Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-12-01
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
The Inter national I .esson for Dcceni.
ber 2d-Acts 27Ih-33d to 44th verse
-Pauls Deliverance.
BIZ WILLIAM NJ. TAYLOR, d. d.
From the Christian at Work.

At length, having been driven not ''up
and down." as we have it translated, but
rather Through" the Mediterranean for
thirteen days, OH the fourteenth night,
about midnight, the sailors imagined that
they were drawing near land. We are
not told what the i'm, i:ations were which
led them to such conclusion. but, TAX
ing into consideration the darkness, we
may infer that they formed this opinion
not from the sight of amy land, but The
sound of breakers. If this were so, it is
an interesting coincidence that in ap-
proaching st. Paul's Bay, the traditional
site of the shipwrcck, from the west. the
vOyager must pass near the point of
KOwra, where, as DR.. lIackett says, ''the
land is too low to be seen on stormy
night, but where the breakers can be
heard at considerable distance, and, in a
north-easteriy gal are so viole ntas to
form on charts The distinctive feature OF
that headland."
Immediately, on coming to the co:clu-
sion tn at they were nearing the land, the
sailors, who all through exhibited good
seamansEip, heaved the lead. and found
a depth of tw eny fathoms. Then taking
ST cond cast shortly after, they found
fifteen. Sc judging that they were rap
idly approaching shOre,they took prompt
measures 10 avoid destruction, they cast
four ancllcrs out of the stern. This has
been looked upon us absurd, and many
have spoken about the assertion as if it
threw doubt OH the whole narrative.
But, though among the ancients, as
among ourselves, the common practice
WAS TO anchor from the bow, yet there
was provision made i'm their ships for
such procedure as is here described, for
among the paintings in Pompeii one has
been found ola vessel having hawser
holes i'm the stern, and Howson assures
us that even i'll the present day we may
see in the Golden Horn 1T CONSTANT
nople vessels ancil ored i'm this pt cular
way.
Their only hope when the morning
shoull dawn was to run her ashore, at
some safe point, and by anchOring III
this way they could more speedily bring
her under control when they should cut
the cables and make this last attempt.
Immediately after the anchors had
been cast. new danger threatened, i'll
the naturally, though coward.y, and sci
fish attempt made by the sailors to save
themselves by taking to the boat and
leaving the passengers to their late.
They were in the act of lowering the
boat, under pretense of taking another
anchor from the bow. when the apostle,
seeing their purpose, directed the CEN
turion's attention to them, saying, Ex-
cept these men abide in the ship. We CALI
not be saved" He at once commanded
the soldiers TO cut the ropes by which
the sailors were lowering the boat, and,
much 10 the modification of the seamen,
it was allowed to go adrift.
Then, rs the morning was drawing
near, Pull stood forth as counsellor and
comforter. He referred tenderly to the
piivations through which they had
passed, and, assuring them most en-
phatically of their ultimate safety, he be-
sought them to eat while they had the
opportunity, and so strengthened them
selves for what was yet before them.
Then. having taken bread i'm his own
hands, he gave thanks to God in the
presence cf them all, and began to cat.
The effect of this advice and example was
excellent. 1t raised the spirits of the
company and prepared them to undergo
the hardships that We're yet i'll store for
them.
The first object when they deserted the
land was TO look for a place at which
they might run the vessel aground, and
they saw an eligible spot in 4 certain
creek with shore" tlIat is, as the word
| implies, with sandy beach. They de-
| termined, therefore, to make for that.
and Immediately did three things, which.
| though they must be separately de-
scrib,d, must have been performed sim
ultaneOusly. First, they took up the
anchors, or rather, as he margin reads,
they cut away the anchors, leaving them
i'll the sea; second, "they loosed the rud
der bands that is, they dropped the
steering paddles into the water, and so
brought the vessel at once under COM
mand third, they bostcd what is here
called the ''lnainsail," but what cores
pOnoed rather 20 our fores;lil the objec;
being to give the ship greater headway.
and thus both incl ease the power of the
steering paddles and carry the vessel
with more iOrce upon the beach.
| When The vessel grounded. the fore
part stuck fast, bur the hinder part WAS
broken with the violence of the waves.
OF this Mr.. Smith gives the following
clear explanation: 1.-The rocks of Malta
disentcgraie into very minute particles
of sand and clay, which. when acted up
on by the currents, or by surface agita-
ton, form deposit OF tenacious clay
but in still water. where these causes do
not act, mud is formed. 1t is only, now
ever, in the creeks where there are no
currents, and at such depth rs to be
undisturbed by the waves, that mud oc-
ours. In Admiral Smyth's chart OF The
bay, the nearest sOundings 10 the mud
indicate depth OF about three fathoms,
which is about what large ship would
draw. A ship, therefore, impellcrs By
the force of a gale into a creek, with y
bottom such AS that laid down in the
chart, would strike bottom of mud
graduating into tenacious clay. into
which The fore part would fix itseIf and