14 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. chap. i. 



biquer ;" but as we traversed the Indian Ocean the wind was 

 moderate, and our progress rapid as well as pleasant. The 

 discipline and order of the ship, and the arrangements for the 

 passengers were admirable throughout ; and we all felt how 

 much we were indebted to Captain Lambert, not only for our 

 safety and progress, but for a large measure of the comfort 

 we enjoyed. Our Sabbaths had been more agreeable to the 

 majority of those on board than is usually the case at sea. 

 Public religious worship had been held every Sunday in the 

 morning on the quarter deck, at which the crew and firemen, 

 excepting only those actually on duty, always attended, to- 

 gether with the officers and passengers, forming a considerable 

 audience. The captain read the Liturgy in a manner truly 

 appropriate, after which, being the only minister of religion 

 on board except an invalid clergyman, I usually delivered a 

 discourse. The afternoon I devoted to the sailors and the 

 men connected with the engines, who welcomed my visits 

 among them, and thankfully received religious tracts and 

 copies of the Scriptures, of which I deeply regretted that I 

 had not a more adequate supply, for very few of the men 

 possessed either a Bible or a Testament. In the evening a 

 second religious service was held, attended chiefly by the pas- 

 sengers and stewards or cabin servants. 



The last Sabbath on board was peculiarly interesting. The 

 day was fine, and a large audience had gathered at the morn- 

 ing service. In the afternoon, as I was sitting on the deck, 

 three of the crew came aft, and said they were sent by the 

 rest of the ship's company to ask, as this was the last Sunday 

 I should be on board, if I could preach them another sermon. 

 I assured them of my readiness to do so, and, the captain 

 having expressed his approval, in about half an hour after- 

 wards they returned to say that all was ready. Mr. Cameron 

 accompanied me to the forecastle below. The men had pre- 

 pared a sort of pulpit by placing a seaman's chest upright on 



