with accelerated force to the end of time, while millions will successively enter its track, and be led by it to the Saviour of men. This reflection is enough to startle the world from its reverie over the destinies of the rising generation, and yet numbers, whom it might waken, will sink to rest again, as if roused by the cry, "All's well." But among them, we do not expect to find parents who love their offspring and have a regard for the Redeemer's glory; among them, we do not expect to find shepherds who have care for the lambs of their flocks, or watchmen on the walls of Zion! Are the certain and possible advantages of Sunday schools such as have been represented? Have they hitherto received signal tokens of the Divine approbation, and can he conceal it from himself, that there must be something fearful in his last account who resists and neglects their claim to support? No Christian is exempt from this duty. But without the approbation and the efforts of the ministers of the gospel these institutions cannot successfully flourish-To them therefore I turn my address, satisfied that if their patronage to Sunday schools be obtained, they will prevail. Is the obligation to support them doubtful, and if not, is it possible to be released from it while they are neglected? What portion of your time will be necessary to establish and sustain them in your congregations, and the mode in which you are to operate, must depend upon a great variety of circumstances. But whatever time and labour it may require, is it probable that the same, employed as it has been, or employ ed in any other way, will produce the same amount of good? Is the end of preaching the gospel the glory of God and the salvation of men, and is not this the Jerusalem from which it should begin, and here may not the broadest and surest foundation of its success be laid?

Would you rejoice to see in your congregations a general regard to the Lord's day, and to the ordinances of his house-would you have the members of your churches familiar with all their duties, and fortified against the enemies of their spirits-would you have them strong in faith, and adorning in all things the doctrines of Christ our Saviour?-see that they have an early and intimate knowledge of the Bible, which shall wind about their affections, and in which they shall grow and bloom to the glory of God. Would you have the confidence and love of children, and access to the hearts of unbelieving parents-would you have the minds of all tender and susceptible to your message-would you see children and youth growing in the desire and in the possession of important knowledge, and walking in the ways of sobriety, truth, and virtue

would you see them early dedicating themselves to the service of the Lord, and making religion desirable and honourable in the sight of others by their example-and would you not neglect the means adapted to produce these happy results, means which God has ever honoured when faithfully used,— lend then your influence, your prayers, and your efforts, to the support of Sunday schools. In every congregation there are individuals who would delight to engage in this benevolent service, and who, in thus blessing others, would be doubly blessed themselves; but they need more than your approbation, they need your example to encourage, your wisdom to devise, and your assistance to execute the plan of their operations. Upon you, therefore, devolves a responsibility in relation to this cause, the pressure of which will be in proportion to your perceptions of its importance. And will not your perceptions of this be proportioned to your faith in the efficacy of divine truth upon minds not yet hardened and em

boldened by sin, and in the promise of the Holy Spirit to apply it in converting and sanctifying the soul, to your confidence in the frequent fulfilment of this promise in the case of children, to your value for immortal souls, and to your sense that the danger of their being lost is enhanced by a want of seasonable knowledge, by progress in unbelief and iniquity, and by constant ap

proaches, in this state, to the grave? What now is your faith in the efficacy of the ministry you have received, you who have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit," you who have been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God." "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man." H. R.

NOTES OF A TRAVELLER.

(Continued from p. 211.)

The white appearance of the water which we have just mentioned, and which was undoubtedly owing to minute fish, is not to be confounded with those large tracts of white coloured sea, which frequently appear in southern latitudes. This white water, as Valentyn calls it, is occasioned by small phosphorescent molluscous animals; in some instances, these are so numerous as to render the water almost gelatinous, while in others they could not be discovered with a glass of the greatest magnifying power used. This white water has sometimes a considerable degree of brilliancy, so that the whole sea, for miles, appears as if covered with a vast sheet of sparkling snow. Inexperienced seamen often change their course in order to escape from these apparent shoals or sand banks; and we have even heard that this white water has been laid down upon some charts as places to be avoided.

I amused myself to-day in taking, with a small net, the velella, which floated in vast numbers past the ship. The velella is a small, flat, gelatino-cartilaginous animal,about the size and thickness of a dollar, having a little sail or crest passing transversely over the top or upper surface; this little sail is fringed

with blue, and the whole portion of the animal out of the water shines with all the colours of the rainbow. Sometimes the sudden rippling of the waves, or a puff of the wind, would overturn them; but they soon regained their upright position. On placing these animals in a tumbler of sea-water, they exhibited one of the most beautiful objects I have seen. The fringe of the little sail which crosses its back, and the curved and radiating lines on the body of the animal, all presented a fine play of pavonine colours. Attached to the lower surface of the velella I noticed, in almost every instance, a little blue shell, like a garden snail, called ianthina, and which I first believed to be the parent or rightful owner of the floating apparatus. It is probable, however, that it makes use of the velella, not only to support itself near the surface of the ocean, but that it also derives from it its principal nourishment, by absorbing its juices. From some observation, I am rather of the opinion that the animal economy of these two molluscæ is singularly adapted to their mutual benefit; the velella supplying nourishment and a floating apparatus to the ianthina, and the ianthina, by its attachment below so balancing and ballasting the velella, as to preserve it in an upright position, which is necessary to its motions through the water. How

ever this may be, there appeared, upon closely examining a great number, but little injury sustained by the velella from its parasite. Some of the adhering shells were quite young, and others full grown specimens. As far as my knowledge in natural history extends, the ianthina was never before ascertained to be parasitick to the velella, or made use of its buoyancy on the surface of the waves to supply the place of its own beautiful apparatus of air cells. This fact confirms the acuteness of Cuvier, that accurate observer of nature, who justly concluded that the ordinary floating apparatus of the ianthina was sometimes naturally absent; as, in some specimens of the animal which he examined, not a vestige of that organ could be perceived, and no scar or cicatrix on the foot, by which it is secreted, could, on the most minute examination, be discovered.

Both the ianthina and velella seem to throw out a violet coloured liquid, when first captured. The purple fluid discharged by these animals will stain a white handkerchief a fine rich colour. As the ianthina is often found in the Mediterranean sea, it has been suggested, with some plausibility, that this purple fluid may be the basis of the Tyrian dye, or ancient royal purple, accidentally discovered by the dog of Hercules. I regret very much that I could not try the effect of acids and alkalies on this colour. According to Pliny, alkalies gave it a green tint; if so, it is analogous to a vegetable blue or purple. We are informed by Stavorinus, that when the liquid obtained from the ianthina is evaporated to dryness, a powder is obtained which, on being mixed with gum-water, forms a beautiful purple paint.

Since writing the above, I find, in a late foreign journal, that Mr. Lesson has satisfactorily proved that the Tyrian purple, noticed by Pliny, was undoubtedly derived from the ianthina. He states, from

some imperfect trials, that the colour of the ianthina will form a valuable re-agent, for it passes very readily to red, under the action of acids, and returns to blue under that of alkalies. With the oxalate of ammonia it gives a precipitate of a dark blue colour, and with the nitrate of silver a very pleasant greyish blue, both of which are good colours for drawing.

I saw some other marine animals, the examination of which amused me, but I have not energy to write any thing more on the subject.

May 15th.--After calms and head-winds for so many days, a slight breeze has sprung up in our favour. About noon, the colour of the sea-water was noticed to be green, and not of the deep blue which characterizes the fathomless parts of the ocean. We therefore knew that we were in soundings, and upon heaving the lead we reached the bottom at 90 fathoms. The lower part of this deep sea-lead is hollowed out and filled with tallow, so that when it touches the bottom, gravel, shells, or any loose matters, adhere to the tallow, and discover its nature. Toward evening a land bird, something like a dove, alighted on one of the spars of the ship, apparently very weary, and, no doubt, remained with us all night, notwithstanding the vain attempts of some of the passengers to capture it. May this bird be "a dove of peace and promise" to our voyage.

The water was splendidly phos. phorescent this evening, seeming, as the bow of the vessel dashed it on either side, like liquid phosphorus. We all felt very anxious about the situation of the land, as a thick fog enveloped the ship; we therefore stood off and on from the cape all night. The long days and the short nights are exceedingly favourable to our voyage; it is not dark till some time after 8 o'clock, and day dawns about 3 in the morning.

May 16th. This morning Mizen Head was distinctly seen off our

lee bow, and at 8 o'clock we were hailed by an Irish fishing-boat, called a barkee (barque ?). We entered into a trade with these rude and cunning sons of Erin; for fresh cod and other fish, and some fine pratees, (potatoes) we gave them in exchange rum, pork, and bread. One of the Irishmen in the boat called out, "Your honours won't forget the backey" (tobacco). We therefore gave them two or three pieces from our stores. These Irish fishermen keep cruising here in the mouth of St. George's channel, to barter and beg from the ships which are continually passing. While we were at dinner, which we commonly take about 3 P. M., the packet ship Montezuma, of Philadelphia, hove in sight, and we were all soon busily employed in writing and sending off our letters to our friends. In the afternoon we fell in with another Irish fishing-boat, and had some amusement in conversing with the untutored crew. Our sailors were cautious in trusting these people, and hence I observed they were closely watched to prevent the rope being cut which was given them to hold while the vessel was lying to. The ironbound coast of Erin lies full in view off our lee bow; and as the wind rose at night, and the weather became hazy, the captain paced the deck nearly all night, apparently in some anxiety. We were also approaching Kinsale, and I could not help thinking of the wreck of the Albion, and the loss of my friend Professor Fisher. My thoughts sought expression in the following lines.*

17th and 18th.-Calms and head winds alternately prevailed, so that we made little or no progress. The phosphorescence of the sea to-night was most splendid, and fully equalled any idea I had previously conceived of it. Both the kinds of phosphorescence which I have men

*These lines appeared in the Christian Advocate for the month of August, 1828.

tioned, seemed to vie with each other in brilliancy. One of the best ways to notice this luminous appearance, is to coil up a long rope, and then throw it out into the sea; scintillations, large sparks, and bright coruscations of light, start out of the water wherever the rope touches it.

19th. A heavy gale of head wind sprung up about one o'clock this morning, and drove us with great violence before it. It was so dark as to render it impossible to distinguish objects at more than the ship's length; we were near shore; and as ships are constantly passing, we have what the sailors call "dirty weather." When daylight appeared, we were near Tuscar light-house, situated six miles off Carnsore Point. Had the wind continued from the same quarter but a few minutes longer, we might have weathered this important point, and then sailed pleasantly along the Welsh coast; but just as we came within a few miles of it, the wind changed, and we were obliged to "bout ship." A calm then succeeded, and kept us all day, near where we had been for two or three days before.

20th. A slight favourable wind springing up during the night, carried us beyond St. David's Head, which is opposite nearly to Carnsore, and this morning the high hills which bound the coast of Wales, and Holyhead were in sight, so that now we begin to think of landing. On one of the lofty knolls on the Island of Anglesea, we saw distinctly the granite monument built over the leg, which the Marquis of Anglesea lost at the battle of Waterloo. To what extremes of folly will not the pride and wealth of man carry him? We took a pilot on board this afternoon, but a strong head wind springing up, drove us off the shore immediately afterwards. The wind blew with great violence all night, so that we were obliged to sail under close-reefed topsails. I remained

on deck for some hours, to witness d the velocity with which the ship moved, and the manner in which the sailors managed her; and though it was rather terrifick for a landsman, I may truly say the whole scene was sublime and agreeteable.

25 201

21st.-This morning the wind still continued fresh. Upon going on deck I found the ship sailing within a mile of a beautiful part of the Welsh coast. The hedges, the small and regular fields, the grain, and the neat white cottages, all appeared beautiful, and I first realized that I was near the land. The weather, soon after sunrise, became cold and hazy. We shall not probably reach Liverpool, though only about forty miles distant, till late to-morrow. This afternoon we came near a telegraphic station placed on Orme's Head, and endeavoured to communicate by means of signals, to our consignee at Liverpool, that we wanted a steam-boat sent down for us; but we got no answer from the flagstaff. On Orme's Head, which is a bold rock at no great distance from the shore, there was a dreadful wreck of a ship, during a dark and tempestuous night, a few years ago, in which every individual on board perished, except one man, who was on the bowsprit, and who was pitched on the rock when the vessel first struck. There was a large number of passengers on board, and I heard some very interesting anecdotes respecting the private history of some of those who perished.

"Give back the lost and lovely! Those for whom

The place was kept at board and hearth so long;

The prayer went up through midnight's

breathless gloom,

And the vain yearning woke 'midst festal song.

"To thee the love of woman hath gone down;

Dark flow thy tides o'er manhood's noble head,

O'er youth's bright locks and beauty's flowery crown!

Yet must thou hear a voice-restore the Dead!

Earth shall reclaim her precious things from thee!

Restore the Dead, thou Sea!"

22d. We had a very unpleasant

night, and seemed at daybreak to be but little nearer our port than thing, however, we were the night before; every changed by the appearance of two instantly steam-boats, which were seen approaching us through the fog, and by

was

means of which we were informed the delight we all experienced at we were to land. Notwithstanding this moment, I shall never forget the impression which I felt on first seeing an English steam-boat. Of all the uncouth and dirty machines of the steam kind, they are the worstBut I must hasten to get on shore. All was bustle and confusion-and when order was restored among us, we were on board of one of these boats, and moving fast toward Liverpool, which was only twenty miles distant. We saw but little of this great commercial place till we got on shore, on account of the thick fog in which we were enveloped. It would be worse than affectation in me to pretend that I experienced any very strong emotions, or high classical enthusiasm, when I first stepped on the soil from which my forefathers sprung. I felt no feverish excitement at being in the land of ancient castles and moul

dering towers; nor did I thrill at the remembrance that here lived, and wrote, and died, besides a host of others that might be named, "Bacon and Hooker, Milton and Boyle." Every thing classical or imaginative gave place to the delightful and substantial reality, that I had escaped from the ship, and was once more walking on terra firma.

We were landed, unexpectedly, without the interference of custom house officers, from the steam-boat which took us from the ship, near