Year: 1861

peaking trumpet from the brackets and
ung out, "Hold on, there; down from
aloft, every man of you, call all hands.
Down came the men again. "All hands
ahoy," was called with great strength ol
voice at both the cabin and fore castle
gangways, and then followed one of those
scenes which defes such description al
would make it intelligible to a landsman
but which any sailor readily understands
The top sails were close reefed, a reel
taken in the mainsail, the glib, and flying
glib, and all the light sails were furled
and the ship made ready for the expected
gale. But yet no breath of air had been
felt moving, while an unnatural stiffness
and hesviness of the atmosphere was OBJ.
served by all. Several of the seamen
saw dim purple streak suddenly appear
right ahead of the ship, and called out,
Here it comes, SIR"


"Where?" said the captain.


"Right ahead, SIR"


Hard port your helm."


"Hsrd port it is sir"


"Brace round the yards"


cay, ay, sir"


The yards were braced around and the
ship wps got ready to receive the expect
ed blast on the larhoard tack. That
dreadful streak of cloud grew almost
crimson; and there was heard what they
thought was the heavy roar Of the coming
gale, and every man seemed to hold his
breath awaiting the coming shock. Good
men and courageous sailors were on that
ships deck, and they shrunk from the
terrible onslaught like frightened chill
dren. When God speaks in those storms
His voice is awful to the ear, and many
strong man has quailed before it. And
the storm itself is scarcely more trying
to ones nerves than the moment before it
strikes, while men wait in dreadful sus-
pense.


Thus those men waited till the minutes
heightened into hours, and the only
change perceptible was in the deepening
color of that lowering cloud of crimson
light. At length eight bells told that
four o'clock had arrived and daylight was
looked for as those men in the ship with
Paul looked for it when they wished for
day But the struggling light of the
day seemed only TO reveal the thicine IS
of the darkness to the wandering vision.
just at daylight their ears were stunned
with successive, quick reports, louder
than whole broadsides from hundred
guns, the whole heavens were lighted up
with fiery red light; and the ocean was
stirred from her profound depths; great
waves, without any visible cause ran in
the most awful commotion, now striking
together and then throwing the white
foam and spray high in the air and part
ing to meet again in fearful embraces; a
school of sperm whales ran at the ships
bows, making every exertion to escape
from the strangely troubled water.--
Within few cable lengths of the ship
an immense column of water was thrown
mast head high, and fell back again with
roar like Niagara; deep mournful
noise, like the echo of thunder among
mountain caverns, was constantly heard,
and none could tell whence it came; the
noble ship was tossed and shaken like
plaything. Great God, have mercy up.
on us cried officers and men. what is
this? What is coming next? 1t is the
day of Judgment? The royal Psalmist
described them accurately. 'They reel
too and fro, and stagger like drunken
man, and are at their wits end Soon
the mystery was solved, whom right be-
fore their eyes, abont one league from
them there arose the rough side of
mountain out in the yielding water, and
reared its head high in the air; then from
its summit flames burst forth, and melted
lava ran like river down the declivity,
and fell like a cascade of fame into the
seething ocean. 1t was birth-throe of
nature, and an island was born which was
miles in circumference.


Two years afterward / sailed right
over that place, but the placid waters
gave no intimation that an island had
been there; yet no man has said that he
saw the death and burial of that land
whose birth / have thus chronicled. -
They that go down to the sea in ships,
that do business in the great waters, these
sec the works Of the Lord, and His won
ders in the deep