Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-01-20

The LITERARY ATTRACTIONS OF THE BELLE
This is the subject Of pamphlet in England,
and sent to America by our Minister, Hon. Alb
bot Lawrence, for circulation here. It has been,
re-published by the American Tract Society,"
Rev. JAS Hamilton, of London, is its author
The following is an extract e.Y
" But in giving the Bible, its divine Author
had regard to the mind of man.. He knew that
man had more curiosity than piety, more taste
than sanctity; and that more persons are anxious
to hear some new, or read some beauteous thing
than to read or hear about God and the great
salvation.
"He knew that few would ever ask, What
must do to be saved! till they came in contact
with the Bible itself; and therefore he made the
Bible not only an instructive book, but an at
tractive one-not only true, but enticing. He
filled it with marvellous incidents and engaging
history-with sunny pictures from old world
scenery, and affecting anecdotes from the patri-
archal times. He replenished it with stately ar
gument and thrilling verse, and sprnkled it over
with sententious wisdom and proverbia pungen-
cy. He made it book of lofty thoughts and
noble images-a book of heavenly doctrine, but
withal of earthly adaptation. In preparing
guide to Immortality, infinite Wisdom gave not
dictionary or grammar, but Bible-a book
which, in trying to catcht the heart of man, should
captivate his taste, and which, in transforming
his affections, should also expand his intellect
The pearl is Of great price, but even the casket
is of exquisite beauty. The sword is of etheri-
al temper; nothing cuts so keen as its double
edge; but there are jewels on the hilt, and fine
tracery on the scabbard. The shekes are of the
purest ore, but even the scrip which contains
them is of texture more curious than the art
ist of earth could fashion it, The apples are of
gold; but the casket is silver"
New AMERICAN STEAMsHIps.-A new class
of steamships, peculiarly American, is now
ahoat, and the number Of them is rapidly in
creasing. The peculiarity of this class of ves-
sells is, they are furnished with upper beam en-
gines, and in many points resemble our swift
river steamboats,. Their models are beautiful;
they are truly keen Of bow as Damascus blade,
and clean in the water-run. They are each fur
nished with two powerful engines, placed to-
gether, with the walking.beams above deck
The engine frames are very. strong, and all the
parts are well put together. These engines are
cheaper and more simple in their construction
than the side-lever kind. We do not know how
they stand in comparison with the side-levers,
for breakage and repairs 1t appears to us that
they must be subject to more breakage, but ex-
perience, in mechanical arrangements, is the on
ly true method of proving this. These things
cannot be arrived at by mathematical induction
practice is the only solver of such problems.
In l846 we had only two American steam
ships, now we have no less than seventy or
eighty, and the number is fast augmentipg.-
The rapid increase of American ocean steam
ers, since the discovery of gold in California, is
as great a wonder as the gold discoveries them
selves. Something greater than We yet have
an idea of must come out Of this; we shall
have steamers, in few years, that will as GER
tainly surpass the speed of the present steam
ers crossing the Atlantic, as the yacht Ameri-
ca beat every one in the Royal Yacht Club.
Scientific American