3. The storm then found no daring mariner to brave its fury, and the gentle breeze no repose on the fair canvass of the lordly ship. Age after age, the fowls of heaven and the tenants of the deep held undisputed empire. But now, every ocean is added to the dominion of man. He captures its rulers, he makes its surges his highway, and so dexterously adjusts his spreading canvass, as to proceed, in the very face of its winds, to his desired haven.

4. But, oh! how many have found in these same billows a grave! How many a gallant ship has "sunk like lead in the mighty waters," where beauty and vigor, wealth and venerableness, learning and piety, find undistinguished graves! To these lone deserts of pure waters man pursues his brother with murderous intent-the silence is broken by thundering cannon-the billows bear away the stain of gore, and all that storm ever swallowed up, have been outnumbered by the victims of a battle. O war! when will thy horrid banner be forever furled?

5. Reflection, following the chasing waves, passes on to the shores they lave, and there looks over nations, and beholds men in their manners, customs, follies, and crimes, their loves and hates, their joys and sorrows, their enthusiastic pursuit of wealth, and amazing disregard of Heaven. How interminable and salutary are the thoughts thou inspirest, Ocean! whether we regard thy age, thy beauties, thy wrath, thy silence, thy treasures, thy services to man, thy praise to God, or the scenes which have been acted on thy surface!

6. But while we thus muse and speculate, the glories of sunset fade into sober gray, the billows take a deeper tinge, stars multiply, and soon we stand beneath a firmament glowing with ten thousand fires. Here are vaster, sublimer fields for thought.

"Hail, Source of being! Universal Soul

Of heaven and earth! Essential Presence, hail!
To Thee I bend the knee; to Thee my thoughts
Continual climb; who, with a master hand,
Hast the great whole into perfection touched."

7. How ennobling and purifying is the study of astronomy! How delicious the Christian's hope of soon roaming among these works of infinite wisdom and power, ever learning, adoring, rejoicing, improving; ever becoming more full of God, and of glory, and of joy!

8. Friday, Oct. 23. Sailing, for the last two days, along the coast of Africa, it is impossible to avoid frequent thoughts of that devoted land. How deep the darkness which covers it! How few the points where Christianity kindles her fire! How wretched, even in temporal things, its thronging millions, and how utterly secluded from the improvements of the age! Yet the word of the Lord once resounded along these shores, and triumphed over the vast interior. African philosophers, ministers, and generals, came not behind the greatest of their time. Why, and how, the dreadful change? Verily, there is a God, that ruleth in

the earth!"

9. Friday, 30. The monotony of a calm-for the tradewind has already failed us—has been agreeably relieved yesterday and to-day, by the neighborhood of two ships, much larger than our own-the one English, the other American. The English ship-the John Barry, of London-has 260 convicts for Sydney, in New South Wales. They swarmed on the whole deck, and in the rigging, while men under arms stood sentry over them.

10. There were probably some troops also on board, as there were several officers on the quarter-deck, and a fine band of music. This was politely mustered yesterday, when we were as near as we could safely sail, and played for an hour or two very delightfully. As the music swelled and died away in heaving and exquisite cadences, now gay, now plaintive, and now rising into martial pomp,-it not only refreshed, and soothed, and exhilarated, but awakened trains of profitable thought.

11. They belonged to our father-land; they came from the noblest nation earth ever saw; they were but lately arrayed against us in horrid war; they bore to a distant home a motley crew of refined and vulgar, educated and ignorant, now reduced by sin to common convicts and exiles. And was God acknowledged among them? Did any of them go to him in their distresses?

12. Thursday, Nov. 5. Reached the south-east tradewind, and are going gaily, with a steady breeze, at the rate of seven miles an hour. Those who have not been at sea, can scarcely realize the exhilaration of spirit produced by à strong, favoring wind, after wearisome delays. We had scarcely made any advance for ten days, and were almost weary of delay. When we had wind, it was in severe squalls, accompanied with heavy showers.

13. The majesty of a few sharp squalls, however, repays one for the danger they may involve, and tempts the timid passenger to brave the wind and a wetting, for the pleasure of the sight. Every sluggish sailor is converted instantly into a hero. Every order is obeyed on the run. The lofty display of canvass, which had been flapping against the masts, is rapidly reduced, as the threatening cloud draws on. Regardless of the huge drops which now begin to descend, the captain stands at the weather bulwark, peering, through half-closed lids, into the gathering gloom. Fitful gusts herald the approaching gale.

14. More canvass is taken in; the waves are lashed to foam; the wind howls through the rigging; the bulk-heads creak and strain; the ship careens to the water's edge; and the huge spray springs over the weather bow: then comes the rain in torrents; the mainsail is furled, the spanker brailed up, and the man at the wheel is charged to "mind his weather helm." Soon the whole force of the blast is "Hard up,

upon us. "Hard up!" roars the captain.

sir!" responds the watchful helmsman. The noble thing turns her back to the tremendous uproar, and away we scud, conscious of safety, and thrilling with emotions of sublimity.

15. The rush is over! The dripping seamen expand again the venturous canvass-the decks are swabbed-the tropical sun comes out gloriously-we pair ourselves to promenade and evening smiles from golden clouds, that speak of day-gladdened realms beyond. And now the rolling billows, disrobed of their foaming glitter, quiet themselves for the repose of night, while the blessed moon beams mildly from mid-heaven.

16. "Thou art, O God! the life and light

Of all this wondrous world we see ;
Its glow by day, its smile by night,
Are but reflections caught from thee!
Where'er we turn, thy glories shine,
And all things bright and fair are thine."

Questions. What is the meaning of bass, in the poetry in par. 2? of lave, in the 2d line, par. 5? What country is meant by "our fatherland," in the 1st line, par. 11? What is the meaning of "tropical sun," in par. 15? promenade? What inflection, in par. 16, 3d line, on day? on night ? on thee, in the 4th line?

The Discontented Pendulum.

I. AN old clock, that had stood for fifty years in a farmer's kitchen, without giving its owner any cause of complaint, early one summer's morning, before the family was stirring, suddenly stopped. Upon this, the dial-plate-if we can credit the fable-changed countenance with alarm; the hands made a vain effort to continue their course; the wheels remained motionless with surprise; the weights hung speechless; each member felt disposed to lay the blame on the others. At length the dial instituted a formal inquiry as to the cause of the stagnation, when hands, wheels, weights, with one voice, protested their innocence.

2. But now a faint tick was heard below from the pendulum, who thus spoke :-"I confess myself to be the sole cause of the stoppage; and I am willing, for the general satisfaction, to assign my reasons. The truth is, that I am tired of ticking." Upon hearing this, the old clock became so enraged, that it was on the very point of striking.

3. " Lazy wire!" exclaimed the dial-plate, holding up its hands. "Very good!" replied the pendulum; "it is vastly easy for you, Mistress Dial, who have always, as every body knows, set yourself up above me,-it is vastly easy for you, I say, to accuse other people of laziness!—you, who have had nothing to do, all the days of your life, but to stare people in the face, and to amuse yourself with watching all that goes on in the kitchen. Think, I beseech you, how you would like to be shut up for life in this dark closet, and to wag backwards and forwards, year after year, as I do."

4. "As to that," said the dial, "is there not a window in your house, on purpose for you to look through?"—" For all that," resumed the pendulum, "it is very dark here; and, although there is a window, I dare not stop, even for an instant, to look out at it. Besides, I am really tired of my way of life; and if you wish, I'll tell you how I took this disgust at my employment. I happened this morning to be calculating how many times I should have to tick in the course of only the next twenty-four hours; perhaps some of you, above there, can give me the exact sum.'

5. The minute hand, being quick at figures, presently re

"Exact

plied, "Eighty-six thousand four hundred times." ly so," replied the pendulum. "Well, I appeal to you all, if the very thought of this was not enough to fatigue one; and when I began to multiply the strokes of one day by those of months and years, really it is no wonder if I felt discouraged at the prospect; so, after a great deal of reasoning and hesitation, thinks I to myself, I'll stop."

6. The dial could scarcely keep her countenance during this harangue; but, resuming her gravity, thus replied: "Dear Mr. Pendulum, I am really astonished that such a useful, industrious person as yourself, should have been overcome by this sudden action. It is true, you have done a great deal of work in your time; so have we all, and are likely to do; which, although it may fatigue us to think of, the question is, whether it will fatigue us to do. Would you now do me the favor to give about half a dozen strokes, to illustrate my argument?"

7. The pendulum complied, and ticked six times in its usual pace. "Now," resumed the dial, "may I be allowed to inquire, if that exertion was at all fatiguing or disagreeable to you?"

8. "Not in the least," replied the pendulum; "it is not of six strokes that I complain, nor of sixty, but of millions."

"

9. Very good," replied the dial; "but recollect that, though you may think of a million strokes in an instant, you are required to execute but one; and that, however often you may hereafter have to swing, a moment will always be given you to swing in."

10. That consideration staggers me, I confess," said the pendulum.

11. "Then I hope," resumed the dial-plate, we shall all immediately return to our duty; for the maids will lie in bed till noon, if we stand idling thus."

12. Upon this the weights, who had never been accused of light conduct, used all their influence in urging him to proceed; when, as with one consent, the wheels began to turn, the hands began to move, the pendulum began to swing, and, to its credit, ticked as loud as ever; while a red beam of the rising sun that streamed through a hole in the kitchen, shining full upon the dial-plate, it brightened up, as if nothing had been the matter.

13. When the farmer came down to breakfast that morn