long imprisonment, and the degraded state into which they felt themselves brought, by being so publicly exposed to view, when marched to and from their work, chained together under a military guard; indeed the countenances of some appeared as if they were ripe for committing the most heinous acts of barbarity; nevertheless, the fear of danger from them was not permitted to have any place in my mind. Great pains were taken to arrange them round the yard, and we were placed in a situation the most favourable for all the prisoners to hear: but on taking our station I observed, that the military guard of the prison was placed behind the prisoners, who were arranged before us: this, for the moment, made rather a terrific appearance, and led me, as before, to consider, that if a disturbance were to take place, and the military were ordered to fire, it was very unlikely we should escape with our lives. But being favoured to resume my former confidence in that arm of Divine power, which remains invincible, I was borne up above all these discouraging considerations; feeling my mind centered where alone help is to be found, to aid me in faithfully discharging that which appeared to me to be my duty, towards these my poor wretched-looking fellow-creatures. The quietness that soon took place, was such that had it not been for the objects before me, I might have supposed I was standing beside the grave of a Friend.

I thought I had a sense given me that my interpreter was favoured with best help, and would be enabled to get through with peace to his own mind, as he afterwards acknowledged, expressing the thankfulness he felt, that this opportunity of assisting me had thus fallen to his lot. The behaviour of the prisoners during the whole of the time we were with them, was becoming the occasion. The countenances of many appeared solid, and, as if sorrow for their misconduct filled their hearts, the tears stood in the eyes of some, and trickled down the cheeks of others. It being rather late in the evening, and feeling myself much exhausted, I requested that the prisoners might be informed that I felt unequal to give them each my hand as I wished to have done, and therefore I hoped they would excuse my not doing so: but this omission of mine has often since occasioned me some severe plungings of mind; and from what I at times feel when this visit comes up into view, had I to pass through the same opportunity again. I would rather it was necessary from exhaustion, to carry me off the spot, than to omit, as I did, giving these poor creatures each one my hand of love. Before we parted, the captain of the guard addressed the prisoners, my interpreter informed me, in a very impressive manner; recommending them to attend to the advice which had been giving them. We were then conducted by the captain of the guard to his apartments, where wine and fruit were provided for us. Before we left the captain, as a token

of remembrance of this opportunity, he requested I would write on a sheet of paper my name and place of abode. Recollecting that I had one of the pamphlets, "Thoughts on the Importance of Religion," at my hotel, I told him I should be glad to present it to him, if I had the means of conveying it to him: on my reaching my hotel, a person from the captain was waiting to convey the book to him. And now I was made fully sensible, it was through the superintending care of Israel's Shepherd, that my service in this place was brought to a peaceful close. The gates of Copenhagen appearing set wide open to me, I ordered a carriage for the morrow to take me to Elsineur.

69

CHAPTER XXVII.

SIXTH-DAY, 9th. mo. 1824, I proceeded to Elsineur. I do not know how to describe my state of mind at the present time more correctly, than by saying, that I felt like one of the porters employed in London to carry heavy burdens, who, having finished his day's work, lays by his knot. Being released for the present from the heavy load of exercise of mind I have had to endure since coming into the city, I was favoured to reach Elsineur in the afternoon. The prospect of embarking upon the great deep, led me further to consider my motive for undertaking a voyage to Russia; but there appeared no other way for me to come at true and substantial peace, but quietly to subject my poor nerves to such perils as Divine wisdom might see meet should attend me on my passage there. there. I waited on my kind friend Charles Fenwick, the English consul, with whom a letter was waiting for me from Daniel Wheeler, giving me instructions how to proceed on my arrival at Cronstadt, and conveying an invitation to his house, which was truly acceptable; for I was sensible of the need there would be for me, when at Petersburgh, to try to find a safe sheltering-place, where I might be out of the way of much company, and in an English family. I informed the consul of my desire to take the first vessel for Cronstadt, whenever he could recommend to me a suitable one; but the wind was now contrary for a passage to Russia. I was told the wind had been for some time favourable, but now it had tacked about, I might be detained here some days. I found, without great watchfulness, and endeavouring through holy help to cast my care on that Divine Power, who had in such a wonderful manner cared for me, that I should become involved in so much anxiety and perplexity about getting forward, as to rob me of that consolation, which, I had reason to believe, the retrospect of my late religious movements was intended to afford me.

Seventh-day, feeling my mind impressed with a sense of the necessity of sending my papers and memorandums to England, I lost no time in making up a packet for that purpose, which I gave

in charge to the consul to forward by post, lest the wind should suddenly tack about again: my books I had disposed of, except my Bible, in a way I was led to hope would be useful; for I had a sense given me before I left Copenhagen, that it would be unsafe for me to take more books with me to Russia than my Bible, and that a jealous eye would be upon me when I arrived at Petersburgh.

About four o'clock on First-day morning, I was called up, and informed that the vessel, in which the consul wished me to go, was in sight. I had to take a boat to get on board, and was truly thankful when I was safe on the deck of the Henry, of Hull, Captain Meggat. There being no passengers in the cabin, I had it to myself: sickness keeping off, I passed the day comfortably.

Second-day, the wind was contrary, which proved an exercise of patience to our ship's company. I retired to bed, and got some sleep until near morning, when I was awoke by a violent shouting, with great uproar on the deck, as if all hands were in full motion to escape some danger, and the vessel I sensibly felt had whirled round; but I could feel nothing so proper for me as keeping quiet in my bed: after awhile I found the vessel resumed her station again, was under sail and all was quiet. On inquiry next morning into the cause of this awful alarm, the captain informed me that a foreign vessel under full sail, instead of keeping her right course, when in full sail, had crossed our course near us; the probable consequence of which was, had not our captain used the precautions which he did, that one or other of the vessels would have gone to the bottom. This merciful escape produced feelings of gratitude in my mind for the care of Him, who thus in mercy watches over us by night and by day, and in times of danger prepares a way for our escape.

Third-day, the wind in our favour, but the weather so foggy that our captain considered it dangerous attempting to make much way through the Gulf of Finland, the passage being narrow and the coast dangerous. Night coming on, and our captain fearing a storm, the necessary preparations were made against danger from it; the forked lightning that appeared in the horizon was truly awful; yet after all these trying circumstances, I was favoured to retire to rest in full confidence that I should be watched over, and cared for by that Divine Power, to whom I found I could appeal for the sincerity of my motives, in thus exposing myself upon this unstable element.

Fourth-day, the wind much in our favour; about midnight we cast anchor abreast of the guard-ship, stationed in the channel.

Fifth-day, the regular officers came on board to take down our names, and seal up our luggage; we procceded again, but were detained some time before we could enter the harbour of Cronstadt, in consequence of some vessels having arrived from Lubeck,

which sailed about the time I should have taken shipping there; had I sailed, as I was advised to do, from that port, I should probably have been a passenger in one of them. On my landing, I found the passengers, who came in these vessels from Lubeck, were all of them involved in great distress, their luggage being seized along with the vessels, in consequence of their having large quantities of goods concealed on board, for the purpose of smuggling them into Cronstadt. On observing the great distress some of the passengers were involved in, by their not being allowed to take from the vessel any thing more than the clothes they had on them, I felt a fresh cause for thankfulness on my part, and a further proof of the watchful care of Israel's Shepherd over me; that this might be engraven on my heart as with the point of a diamond, never more to be defaced, was the earnest prayer of my soul. After our vessel had made her way into port, amidst the confusion these Lubeck vessels had occasioned, we were visited by another set of officers; the captain accompanied me on shore to the different offices to clear my luggage, and procure my passport; on which occasion I met with civil treatment, except from some inexperienced young men in the long-room, one of whom took my hat from me and detained it for awhile. Having procured my passport and cleared my luggage, accompanied by my kind captain, I went on board the steamboat for Petersburgh: here we also met with some of the passengers who came in the vessel from Lubeck, whose situation appeared a pitiable one, especially some females, as they had not been suffered to bring away with them the least change of apparel of any kind. My kind friend Samuel Stansfield was waiting on the quay to take charge of me, a poor wanderer in a strange land as i felt myself; and he hired a droskey, the carriage used here for hire, which took me to his store; we then proceeded on foot to the house of my kind friend Daniel Wheeler, who met me on the road, and, with his wife and family, gave me a kind reception. I felt grateful to be once more in the company of members of our religious Society; and nothing appeared to be wanting on their parts, in endeavouring to make their house a comfortable abode for an Englishman. This retreat out of the city felt to me very desirable, concluding in my own mind I should escape many callers, whom I might otherwise be exposed to the danger of meeting, which at times I had been led to anticipate with a sort of dread that proved distressing to my feelings; for I was aware of my open communicative disposition, and I knew not how far I might at unawares be drawn into conversation, and thereby be brought into difficulty. But, alas! before the day closed, I was made sensible that this quiet abode was not to be my resting-place, during my tarriance on this part of the Lord's footstool; but I must be willing to submit to take up my