SABBATH-DAY. 
383 
no instance, when on fishing-stations, was our re¬ 
fraining from the ordinary duties of our profession 
on the Sunday, ever supposed to have been event¬ 
ually a loss to us ; for we, in general, found, that 
if others, who were less regardful, or had not the 
same view, of the obligatory nature of the com¬ 
mand respecting the Sabbath-day, succeeded in 
their endeavours to promote the success of the 
voyage, we seldom failed to procure a decided ad¬ 
vantage in the succeeding week * Independently, 
indeed, of the Divine Blessing on honouring the 
Sabbath day, I found, that the restraint put up¬ 
on the natural inclinations of the men, for pursu¬ 
ing the fishery at all opportunities, acted witli 
some advantage, by proving an extraordinary 
stimulus to their exertions, when they were next 
sent out after whales; moreover, when the pre¬ 
ceding week happened to have been laboriously 
occupied, the day of rest thus obtained had a be¬ 
neficial effect, by restoring the energies of the 
people, and fitting them for a renewal of their ar¬ 
duous duties. 
* Were it not out of place here, I could relate several 
instances, in which, after our refraining to fsh on the Sab¬ 
bath, while others were thus successfully employed, our 
subsequent labours succeeded under circumstances so 
striking, that there was not, I believe, a man in the ship, 
who did not consider it the effect of the Divine Blessing. 
