cessible. Plundering was always his delight. but now the abundance of stuff distressed his mind, since he could carry off so little in comparison with the much that must be left behind. To travel with a trunk or load, over the rugged mass of ice that surrounded the wreck, was impracticable; but he determined to carry off as much as he could. To this end he put on several shirts and various other articles of wearing apparel, completing his equipment with one of the captain's uniform coats, mounted with gold epaulets. A pair of large plated candlesticks next fell in his way, which he mistaking for silver, determined to save if he saved himself. Being now tolerably well laden, and having again drunk from the wine cases, he and his companion quitted the wreck, without knowing whither they were going, and, indeed, without understanding the nature and time of the tide. The consequence was, that soon after they left the vessel, they found the ice in motion, and themselves scarcely able to proceed in any direction. H.'s difficulties were of course much increased by the load of clothes on his back, as well as the lumber in his hands; but he seemed utterly insensible to every thing, except saving his pillage, and giving vent to his reprobate feelings, and now more than usually blasphemous mind. Oaths, dreadful oaths and curses, continued to be poured forth from his lips, until one of the massy pieces of ice, on which he stood, clave under him,* not unlike the earth, when it opened and swallowed up Korah and his associates, and he descended with his

*Not from the natural effect of his weight on it, but from the concussion of the surrounding mass or field of ice then in motion.

plunder in his hands, and his oaths on his tongue-and the ice closed upon him, and he was seen no more.

The poor loutish landsman, who at a small distance witnessed and escaped his fate, was exceedingly shocked at what had happened; nor was he much less terrified under the apprehensions of his own danger. He saw no prospect of escaping by land; and, indeed, there was not, at that time, any refuge from impending destruction, but what the wreck itself offered. Thither a gracious Providence directed his attention, and, contrary to all human expectation, enabled him to regain it before the night closed upon him. Here he continued for four or five days, until he was rescued from his solitary and dreary abode by some of the crew who remained at the island. To them, with much honest simplicity, he related the foregoing particulars of himself and the unhappy G. H.

Mr. Z. was a brother-midshipman and messmate in the E, during the eventful period of three years which I passed in that ship.* He had enjoyed the privilege of a religious education, and the edifying example of pious parents; he knew his Master's will, but he did it not. His father, who was employed in a very respectable mercantile line, was desirous of bringing up this, his only son, to the knowledge and future emolument of his business; but Mr. Z. soon broke through all restraint, and proceeded to such lengths, as to make it necessary he should leave town. Interest was then made with Captain W- and he was received on

* See Chap. VI.

board as midshipman, not long before we sailed for the Mediterranean. It is but justice to say, that, so far as public naval duty was concerned, he did better than some I have known; but as to his moral conduct, it was awfully depraved. Religion was the constant butt against which he levelled his wit and ridicule. He mimicked the frailties of some good men, and burlesqued the devotions of others. Several times the Lord permitted him to be so filled with his own ways, and so to feel the effects of his vicious course of life, as to be brought to the very brink of eternity. The calls of Providence to him were many and pointed; but he resisted them all with steady persevering success. Not one expression of repentance-not one sign of contrition do I recollect as ever having escaped him on any occasion. For the last two years we were together, my Burder's Village Sermons, and a borrowed Bible, were often on our mess-table. But poor Z. not only refrained from reading them himself, but he greatly opposed others, whom he saw occasionally disposed to look into them. Indeed, such was his profane abuse of sacred things, as to shock the minds of some, who were neither conscientious, nor even moral characters.

Thus he went on from bad to worse, until our return to England, when I joined the D Mr. Z. was ordered by the port-admiral to repair on board the Y— a circumstance as unexpected as it was contrary to his wishes. Our ships put to sea at the same time-stormy weather followed-the squadron was sepated-the Y- was lost-and Mr. Z. and all on board, to the number of five hundred, perished together.

A. B. was a seaman belonging to my last ship, the C- He was what the thoughtless part of the crew called a jovial good fellow; i. e. he was ever ready to take the lead in drunkenness, swearing, filthy conversation, lewd songs, and lewder practice. Religion, and religious characters, were, of course, objects of his contempt. With astonishment he had seen some of his old companions in vice become new creatures; and there were seasons, wherein he would listen, at a distance, to what was passing among the serious men in the wing— seasons, wherein his conscience smote and condemned him for the life he led. But he loved sin, and was determined to silence that conscience. He therefore not only did evil himself, but seemed to take pleasure in others who did the same. In this spirit, about two days before his death, he went to one of his most profligate and favourite companions, and prefacing what he had to advance with a volley of oaths, said, "H. you know now that Mr. Ms tells us there is a broad road and narrow one, and you, you old and I are in the

broad one."

This was uttered with all that bravado and apparent glorying in iniquity which is peculiar to fools who make a mock at sin.

The second or third night after this his awful declaration, I was ordered on service, with some other officers of the fleet, to reconnoitre the enemy's coast, &c.; on which occasion A. B. formed one of the crew of my boat. A full moon and clear sky enabled the troops on shore to observe our approach, and to secrete themselves behind the rocks, until we were within pistol-shot of their concealment, when they opened a shower of mus

quetry on us, from a quarter we least expected, and from which we could neither defend ourselves, nor fly for a considerable time. At length, when our bustle had a little subsided, and we had retired somewhat further off, I inquired whether any had received injury, and to my surprise and joy I heard nineteen out of the twenty answer in the negative. But poor A. B., whose station was the farthest from me, made no reply. I saw he had let go his oar, and was leaning against the boat's side; I went to him, and expressed my hope that he was not much hurt; but he returned no answer. His eyes were closed; and, on examination, I found his heart had ceased to perform its wonted office; for a musket ball had passed directly through the brain, and, in an instant had dismissed the spirit, to give an account of all the things done in the body!

What made the exit of this poor immortal the more distressing, was to learn that, previous to his quitting the ship, he had been boasting of the jovial, or rather drunken, manner in which he hoped to pass the morrow evening, having clandestinely bargained with some others for their grog, with which he intended to keep a feast, either on account of a birth-day or some other particular occasion. But, alas for him! that morrow's sun arose, not to witness the accomplishment of his plans, but to behold his body committed to the deep, to be turned into corruption. I was directed to read the Burial Service on this occasion, and in so doing, made the necessary pause while his corpse was launched into the sea. My eyes followed it as it sunk, until the proud waves had gone over, and hidden it from our sight. My heart was