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CHAPTER IX.

Sickness and Famine.

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.-Psalm lxii. 5–8.

I sat in the orchard, and thought, with sweet comfort and peace, of my God; in solitude-my company, my friend, and comforter. Oh! when shall time give place to eternity? When shall appear that new heaven and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness? There, there shall in nowise enter in anything that defileth; none of that wickedness that has made men worse than wild beasts; none of those corruptions that add still more to the miseries of mortality, shall be seen or heard of any more.-The last entry in the Journal of Henry Martyn.

THE humidity of the climate and continual hardships began to tell on the health of the party. The first sufferer was Mr Williams himself; and the commencement of his illness is thus recorded :—

"Monday, February 25.-Obliged to lie by in consequence of a severe chill caught on Friday.

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Wednesday, March 12.—I am just recovering from a severe illness, having been confined to bed and to the boat, with the exception of the last few days, during which I have been able to walk on the beach at favorable opportunities, since Monday the 25th of February. I caught a violent chill from putting on damp flannels, and having been for some time weakly and disordered through want of proper animal food—having it only twice a-week. Owing to the weakening and disturbing effect of a farinaceous diet, so long continued, when the cold attacked me it threatened at once to prostrate all my powers, and assumed an alarming aspect. But the hand of the Lord was graciously

with me, and by a clear perception of what means I ought to use I was able to treat myself very successfully. There was every threatening of rheumatic fever, and the pain in my limbs was excruciating, whilst considerable feverishness set in; but the medicines were all remarkably efficacious, and through these and the kind nursing of Mr Maidment, who waited upon me with affectionate and assiduous attention, by the blessing of God I am now fast recovering.

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Monday, March 17.-Goodness and mercy follow me; yea, abundantly so, and my heart rejoices in God my Saviour. Bodily, I am in a poor weak state, having been getting worse for some days past, with symptoms of that prostrating disease, the scurvy. Poor Badcock, I am also sorry to say, has symptoms of the same too; indeed, we are all in a very weak condition, Erwin and Mr Maidment complaining. How are we brought low! But thou, O God, hast the ordering of all things. Wise and good are all thy ways. Thou knowest the end from the beginning, and orderest all things according to thy will. Thy will be done, O God, and blessed for ever be thy holy name.

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Wednesday, March 19.- This morning at seven o'clock we weighed anchor, and quitted Earnest Cove for Banner Cove, in order to be in readiness against a vessel's coming, and that we might not miss her. This is a sudden movement of ours, as the time contemplated for changing our

locality was still distant some weeks; but the Captain was suddenly impressed with the necessity of our doing so, and became anxious lest we should miss our vessel. The change was only proposed yesterday, and carried into execution to-day. One circumstance of a somewhat singular character helped to hasten the present decision; that was the taking fire of the Hurricane house,' as we called it, a place fitted up by the Captain for his sleeping apartment, in lieu of the stranded and dissevered boat, from whence kindness and consideration towards me, on account of my illness, had driven him. The 'Hurricane house' was composed of a row of poles, inclined against a rocky projection, some sails and canvas being used to cover them, and thus keep out the wind and rain. To keep it warm, a fire was maintained night and day, and owing to the fire having blazed up very fiercely a few mornings back, the canvas caught fire, and the flames extended to the wood above the rocks, and a considerable conflagration ensued. We consequently expected that the natives from some quarter or other would see it; and although this proved not to be the case, yet it seemed to impress the Captain as an intimation for us to stir and be going. The night following the fire, a stone from the rocks above gave way, and fell just where the Captain's head would have been had he continued to sleep there. Behold the goodness and mercy of God's providential care!

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