the wreck of fortune and of character, amidst reproaches from without, and remorse of conscience from within? Moral courage is required here in no ordinary degree, and bold determination: but where are these to be found amidst the shattered ruins of a debilitated nerve-shaken body, and a timorous, unenterprizing, stultified mind?

The faith and the consolations of the Gospel are all needed here. But, alas! what has the spirit-drinker to do with religion? He indeed struggles to escape, therefore, from trials which he dares not meet; and endeavouring to find forgetfulness in the delirium of intoxication, he "seeks it yet again."

Add then to this the powerful influence of habit, and none need be surprised that the spirit-drunkard has been so generally deemed-IRRECLAIMABLE.

P. S.-All evil habits have their commencement in small, perhaps very small, evil indulgences :-"Let him who thinketh he standeth, take great heed lest he fall.”"Evil communications corrupt good manners."

BIBLE AND GUINEA OF ADMIRAL COLPOYS. THE late Admiral Colpoys, who rose to that high station as the effect of his meritorious exertions, used to be fond of relating, that, on first leaving an humble lodging to join his ship as a midshipman, his landlady presented him with a Bible and a guinea, saying, "God bless you and prosper you, my lad; and as long as you live, never suffer yourself to be laughed out of your money or your prayers." young sailor carefully followed this advice through life, and had reason to rejoice that he did so; while thousands have unavailingly regretted that they pursued a different

course.

The

THE DYING SOLILOQUY OF A NEGLECTER OF RELIGION.

O THAT I had been wise! that I had known this! that I had considered my latter end! Death is now at my door: in a few hours more I shall draw my last gasp; and thenjudgment the tremendous judgment! How shall I appear, unprepared as I am, before the all-knowing and all-power

ful God? How shall I endure the day of his coming? O, that holiness! that which I now long for, I have not words to express how highly I now value it. I would gladly part with all my estate, large as it is, or a world, to obtain it. Now my benighted eyes are enlightened. I clearly discern the things that are excellent. What is there in the place to which I am going, but God? Or what is there on earth to be desired, but religion? O, if the righteous Judge would try me once more! If he would but reprieve and spare me a little longer, in what a spirit would I spend the remainder of my days! But, alas! why do I amuse myself with fond imaginations? The best resolutions are now insignificant, because they are too late!

Have not these, or similar, been the sad reflections of many a dying seaman? J. G. P.

ARRIVAL OF THE WHALE SHIP ADVICE. THE whale ship, Advice, arrived in Dundee Harbour on Saturday morning at seven. Her arrival caused great excitement; crowds of people went, through curiosity, to see her. Out of a crew of forty-nine that went out with the ship, only six survive. The sufferings that have befallen the crews of the Thomas and Advice have been very distressing forty of the crew belonging to the Thomas, and forty-three of the Advice, have died, leaving not less than one hundred fatherless children wholly unprovided

for.

CAPTURE OF A WHALE.

ON Tuesday morning the servants of Arthur Scouler, Esq. of Overinnen, Ryles of Bute, were not a little surprised at finding, instead of salmon, a huge whale entangled in the salmon nets. The top nets, which are intersected for strength with strong ropes, are made somewhat similar to bags, and into one of these it had thrust its head; and thus its fins were rendered quite unserviceable. Of course it did not submit calmly to be taken, but used its tail in throwing up water to such an extent as threatened to engulf any boat that ventured near it. The men, however, embraced every opportunity to inflict wounds on its body;

and at length so weakened it, that they were enabled to drag it on the beach. It measured about forty feet in length, and twelve in breadth at its thickest part. It was towed up the river on Thursday by the Sampson steamboat, and hoisted out of the water, amidst a vast concourse of spectators, by the large crane at Broomielaw. It was then drawn along Argyle Street, Trongate, and Gallowgate, by sixteen horses, to the cattle market, where it is now exhibiting. Its weight is said to be upwards of twenty-five tons; its tail measures about ten feet in breadth.-Glasgow Paper.

HOME MISSIONS EXTENDED TO SEAMEN. THIS poem is inserted by the desire of a well-known friend to sailors, who sent it with the following remarks:

-

"I do really think that the PILOT would be the better for the insertion of this pretty piece of poetry, especially if the Editor would give it a brief introduction about the zeal of the promoters of the Home Missions, their need even in this Christian country, their extensive usefulness, and their connection with evangelical labours for seamen, promoted by the PILOT. The PILOT is a kind of Home Missionary to seamen (for the PILOT is always a welcome visitor to a ship, whether outward or homeward bound); his counsels are good; his orders carefully and promptly obeyed; and often the vessel enters, through good pilotage, safely into her destined harbour. Pray, Mr. Editor, give the poem something of this kind to introduce it to your many nautical readers. I am yours, with good wishes, SHIP OWNER."

once a

HOME MISSIONS. BY MR. J. F. HOLLINGS.

"Forth, far as day's ascending glories smile,
Forth to the gloomiest deep and loneliest isle,
Sin's wasted prey to succour and release,
The seed repentance, and the harvest peace."
Such the command, which, fresh with triumph, gave
The Eternal Victor of thy pains, O grave,

Ere conquering Godhead sought the expectant sky,
And led captivity his thrall on high.

Such the command,-with what unearthly powers
Obey'd and seal'd, bear witness we and ours.

VOL. IV.

T

Nurs'd at the streams of life, and call'd to guide
To other lands that pure and healing tide,
Where is the shore, whose limits have not heard
The ready heralds of th' imparted Word?
Where the far sea, whose green recesses now
Cleave not before the heaven-commission'd prow ?
Swart Afric bends,- for quickening might is there;
And mystic Ganges hears a holier prayer;
And fair Ceylon, above the corall'd wave,
Hath cried to him—the prompt and sure to save;
And where the Indian Moloch signed to slay,
Blood-sprinkled dweller in the wild Morái,
The Sabbath-hush, the meekly list'ning flock,
Beneath the kingly palm or shadowy rock,
The low and cane-fenc'd dwelling, and within,
The unfolded antidote of grief and sin,

Speak of the peaceful dawn, which, promised long,
In the deep numbers of prophetic song,
Now tarries not; but, kindling into birth,
From flood to flood, from earth to answering earth,
Cheers, through each clime by suffering frailty trod,
The call'd-the pardon'd-and the bless'd of God!
Praise for the earliest fruit of mercy won!
Praise for the strength vouchsaf'd and work begun!
But, while fair Hope's anticipative sight
Tracks in its beamy course the growing light,
Above the distant homes of others shown,
Comes there no voice of mourning for our own?
Alas! that while the voice of safety near,
Tahiti and the groves of Indus hear,

Our sunny vales, through many a peopled track,
Give but the reckless execration back!

Alas! that while the feathery cocoa's height
Waves with the golden dawn of knowledge bright,
Our sheltered island of repose and rest

Hides still the mist of darkness in its breast!
Where toil but lures, and distance cannot tire,
Faith hastes, with lip of love and wing of fire,
Seeking the lost-and prosperous be the 'quest,—
But shall the household child remain unblest?
Exile and alien, banish'd and denied,
With few to sympathize, and none to guide;
And daily pining for the sacred bread,

Even at the halls where foreign throngs are fed!

Such stain no longer mark thy seed or thee,
Long-favoured Ruler of the subject sea;
Awake, and speed the holy labour set,

And earn the better wreath, which waits thee yet,
Till owned and hallowed through thy wide domain,
His cause shall flourish and His Spirit reign,
Whose will hath placed thine ocean throne apart,
And nerv'd thine arm, and made thee what thou art.
Nor long shall be desire, nor slow redress,
Though sin and darkness still our land oppress;
And error, as of old, with weapon bar'd,
Keep, in stern panoply, the path prepar❜d.
But o'er the seed, with prayer and patience spread,
When was the rain withheld, or dew unshed?
Or how, though guilt, and sin, and night assail,
Shall that unshaken word of promise fail,
Which is and shall be yet, when heaven is past,
Best, fairest, surest, holiest, mightiest, last!

Contemplating seamen, we may add —
Rise! Britain rise! thy seamen to reclaim
From sin and death by thy Redeemer's name.
Call them to hear the Gospel's joyful sound,
Fill'd with the Spirit, all the world around,
Send them, as heralds, to proclaim his peace,
And bless the heathen nations with his grace.

American Chronicle.

SHIPWRECKS OF AMERICA.

DOUBTS have been expressed as to the number of British ships stated in the PILOT to have been annually wrecked; and reference has been made to America, that the same amount of loss could not exist in its mercantile navy. We have only to state, that every fact noted in the PILOT is given on the best authority; and as to America, whatever may be said or supposed of the superiority of her ships or seamen, we have reason to believe, that, considering the number of vessels possessed by each country, an equal if not a greater proportion of American ships is annually wrecked than British.

The following, from the American Sailors' Magazine of last January, will confirm this supposition.