized it, and one of the crew was unfortunately drowned. Mr. Jefferies at once obtained a supply of food for Short and his men, who were almost reduced to a state of starvation. Mr. Jefferies, hearing of the infamous conduct of the natives, sought out the chief and complained, but he found that the chief participated in the plunder. Indeed, it was found necessary to pay a ransom of £4 for the boat before the natives would deliver it up. As soon as possible Mr. Jefferies got the crew over to his vessel, and in a few days sailed for Muscat. There Captain Short and his men received the greatest kindness and hospitality, the son of the Imaum placing 120 dollars at their disposal, and other parties affording every assistance that was desirable.

As soon as Captain Short had partially recovered from the exposure and privation he had endured, during the fifteen days and nights he had passed at

sea in the longboat, he obtained a passage to Bombay, and on his arrival there be at once communicated the circumstances of the wreck to the Government authorities, and prevailed on them to despatch a steamer to rescue his unfortunate wife and the remainder of his crew, whom he supposed to be in the hands of the natives at Cape Guardafui. Just, however, as the steamer was about starting on the expedition, intelligence arrived from Aden to the effect that a portion of the crew had been taken off the coast by Captain Ramsay, of the Columbia, on the 12th of August, but that the remainder, and also Mrs. Short, had perished in an attempt to escape from the natives. A letter received from Captain Ramsey observes, that when his vessel was off the village of Alsla, near Cape Felix, on the Soowall coast, he was hailed from a canoe, which proved to contain the steward of the wrecked vessel. Learning from him that the chief officer of the ship and two seamen were in the hands of the natives, Captain Ramsay despatched his boat to bring them aboard, but the chief refused to deliver them up unless he received 130 rupees ransom-money. This demand was complied with, and the men were taken on board, and landed at Aden.

The owners of the Mary Florence have learned the names of those who perished with the captain's wife-namely, Mr. Wishart, the second officer; Samuel Williams and Thomas Jones, seamen. Those taken on board the Columbia were the chief mate, Junius Perkins; steward, David Roberts, and John M'Kinnon.

It is now ascertained that poor Mrs. Short, with the other sufferers, met their sad fate on the evening of the same day that they landed from the wreck. The natives stripped Mrs. Short of her rings, ear-rings, and other jewellery, and also took from her 120 sovereigns. She managed afterwards to free herself from them, and rushed down to the beach, where a portion of the crew were assembled. They managed to get to the boat, and, although there were no oars in it, at the earnest entreaties of Mrs. Short it was determined to make an attempt to regain the ship. The boat was got off, but was swamped by the heavy surf, and the seamen who accompanied her met with a watery grave.

The spot where the ship was wrecked is on the same part of the coast where the East India Company's steamer Memnon was lost some few years since.

The Mary Florence was nearly 600 tons burden, and cost £12,000. She was partially insured at Lloyd's.

WRECK OF THREE INDIAMEN.

By the arrival of the overland mail from India, on Friday afternoon, October 4th, the underwriters at Lloyd's were put in possession of information relative to the loss of three first-class ships employed in the East India trade, namely, the Manchester, 600 tons, bound for London; the Ariadne, 700 tons, of Greenock, bound for Liverpool; and the Nereid, 700 tons, of London.

That of the Ariadne created the deepest regret, the intelligence leaving very little doubt that all hands, together with some passengers, met with a watery grave. The unfortunate ship, we are given to understand, sailed from Calcutta for England in the latter part of July, with a valuable freight on board. About three weeks afterwards, some vessels bound to Calcutta, in passing near Palmyra Point, on the Indian coast, discovered a wreek, which, on examination, proved to be that of the Ariadne. No living creature, however, was to be seen on the wreck, or in any other place near it, and she was fast breaking up. Immediately on the melancholy news reaching Calcutta, the authorities despatched a Government steamer to the

A few

spot, with instructions to ascertain, if possible, the fate of the crew. hours before the mail steamer started for England, the steamer returned to Calcutta, with intelligence confirming the loss of the ship and cargo, and that great doubts existed regarding the fate of those belonging to the ship. The chief mate of the Ariadne was picked up on a spar by the steamer off the coast, forty miles southward of the place where the ship was lost. The poor fellow was in a shocking state of exhaustion. He had been twelve days exposed, subsisting entirely upon berries. As far as could be gleaned from him, it appeared that the master and crew had been carried out to sea on a raft in a gale of wind. The steamer went in search, and after several days' cruising returned to Calcutta. It is reported there were from thirty to forty persons on the raft, and, from the violent state of the weather when it was driven out to sea, it is doubtful whether any of them survive. Still, hopes are entertained that they may have been picked up by some vessel. The ship and cargo are valued at £30,000.

The Manchester, Indiaman, was wrecked on the Saugor Islands, on the 6th of August, a few days' sail from Calcutta. Several of her crew met with injury by the falling of her mainmast, after the ship struck, but all hands were fortunate enough to escape in the boats before the vessel broke up. It is considered a very heavy loss. She was the property of Messrs. Wade and Co., merchants in the city, who are said to be insured.

The other unfortunate ship, the Nereid, foundered on the morning of the 9th of July last, in lat. 34 52 S. In a tremendous gale of wind she encountered some days previous she sprang a leak, and eventually the crew were compelled to take to the boats, the ship going down head foremost within an hour afterwards. The gale had not abated when the boats left, and it was with great exertions they were got to a vessel, the Emperor, from Calcutta, the master of which had hove his ship to, and remained by them from the previous night. They were taken on board, and received every kindness. The Nereid belonged to Messrs. Phillips and Co., of the city. The loss of the three ships is calculated to exceed £100,000.

Miscellaneous.

A MERCIFUL DELIVERANCE.

Exeter, Devon, 17th Sept., 1850. Dear Sir, I was much interested by reading the account in your magazine for this month of the providential escape of the French mariners at Scilly, in November, 1840, because I have to raise my Ebenezer for similar over-ruling Providence in my favour, when wrecked on the rocks at Scilly, in October, 1795. On that occasion I was preserved from three perilous situations, and, like Paul, was a night and a day in the deep. But the narrative induced me to refer to my journal (now before me) when day-mate of the Tremendous, flag-ship at the Cape of Good Hope. I give the following quotation :

20th January, 1798, p.m., fresh breezes and squally; at 11, violent squalls, taking us first on the bow, then suddenly on the broadside, and the squalls being so variable, we considered it to be somewhat of a hurricane (such storms had not been usual at the Cape); a.m., hard squalls between S.E. and S. W., the ship steering so wildly that we parted the small bower cable, let go the sheet anchor, and brought up both anchors ahead. A schooner lying in shore in ballast was blown over, and lay bottom up; a large Dutch Flight was fouled by a ship driving on her, and injuring her channels, and a squall blew her main-mast over the side. Many of the officers being on shore, the commanding officer asked me if I thought I could get on shore to inform the admiral of the state of the ship, to order the officers on board;