an English merchant, who received us with every kind of civility, and who, being informed of my misfortunes, had the confidence to advance me two hundred pounds sterling, for a bill of exchange which I gave him on my father, though our name was utterly unknown to him.

At St. Peter's I should have hired a fishing-boat to repair to Halifax, but for the apprehension of falling into the hands of the American privateers, with which those seas were then infested. The lake being in this place separated from the sea by a forest about a mile broad, we had only to drag our canoe that distance, in order to reach the coast and embark. After stopping the following days in different places of little conse quence, we arrived on the 25th at Narrashoe, where we were received with the same hospitality as at St. Peter's. We left it on the 26th, in our canoe, to repair to Isle Madame, situated about the middle of the straights of Canceau,* which separate Cape Breton from Nova Scotia: but at the point of that island we discovered such a prodigious quantity of floating ice, that it would have been the height of imprudence to venture our feeble bark among it. We therefore returned to Narrashoe, where I hired a vessel capable of resisting its violence. I ordered the canoes to be taken on board, and on the 27th, with the assistance of the most favorable wind, we crossed the Straights in three hours, and landed at Canceau, which gives name to them. At length, after a navigation of ten days along the coast, our canoe brought us in safety into the harbor of Halifax.

The Indians having received the sum we had agreed upon, and the presents with which I endeavored to satisfy my gratitude towards those to whom I owed the preservation of my life, left us in a few days to return to their island. As I was obliged to wait a considerable time longer for a vessel, I had, during that interval, the satisfaction to be joined by my companions in misfortune, whom the other Indians had taken to conduct by Spanish River. At last, after waiting two months, I embarked in the ship called the Royal Oak, and arrived at New-York, where I delivered my despatches to General Clinton in a very tattered condition.

The Gut of Canso.

THE SUFFERINGS OF EPHRAIM HOW,

Of New Haven, who set sail for Boston in a small Ketch, which on its return was wrecked near Cape Sable in the year 1676.

On the 25th of August, 1676, Mr. Ephraim How, of New Haven, in New England, with his two eldest sons; one Mr. Augur; Caleb Jones, son to Mr. William Jones, one of the magistrates of New Haven; and a boy; six persons in all ; set sail from New Haven for Boston, in a small ketch, of about seventeen tons.

Having despatched his business there, he sailed for New Haven on the 10th of September, but was forced back to Boston by contrary winds. Here Mr. How was seized with a violent flux, which continued nearly a month; many being sick, and some dying of the same.

Being in some degree restored to health, he again sailed from Boston, October 10. They went with a fair wind as far as Cape Cod but on a sudden the weather became very tempestuous, so that they could not pass the Cape, but were driven off to sea, where they were in great danger, experiencing terrible storms, with outrageous winds and scas.

His eldest son fell sick and died about the 21st; soon after his other son was taken ill and died also. This was a bitter cup to the poor father, for these youths were his only assistants in working the vessel. Soon after Caleb Jones died, so that half of the company were now no more.

Mr. How continued in a very sickly and weak state, yet was necessitated to stand at the helm twenty-four and thirtysix hours together. During this time the sea was so boiste rous as frequently to break over the vessel, and if he had not been lashed fast, he must have been washed overboard. In this extremity, he was at a loss whether he should persist in endeavoring to make for the New England shore, or bear away for the Southern Islands. Upon his proposing the question to Mr. Augur, they determined, according to the custom of some in those times, to decide this difficult case by casting lots. They did so, and it fell upon New England.

Nearly about the 7th of November they lost their rudder, so that now their only dependence was upon Providence. In this deplorable state they drove up and down for a fortnight longer. During the last six weeks, the poor infirm Mr. How

was hardly ever dry, nor had he the benefit of warm food above thrice or threreabouts.

At length, about the 21st of November, early in the morning, the vessel was driven on the tailings of a ledge of rocks, where the sea broke violently. Looking out, they saw a dismal rocky island to the leeward, upon which if Providence had not given timely warning, they had been dashed to pieces. They immediately let go an anchor, and got out the boat, and the sea became calm. The boat proving leaky, and they being in great terror they took but little out of the ketch, but got on shore as they could.

Here they could discover neither man nor beast. It was a small, rocky, desolate island, near Cape Sable, the Southern extremity of Nova Scotia. They now appeared to be in great danger of being starved to death, but the storm returning, beat so violently upon the vessel, as it still lay at anchor, that it was stove to pieces, and several things floated to the shore.

The following articles were all they had towards their future support:-A cask of gunpowder, which received no damage from the water; a barrel of wine; half a barrel of molasses; and several useful articles towards building a tent : all the above drifted from the wreck; besides which they had, fire arms and shot; a pot for boiling; and most probably other things not mentioned in the narrative.

Their tent was soon erected, for the cold was now getting severe, but new and great distresses attended them, for though they had arms and ammunition, there were seldom any fowis to be seen, except crows, ravens, and sea-gulls. These were so few that they could seldom shoot more than one at a time. Many times half a fowl, with the liquor it was boiled in, served for a meal for all three. Once they lived five days without any sustenance, but did not feel themselves pinched with hunger as at other times; which they esteemed as a special favor of heaven unto them.

When they had lived in this miserable condition twelve weeks, Mr. How's dear friend and companion, Mr. Augur, died, about the middle of February, 1677; so that he had none left to converse with, but the lad who likewise departed on the 2d of April.

Mr. How was now the sole inhabitant of this desolate spot, during April, May, and June, and saw fishing vessels every now and then, sailing by; some of which came even nearer to the island than that which at last took him off. He used all the means in his power to make them acquainted with his

distress; but they either did not see him, or were afraid to approach close to the island, lest some of those Indians should be quartered there, who were at that time in hostility against the English, viz. the North-East Indians, who held out after the death of the famous Philip, king of the Wompanoags.

At length a vessel belonging to Salem, in New-England, providentially passed by, and seeing this poor fellow, they sent their boat on shore, and took him away. He had been on this island more than seven months, and above a quarter of a year by himself. On the 18th of July he arrived at Salem, and at last returned to his family at New-Haven. They for twelve months had supposed him dead: by which it appears he did not get home till the end of August, or perhaps later.

VOYAGE OF THE PACKET-SHIP PRESIDENT.

The voyage of the ship President, Captain H. L. Champlin, one of the New-York line of London packets, November and December, 1831, was unusually eventful. The ship sailed from Portsmouth, England, on the 18th of October, with 18 cabin passengers, and 90 in the steerage; and in her voyage of fifty days encountered a great number of severe gales and squalls, besides other adventures. The following particulars are extracted from a journal, published for their private use, by the passengers.

Monday, November 21, 1831.-Light breezes all this day from about NW., a clearer sky, a brighter setting of the sun, and by eight o'clock in the evening an almost perfect calm. The rays of the mild and bright full moon fell softly and cheerily on the scarcely rippled waters-the ship was nearly motionless the air was mild and inviting--and the sails, which were all expanded to catch any passing breeze, flapped idly against the masts. The whole night was tranquil, and toward daylight every cloud had disappeared from the horizon; at six there was a light but promising breeze from the eastward, and we were bearing before it with royals and studding sails all set. It increased, however, every moment: at seven o'clock the royals, studding sails and top-gallants were all struck, and at eight, from the violence of this sudden southeaster, we were tumbling over the huge waves under