No sooner had they come in sight, than the captain ordered them not to approach, saying to them that their intentions had been discovered, and that they were to be left upon the island, there to remain and perish. Seeing how hopeless their condition was become, they gathered courage from despair, and resolved to rescue the provisions from the ship, and began to make a bold push As soon as they began to approach, the captain in a resolute manner, cried out, "stand off, ye wretches, at your peril!" -They quietly relinquished their determination to attack, and fell upon their knees, imploring pardon, and offered to comply with any disposal he might make of them, provided he would receive them on board. After having kept them on their knees long enough, he granted their petition and received them into the ship, and sailed immediately for the island of Jamaica, there put them on shore, and employed other seamen in their place.

He now commenced an examination for the wreck, and after spending a long time in an almost fruitless search, sailed for England. By the advice, however, of an old Spaniard, he had satisficd himself of the prospect of succeeding in accomplishing his object, and determined to return again and prosecute his plan. His crew being composed of strangers, made him think it advisable to change them for others in whom he could have greater confidence in the event his labors should be crowned with success.

On his return to England, his conduct gained the royal approbation, and the applause of the nobles, and many distinguished men encouraged him to engage in a second expedition and under more favorable and promising circumstances.

His project was opposed, however, by many powerful enemies. but, promoted by the proverb, he who can wait, hath what he de sireth, he overcame every obstacle and disappointment, and, under the patronage of the Duke of Albemarle, had a new ship fitted out with a more honest crew, furnished with instruments and conveniences suited to the nature of the expedition. Arriving at Port de la Plata, he made a large canoe from the cotton tree sufficient to carry eight men, and with the old Spaniard for a guide, again commenced examination for the wreck. There they floated about, fishing for their treasure among dangerous reefs and shoals for many weeks without success. So fruitless was the search that more than once had he, as well as his men, determined to abandon the work. At length, when returning to the ship, discouraged by repeated disappointment, and the hopelessness of a successful issue of the project, one of the men looking into the water discovered a feather, as he thought, growing out of a rock. Thinking that they would not go back to the Captain without something to present him, they ordered an Indian to dive down and bring it up, which having done, he gave an account of many large guns which he saw in his descent. The diver again went down, and, to the joy and astonishment of the men, returned with

a sow or lump of silver, wnicn turned out to be worth from ten to twelve hundred dollars. They buoyed the place and returned to the Captain overjoyed with their good fortune, as it was well known that the wreck was one of the ships belonging to the king of Spain, which had been lost on a returning voyage from South America richly laden with silver bullion. The loss of the ship is supposed to have happened about the year 1637, and the immense treasures which were reported to have been sunk with her were often made the subject of ingenious speculation, and many had sunk their own fortunes and efforts to find it. It was reserved, however, in the silent depths, that Capt. Phips might be the fortunate finder of it at so late a period after its loss. He now found in the bullion brought to him full assurance that destiny had allotted to him to suck of the abundance of the seas and of treasures hid in the sand.

Having prepared his instruments for fishing up the contents of the wreck, all hands were now busily employed in the work, and in a short time they succeeded in procuring the astonishing amount of thirty-two tons of silver. In addition to this Captain Adderly, an adventurer from Providence, and particular friend of Captain Phips, obtained six tons more from the same wreck at the same time. It was by an agreement that Adderly met Phips at the place of the wreck with a small vessel. He was so overjoyed with the extent of his riches and so elated at such unlooked for acquisitions, that he lived but a little while to enjoy them. It is said that he went to the island of Bermudas where he became insane and died about two years after the six tons of silver came into his hands. Phips, however, made a more profitable account of the expedition, and lived to enjoy the proceeds of it without prejudice to his health or destruction of his mind. In a few weeks after leaving the wreck, he arrived safe in London, in 1687, with a cargo valued at near FIFTEEN HUndred thousanD DOLLARS. He made an honest distribution of it among those who aided him in fitting him out with a vessel and proper conveniences, and receiv ed about seventy-five thousand dollars for his share of the profit. The Duke of Albemarle, out of respect to his honesty and fide'ty, presented his wife, who was then in New England, a gold cup worth "near a thousand pounds." And King James as a reward for his important services in bringing such amount of property into the country conferred on him the honor of Knighthood.

Sir William Phips was born Febuary 2, 1650, at a despicable plantation on the river Kennebeck, He removed to Boston wher he married a daughter of Roger Spencer, and pursued the busi ness of a smith, which was the occupation of his father. It is said that he frequeutly promised his wife that he would one day command a King's ship and be the owner of a fair brick house in the Green lane of North Boston, all which proved true, for after the discovery of the wreck, be returned into New England, in the summer of the year 1688, "able after five year's absence, to

entertain his lady with some accomplishment of his predictions: and then built himself a fair house in the very place which he foretold."

Sir William Phips was industrious, courageous, and persevering: his principal fault was, occasionally indulging his temper. This failing he did not overcome until late in life. It is this day said by the very aged people living at the north part of Boston, where he resided, that when he was governor of Massachusetts, he had a quarrel with a truckman, at which time he was in so great a passion, that he threw off his coat and dared the man to fight. After this, however, he became very serious and devout, when he joined the Church, made a written acknowledgement of his past errors, and in terms of deep humility, gave evidence of a pious mind.

Phips was made "Captain General and Commander-in-Chief of Massachusetts Bay," in 1690.

The Brick House which he built stands in Salem Street, and is improved as an asylum for orphan boys.

DAMPIER.

William Dampier was born in Somersetshire, England, in the year 1652. He lost both his parents when very young, and was bound apprentice to the master of a ship at Weymouth, with whom he made a voyage to France and another to New England. In 1673, he served in the Dutch war, and was afterwards an overseer to a plantation in Jamaica. He next visited the bay of Campeachy as a logwood cutter, and, after once more visiting England, engaged in a band of Buccaneers, as they called themselves, although in reality pirates, with whom he roved on the Peruvian coasts. He next visited Virginia, and engaged in an expedition. against the Spanish settlements in the South Seas. They acrordingly sailed in August, 1683, and, after taking several prizes on the coasts of Peru and Chili, the party experienced various fortune but no very signal success. Dampier, wishing to obtain some knowledge of the northen coast of Mexico, joined the crew of a captain Swan, who cruised in the hopes of meeting the annual royal Manilla ship, which, however, escaped them. Swan and Dampier were resolved to steer for the East Indies, and they accordingly sailed to the Piscadores, to Bouton island, to New Holland and to Nicobar, where Dampier and others were left ashore to recover their health. Their numbers gave them hopes of being able to navigate a canoe to Achin, in which they succeeded, after encountering a tremendous storm, which threatened them with unavoidable destruction. After making several trading

voyages with a Captain Weldon, Dampier entered, as a gunner, the English factory at Bencoolen. Upon this coast he remained until 1691, when he found means to return home, and, being in want of money, sold his property in a curiously painted or tattoed Indian prince, wno was shown as a curiosity, and who ultimately died of the small pox at Oxford. Dampier is next heard of as a commander, in the king's service, of a sloop of war of twelve guns and fifty men, probably fitted out for a voyage of discovery. After experiencing a variety of adventures with a discontented crew, this vessel foundered off the Isle of Ascension, his men with difficulty reaching land. They were released from this island by an East India ship, in which Dampier came to England. He afterwards commanded a ship in the South Seas, and accompanied the expedition of Captain Woodes Rogers as pilot.

A MAN OVERBOARD.

Sailors are men of rough habits, but their feelings are not by any means so coarse; if they possess little prudence or worldly consideration, they are likewise very free from selfishness; generally speaking, too, they are much attached to one another, and will make great sacrifices to their messmates or shipmates when opportunities occur.

I remember once, when crusing off Terceira in the Endymion, that a man fell overboard and was drowned. After the usual confusion, and long search in vain, the boats were hoisted up, and the hands called to make sail. I was officer of the forecastle and on looking about to see if all the men were at their station, missed one of the foretop men. Just at that moment I observed some one curled up, and apparently hiding himself under the bow of the barge, between the boat and the booms. 'Hillo!' I said, 'who are you? What are you doing there, you skulker? Why are you not at your station?'

'I am not skulking, sir,' said the poor fellow, the furrows in whose bronzed and weatherbeaten cheek were running down with tears. The man we had just lost had been his messmate and friend, he told me, for ten years. I begged his pardon, in full sincerity, for having used such harsh words to him at such a moment, and bid him go below to his birth for the rest of the day. -'Never mind, sir, never mind,' said the kind hearted seaman, 'it can't be helped. You meant no harm, sir. I am as well on deck as below. Bill's gone sir, but I must do my duty.' So saying, he drew the sleeve of his jacket twice or thrice across his eyes, and

mustering his grief within his breast, walked to his station as if nothing had happened.

In the same ship and nearly about the same time, the people were bathing along side in a calm at sea. It is customary on such occasions to spread a studding-sail on the water, by means of lines from the fore and main yard arms, for the use of those who either cannot swim, or who are not expert in this art, so very important to all seafaring people. Half a dozen of the ship's boys were floundering about in the sails, and sometimes even venturing beyond the leech rope. One of the least of these urchins, but not the least courageous of their number, when taunted by his more skilful companions with being afraid, struck out boldly beyond the prescribed bounds. He had not gone much farther than his own length, however, along the surface of the fathomless sea, when his heart failed him, poor little man; and long with his confidence away also went his power of keeping his head above the water. So down he sank rapidly, to the speechless horror of the other boys, who of course, could lend the drowning child no help. The captain of the forecastle, a tall, fine-looking, hard-a-weather fellow, was standing on the shank of the sheet anchor with his arms across, and his well varnished canvass hat drawn so much over his eyes that it was difficult to tell whether he was awake or merely dozing in the sun, as he leaned his back against the fore-topmast backstay. The seaman, however, had been attentively watching the young party all the time, and rather fearing that mischief might ensue from their rashness, he had grunted out a warning to them from time to time, to which they paid no - sort of attention. At last he desisted, saying they might drown themselves if they had a mind, for never a bit would he help them; but no sooner did the sinking figure of the adventurous little boy catch his eye, than, diver fashion, he joined the palms of his hands over his head, inverted his position in one instant, and urging himself into swifter motion by a smart push with his feet against the anchor, shot head foremost into the water. The poor lad sunk so rapidly that he was at least a couple of fathoms under the surface before he was arrested by the grip of the sailor, who soon rose again, bearing the bewildered boy in his hand, and calling to the other youngsters to take better care of their companion, chucked him right into the belly of the sail in the midst of the party The fore-sheet was hanging in the calm, nearly into the water, and by it the dripping seaman scrambled up again to his old birth on the anchor, shook himself like a great Newfoundland dog, and then jumping on the deck, proceeded across the forecastie to shift himself.

At the top of the ladder he was stopped by the marine officer, who had witnessed the whole transaction, as he sat across the gangway hammocks, watching the swimmers, and trying to get his own consent to undergo the labor of undressing. Said the soldier