different pieces of the wreck, most of whom I had seen struggling with death, not knowing how soon it might be my own turn. When I found myself safe upon the land, I poured forth my unfeigned thanks, in those feelings of the heart which words cannot express, to the Almighty, for his great mercy in thus protecting me through the most imminent danger, observing, that the whole time hope never forsook me, and I felt such a strong confidence, for which I cannot account. After seeing all my unfortunate companions landed safe, I walked along the beach as well as my stiffened limbs would allow me, when I met the captain wiping the water from his face, having just. landed. We immediately congratulated each other, and after getting the women off his part of the wreck, we determined to pass the night in the thick bushes. We accordingly went towards the place, and on arriving there I fell senseless; they took me up, laid some dry bushes under me, and the captain hugged me on one side, and one of the women on the other. At length I recovered: my feeling, but still could not speak. My heart felt like a lump of ice, and deadly painful, which by degrees decreased, and in the morning I was again able to walk. It was then I found that seven around me were dead, having perished from exhaustion. On this day, 14th May, it became a consideration on what we were to subsist, and shelter ourselves from the weather. We fortunately found two casks of flour, and several pieces of pork, laying on the beach, which we immediately secured. Our tars having got to a rum cask, which had floated on shore, began drinking to excess. The captain and I rigged a tent for ourselves and the women out of a studding-sail, and took one cask of flour and some part of the pork into our possession. We then tried to get a fire, having found a small quantity of gunpowder and a gun flint, and at last obtained one, to our great comfort. We then broiled some pork, and made some cakes, which we baked amongst the ashes, and made a famous meal. We now began to forage amongst the rocks, and picked a great number of perriwinkles, upon which we lived, occasionally treating ourselves with a piece of pork, of which we were very sparing, not knowing how long we should remain. About nine days after our landing, we commenced the melancholy duty of burying the dead. The captain took one party to westward, and I the other to the S.E. We were two days about it, and buried one hundred and five, of which only three were men; we used staves of water-casks for shovels. Nothing of particular consequence occurred until the 1st of June, when two strange men made their appearance to our astonishment. Here I must observe, that the preceding day the captain and I went a short distance inland, and for want of better employment set the bush on fire. Three men having been wrecked in a small vessel about thirty-five miles from us, and seeing the smoke, were as much at a loss to account for it as we were for their appearance. An explanation ensued, when we found that five people, natives of Van Diemen's Land, were on the next side of the island, literally starved, having been driven off the land in their small vessel, and had been living upon dry skins. They had with them several dogs, which were not able to catch any game, being so weak. On the following day we went over to them, and in a few days succeeded in bringing them all to our tents. We fed the dogs upon a kind of hasty-pudding, and in a few days they were able to hunt. They well repaid us for our trouble by catching wallaby (a species of kangaroo); thus we lived until the 24th of June, having been six weeks on the island." Who that has a heart to feel, especially a heart sanctified by the Spirit of God, and enlarged by the love of Christ, can refrain from resolving, liberally, as the Lord may have given the ability, to aid the British and Foreign Sailors' Society in furnishing the crews of ships with libraries of religious books and tracts, in connection with their other agency, as the means of preparing the minds of seamen to labour with holy courage and hope, like this worthy mate, or to enter through the devouring element with sacred joy into the kingdom and glory of God our Saviour!-EDITOR. BRITISH SHIPWRECKS IN FEBRUARY. HAVING while in London heard a gentleman, one of your Committee, express his grief at the dreadful loss of life in the numerous wrecks mentioned in the last " Lloyd's List," I called at the printer's and purchased the numbers for February the 19th and the 23d, the details of which are most appalling. I never before read one of those affecting records of maritime suffering; and I think that your insertion in the PILOT of the following extracts from those papers, though only a small part of their distressing records, will not fail to pierce the generous hearts of some of my excellent townsmen, and lead them to become for ever the cordial friends of your useful Institution. Feb. 26th, 1836. A BIRMINGHAM MANUFACturer. Scarbro', Feb. 17th.-Last night it blew tremendously from W.S.W. to W.N.W. The Janet and Agnes, Clerk, from London to Alloa, was totally wrecked near this port this morning. Crew saved. The life-boat, in attempting to reach the vessel, upset, and ten out of fourteen of the crew were drowned. A sloop has foundered with all the crew behind the outermost pier. Feb. 18th.-The John, of Port Gordon, Read, is on shore on Cayton Sands, a complete wreck. Crew drowned. 20th.-A boat marked outside Tally Ho', and inside John Irvin, came on shore near Filey, and a gaft white, 32 feet long, and a boom green, 38 feet, with sails and rigging, have been picked up near Speeton. Hasbro', 18th Feb.-A schooner was off the southern end of this station this afternoon with a signal of distress. No assistance could be rendered. Ramsgate, 18th Feb.-The Nancy, Shipley, from London to Shields, was driven upon the Kentish Knock this morning; she soon came off, but filling with water, and the rudder being unshipped, the crew took to the boat, were picked up by the Arrow (Steamer), and landed here. The vessel has since drifted on shore near Kingsgate, and gone to pieces. A loaded schooner brought up near the inner part of the North Sand Head yesterday afternoon in a dangerous situation. She was not seen this morning, and fears are entertained for her safety. Cromer, 18th Feb.-The Trent, of South Shields, came on shore this morning during a severe gale. drowned. Crew Blakeney, 18th Feb.-A large brig, apparently waterlogged, went down off here this morning. All on board lost. Palling, 19th Feb.-A brigantine of about 90 tons, apparently loaded, with rudder gone, and water-logged, a signal of distress flying, was seen yesterday making for the beach. She struck the outer bank and went to pieces. The crew drowned. Part of a log-book, marked Priscilla, of London, has been washed on shore. Dundee, 19th Feb.-The Jean and Mary, sailed from Port William 2d inst., and is supposed to have been wrecked next day off the banks of Liverpool during a gale, the bodies of several of the crew having been washed on shore. Greenwich, 19th Feb.-The Isabella, of Sunderland, from Shields to Lowestoffe, was struck by a sea 17th inst. off Cromer, which washed away the master and crew, except one man, who was saved from the wreck by the Toms, Taylor, of Hull. Aberdeen, 19th Feb.-The Duchess of Gordon, of Port Gordon, Geddes, has sustained much damage in the harbour of Findochty. A sloop and a schooner are reported to have come on shore, bottom upwards, between Banff and Portsoy, and all hands lost. Liverpool, 10th Feb. -The Liverpool, of Maryport, from Limerick to Glasgow, was wrecked to the westward of Portrush 17th inst. Crew drowned. SEAMEN CALLED TO REPENTANCE BY THE REDEEMER HIMSELF. THE following striking paragraph is from a Sermon of that great divine, Rev. Stephen Charnock, B.D., on "The chief sinners objects of the choicest mercy." Writ ten about the year 1670. "When the Saviour fled from Herod's cruelty he chose Egypt, the most idolatrous country in the world, for his sanctuary, a place where the people worshipped oxen, crocodiles, cats, garlic, all kinds of riff-raff, to show that he often comes to sojourn in the blackest souls. The first people he took care to preach to were the seamen, who usually are the rudest and most debauched sort of men, as gaining the vices as well as the commodities of those nations they traffic with. Matthew iv, 13, the inhabitants of those sea-coasts are said to sit in darkness, ver. 16, in darkness both of sin and ignorance, just as the Egyptians were not able to stir in that thick darkness which was sent as a plague upon them. And the country, by reason of the vices of the inhabitants, is called the region and shadow of death, a title properly belonging to hell itself. To call 118 Dr. Farre's Account of a British Captain. [APRIL, sinners to repentance was the errand of his coming. And he usually delighted to choose such as had not the least pretence to merit; Mark ii, 17: Matthew a publican, Zaccheus an extortioner, store of that generation of men, and harlots, and very little company besides." REFLECTIONS. 1. Seamen are, though many have become truly pious, in a large majority of instances, the same in their habits as they were in 1670, when the sermon was written by that devoted minister of Christ. 2. Seamen are, in 1836, equally, or perhaps far more so, the objects of the sympathy of many Christian ministers, as they were in the days of Charnock. 3. Jesus Christ, our Divine Master, has left us an example, not only deserving of imitation, but the copying of which is our privilege and honour. 4. Christian pity for ignorant people, in Popish, Mohammedan, and Pagan countries, with whom our seamen are called to hold intercourse, demands that we should seek their evangelization. 5. Seamen are the necessary representatives of a professed Christianity in Britain, to the people of every port in Asia, Africa, America, and Australia; our national honour, therefore, renders it indispensable that we seek to make them Christians. 6. Missionary stations, on the coasts of remote regions of the world, have been grievously injured by the licentiousness and evil habits of British seamen; our interest, therefore, as well as honour, requires that we endeavour to bring them to the saving knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A FRIEND OF SEAMEN. DR. FARRE'S ACCOUNT OF A BRITISH CAP- Dr. Farre's Evidence given to a Parliamentary THE Doctor stated that he has been forty-one years medical practice in different parts of the world. now resides in London. in He |