stant destruction-I grew irresolute whether to remain upon deck, and face death, or to wait for it below. I soon discovered a ship a little way ahead-I instinctively ran to the helm, and loosed the rope that tied the tiller, which at once bounded back, and knocked me over. A horrible crashing, and loud cries, now broke upon my ear, and I saw that we had got entangled with another vessel. But the velocity with which we swept along. rendered our extrication instantaneous; and, on looking back, I saw a ship, without a bowsprit, pitching irregularly among the waves, and heard the rattling of cordage, and a tumult of voices But, after a little time, nothing was distinguishable by the eye or by the ear. My situation appeared doubly horrible, when I reflected that I had just been within call of human creatures, who might have saved and assisted all on board, had not an evil destiny hurried us along, and made us the means of injuring those who alone were capable of affording us relief.

About midnight, our fore top-mast gave way, and fell upon deck with a tremendous noise. The ship immediately swung round, and began to labor in a terrible manner, while several waves broke over her successively.

I had just resolved to descend the gangway for shelter, when a white figure rushed past me with a wild shriek, and sprung overboard. I saw it struggling among the billows, and tossing about its arms distractedly, but had no means of affording it any assistance. I watched it for some time, and observed its convulsive motions gradually grow more feeble, but its form soon became undistinguishable amidst the foam of the bursting waves. The darkness prevented me from discovering who had thus committed himself to the deep, in a moment of madness, and I felt a strong repugnance at attempting to ascertain it, and rather wished it might have been some spectre, or the offspring of my perturbed imagination, than a human being.

As the sea continued to break over the vessel, I went down to the cabin, after having closely shut the gangway doors and companion. Total darkness prevailed below. I addressed the captain and all my fellow passengers by name, but received no reply from any of them, though I sometimes fancied I heard moans and quick breathing when the tumult of waters without happened to subside a little. But I thought that it was perhaps imagination, and that they were probably all dead. I began to catch for breath, and felt as if I had been immured in a large coffin along with a number of corpses, and was doomed to linger out life beside them. The sea beat against the vessel with a noise like that of artillery, and the crashing of the bulwarks, driven in by its violence, gave startling proof of the danger that threatened us. Having several times been dashed against the wails and transoms of the cabin by the violent pitching of the ship, I grop

ed for my bed, and lay down in it, and, notwithstanding the nor rors that surrounded me, graduaily dropped asleep.

When I awaked, I perceived, by the sunbeams that shone through the skylight, that the morning was far advanced. The ship rolled violently at intervals, but the noise of wind and waves had altogether ceased. I got up hastily, and almost dreaded to look round, lest I should find my worst anticipations concerning my companions too fatally realized.

I immediately discovered the captain lying on one side of the cabin quite dead. Opposite him was Major L, stretched along the floor, and grasping firmly the handle of the door of his wife's apartment. He looked like a dying man, and Mrs. L, who sat beside him, seemed to be exhausted with grief and terror. She tried to speak several times, and at last succeeded in informing me that her sister was better. I could not discover Mr. Dany where, and therefore concluded that he was the person who had leaped overboa d the preceding night.

On going upon deck, I found that every thing wore a new aspect. The sky was dazzling and cloudless, and not the faintest breath of wind could be felt. The sea had a beautiful bright green color, and was calm as a small lake, except when an occasional swell rolled from that quarter in which the wind had been the preceding night; and the water was so clear, that I saw to the bottom, and even distinguished little fishes sporting around the keel of our vessel.

Four of the seamen were dead, but the mate and the remaining three had so far recovered, as to be able to walk across the Ceck. The ship was almost in a disabled state. Part of the reck of the fore top-mast lay upon her bows, and the rigging and sails of the mainmast had suffered much injury. The mate told me, that the soundings, and almost every thing else, proved we were on the Bahama banks, though he had not yet ascertained on what part of them we lay, and consequently could not say whether we had much chance of soon falling in with any vessel.

The day passed gloomily. They regarded every cloud that rose upon the horizon as the forerunner of a breeze, which we above all things feared to encounter. Much of our time was employed in preparing for the painful but necessary duty of interring the dead. The carpenter soon got ready a sufficient number of boards; to each of which we bound one of the corpses, and also weights enough to make it sink to the bottom.

About ten at night, we began to commit the bodies to the deep. A dead calm had prevailed the whole day, and not a cloud obscured the sky. The sea reflected the stars so distinctly, that it seemed as if we were consigning our departed companons to a heaven as resplendent is that above us. There was an Awful solemnity, alike in the scene and in our situation I read

the funeral service, and then we dropped the corpses overboard, one after another. The sea sparkled around each, as its sullen plunge announced that the waters were closing over it, and they all slowly and successively descended to the bottom, enveloped in a ghastly glimmering brightness, which enabled us to trace their progress through the motionless deep. When these last offices of respect were performed, we retired in silence to different parts of the ship.

About midnight, the mate ordered the men to cast anchor, which, till then, they had not been able to accomplish They likewise managed to furl most of the sails, and we went to bed, under the consoling idea, that though a breeze did spring up, out moorings would enable us to weather it without any risk.

I was roused early next morning by a confused noise upon deck. When I got there, I found the men gazing intently over the side of the ship, and inquired if our anchor held fast.-" Ay, ay," returned one of them, " rather faster than we want it." On approaching the bulwarks, and looking down, I perceived, to my horror and astonishment, all the corpses lying at the bottom of the sea, as if they had just been dropped into it.

We were now exempted from the ravages and actual presence of death, but his form haunted us without intermission. We hardly dared to look over the ship's side, lest our eyes should encounter the ghastly features of some one who had formerly been a companion, and at whose funeral rights we had recently assisted. The seamen began to murmur among themselves, saying that we would never be able to leave the spot where we then were, and that our vessel would remain there and rot.

In the evening a strong breeze sprung up, and filled us with hopes that some vessel would soon come in sight, and afford us relief. At sunset, when the mate was giving directions about the watch, one of the seamen cried out, "Thank Heaven, there they are. And the other ran up to him saying, Where, where?" He pointed to a flock of Mother Carey's chickens that had just appeared astern, and began to count how many there were of them. I inquired what was the matter, and the mate replied, Why, only that we've seen the worst, that's all, master. I've a notion we'll fall in with a sail before twenty hours are past."—" Have you any particular reason for thinking so?" said I. "To be sure I have," returned he, "Aren't them there birds an omen of returning good fortune."-" I have always understood," said I, "that these birds indicate bad weather, or some unfortunate event, and this appears to me to be true." 'Ay, ay," replied he, they say experience teaches fools, and I have found it so; there was a time when I did not believe that these creatures were any thing but common birds, but now I know another story-Oh I've witnessed such strange things!'

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Next morning I was awakened by the joyful intelligence tha a schooner was in sight, and that she had hoisted her flag in answer to our signals. She bore down upon us with a good wind, and in about an hour hove to, and spoke us. When we had informed them of our unhappy situation, the captain ordered the boat to be lowered, and came on board of our vessel, with three of his crew. He was a thick, short, dark-complexioned man, and his language and accent discovered him to be a native of the southern states of America. The mate immediately proceeded to detail minutely all that happened to us, but our visiter paid very little attention to the narrative, and soon interrupted it, by asking of what our cargo consisted. Having been satisfied on this point, he said, "Seeing as how things stand, I conclude you'll be keen for getting into some port."- Yes, that of course is our earnest wish," replied the mate, "and we hope to be able by your assistance to accomplish it."—" Ay, we must all assist one another," returned the captain-"Well, I was just calculating, that your plan would be to run into New Providence-I'm bound for St. Thomas's, and you can't expect that I should turn about, and go right back with you-neither that I should let you have any of my seamen, for I'll not be able to make a good trade unless I get slick into port. Now I have three nigger slaves on board of me, -curse them, they don't know much about sea-matters, and are as lazy as h-1, but keep flogging them, mister,-keep flogging them I say, by which means, you will make them serve your ends. Well, as I was saying, I will let you have them blacks to help you, if you 'll buy them of me at a fair price, and pay it down in hard cash.' "This proposal," said the mate, "sounds strange enough to a British seaman;-and how much do you ask for your slaves?" "I can't let them go under three hundred dollars each,' replied the captain, "I guess they would fetch more in St. Thomas's, for they 're prime, blow me."-" Why, there is'nt that sum of money on board this vessel, that I know of," answered the mate; "and though I could pay it myself, I'm sure the owners never would agree to indemnify me. I thought you would have afforded us every assistance without asking any thing in return, a true sailor would have done so at least.' Well, I vow you are a strange man," said the captain. "Is'nt it fair that I should get something for my niggers, and for the chance I'll run of spoiling my trade at St. Thomas's, by making myself short of men? But we shan't split about a small matter, and I'll lessen the price by twenty dollars a ad."—" It is out of the question, sir," cried the mate, "I ha › money,”—“ Oh there's no harm done," returned the captai. "we can't trade, that's all Get ready the boat, boys-I guess your men will soon get smart again, and then, if the weather holds moderate, you'll reach port with the greatest ease."-"You surely do not mean to leave us in this barbarous way?" cried I; "the owners of this

vessel would, I am confident, pay any sum rather than that we should perish through your inhumanity."-" Well, mister, I've got owners too," replied he, "and my business is to make a good voyage for them. Markets are pretty changeable just now, and it won't do to spend time talking about humanity-money 's the word with me.' ""

Having said this, he leaped into the boat, and ordered his men to row towards his own vessel.. As soon as they got on board, they squared their topsail, and bore away, and were soon out of the reach of our voices. We looked at one another for a little time with an expression of quiet despair, and then the seamen began to pour forth a torrent of invectives, and abuse, against the heartless and avaricious shipmaster who had inhumanly deserted us. Major L― and his wife, being in the cabin below, heard all that passed. When the captain first came on board, they were filled with rapture, thinking that we would certainly be delivered from the perils and difficulties that environed us; but as the conversation proceeded, their hopes gradually diminished, and the conclusion of it made Mrs. L give way to a flood of tears, in which I found her indulging when I went below.

The mate now endeavored to encourage the seamen to exertion. They cleared away the wreck of the fore-top-mast which had hitherto encumbered the deck, and hoisted a sort of jury-mast in its stead, on which they rigged two sails. When these things were accomplished, we weighed anchor, and laid our course for New Providence. The mate had fortunately been upon the Bahama seas before, and was aware of the difficulties he would have to encounter in navigating them. The weather continued moderate, and after two days of agitating suspense, we made Exuma Islan1, and cast anchor near its shore.

CAPTAINS PORTLOCK AND DIXON.

This voyage was undertaken for the purposes of commerce; principally, indeed, for the fur-trade, on the north-west coast of America, which had been strongly recommended by Captains Cook and King in their last voyage. Two vessels were fitted out for this purpose, the King George and Queen Charlotte, by a society of merchants and others, the former commanded by Nathaniel Portlock, the latter by George Dixon, both of whom had been with Captain Cook; the King George having sixty men, the Queen Charlotte thirty.

September 20th they quitted St. Helens, and, proceeding to