he would give thirty thousand pounds to be assured that there was no such place!"

"Men may live fools, but fools they cannot die."

"O that they were wise; that they understood this; that they would consider their latter end!"

"Time what an empty vapour 'tis,

And days how swift they are;

Swift as the Indian arrow flies,

Or like a shooting star."-WATTS.

EDITOR.

MISSIONARY ANECDOTES.

Extract of a Letter from Mrs. Wallis, Wife of Rev. J. Wallis, Wesleyan Missionary at New Zealand.

"ABOUT the 16th September, after we had retired to rest, at midnight we were awoke by a lad near our bedroomwindow, saying, 'E te wariki kua wera te ware ongo tangata;' that is, Mr. Wallis, the men's house is on fire!' We instantly arose; and, as soon as Mr. Wallis opened the door, an awful scene presented itself-the flames were raging furiously, and which soon communicated to the chapel on the opposite side. The boy's house and chapel being only a few yards from our dwelling-house, and the wind blowing the flames nearly half over it, we had not the slightest hope of its being preserved. I went into the garden with only my night-dress on. Mr. Wallis followed with a mattrass and blankets to make a bed for me. This being done, he directed the natives-several hundreds of whom had, by this time, arrived-to spread wet blankets on the roof of the house, in order, if possible, to confine the flames to the buildings already on fire; but just as hope seemed to be expiring, the wind providentially changed, and our house was preserved from the devouring element.

"The conduct of the natives on the occasion was truly praiseworthy. Had you [Mrs. Wallis is writing to her sister] been on the spot, you would have been astonished, and perhaps amused too, as well as alarmed. I should think, that, in less than ten minutes, the house was almost cleared of every moveable article of furniture, &c., and placed in the garden in separate heaps, and a guard ap

pointed to each to prevent their being stolen. In the hurry of getting the goods out of the house, no regard was paid either to rank or seniority. Chief and slave, old and young, promiscuously pushed each other out of his way, indifferent about every thing but the welfare of their ('kai wakaako')' teachers. You may naturally suppose there was clamour and confusion enough amongst them, every one being anxious to recommend his own plans as superior to those of his neighbour; some running about nearly naked, with scarcely any clothing on. This, and their strange sounding, which to me was then especially unintelligible, jargon, united a little of the ludicrous with the awful. When the danger was passed, the goods were all replaced in the house without any loss or injury. Thus were we and ours preserved by God our Heavenly Father, by whose interposition we feel ourselves under renewed obligations to consecrate our little all to his service."

Such was the laudable conduct of the natives, who had been some time under Christian instruction; for it appears, that, in the chapel on the Sabbath-day, there were nearly five hundred natives in regular attendance, and nearly three hundred in class for further instruction, and as candidates for reception to the church by baptism, In our next number, we purpose to give a narrative of very striking contrast between the savage and the Gospel-taught natives.-EDITOR.

THE OLD CRIPPLE BUTEVE, THE SPIRITUAL BEGGAR.

(See PILOT for July, page 234.)

From Rev. Mr. Williams's Narrative of Missionary Enterprizes.

"RAROTONGA.-On our return in passing from Avarua to Ngatangüa, our old friend Buteve, the cripple, seated himself on his stone chair by the wayside; and, on seeing us approach, he crawled upon his knees into the middle of the path, and talked in lively terms of the goodness of God in stilling the tempest.' He informed us, that, on one occasion, when an armed party were passing by, he crawled out, and placing himself in their front, said to them, 'Friends, why do ye desire war in the peaceful reign of Jesus the Son of God? Had we not enough of that when we were Satanees? Return to your habitations, and cease,

by your turbulent spirits, to disturb the peace which the Gospel has introduced amongst us.'

and comfort

"Instead of listening to me,' said Buteve,' they called me names, and brandished their spears. I told them that they might spear me, but that they could not spear God, who could conquer them when he pleased; and this,' added the cripple, he has now most effectually done. Our own wickedness brought this terrible judgment upon us; but, having repented of our folly, God has heard our prayers, rebuked the disease*, and Rarotonga is again Rarotonga.'

JEWISH NAUTICAL FORTITUDE.

ABOUT the year 1796, two or three Jews came over from Poland for the purposes of trade, of which second-hand clothing formed a considerable part. After having made their purchases, they shipped them on board a Prussian vessel bound from London to Dantzick, and accompanied them for their better security. At the distance of thirty or forty leagues from the English coast, in a dark night, the vessel was ran on board of by a large ship; the shock of which was so violent, that the terrified captain and crew sought their safety by leaping on board the large vessel, expecting their own to go down, leaving the Jews the only persons on board. The latter recovering in some degree from the consternation into which they were thrown, on discovering themselves abandoned by the crew, totally ignorant of navigation, and exposed to the mercy of the winds and waves, still had the satisfaction of finding that the ship was tight. A consultation was thereupon held, in which the most experienced of them suggested, that he had observed the point of the compass, and their course, on leaving the coast of Yarmouth; that, if they could by any means put the ship about, and endeavour to retrace their course, they should inevitably fall in again with the English coast. In this they succeeded; and, by the help of pilots, were brought in safety into the port of Yarmouth. There they were, to their great surprise, met by the original captain and crew, who gladly came on board, and resumed the direction of the vessel.

These circumstances produced a considerable charge on

* A disease which had been dreadfully mortal to the inhabitants.

the cargo, in which many persons were interested, and of which the Jews must have borne a considerable share. They, however, thought it hard to suffer in this way, after having been the means of preserving both ship and cargo to the advantage of all concerned. But the captain was deaf to all accommodation, and refused them any remuneration for their trouble and risk. The well-known characters of Messrs. Benjamin and Abraham Goldsmid induced the Jews to lay this peculiar case before them; and it appearing to these gentlemen that there were sufficient grounds to claim a salvage of the ship and cargo, they resolved to defend and support the cause of their strange brethren. A long and expensive process in the Admiralty Court was, however, prevented; and by the mediation of some mercantile friends with Messrs. Goldsmid, it was agreed that the sum of 300l. should be allowed to these brave men, which they received with thankfulness; and their generous friends experienced that pleasure, which must ever be felt by those whose benevolent exertions are attended with equal success.

ON A WELL-GOVERNED TEMPER.

It has been said, that "the tempers and lives of men are books which all can read, whether high or low; and they will read them, though they should read nothing else." And shall they be fair and legible, or foul and full of blemishes? Shall they be attractive or repulsive?

Every one concerned for the honour of that religion which he professes (if he love it) will, must be anxious to present such a living copy of it, as may weaken the opposition of the prejudiced.

But gusts of passion, or the acrid oozings of peevishness, produce a contrary effect While a sweet and amiable temper, a temper imbued and refined by the Gospel, will recommend religion far better than learning or eloquence alone can do it.

The unbelieving husband is won and conciliated by the purity, prudence, and tenderness, of his Christian wife. Or the waspish, termagant wife is softened and subdued by the dignified self-command of the pious husband.

Whatever be your place and station-whether master or

servant-remember, that, to be useful to those with whom you are connected, you must keep a conscience void of offence, and a temper free from gall and bitterness. Kindness is the only key to the human heart; and if it be not applied, no other instrument will avail.

When the sceptical Lord Peterborough lodged for a time with Fenelon, the archbishop of Cambray, he was so delighted with his piety and virtue, that he said, at parting, "If I stay here any longer, I shall become a Christian in spite of myself."

Perhaps in but few situations is this sound advice of a celebrated author more importantly applicable to promote happiness than among those confined on shipboard on long voyages. Indeed it may be almost said, that the officers of a ship, whether large or small, have, by their temper, greatly in their power the happiness of those under their command. "Their tempers and lives are books, which their ships' company"-and, to a certain extent, the passengers also-"will read." May they ever be such as to create and constantly to improve their universal happiness! - EDITOR.

ADMONITION ON SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS. THE world also judge truly, that, in the very proportion of distilled spirit, and of the drunkenness which it creates, there are raised up fearful barriers against the reformation of a spirit-drinker. Under the false excitement caused by distilled spirits, the poor victim loses self-control; and in the intolerable languor which, by the influence of the stupifying narcotic, succeeds its maddening excitement, how can he resist the temptation of being once more lost in delusion, by "seeking it yet again?"

Drunkenness is a bodily as well as a mental disease; the stomach, the whole system is deranged; every nerve as it were, and every muscle, is craving intoxicating stimulus and how shall the enfeebled, besotted spirit resist so many, so loud, so oft-repeated calls, which tyrannical appetite is compelling her to obey? Drunkenness brings in its train loss of property, loss of character, loss of health, remorse for the past, terrific forebodings of the future. How shall the poor wretch be supported, amidst