On

to eight, which completes the watch. the other end of the deck is another bell, which immediately responds to this, so that, by day or night, the time may be known in any part of the vessel."

CHAPTER VII.

Extracts from Mrs. A.'s journal during her voyage, continued.— Arrival at Calcutta.

"August 20th.-This is a very delightful morning, and my spirits were much exhilarated by walking on deck. Were some of my youthful friends with me, they would find many things that would please them very much. Particularly, they would like to share with me the pleasure of throwing out crumbs to the pigeons, which have followed us two or three thousand miles, to pick up whatever is thrown them. They are very pretty creatures; their bodies are white, and their wings spotted with black. The manner of measuring the distance we advance is amusing. I will attempt to describe it. They have a glass, shaped like an hour-glass, filled with sand, which will run. out in fourteen seconds. A cord of some length is wound around a wheel, and at the end of it, a piece of triangular wood is fastened, one corner being heavier than the rest, that it may hang perpendicularly in the water, and lie where it is thrown. A

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knot is tied at certain distances in the cord, and as many knots as run off, while the sand is running in the glass, so many miles the ship sails in an hour. One person holds the glass, another the wheel, another throws the wood. As soon as this touches the water, he speaks to the one holding the glass to turn it; he answers, Done,' as soon as the sand is run out, cries, 'Stop.' The wheel turns so easy, that the cord runs off with no other force, except that of the wood in the water. The operation is commonly repeated once in two or three hours, day and night, the result set down, and every noon added together. It proceeds on this principle-as one hour is to fourteen seconds, so is one mile to the number of feet, run off in this time. This is on the supposition that the vessel sails one mile an hour; of course, if her velocity is increased five, eight, or ten times, or any other number, the length of cord that runs off increases proportionably.

"25th. You might now, on the map, find our course in the Indian ocean, nearly as far east as Calcutta, latitude about thirty degrees. Again we have reached the southern trade winds. This morning, eighty days from Boston. In less than twenty more, we hope to reach Calcutta. We may

here, as in every part of our long voyage, well raise a tribute of heartfelt gratitude to Him who has so kindly protected us in the midst of dangers before unknown, supplied our wants, and visited us with mercy at every step. We have all been much favored with regard to health, and look forward with satisfaction to the sphere of labor on which we are expecting soon to enter.

"I sometimes unconsciously fix my mind on the scenes of my dear home, till my thoughts become so abstracted, I seem to realize what is there passing. Every place and circumstance with which, in past days, I have been familiar, rises before me with such vivid clearness, as almost to supply the pleasure of a visit. But the illusion vanishes without leaving any knowledge of the present circumstances of my friends. Many changes have probably taken place since I left, but not one without the direction of Him whom we profess to serve. that it may be his good pleasure to visit my dear parents with his love and sensible presence, supplying the absence of their family by the consolations of his Spirit. In our tender parting, I remember that we only anticipated a little the separation to be made by death, and that we hope for an inseparable meeting in heaven. I surely

wish to comfort you in your declining years, and if I may not do it by my presence, let me do it in my absence, by pointing your faith to Him who alone can give solid, enduring joy, and referring you to that hope, full of immortality, we are permitted to indulge, purchased for us at the infinite price of a Saviour's blood. While contemplating this, I trust your heart will glow with gratitude, that he has permitted you to make a sacrifice, with the hope of advancing that cause for which he bled, and extending the knowledge of the Saviour to those who are ignorant of his salvation.

"31st. Mercies, many and great, have attended us constantly, and now we can cheer ourselves with the prospect of soon reaching our port. We hope soon to mingle again with Christians in sacred, holy duties, and visit the courts of the Lord in a distant land, a land of heathenism.

"What a contrast between my present circumstances and those of a year ago! Who would have supposed at that season, that the lapse of one year would place me almost on heathen ground? That year has been an important, eventful one indeed to

me.

What perpetual changes attend this mortal state! Well, the last great change will soon put us all beyond the reach of vi