often seen such scenic imagery in former voyages, but I never had beheld it so diversified, grand, and beautiful, as upon this occasion." Then follow some references to the DANGERS OF THE MOON BY NIGHT. "How delightful are the nights in these latitudes! But no persons ought upon any account to lie down or sleep upon deck; and therefore every half hour the officer has to rouse up the watch on duty, and make them walk round the masts for a few minutes. This may appear to an inexperienced person as if it were merely done to annoy ; but there is nothing so seriously affects people's health as allowing them to sleep exposed to the night air, and especially to the baneful influence of the moon. If this is permitted, colds, fevers, dysentery, and other diseases quickly follow, as the certain consequences of such imprudent exposures. This ought always to be carefully attended to by those who have charge of troops or emigrants going to distant parts of the world." We have afterwards an account of a COUP-DE-SOLEIL, OR SUN-STROKE. "On the 26th of March we crossed the equinoctial line, when the thermometer was 83 degrees at noon in the shade, on deck 86 degrees, in the sun 104 degrees, and the temperature of the sea, of which I kept a daily register, 84 degrees. One of the soldiers, from going about without his cap, received a coup-de-soleil. In a moment he became delirious, and madly attempted to throw himself into the sea, a number of sharks constantly showing themselves at the time close to the ship. The surgeon being at hand, he was instantly profusely bled; and powerful medicine being administered, he, in a few days, entirely recovered, and without suffering from fever, which usually follows a coup-de-soleil."— Excursions, &c., in Ceylon, by Lieutenant-Colonel James Campbell. AN IMPOSTOR DETECTED. In the preceding article we have referred to the circumstance of one of the troops on board the transport under Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell's command receiving a coup-de-soleil. It seems that another soldier, wishing to be set free from the service, thought proper to simulate one of these seizures. He could not, however, so imitate all the symptoms as to deceive the surgeon. But we give the narrative as we find it in the journal. "A few days after this, another soldier was seemingly struck in a similar manner by the sun, and also attempted to throw himself into the sea. The surgeon was sent for; he felt his pulse, then looked steadfastly at him for a few minutes, and, coming up to me on the quarter-deck, said decidedly there was nothing the matter with him, and that he firmly believed his madness was only pretended. 66 Being at once convinced that his object was by this stratagem to obtain his discharge from the regiment, I walked quietly up to him, followed by a stout drummer, (who had not long before saved the life of a poor fellow who could not swim and had fallen overboard, by jumping after him, and supporting him in the water till a boat came to their relief,) to whom I had given, in a few words, directions how to act, and who was, moreover, cautioned to be near to lay hold of him if he really attempted to jump into the sea. I then desired those holding the apparently determined suicide to let him go, and to make room for him to spring handsomely out of the ship. Come, Sir, jump! Make haste! Jump!' The fellow seemed astonished, and was evidently much frightened. start him with that rope's end. Jump, Sir, jump! There's a shark that has just put his head above water waiting for you.' The drummer laid on with all his might; the fellow began to cry like a child, and the surgeon and soldiers to laugh, as the drummer continued Come, drummer, He no this exercise with right good-will; so that his aim was thus most ridiculously but speedily defeated, and the farce ended in the madman's getting a sound rope'sending, to the great amusement of every one. doubt ought to have been severely punished; but I considered the rope's-ending answered quite as well, and we had no more cases of pretended delirium." CURIOUS WAY OF SETTLING DIFFERENCES IN CEYLON. IF men must fight, when they have a difference to settle, one of the least objectionable plans seems to be that which Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell witnessed in travelling from Galle to Colombo. We give his account as being, at all events, amusing. Splashing water is better than shedding blood. "I likewise saw at Bovegoddé what the people called a water-fight (a quarrel for the good graces of a young female). They both stood up to their knees in the lake, opposite each other; and with their hands constantly dashed the water in a curious and expert manner into each other's faces. I saw the combatants thus, I can hardly say hotly, engaged about nine in the morning; and at three in the afternoon they were still hard at work, and the battle was then still doubtful; for, according to established rule, whichever of the two, whatever be the cause or pretence, stops first, be it only for a moment, he is considered to be vanquished. Hundreds of people were looking on, apparently deeply interested in the result. OUR DUTY TO GOD. FEAR God for his power; trust him for his wisdom; love him for his goodness; praise him for his greatness; believe him for his faithfulness; and adore him for his holiness.- Leighton. SHORT REFLECTIONS ON TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE.* No. II. (Translated from the French, for "The Cottager's Friend.") "JESUS answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see." (Matt. xi. 4.) I. OUR Lord was asked, "Art thou he that should come?" and he replies by his works. This is the true way of showing what we are, and indeed of knowing it ourselves. Words, habit, state, may be deceitful. Not so acts and conduct. The tree is shown by the fruit which it bears; and actions show the man. What are my actions? My professions are Christian: are my actions? II. Works are also an efficacious instrument in bringing others to virtue. Nothing is stronger than good example. By this, holiness is shown to be practicable. By this, practical holiness is explained. By this, the wicked are both condemned and confounded. By the light and power of good works, we may all be instructive and persuasive Preachers. III. But wicked works are not less powerful for evil. They teach vice to those who before, perhaps, knew it not. They contemn virtue. They encourage others in sin. No temptation is more violent than that of bad example. Man may thus become a devil to man, drawing him onward in the way to perdition. Our object in this series is the spiritual improvement of our readers. In translating, therefore, from an old French devotional work, the pieces of which it will be composed, we shall omit some passages, alter some expressions, and, where necessary, add a line or two, so as to avoid all theological error, and secure correctness of doctrinal statement. We write not for the purpose of introducing the author to the reader of our pages, (for ourselves, we know nothing of him but the name: if we did, exact translation would be necessary,) but to furnish some short but comprehensive pieces of useful religious reading. We use the original work as our platform; leaving out, and putting in, as may best serve to promote our object.-ED. Never let us, by an evil example, lead others into temptation, or harden them in vice. And if sinners entice us, let us never consent. Let us follow those examples which are most Christ-like. But, above all, let us follow Christ. We read the Gospels. We see his manner of life. His visible character unveils to us the holy principles and dispositions which dwelt within. Let us imbibe his spirit; and walk as He gave us an example, that we should follow his steps. Thus shall we glorify him. Christ, by his wondrous works, showed forth his own power: we, by the virtues of a holy life, show forth, not our own power, but his, through whose strengthening us we are able to do all things. POETRY. THOU, GOD, SEEST ME. I hear the solemn, cheering voice, All darkness from my heart remove, Nothing I want while thou art near, Look on me while thou giv'st me breath, While thou in mercy seest me. E. T. |