THE LOSS OF THE

"KENT."

5

the go-a-head, of this century.

fame, combines all the solidity of his father (last century) and all The son of such a sire and saved from such a death, Mr. John Macgregor ought (as we thank God he is) to be a consecrated man. He has not only become a great traveller, but a graphic writer and lecturer. His Christianity, while it receives a devout embodiment, is of a manly and robust nature, few men have been more connected with the good schemes of this city, and he is found in many committees, including that of the British and Foreign Bible Society. His adventures in waves and caves, no doubt drew much of their inspiration from being saved from such a wreck. His interest in the spiritual welfare of our sailors, is all the more intense, because the fourth officer of the "Kent” seized him from his mother's bosom, where he had been fastened by a shawl still preserved, and was the first as he probably was the smallest to be put on board the "Cambria." This interest is not likely to be decreased by the fact of his being now wedded to the daughter of a British Admiral.

General Macgregor writes a short but eloquent preface, which seems to be his justification for republishing this little book. The older I grow, and I am now in my 94th year, I am the more convinced of the special interposition of Divine Providence, in the words recorded in the following tract."

The book is an evidence of Christianity, the power of Christianity over the souls of men under the most trying conceivable circumstances, an evidence of men facing a most horrible death, yet finding Christ to be the soul's propitiation, an evidence of Divine interposition, or of a Providential chain where there is no link wanting, an evidence that God does hear and answer prayer. Read of the storms and wrecks rendered in the Bible; and see if God had not something to do with them.

This book is well written, calm and logical, not sensational but spiritual, a book which the great Chalmers might have written, in fact the old general told me laughingly, “Chalmers used to be my pope." (I cannot withhold this little incident; as told me during my very short visit). "I was out for a walk with a young friend who said, let us call and see Chalmers, the minister of this parish, he is an exceedingly clever man and will tell us something worth remembering. He made the most startling and eloquent statement. But at this time Chalmers was not really converted. After some years absence in the army, I heard that Chalmers was making a great stir in the city by his sermons, which were different from his sentiments previously explained to me, I said Chalmers is a hypocrite, and I'll go to Edinburgh and tell him so. I did not yet share his new experience and with these feelings I went to him.

Chalmers cordially invited me to dine and spend the evening with him, and I was a little surprised that he did not speak of personal religion and give me an opportunity of speaking my thoughts. But afterwards when I had found the Lord, I said to Chalmers, how was it you did not speak to me that night about this great salvation, he replied, not because I was indifferent about you, for I prayed before you came for Divine guidance and thought it might be wiser at the present, not to converse with you upon the subject." This little book will not only fascinate a sailor boy, but a man, though he may have a mind as mighty as the giant Chalmers.

When all were preparing for burning or drowning, and just before a man went to the mast head to see if there were a sail on the horizon, Major Macgregor went to the cuddy and wrote in pencil this letter. "The ship the Kent, Indiaman, is on fire, Elizabeth, Joanna and myself, commit our spirits into the hands of our blesseď Redeemer, his grace enables us to be quite composed in the awful prospect of entering eternity, Duncan Macgregor, March 1, 1825, Bay of Biscay. This was put into a bottle and corked, but as the "Cambria" immediately hove in sight, and with her some slight hope dawned, the bottle was left in the cuddy and forgotten. By and by the dreaded explosion of 500 barrels of gunpowder and several hundredweight of highly explosive percussion powder, came, and shortly after, all that remained of this magnificent ship foundered.

Major Macgregor was afterwards sent by his Sovereign as Lieut.-Colonel of the 93rd Highlanders to Barbadoes. But what became of the bottle? For ninteen months it drifted, until thickly encrusted with shells and seaweed, it travelled from lattitude 47° 30 longitude 10o a distance (Captain Custard says) even in a straight line of not less than 3,246 geographical miles, to the south point of Barbadoes.

The bottle would, judging from the known set of the currents, journey south to very near the Cape Verd Islands, and then west to Barbadoes, going a long detour to the south, and this distance is in rough numbers 4,080 geographical miles, and safely landed with its precious cargo at the bathing place, west of Barbadoes. One day a gentleman went down to bathe and saw tossed up on the beach, a bottle, (General Macgregor gave me the details) he picked it up, rubbed it, looked through the glass and saw a piece of paper folded up, broke it and read the letter, he immediately wrote to the General's father in Scotland, enclosing a copy of this strange epistle. Before an answer came back, he by accident, one day heard that a Lieutenant Colonel Macgregor had arrived in Barbadoes and found him out. "Were you in the 'Kent' he asked? I was, did you write anything there? I did. I have it then.

Its impossible. Handing him the letter, (which is still framed and preserved, and which I saw and read a few days ago) Do you know the handwriting? Yes, I wrote that !"

Reader, is it not true? "God moves in a mysterious way," &c. Here is a picture of the ship on fire in a gale of wind, with 641 souls on board.

Look at the picture and conceive this "Kent," East Indiaman, on fire in the Bay of Biscay, in a gale of wind, with 641 men, women and children on board, and no sail in sight! No vessel had been seen for several days previously. A house on fire is bad enough, but a ship on fire in a gale! The "Kent" is hove to, under a triple reefed main topsail, and rolling to such a degree, that everything not secured was breaking away. An officer goes below in the after hold, with a lantern, which he accidently lets fall, and at the same moment a rolling cask of spirit stove in; and instantly there was a fearful blaze. The fire gained on them. Lower ports were opened and great waves rushed in, but as there was immediate danger of her sinking, they were at last closed again, but not before several were drowned on the lower deck! But the fire still raged on.

Then rose from sea to sky the wild farewell,

Then shrieked the timid and stood still the brave.

Between six and seven o'clock, human beings now crowded the upper deck, every moment expecting to sink, or blow up! A man is sent aloft, all eyes are looking, hark he cries, "A sail on the lee bow!" and waves his hat. Three cheers go up from the deck. They try to bear down upon her. The little brig of only 200 tons, hoists the British flag and makes sail. She had been far away on another tack, but carrying away her weather bulwarks she was put about, hence the providential meeting. She had on board twenty to thirty Cornish miners, some of them known to our Missionary Boase, who is a loyal son of Cornwall. But how

to get on board in that awful sea when even after communication was opened ? When the vessels went down into the hollow of the seas, the "Kent " could not be seen from the "Cambrian's" deck. First to get into the boat from the end of the bow, then to the "Cambrian." What anguish, hope, and suspense were compressed into those hours from morning till midnight, when the last boat left with the captain. Some souls still left on board the ship! Then the fire climbed up the ropes, and lit up the masts, and at half-past one the dreadful explosion took place. The "Cambrian " thinking now all was over, and having on board more than 600 souls (on that terrible night a babe was born, and rightly named Cambrian), with only a few day's provisions for so many, she bore up for Falmouth. Strange to say, after the explosion, the old Kent " still floated, and rose like a pillar of fire with every sea. About midnight as Captain Cobb of the "Kent " could neither persuade nor drive any more from that burning wreck, and left himself, the barque "Caroline" saw a light on the horizon, and made towards it. In half-an-hour they saw the lightening of the explosion, but heard not the thunder. On she came to the burning skeleton, and passed close by her bow, when voices were heard which seemed to come from this burning ship. Several figures were still clinging to the mast, and spars floating by the side. The mate and four sailors pushed off in the jolly boat, and pulled through all the floating debris, right up under the stern to save a man roosting under the quarter. He was silent and dropped before they could catch him. They backed water, and took off six men, but this eighteen foot boat would carry no more, so they pulled for their ship. In half-an-hour they returned and took off six more. Returning the third time, the old "Kent" gave her last fatal plunge. Mr. Wallen instantly fixed the spot by a star, and waited for break of day to save any which might be still floating. Every few minntes the men shouted, and at last a feeble voice was heard, and at day-break a mast was visible, with four men clinging to it. Two however, were dead, though one with out-stretched arms was looking toward the boat. The wind again freshened to a gale, so that any others clinging to spars would soon be drowned. Suppose the "Cambrian " had not come till the "Caroline"!

Honours were heaped upon Captain Cook the great deliverer, and he deserved them all. He was a Christian captain, and a Director of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society. Christian captains such as Cook, Walker, Butchard, Campbell, Wiggins, and a host of others since 1818, have been a strength and honor to this Society. A beautiful painting of Capt. Cook was presented to this Society, and is still to be seen in their Institute, Shadwell. It was a happy day for our Senior Missionary, Mr. Lonsdale, when he had the pleasure of bringing a painting of such a worthy from the city to be exhibited in our Reading-room. God give us many such captains!

SPEAK NO BAD WORDS.- -"How is it I don't hear you speak bad?" asked an old salt of a little sailor boy on board ship.

"Oh, because I don't forget my Captain's orders," answered the boy, brightly. "Captain's orders!" cried the old sailor. "I didn't know he gave any." "He did," said Jem, "and I keep them safe here," putting his hand on his breast. "Here they be," said Jem, slowly and distinctly: "I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne: nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.'"'

"Them's from the good old log-book, I see. You're right, youngster," said

the sailor.

A NEW SONG FOR SAILORS.

"Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof."-ISAIAH xlii. 10.

F our respected and much-beloved friends, the Quakers, had made singing an article of their creed, they would long ago have turned the world upside down. Charles Wesley did more for our Methodist friends by his singing, than his brother John by his preaching. Sankey's songs have spread all over America, Britain, and the world, and gone to places where Moody never was known and never will be. David's poetry is much more read than David's prose. Who knows anything of "Toplady's Controversial Works ?" but everybody sings his "Rock of Ages," except some of our Presbyterian friends, who stick to the grand songs of David. We hope this old school will never die out; for they guard the portals of praise. They watch with jealous eye, lest trashy hymns should displace their sacred songs. The Psalms express the deepest and highest emotions of man's soul set to music. All the tragedies, and all the glories, of which our nature is capable seem to be there. They are full of man, and they are also full of God. We do not quarrel with those who only sing Divine songs; if others were to put John's Gospel to music, and sing it alone, they would find many angels to join in the song. But the matter and manner of our songs are worthy of our deepest thought. The great thing is to be in the spirit of praise. Give this spirit then a body. What does our text say about it? Take the thoughts as they lay upon the surface, and in their order. I.-SING.-Now to sing means to sing. Pray means to pray. Believe means to believe. Preach means to preach. Obey means to obey. In reading God's Word, let us be simple and less critical. A safe principle of interpretation of God's Word is, that it means just what it says on the face of it. If the meaning, however, is not self-evident, bring the other principle to bear, namely, that the particular must be understood by the general. A single