CAPTAIN KING AND THE BATHURST. 113 



various perils that environed his devoted ship. As 

 the * Bathurst' swept past the neighbouring shores 

 - — covered with the strange forms of the howling 

 savages who seemed to anticipate her destruction, 

 and absolutely within the range of their spears — 

 drifting with literally giddy rapidity towards the 

 fatal rocks, what varied thoughts must have flashed, 

 crowding an age within an hour, upon the mind of 

 her commander ? It seemed that all evidence of what 

 his own perseverance, the devotion of his officers, 

 and the gallantry of his crew, had accomplished 

 for the honour of their common country, would in 

 a few brief moments be the prey of the rapid, the 

 spoil of the deep ; and yet, while many a heart 

 sent up its voiceless prayer to Him, " whose arm is 

 not shortened that it cannot save," believing that 

 prayer to be their last — not a cheek blanched — not 

 an eye quailed ! But the loving-kindness of omni- 

 potent mercy rested even upon that solitary ship, 

 and within a few yards of the fatal rock, one momen- 

 tary breath of wind, proved His providential care, 

 for those from whom all hope had fled ! I shuddered 

 as the events Captain King has recorded, rose up 

 in palpable distinctness to my view, and afterwards, 

 in memory of that day, called the channel " Escape" 

 — to the sound itself we gave the name of 

 " King's," in the full confidence that all for whom 

 the remembrance of skill and constancy and cou- 

 rage have a charm, will unite in thinking that the 



VOL. I. I 



