our boats moored alongside of our station, or rather the place appointed for it, and in a wigwam of our own building-made of trees, thatched at the sides, with a fire in it—not far from the wigwams of the natives; with the woods of Picton Island on the one side, and separated from Garden Island by Banner Cove; seated on the earth for my floor, I now write these last few lines again to say farewell, and to bid you God-speed. God bless you. All is well, dearest A.; the Lord does greatly comfort and strengthen me.

"I have received a very pleasing testimony from the Captain of the ship and the passengers and crew, who united together, and purchased from one of the passengers a gold watch, with a gold chain, a silver pencil-case, and a gold ring. This handsome present was given me to-day by the Captain, in presence of all the company on board, with a very flattering memorial drawn up and read. They allege as the motive to this very handsome conduct, the services I have rendered to many of them; but I can sincerely say that nothing was farther from my expectations, and that I was conscious of no such desert. I simply performed a duty that devolved upon me. Several of the men, even the sailors, wept on my taking leave of them, and seemed to feel greatly on leaving. They also presented Mr Maidment with a ring and pencil-case. He really deserved their esteem; for I never saw any person more kind in his attentions to the sick,

nursing them, cooking for them, and assisting them at all hours of the night. I regard this expression of their kindness as a good evidence that their hearts have been somewhat touched by the profession we have made of the Lord Jesus, and I hope that the grace of God may more deeply and permanently affect them.

"I must close. My love to C., to mother, &c., and to all my dear friends. To-night the ship leaves us. I shall not go on board again; but a boat shall take this on board.

"All is well, God be praised! It is beyond all thought blessed to be given up entirely to the service of Christ. His consolations and the comforts of the Holy Ghost are infinitely precious, and far outweigh all privations we have to encounter.

66

Farewell, farewell!

"Your ever affectionate brother,

"RICHARD."

It is the twofold glory of Christianity, that it infuses fresh tenderness into the relative affections, and yet, when needful, it can subordinate or supersede them. Mr Williams had warm feelings naturally, and religion made them warmer; and the parting with loved friends was the sorest pang in his departure for Fuegia. But as distance did not impair his attachments, so these attachments did not weaken his zeal. He did not put his hand to the plough, and turn his eye to his English

home; but, whatever might be his secret hopes for the future, he gave all his heart to the work before him. The love of Christ constrained him, and the sacrifice of earthly endearment which he had made for His sake, helped to render that Master's authority more august and his favor more precious. And if it be a fine spectacle to see a home-sick but oaken-hearted sailor like Collingwood, sustained by a simple sense of duty-keeping his post one weariful year after another, when a flower from his own garden would have been more welcome than a forest of laurel, and a sight of his children more prized than a step in the peerage-it is surely as great a lesson to see the Christian missionary self-exiled from what he deems an earthly paradise, and, in a calling which admits no earthly recompence, bound to a barbarous shore by no other mooring than compassion for his fellow-men and loyalty to his Lord in heaven. It would be wrong to print the outpourings of brotherly and friendly tenderness, and the yearnings homeward with which Mr Williams's letters overflow; but, having been allowed to read them, we confess that they have greatly exalted the writer in our eyes, and have imparted to his mission another element of martyrdom.

Returning to the Journal, we resume the record after the sailing of the Ocean Queen :

"Our ship was seen getting under weigh at about nine o'clock on the morning of the 19th December,

and in a few hours we lost sight of her. God speed her, and all that are in her! About ten o'clock on the same morning we ourselves prepared to leave Banner Cove, in search of a place where we might deposit some of our stores, our boats being too much crowded. We could not stow any in the immediate vicinity, on account of the natives. Accordingly, we got under weigh, but the wind was ahead of us at first. We had to make several tacks, and were sometimes puzzled in the attempt. My berth was in the Pioneer with Captain Gardiner; but, as he required two of the sailors with him, I exchanged places with Bryant, and went on board the Speedwell, which was under command of Erwin, Badcock being with us. Thus we were divided, Captain Gardiner, Mr Maidment, Pearce, and Bryant in the Pioneer, and we three in the Speedwell. The Speedwell was much the heavier laden of the two, and greatly encumbered with stores. addition, we had a heavy raft of timber fastened to our stern, and towed after us. I now turned to, to assist for the first time in the management of a sailing craft. I soon was able to handle the mainsheet, in working the boat, hauling aft' and 'slackening off,' brailing up' and 'furling,' as required; and rigged out in most of the gear of a sailor, with sou'-wester, a blue serge shirt, and heavy sea-boots. The wind was blowing fresh from the N.E., with squalls of rain, and, although somewhat gloomy the weather, and chilling, we set off

In

ness.

in excellent spirits. After tacking about for more than an hour, the Pioneer got the start of us, by weathering on one tack the point of land projecting from Garden Island, and we lost sight of her. In attempting to do the same, the raft we had in tow came on our weather bow, whilst we were in stays, and we were driven leeward considerably. We now tried to wear her, but, owing to a field of kelp on our lee bow, she would not go round, and we saw ourselves fast drifting right on the surf. We were startled and amazed at the suddenness of the danger, as well as by its imminency and greatIt was scarcely credible to our senses, that, in the course of a few minutes, and almost at the instant of our losing sight of our companions, we should be exposed to such a peril as was now before us. All was anxiety and alacrity to do whatever we could. The anchor was hastily let go, but, owing to the mass of kelp and bad holding-ground, it came home until we were in the midst of the rocks. Destruction now, indeed, threatened us, and poor Erwin was almost beside himself. • The boat, the boat will be lost!-she's done for, she'll go to pieces!' was the poor fellow's repeated exclamation. We did our utmost, by means of the boat-hooks, &c., to keep her from being heaved by the roaring swell on the rocks. Now she was broadside, and all but upon them; now her bow was really in danger of being stoved: we were first at one part, and as immediately at another,