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laid over the wounded part, and that powerful pumps had been fitted up and connected with the steam-engine, so that should any leakage occur the water could be carried off as fast as it flowed in. With these precautions it was confidently asserted that the ship was fit to sail for China, and to encounter any weather. Nevertheless, as it subsequently turned out, all that could be truly said for her was, that so long as the engine and pumps worked, she would float; but that within four hours of either of them failing she would fill and go down. For many days, however, all went well. The vessel seemed to make her way so gallantly through the waves that fear subsided in the breasts of those on board, and admiration of her swift and majestic advance toward her "desired haven" took its place.

On the ninth day of the voyage a brisk gale came on, which continued to increase. Still the confidence of the officers of the ship remained unshaken, and they expressed their readiness to sail for China in her if needful. As the gale freshened, however, she began to labour heavily, which caused the false keel to leak. Seen afterward the leak began to increase fearfully, the water to rise in the hold,

and the pumps almost entirely to cease acting. The fact was, the pipes had become choked, and the engines were working very feebly. In consequence of this the water soon rose nearly to the orlop deck, and, as the ship reeled to and fro with each sea that struck her, roared and dashed in the hold like the surf on a rocky beach. Now, however, appeared the value of faith and prayer. Mr. Strong, finding that he could be of no use on deck, repaired to his cabin, and poured out his soul in supplication to Him "who hath gathered the wind in his fists, and hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand." He was led especially to pray on behalf of the many on board who were unprepared to die, and he besought the Lord for their sakes to spare the ship, that the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering might lead them to repentance. He then returned on deck, with a calm and untroubled spirit, firmly trusting in God, and freed from all anxiety as to the result. "My peace and joy in the Lord," he says, were never disturbed a moment."

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He found the crew actively engaged in preparing for the worst, getting the boat ready to launch before the ship should go down. The sea, however, was running so high that it was

a question whether they could live in it. It was now resolved to make one more effort to discover and remove the cause of the pumps failing; and, as a last resort, a diver was sent down under the ship's bottom to clear the pipe of any accumulation of seaweed or oakum he might find there, the passengers meanwhile working a hand-pump and baling with buckets. This was continued from nine o'clock till one. "It was an awful season. When my turn was to rest I went to the ladies; they were exceedingly terrified; and you might see those who had been so thoughtlessly gay the day before, in an agony of mind. I then showed them the value of saving faith in Jesus, and besought them now to look with confidence to his blood, and cast themselves on the grace of God.

"The preparations for embarking in the boats had greatly alarmed the ladies, and it was a pitiful sight to behold their agony at the prospect before them; for, perhaps, ere sunset the mighty vessel, with all the souls on board, might sink beneath the waters, and the wind might be sweeping over the waves that covered us, and not a token be left to tell our mourning friends the sad tale of our foundering at sea; and, then, the souls of those who had not been

washed in the blood of Jesus-where would they be? All this, ay, more than this, was pondered in the heart of Him whose name is 'love.'

"The time was now come for Him who had heard my cry to put forth his hand. The men had been fruitlessly diving for three hours and a half, and the water fearfully increasing, notwithstanding all our efforts; but now they succeeded in clearing the pipe, the water began to decrease, and in a short time we were able to discontinue pumping or baling, the engine taking off all the water. By four o'clock our fears were quieted, and we were all able to assemble at dinner. Then were the circumstances of Paul and the crew of the ship of Alexandria brought forcibly before my mind; so confident did I feel that God had answered prayer, in helping us to clear the engine-pipes, and had given calmness and wisdom to the engineer to act as he had done for our safety. All thought of danger was now banished from my mind, and although the vessel was rolling deeply before a heavy sea, yet she was running swiftly to a port of safety."

Thus it proved, and they succeeded in reaching Fayal, where the steamer was thoroughly examined and repaired. Many of the passen

gers, however, refused to proceed further in her; but so strongly impressed was the captain by Mr. Strong's calm trust in Providence in the hour of peril, that he earnestly besought him to remain in the ship till her arrival in England, feeling assured that, if he did so it would safely arrive at its place of destination. His confidence was not misplaced; the steamer reached England without further disaster.

In the memoirs of the rev. Legh Richmond, the pious author of the Dairyman's Daughter, a striking proof is recorded, that "the fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth much," and that it can draw down protection for the object of its solicitude at a time when he is far removed from all personal communication with those who are most deeply interested in his welfare.

Nugent Richmond, the son of the clergyman whom we have just named, was the child of many prayers, and received a careful and a pious education. When a young man, however, he occasioned his father much anxiety by a course of irregularity, and was, after ineffectual attempts to restrain him, sent to the sea as his profession. His father followed him with much earnest prayer, and besought God

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