$42 ISLES OF SUMMER. 
not to be readily identified, notwithstanding their changed posi- 
tions and the increased brilliancy of their quenchless fires. The 
moon, when at and near its full, mounted almost to the zenith, 
glorified Nassau as she lay embowcred amid trees of fadeless ver- 
dure, imparted to the long, narrow, encircling islands a sort of 
weird and unearthly aspect, and illumined with dancing light the 
waters of the harbor and of the more distant ocean. 
Among the stars of those ‘‘ new heavens,” which are unknown 
to the northern skics, and which we especially desired to see, 
were those composing the Suuthern Cross. Many of the Moham- 
medans—the followers of the Crescent—discover in every new 
moon which hallows and adorns the unfathomable and awe-in- 
spiring depths of ether, a divine recognition of the supernatural 
origin of their religion, and are more confirmed in their belief 
in the truthfulness of its doctrines, the wisdom of its precepts, 
and the sacredness of its rights and ceremonials. A Christian 
may be pardoned for carnestly desiring to see with his own eyes 
the universally recognized symbol of the religion he professes 
emblazoned among the stars. In various articles of personal 
adornment—on sword and shield and scepter—in the form and 
ridge lines, and in the internal and external embellishments of 
the largest and most costly churches—upon altars, sepulchresand 
decorative slabs—in knightly adornments, kingly crowns, and 
imperial diadems—and upon national banners proudly floating 
over the land and sea, The Cross has symbolized and proclaimed 
a widely dominant system of religious belief andfaith. Christian 
voyagers 1n southern seas discovered in their lonely vigils this 
characteristic, significant and hallowed emblem, gleaming with 
all the brilliancy of quenchless fires, in those distant heavens, and 
naturally hailed it as a divine token that from the world’s “ be- 
ginning,” when ‘‘the morning stars sang together,” the Great 
Creator had placed upon the sky this prophecy and endorsement 
of the dominant religion of their time and country. 
