PRATER PRENTISS. 



245 



As to whether the dryness of the climate is being ' of Massachusetts. Early in the Revolutionary war 

 le&sened by tree-planting and agriculture, opinions Edward had sailed in a privateer, and in 1779 he en- 

 differ widely. But the weight of scientific opinion tered the Massachusetts navy as a midshipman. In 

 is certainly against the idea that the planting of trees the Penobscot expedition he was captured and was 

 will very materially increase the fall of rain, although ; confined in the Jersey prispnship at New York. After 

 the popular view asserts that such an increase has [ his liberation he gained distinction by his danpg cap- 

 already taken place. That trees by shading the j tureof a British brig at Castine, Me. Peace being de- 

 soil make the process of evaporation a slow one is | clared ho entered the merchant servant, but in 1 799, 

 certain. The extension of agriculture also makes the j when the navy was reorganized, he was marte lieuten- 

 soil more permeable by rains, and thus stores up moist- | ant. Soon prouioted captain, he had comvuand of the 

 ure in it, and the introduction of great systems of irri- 1 frigate Essex (36 guns) sent to protect Au'orican com- 

 gation-canals, such as may be seen in Colorado, tends merce in the East Indies. In 1803 he was assign 

 to a similar result. 



A comparatively limited part of the true prairie- 

 region is of a dead-level character, though such tracts , 



arc not unknown. But most of the prairies have a! port of Tripoli. Here lay the captured s-hip Philadcl- 

 " rolling" or wavy surface, broken in some parts by phia, which was destroyed by the gallant Decatur Feb. 

 " sloughs" or muddy depressions ; in others by cmtUes, 16, 1804. In August Com. Preble oegan a series of 

 or dried-up water-courses, which somewhat resemble \ attacks on the Tripolitan galleys and gaoboats, which 

 the wttdics of Arabia. Elsewhere there are low ridges j were protected by batteries on the <shore. Though he 

 of sandy or flinty nature, and even considerable areas j inflicted much damage his own looses were serious, and 

 of soft and wind-worn rock, with deep "draws" or I on Sept. 4 a powder-ship intfcficied to destroy the 



was assigned to 

 the command of the fleet sent against Tripoli. Arriv- 

 ing at Tangiers in October he succeeded i averting a 

 war with Morocco. In November he blockaded the 



ravines, which furnish good winter harborage for 



enemy's fleet was blown up by & shot from the shore. 



cuttle. But these are exceptional. 



The prairies arc the great grazing region of the ron and returned to the United States. 

 United States. The varieties of their grasses are fully Portland Aug. 25, 1807. 

 described in Section III. of the article on FORAGE 



On Sep_t. 10 Com. Preble was relieved by Com. Bar- 

 He died at 



Two of their most remarkable animals are 

 fully described under ANTELOPE, AMERICAN (also called 

 Pruisrhorn) and BISONS (commonly called Buffalo). 

 Sej also GOPHER, etc. (c. w. o.) 



His nephew, GEORGE HUNRY PREBLE (1816-1S85), 

 rear-ad tniral, was the son of Capt. Enoch Preble, and 

 was born Feb. 25, 1816. He entered the U. S. navy 

 in 1835, served in the Seminole war in 1841, and on 

 the coast of Mexico in 1847. While commanding the 



PRATER Man has always looked up to a su- sloop Macedonian in 1854 he was sent to punish the 

 perior power, and has sought its favor or deprecated ! Chinese pirates, and in July and August, 1855, he de- 

 its .-inger. That power might be considered as resident | stroyed five of their junks. During the civil war he 

 in one God or in many gods, but the most barbarous was engaged in the blockade of the Gulf coast, assisted 



nations have recognized the power and bowed before 

 it. That communication could be had with the divine 



in the capture of New Orleans, and from 1803 took 

 part in the South Atlantic blockade, sometimes also 



power was instinctive in the race, and some form of j fighting on shore. He attained the rank of rear-ad- 

 worship (however crude) marked every community. | miral. He died at Brooklyn, Mass., March, 1885. 

 Part of that worship was prayer, the speaking of the j His publications were a Genealogy of the Preble Family 

 worshipper to the deity. It took the form of doxology (1868); History of the American Flaq (1872; after- 



1 II ' ,1 *iL 1_ 1 1.1 , _ J i.-nin\ . i rV i f n. 



or supplication, and was generally accompanied with 

 sacrificial rites. 



Revelation has made this instinctive principle a clear 

 privilege and duty, and has exhibited its philosophical 

 connection with man's position before God. It is thus 

 shown to be the expression of the heart's faith, receiv- 

 ing all its value from the truth of that raith, that it 



is not a mere form of words, nor a mere external he was made a judge of its Supreme Court, and in 



1829 he went as U. S. minister to the Netherlands. 



wards enlarged ; last ed. , 1 883); and a History of Steam, 

 Navigation (1884). He contributed the article on 

 FLAG, AMERICAN, to this work. 



His cousin, WILLIAM PITT PREBLE -(1783-1 857), 

 was a leader of the Democratic party in Maine, and in- 

 fluential in framing the State constitution in 1819. 

 On the organization of the State government in 182 



ritual, but a spiritual action, and that all approaches 

 to God without the interest of the heart are abhorrent 



to him. Our Lord, in teaching his disciples to pray, 

 gave as the subjects of prayer God's glory upon the 

 earth and our own supply, forgiveness and deliverance 



PRENTICE, GEORGE DENISON (1802-1870), jour- 

 nalist, was born at Preston, Conn., Dec. 18, 1802. He 

 was educated at Brown University, trained for the 



. , law, but destined to be a newspaper editor. In 1828 



from sin. Under tbe_head of our own supply earthly he established a literary paper at Hartford, Conn., in 

 blessings may be considered as appropriate subjects of which many of his own poems, serious and sentimen- 

 prayer, but the large preponderance of the other pe- tal. appeared. In 1830 he removed to Louisville. Ky., 

 titimis clearly show that earthly blessings should be ' and became editor of the Journal, with which his 

 held in subordination to the spiritual wants of the soul | name is constantly associated. His bright wit and 

 and the world. sparkling paragraphs made the paper a daily favorite 



Warrant may be found in the Holy Scriptures for with the people. It formed a connecting link between 



certainly extemporaneous, while the pny-er offered by I the civil war came his paper, like the State in which 

 the church on the deliverance of Peter and John (Acts he presided, suffered severely. In his later years he 



iv. 24) must have been prepared and learned, or at 

 least uttered by a leader and repeated by the assembly. 

 In no other way can we explain the words "they 

 lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said." 

 The Christian church has used liturgies in all her 

 history, but not to the exclusion of extemporaneous 



gave up the ownership of the Journal, though he still 

 contributed to its columns. He died at Louisville, 

 Jan. 22, 1870. From his writings was collected l\en- 

 ticeana, or Wit and Humor in Paragr<iphs (18>i>). 

 His poems were never collected in a volume, though 

 specimens may be found in various works. 



prayer. (H. c.) PRENTISS, GEORGE LEWIS, Presbyterian minis- 



PREBLE, EDWARD (17G1-1807), commodore, was ! ter, was born at Gorham, Me., May 12, 1816. He 

 born on the present site of Portland, Me., Aug. 15, graduated at Bowdoin College in 1835, and studied 



1 7 A | tlla fl. A .. I ...1 M:.. 1. I>~~l.l.. /i T(T u A\ ... i *l i _4*l._TT_: :..;_ TT . n - jri- TT 



early 



OIll-.l 1 



arn on the present site ot Portland, Me., Aug. 15, graduated at Jiowdoin College in 1835, and studied 

 761. His father, Jedidiah Preble (1707-84), was an j theology at the Universities of Halle and Berlin. He 

 irly settler of that place, a brigadicr-eeneral in col- was pastor of a Congregational church at New Bed- 

 ni:tl times, and afterwards a judye ;,nd Slate senator ford, 1815-51, and of a Presbyterian church in New 



