ambition, or desire of reward, it was to be the noble ambition that carried them forward to the day of the Lord's glorious appearing and kingdom; and made them covet such rewards as He is then to bestow on His faithful servants. Not looking for any crown of wealth or worldly honour-for any such laurels as deck the brow of the earthly conqueror, they were yet to labour, and suffer, and fight, amidst all trials and temptations, in the expectation of receiving a "crown of glory" from the hands of the "chief Shepherd" at His appearing a crown that shall sparkle with unfading lustre, that shall never grow dim with age, but that shall brighten and become more glorious as the ages of eternity roll on.

MY PERILS IN THE SEA.

SEVERAL years ago, after a long residence on the Island of Cuba, I was suddenly called on business to Europe. Time was not allowed me to go by New York, so I had, very much against my inclination, to take a passage in one of the mail steamers from Havannah to Spain. I had little experience in travelling of any kind, and least of all by steamer; and, in my view at least, as strange a lot of passengers, perhaps, never before sailed the ocean as started on that bright April morning. There were about five hundred Spanish soldiers, with their officers and wives, besides Americans, Italians, Frenchmen, and people, I might say, from every nation in Europe.

Accustomed to the quiet monotony of a country house for many years, the noise and confusion, together with the perfect Babel of sounds, distressed and bewildered me, and I was glad to escape to my room. On looking around for a moment, I see two bedsPhew! how close and hot it is-and two to sleep here, in this moderate sized dog kennel! Door and window open, and yet in about ten minutes I am nearly baked! I go on deck to get some fresh air; the bell is ringing furiously, people from boats and the shore are waving handkerchiefs, and all visitors leaving the ship. Presently the steam stops roaring from the top of the chimney— a few dull and measured sounds, as from a distant cannonadewhile everything on board trembles visibly. I look round anxiously. What can it be? "Oh! the engines starting," says some one; and, looking over the side, I see we are beginning to move slowly through the water! A gun is fired, and we are off.

All was new and strange-a new world that I had never dreamt of at once opened to my view. However strange such ignorance may appear to any one now-a-days-travelling being the rule, staying at home the exception,-yet how the seven or eight hundred people on board that ship were to be provided for in food and sleeping accommodation, was a puzzle to me. So long as the sea kept smooth, I felt capable of enjoying the novelty thoroughly, notwithstanding a slight tendency towards sickness, especially at meal time, and when below in that stifling saloon.

A change came soon. The weather, from being fine and very warm, grew colder. As we got clear of the islands, dark heavy clouds began to gather, and hang upon the horizon-showers of rain, such as only fall within the tropics, followed—and at night vivid flashes of lightning lightened up the horizon, showing every break in the clouds, and fringing their edges everywhere. At daybreak next morning the storm burst upon us with a suddenness and fury perfectly appalling.

Of the sights and sounds on board a steamer in a storm when nearly all on board are sea-sick, and everything tumbling about in indescribable confusion, I cannot say much. To be so sick, that you have a sort of indefinite feeling that you could never by any possibility be any worse; and that, instead of the quiet and repose and attention you feel you require and should have, everything around you becomes noisier and more disagreeable, is no enviable condition. I became painfully conscious that every moveable thing had a voice of its own. The engines and screw, with their regular monotonous clatter, seemed tearing away at the ship remorselessly: the stormier the weather, the worse they were, as if remonstrating with the wind and sea for their rude conduct. I could imagine their tireless arms toiling away incessantly, as if they knew a long trackless waste lay between them and home; and that having it all to do against the wind, they were determined to do it speedily and get it over.

The following three days were spent in the most disagreeable manner. The steamer made very little progress; but we, the invalids, getting more inured to the motion of the vessel, gradually became more reconciled to our situation, as we recovered from our sickness and looked forward eagerly to a change of wind.

On the night of the fifth day out from port I retired early to bed, satisfied that my initiation to a life at sea had passed, and that, having got over sea-sickness, I would now enjoy the voyage. Still I could not sleep well, and lay tossing and half dozing on my narrow bed,—the rolling and creaking of the ship, and the measured and monotonous sound of the engines, distinctly heard all the time. Towards morning, however, I must have fallen into a sound sleep, and was dreaming of scenes of danger and suffering in which some near and dear to me were cast. With a start I awoke. It was still dark. I arose and looked out of the window. Nothing was to be seen-no stars, no sign of daybreak,—and yet a strange sort of light, fitful and red, seemed at times to illumine the darkness. I could hear a sound of hurrying feet overhead,-loud voices speaking rapidly and unintelligibly, and evidently in some alarm. I dressed myself as quickly as possible and hurried out on deck, and there a scene presented itself I shall never forget-THE SHIP WAS ON FIRE ! By this time the wood-work around and near the chimney was blazing up fiercely; and I could see the pale faces of every one, except when a larger cloud of smoke rushed up from below. As yet few were on deck, excepting the officers and crew, who were getting out the hose pipes to lead water to the fire. I leant against the bulwarks of the ship in speechless horror for a moment, and

then looked out on the surging sea in despair. A loud voice rapidly giving orders at my side, recalled me to myself. Again I looked round, and saw the decks crowded with half naked passengers, blank despair depicted on their pallid countenances.

As usual, in all such cases, so far as I had read, everything that was required was out of the way. The two fire-engines were below the cargo, and the miserable stream of water the engines threw on deck could barely reach the fire, which, notwithstanding all efforts, rapidly gained upon us. The ship's going head on to wind seemed to increase the flames, and as we were then about 45 miles from the coast of Florida, the vessel was put about for the land. During all this time the saloon was filled to suffocation with smoke, and ladies and children were brought up from below in a fainting state. The scene on board, as day began to break, was heartrending in the extreme- men, women, and children all huddled together out of the way-many of them weeping bitterly; others in every fantastic attitude of deadly fear. One gentleman, who was returning to Europe with his hard-won earnings, after many years in the West Indies, seized his trunk, and, balancing it on the side of the ship, was with difficulty prevented from jumping overboard with it. Still the fire seemed to increase. To make matters worse, the hot water falling on the stokers from above, they were driven from their fires below. The steam, in consequence, fell, and the engines were nearly stopped. The engineers were all English, and worked well. By the chief engineer's advice the decks were cut away around the fire, to prevent it from spreading; and by this means it was kept from extending and eventually got under. So the ship was again put round, and we were once more on our way.

To say that we would all more willingly have gone back to Cuba -a certain amount of distrust having crept in amongst us,—would not be very far from the truth. Some of the deck beams, though of iron, were laid bare and bent with the intense heat; and there was an ugly appearance about the whole place where the fire had been, not very pleasant to look upon. So with the remembrance fresh upon our minds of the danger we had escaped, we were held in continual dread of some new disaster coming upon us, and tortured ourselves in consequence for two or three days; but as, in spite of our anxiety, we held on under favouring winds and smooth. seas, our spirits rose, and we even began to crack jokes at one another's fears.

We were now about six days out, and with fine clear weather, westerly winds, and all sails set, we were becoming more resigned to our position. One morning, however, when the captain came down to breakfast, he told us we should have a change soon. Even then they were beginning to shorten sail, and the barometer was falling; the wind was gradually coming round to south-east, and a slight swell rising from the same quarter.

We had not long to wait for the change. When I went on deck on this particular morning the whole surface of the sea was already white with foam, and everything flying about loose among the sails.

From the hoarse shouting among the officers and sailors-the wind whistling among the cordage-the flapping of sails,-it seemed to me as if the demon of misrule had suddenly come amongst us. The sea was rising very fast; the wind seemed to lift the water in sheets, and fill the air with a heavy rain. The ship rolled and groaned in a way rather surprising to a landsman like myself. In the cabin. the people were holding themselves on their seats the best way they could; while everything that had been left loose in the state rooms -crockery, glasses, camp-stools, and luggage seemed to be all at once animated with life; and life to them was eminently a good practical joke, and great fun! How they did run riot after one another, banging themselves to pieces against the sides of the saloon,-waiting for a few seconds to get a fresh start, and then making a rush to the other side! Two venturesome gentlemen tried to get along to go on deck, holding to a brass rail which ran along the sides of the saloon. They managed, by dodging along when they got a chance, to get about half way; but at that moment the vessel seemed to lift bodily up, and then, with a gradually increasing roll, almost lay down on her side. The treacherous rail at this juncture gave way, and our two friends lay sprawling helplessly on the table.

We had now been about five hours tumbling about. No one attempted conversation, imprisoned there in the far end of the saloon, where there were a few sofas. Nothing could be heard but the noise of the wind, and the thumping of the engines. Now and again a heavy sea striking the ship, seemed to make her stand stockstill for a few moments; then, as if gathering all her strength for another plunge, she made a rush headlong down a steep declivity, gradually to rise again to the sea; and this was repeated continually, varied only by a heavier roll sideways. The captain came down clad in oilskins, and shining all over with water. Even he had

A

some difficulty in scrambling along to where we were. He assured us we were past the worst; that we had been on the outer edge of a cyclone, or revolving storm, and that we would soon be out of it. But there seemed to be an amount of anxiety on his brown, grave face, I could not account for. While he was speaking, one tremendous sea struck the ship, making her shiver from stem to stern. rushing of water was heard above the storm, the windows above the saloon went with a crash, and the sea came pouring down wholesale, flooding everything. Anon we appeared to be lifted high into the air. A loud crash followed, as if something had given way below, and the ship trembled as if she had suddenly caught the ague. The monotonous sound of the engines had ceased, and we lay a helpless log on the water. Meanwhile the captain, without speaking, had hurried on deck.

To feel that our long feared doom had come at last, we had only to look into one another's white faces. There was a dead silence, more appalling than noisy demonstrations of fear or despair. Some of us who could, determined to find our way on deck, anxious to know the worst. The ship was tumbling about fearfully. At a

short distance the captain and chief engineer stood talking. The latter went toward the stern and looked over. "What is wrong?" I asked, as he passed me. With a smile he answered, "Not very much wrong, I think." How I thanked him in my heart for those reassuring words! He went back to the captain and shook his head. The captain came towards us : "We have lost our propeller," he said. Not lost, in the full sense of the word-as I afterwards learnt,―for in that case we could have gone on well enough as a sailing ship; but it was supposed to have struck something, or to have been forcibly broken by the heavy sea. One blade was broken

off by the neck, and the other turned round flat. The two blades having been let into a large ball in the centre of the propeller, and secured there by keys and tightening screws, it was thus rendered of no use for propelling, and a heavy drag upon the ship for sailing.

We were now eight days from Havannah. We could not sail against the wind, and it was still a long weary stretch to Europe. It was not at all a pleasant prospect. I went down to the saloon, and sat down among the rest of the passengers. There were no inquiries-no conversation; we sat in silence, awaiting without curiosity or anxiety, so far as I could observe, the fate that was in store for us, whatever it might be. At 4 P.M., the sea having fallen considerably, and the wind blowing a fresh breeze from the southwest, all sails were set, and we were going along about seven knots through the water. But even this faint whisper of hope failed to arouse the people from their lethargy-none amongst them seemed to care much which way they went, but simply to accept, with a sort of apathetic indifference, whatever came.

As the sun set the wind rose again, and we went along well. There was not nearly so much motion on the ship as formerly, and we felt a little more comfortable. Going on deck after dinner, and hearing some noise, as of men working in the engine-room, I went and looked down. I could see a number of men, as black as sweeps, working, with lamps to give them light, down in that horrid looking place. At one side, the captain and chief engineer were talking earnestly; and with every slight roll of the ship a large quantity of water rushed from one side to the other, carrying pieces of boards along with it, the men sometimes up to the waist in water. They were working away, as I imagined, as noiselessly as possible, no one talking,—the chief engineer looking over occasionally to give some order, and then going back to his old post beside the captain. What could this mean now? I thought.

At last the men came up out of their places. I could see they were starting the engines, which turned swiftly and almost noiselessly round,-not with the same thumping as before,-while all bent eagerly forward over the rails watching something down below them. Then I began to comprehend our position. The ship was making water, and they were using the engines to pump it out. When was all this to end? I was tired of thinking, and would gladly have lain down to rest; but the excitement that was upon me precluded all possibility of remaining anywhere but near this