NOTES. 297 



village to become less thrifty and prosperous in consequence 

 of the observance by its inhabitants of the precepts of the 

 Bible ? Is there, on the surface of this globe, a more intelli- 

 gent, virtuous, prosperous, and happy community than is to be 

 found in the dwellings of Xew England, and is there any other 

 portion of earth's inhabitants over whom the religion of Jesus 

 Christ has greater supremacy ? Give, then, your influence to 

 aid this cause, and your fellow-men shall bless you, and con- 

 science shall reward you, and your heavenly Father shall wel- 

 come you as his co-workers and his sons. 



B, p. 131. 



A inAT-STEERER in an American whaler, a man of more than 

 ordinary thoughtfulncss and intelligence, addressed an inter- 

 esting communication to the " Honolulu Seaman's Friend," while 

 the author of these sketches was at the Sandwich Islands. It 

 is feared that he has since been lost, it being a very long time 

 since his ship was heard of. The communication referred 

 to, being a slice of a sailor's autobiography, will be a good 

 comment on the text that there 's many a warm heart under a 

 rough pea-jacket. 



When I look back (he says) upon my past life, with all its 

 various scenes and occurrences, both by sea and land, it is on 

 my lips to say, what hair-breadth escapes from death, what 

 deliverances from threatening dangers have I experienced, 

 even from my childhood. Surely goodness and mercy have fol- 

 lowed me all tlie days of my life. 



When a man is placed in a situation where no danger is 

 apparent, where all is cheerful and happy, how apt he is to 

 think and talk lightly of death ; but let him be placed in the 

 midst of the ocean, in a solitary bark, at the mercy of the 

 winds and waves ; let the tempest arise, and the wild waters 

 be tossed by the howling winds, and we will suppose that the 

 ship is trimmed for the storm, her sails furled, her top-gallant- 



