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Drifting from the ship, the hum died away: but see that sheet of flame! - the thunder of a gun boomed over the stormy sea. Now the blaze of a blue-light illumines the darkness, revealing the tall spars and white canvass of the ship, still near me !

'Maintop there!' came the hail again; 'do you see him to leeward?'

'No, Sir!' was the chill reply.

The ship now remained stationary, with her lights aloft, but I could perceive nothing more for some minutes: they have given me up for lost!

That I could see the ship, those on board well knew, provided I had gained the buoy: but their object was to discover me, and now several blue-lights were burnt at once on various parts of the rigging. How plainly could I see her rolling in the swell!- at one moment engulfed, and in the next rising clear above the wave, her bright masts and white sails glancing, the mirror of hope, in this fearful illumination; while I, covered with the breaking surge, was tossed wildly about, now on the crest, now in the trough of the sea.

There he is, Sir! right abeam!' shouted twenty voices, as I rose upon a wave.

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Man the braces!' was the quick, clear, and joyous reply of the trumpet: while, to cheer the forlorn heart of the drowning seaman, the martial tones of the bugle rung out, Boarders, away!' and the shrill call of the boatswain piped, 'Haul taut and belay!' and the noble ship, blazing with light, fell off before the wind.

A new danger now awaited me; for the immense hull of the sloopof-war came plunging around, bearing directly down upon me; while her increased proximity enabled me to discern all the minutiae of the ship, and even to recognise the face of the first lieutenant, as, trumpet in hand, he stood on the forecastle.

Nearer yet she came, while I could move only as the wave tossed me; and now, the end of her flying jib-boom is almost over my head! 'Hard a-port!' hailed the trumpet, at this critical moment: 'round in weather main-braces: right the helm !'

The spray from the bows of the ship, as she came up, dashed over me, and the increased swell buried me for an instant under a mountain-wave; emerging from which, there lay my ship, hove-to, not her length to windward!

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Garnet,' hailed the lieutenant from the lee-gangway, are you there, my lad?'

'Ay, ay, Sir!' I shouted in reply; though I doubted whether, in the storm, the response could reach him: but the thunder-toned cheering which, despite the discipline of a man-of-war, now rung from the decks and rigging, put that fear at rest, and my heart bounded with rapture, in the joyous hope of a speedy rescue.

All ready?' hailed the lieutenant again; 'heave!' and four ropes, with small floats attached, were thrown from the ship and fell around me. None, however, actually touched me; and for this reason the experiment failed; for I could not move my unwieldy grating, and dared not leave it; for by so doing, I might in that fearful swell miss the rope, be unable to regain my present position, and drown between the two chances of escape.

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I was so near to the ship, that I could recognise the faces of the crew on her illuminated deck, and hear the officers as they told me where the ropes lay; but the fearful alternative I have mentioned, caused me to hesitate, until I, being so much lighter than the vessel, found myself fast drifting to leeward. I then resolved to make the attempt, but as I measured the distance of the nearest float with my eye, my resolution again faltered, and the precious and final opportu nity was lost! Now, too, the storm, which, as if in compassion, had temporarily lulled, roared again in full fury; and the safety of the ship required that she should be put upon her course.

THE foregoing fragment may afford the reader some idea of the interest which would have marked the entire sketch, (had our departed friend lived to complete it,) in which it was to have formed but an episode. In our judgment, nothing more spirited ever proceeded from his pen.

We pass to a brief consideration of, and extracts from, the private journal of a voyage to Rio de Janeiro, from New-York, undertaken for the restoration of health. We gather from almost every passage here recorded, abundant evidence of the writer's goodness of heart, and amiability of temper; his patience under privation and suffering, and of the fast-anchored hope which he held upon the Christian promises. Even when his 'outward mould-work of nature' was fast falling away, and he was notching his days of misery in passive helplessness, he wore his manly spirit undauntedly about him, and made the most of every rare gleam of sunshine that offered temporary amends for the clouds and mist which were for the most part always round about him. We commence our extracts, (which, we may remark, in passing, are taken quite at random,) with three or four paragraphs descriptive of the spirit with which the author entered upon the voyage. The vessel, the barque Iwanowna,' stood down the bay on the morning of the 25th of June. On that day, we quote from the journal :

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'Boxed about off the Hook, in fine style, until one P. M., when a breeze sprung up from w. s. w., which increased to a sneezer. particular appetite for supper, though not regularly sea-sick. Only felt a little disagreeably. At evening, grew squally and rainy, so I bunked on cabin lockers, and heard the dash of the rain, and the thunder and lightning, and the creaking of the ship, and the tramp of feet, and the quick, loud orders of the captain, without fearing that the ship would fall overboard, and hugging myself with the consciousness that all that was none of my business. Let the old boat burn: I'm a passenger.

'So, as aforesaid, I lay at my ease, and listened, and thought about home, and the family, and repeated poetry, and sung psalms, and finally went to sleep, carelessly. Awoke at twelve P. M. Went on deck. Rain was over; sky clear; and around lay old ocean, in majesty; no land in sight. Seemed like old times; so, having moralized and ruralized, went below and turned in.

27TH. It is still dead calm, (eight P. M.,) and the sea is as smooth and tranquil as possible; but the gathering clouds around I view,' and it looks like a breeze from the north'ard and east'ard.

'Saw this afternoon several Portuguese-men-of-war, and some other small fry. But, oh! the sea in silent grandeur lies outspread in majesty before me, and I now have leisure to contemplate his beauties, and lay my hand on his tail! Got out sundry books, and other 'small stores,' this P. M., and am now luxuriating in an old coat.

⚫ 28TH. " - Fine stiff breeze, though not quite fair, we have; it being s. s. E., and we head of course, close hauled, due east. The breeze, however, is hauling to the westward, and will be fair before night. The air is cool, but delightful; while the sky is clouded, and so,

'O'er the blue sea our gallant barque glides merrily.'

*

'Brought out sundry books, and have made a beginning in my Russia-bound friend Townsend. No place so fitting for the perusal of the word of God, as upon this noblest of his works, the sea: for He alone spreads out the heavens, and rules the raging of the sea, and has compassed the waters with bounds, until day and night come to an end; and therefore, whether again I see my native land or not, may the language of my heart ever be, 'Praise the Lord, oh, my soul! and forget not all his benefits.'

'JULY 1ST. Can it be that this situation, which we all looked upon as a good one, is to be the scene of such torments all the way to Rio? If so, God be merciful to me a sinner! For the idea of recovering health, in circumstances which would kill an Arab, is amusing. Look at my little den, called, in mockery, a state-room. It is a state-room for fleas, bed-bugs, (pardon my plainness of speech,) and a most abominable stench. It was just so in New-York, but Í was told it would be clean and sweet, as soon as we got to sea, and like a fool, I believed it. And is it in that space, 'cabined, cribbed, confined,' with no room to turn over, without hitting the deck overhead with knees or back; with many multitudes for bed-fellows, and with body and limbs scored with bites of every kind, which give me no rest day or night, amid most villanous perfumes; is it there that my fifteen descents, six feet education, and gray hairs, must sleep? Well, it might have been worse!

'Was looking, just now, at our two young pigs, snoozing in a horizontal barrel, forward of the long boat.

"Last v'yage,' quoth Capt. D—, ‘I had three pigs. When they got so large that one barrel would n't hold them, I killed one; when the two grew so that they were too big for the barrel, I killed another; and when the last one lay head and shoulders out of the barrel, why I killed him. There was the end of my three pigs, and I shall serve these fellows in the same way.'

'Alas, poor pigs! Haul in your snouts, and bite off your tails, otherwise you 'll soon get too big for the barrel, and then, my eyes! how your throats will suffer!

'SUNDAY, JULY 8TH. - Another of the days of the Son of Man ; but constant suffering gives me little opportunity to enjoy it. I had a most miserable night last night; was awakened often by my tearing cough, and also by my bites; was insufferably hot and exceedingly

* A chronological Bible, edited by GEORGE TOWNSEND.

cold at the different times which I awaked, and when asleep, dreamed most horribly. Oh! that God would grant me, in my sleep, forgetfulness!

'I am still very weak to-day. My stomach is very acid, and when the little charcoal I have is gone, I shall have no means' to look to, and cannot expect God to work a miracle. How happy a lump of unslacked lime, as big as my fist, would make me! But there is none on board, and no shells to make any of.*

'The breakfast table this morning, having all the breakfast upon it, being imperfectly lashed, capsized with a tremendous crash, breaking almost every thing, and making fine lobscouse of all sorts of eatables; but I'm not in the vein. Have distributed some tracts today, and read in my Bible much to my comfort. What should I do without it! I am also reading every day the 'visitation of the sick,' and try to feel that my present affliction is direct from God. And may God sanctify all his dealings to me, that I may become more humble and meek. I know that I deserve far more than this.

'MONDAY, JULY 9TH. - A change has come o'er the spirit of my dream, for which thanks be to God! An old-fashioned medicine from the ship's chest, yesterday P. M., did what the doctor's preparations have failed in. I slept soundly and sweetly, and without a dream, all night, and to-day, save weakness and some cough, I feel well. Praise the Lord, oh, my soul!

'Pre-haps I have not been lying for the last three hours (now five P. M.,) on an old sail, on the lee quarter-deck, with a beautiful draught out of the mainsail right in my face and open bosom; and there, half asleep and half awake, dreaming away about my dear, dear mother, and sister, and all friends in the United States! Oh, it was delicious! It was something like going to sea passenger, idler, loafer, what you please.

The day is fine, the breeze fresh and fair, and though the sun is somewhat hot, that does not trouble a passenger, while the breeze tempers down the whole. In short, now that I feel well, I enjoy every thing, and feel comfortable; though the breeze is so fresh, and the sea so high, that the barky rolls and pitches beautiful, and so mars my penmanship.

By the by, speaking of fresh breezes, some years since, Captain- of the ship of and for Boston, came out of Liverpool, with a nor'east gale, drunk; and drunk he remained all the way to Boston; carried whole topsails, scudding, when the main with four reefs would have been sail enough. Mates and passengers besought him to shorten sail, but 't was no use. One day, on the Grand Banks, he came on deck after dinner:

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Fresh, Mr. So-and-so,' quoth he to the mate; 'rig out fore and main topmast stu'nsails.'

"Can't set set them in this gale, Sir,' said the mate.

"Very good, Sir; d-n the odds!' quoth the captain, give her the booms, Sir; rig out the booms, Sir.'

Mr. Gould had some years before taken a voyage for his health, and came home perfectly well: he, therefore, naturally regarded his present voyage as a specific for his disease; otherwise he would have been more provident as to a full supply of suitable medicine.

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Saw this afternoon several Portuguese-men-of-war, and some other small fry. But, oh! the sea in silent grandeur lies outspread in majesty before me, and I now have leisure to contemplate his beauties, and lay my hand on his tail! Got out sundry books, and other 'small stores,' this P. M., and am now luxuriating in an old coat. '28TH. Fine stiff breeze, though not quite fair, we have; it being s. s. E., and we head of course, close hauled, due east. breeze, however, is hauling to the westward, and will be fair before night. The air is cool, but delightful; while the sky is clouded, and so,

.

'O'er the blue sea our gallant barque glides merrily.'

The

'Brought out sundry books, and have made a beginning in my Russia-bound friend Townsend.* No place so fitting for the perusal of the word of God, as upon this noblest of his works, the sea: for He alone spreads out the heavens, and rules the raging of the sea, and has compassed the waters with bounds, until day and night come to an end; and therefore, whether again I see my native land or not, may the language of my heart ever be, 'Praise the Lord, oh, my soul! and forget not all his benefits.' 'JULY 1ST. Can it be that this situation, which we all looked upon as a good one, is to be the scene of such torments all the way to Rio? If so, God be merciful to me a sinner! For the idea of recovering health, in circumstances which would kill an Arab, is amusing. Look at my little den, called, in mockery, a state-room. It is a state-room for fleas, bed-bugs, (pardon my plainness of speech,) and a most abominable stench. It was just so in New-York, but I was told it would be clean and sweet, as soon as we got to sea, and like a fool, I believed it. And is it in that space, cabined, cribbed, confined,' with no room to turn over, without hitting the deck overhead with knees or back; with many multitudes for bed-fellows, and with body and limbs scored with bites of every kind, which give me no rest day or night, amid most villanous perfumes; is it there that my fifteen descents, six feet education, and gray hairs, must sleep? Well, it might have been worse!

'Was looking, just now, at our two young pigs, snoozing in a horizontal barrel, forward of the long boat.

"Last v'yage,' quoth Capt. D—, ‘I had three pigs. When they got so large that one barrel would n't hold them, I killed one; when the two grew so that they were too big for the barrel, I killed another; and when the last one lay head and shoulders out of the barrel, why I killed him. There was the end of my three pigs, and I shall serve these fellows in the same way.'

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Alas, poor pigs! Haul in your snouts, and bite off your tails, otherwise you 'll soon get too big for the barrel, and then, my eyes! how your throats will suffer!

SUNDAY, JULY 8TH. Another of the days of the Son of Man; but constant suffering gives me little opportunity to enjoy it. I had a most miserable night last night; was awakened often by my tearing cough, and also by my bites; was insufferably hot and exceedingly

* A chronological Bible, edited by GEORGE TOWNSEND.

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