faring men; and I am sure if Christian landsmen could but see the dangers, temptations, and trials we are exposed to, they would say, ' God forbid that we should sin against God, in ceasing to pray for you, who are separated from the peaceful enjoyments of the ordinances of Christ.'

Circumstances known to the Editor, connected with this voyage, if it were proper to make them public, would serve as grounds for a powerful appeal to shipowners and merchants, on the principle of self-interest, urging them to endeavour to promote, by every possible means, the moral and religious improvement of seamen, which is the great object of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society.

ANCIENT VESSELS OF EXTRAORDINARY
MAGNITUDE.

MAGNIFICENT and large as are some of our modern steamvessels, they are inferior, if we may judge from description, both in size and splendour, to vessels constructed by the kings of Egypt and Syracuse, on a scale of grandeur corresponding to the immense preparations of their sculpture and architecture. Ptolomæus Philopater, king of Egypt, built a vessel 420 feet long, 56 feet broad, 72 feet high from the keel to the top of the prow, but 80 to the top of the poop. She had four helms of 60 feet; her largest oars were 56 feet long, with leaden handles, so as to work more easily by the rowers; she had two prows, two sterns, seven rostra or beaks, successively rising, and swelling out one over the other, the topmost one most prominent and stately; on the poop and prow she had figures of animals, not less than 18 feet high; all the interior of the vessel was beautified with a delicate sort of painting, of a waxen colour. She had 4,000 rowers; 400 cabinboys, or servants; marines to do duty on the decks, 2,820; with an immense store of arms and provisions. The same prince built another ship, called the Thalamegus, or Bedchamber-ship, which was only used as a pleasure yacht for sailing up and down the Nile. She was not so long or large as the preceding, but more splendid in the chambers and their furnishings.-Hiero, king of Syracuse, built an enormous vessel, which he intended for a corn-trader; her length is not given. She was built at Syracuse, by a Corinthian ship-builder, and was launched by an apparatus

devised by Archimedes. All her bolts and nails were of brass; she had 20 rows of oars; her apartments were all paved with neat square variegated tiles, on which was painted all the story of Homer's Iliad. She had a Gymnasium, with shady walks, on her upper decks; garden-plots stocked with various plants, and nourished with limpid water that flowed circulating round them in a canal of lead. She had here and there on deck, arbours mantled with ivy and vine branches, which flourished in full greenness, being supplied with the principle of growth from the leaden canal. She had one chamber particularly splendid, whose pavement was of agates and other precious stones, and whose pannels, doors, and roofs were of ivory, and wood of the thya-tree. She had a scholasterium, or library, with five couches, its roof arched into a polus or vault, with the stars embossed; she had a bath, with its accompaniments all most magnificent; she had on each side of her deck 10 stalls for horses, with fodder and furnishings for the grooms and riders; a fish-pond of lead full of fish, whose waters could be let out or admitted at pleasure; she had two towers on the poop, two on the prow, and four in the middle, full of armed men, that managed the machines invented by Archimedes, for throwing stones of 300 pounds weight, and arrows 18 feet long, to the distance of a furlong. She had three masts and two antennæ, or yards, that swung with hooks and masses of lead attached. She had round the whole circuit of her deck a rampart of iron, with iron crows, which took hold of ships, and dragged them nearer, for the purpose of destroying them. The tunnels or bowls on her masts were of brass, with men in each. She had twelve anchors and three masts. It was with difficulty they could find a tree large and strong enough for her highest mast. Great Britain-an ominous circumstance for the superiority of British oak!—had the glory of bestowing upon her a sufficient tree for that purpose; it was discovered amid the recesses of Albion's forests by a swineherd! What is remarkable in the construction of this gigantic vessel is, that her sentina, or sink, though large and deep, was emptied by one man, by means of a pump invented by Archimedes. Hiero, on

finding that the Syracusan was too unwieldy to be admitted with safety into the harbours of Sicily, made a present of her to Ptolemy, who changed her name to the Alexandrian. We may add, as a panergon to this long tale of a ship, that Archimelus, the Greek epigrammatist, wrote a little

poem on the large vessel, which was rewarded by Hiero with 1,000 measures of corn-a premium proportioned, if not to the poem, at least to the magnitude of the theme celebrated. From Mr. Tennant's contributions to the Edinburgh Literary Journal.

THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN.

It is an evidence of the moral government of God, that man does not, cannot choose evil, except it be under the semblance of good. The success, therefore, of sin, is just in proportion to its deceitfulness. If men were truly sensible of the ingratitude, baseness, and impurity of every transgression-if they perceived its direct and necessary tendency-if they saw that it was introducing disorder into the government of God, and bringing misery and ruin wherever it entered-they would be more diligent in their resistance on its approach.

But they are so backward to consider consequences, and so eager to gratify their inclinations, at the expense of every remote and contingent evil, that the hope of immemediate apparent good can lead them to overlook the abiding distress which disobedience must inevitably produce. The ambitious, the proud, the sensual and the covetous, the dishonest and the oppressive, are severally deceived in this manner. They do not prefer evil, as evil; but, disregarding its real nature, effects, and consequences, they attend only to what promises a present benefit, however gross, inferior, or transient. Seeking after good, they listen to the slightest proposals, and are enraptured with the most trivial success. Thus " a deceived heart turneth them aside." Seducers are thus described as deceiving and being deceived;" and we are, accordingly, taught to pray against the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

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The deceitful nature of sin forms, however, no extenuation of its GUILT.

Of the guilt of sin in those captivated by its deceitfulness, a future number of the PILOT will speak; and the prayer of the writer is, that it may speak to the conviction and correction of its readers.

C. R. S.

HOPE.

WHO enjoys hope? It is a blessing enjoyed in its degree by every human being throughout this world. If there can be here a child of Adam without hope, the number must be indeed very few. The ambitious toil because of hope to succeed to something higher, The miser saves because of hope to add to his stores. The merchant speculates because of hope of gain. The farmer hopes that his toils will result in a remunerating harvest. The sailor hopes for a successful voyage, and a happy return. The sinner, when brought to see his folly, and mourn over his transgressions-does he also hope? Yes, he hopes to escape, by some means, their threatened consequences; and, when rightly taught, he hopes for forgiveness. The Christian is a man in real exercise of a good hope; for he hopes for eternal life—and, because he believes in the promises, the immutable promises of a merciful God.

What is the hope of a Christian—but a firm belief of a life to come, and a delightful expectation of future glory? Does every professor of Christianity possess this hope? No some profess, indeed, to believe in a future glory of eternal duration, and that they shall partake of it in Heaven! They confess that this life is transitory, and must soon end. Do they believe what they profess? No: their conduct gives the flat contradiction to their profession; for they act as if the very reverse were the truthviz. that this life were eternal: and their whole reality of conduct is as if they were thoroughly indifferent as to the life to come. The world, and the things of the world, have blinded the eyes of the mere professor, of the everyday formalist in religion.

But the true Christian realizes the view of Heaven, till he rejoices in hope of the glory of God! He is daily, hourly, thankful for mercies in possession: and he receives them from his Father's hand as pledges for greater yet to come. Patiently he waits his Father's call from time to eternity; and carefully employs his continuance in this world, by a zealous endeavour to promote the praise of his reconciled Father; and by precept and by example, he seeks to lead his fellow-men to the beloved Saviour. Reader! which of these characters does your conscience say is yours?

D. N.

CHRISTIAN COMPASSION.

AMONG all the duties which the divine revelation of the Saviour lays on mankind, there is none more constantly enforced by the precepts of Scripture, and recommended by the example of the Lord Jesus, than is a compassionate and tender concern for the infirmities of man. The language of the Bible is the language of love, and it directs us to the cultivation of an expansive benevolence. The life of Christ exhibits a matchless pattern of forbearance, meekness, and compassion; and was an inimitable exemplification of the doctrines which fell from his sacred lips. No tongue ever spoke like his, no life ever equalled his; in short, he was love itself. It pleased him to tabernacle in our flesh, that we might be drawn to a humble imitation of his character-an imitation in no respect, indeed, ever reaching the divine original: but yet, the nearer weapproach it, the more solid happiness is enjoyed; and we also become more qualified for those superior felicities which shall, hereafter, proceed from the delightful and unclouded contemplation of every excellence. Let us then cultivate the divine benevolence of the blessed Jesus, who pitied and prayed far more frequently than he censured.

J. 0. N.

ORIGIN OF CAPTAIN COOK'S SEAMANSHIP. CAPTAIN COOK, the celebrated navigator, was not originally intended for the sea. His father was only a day labourer, but a man of good character; and his employer put young James to school, where he learned to read and write. At the age of 13 he was put apprentice to a shopkeeper at Straiths, 10 miles from Whitby; but some disagreement occurring, he ran away and engaged with Messrs. Walkers, of Whitby, in the coal-trade. Severa! years he served as a common sailor, and was then raised to be mate of one of Walker's ships.

There is nothing peculiarly Christian in the following details relating to that young navigator, but there seems no reason to doubt their authenticy; but we see the overruling hand of Divine Providence in relation to apparently trifling incidents.