boatswain, who came from the sick cot to the din of battle, was fastening a stopper on a back stay which had been shot away, when his head was smashed to pieces by a cannon-ball; another man going to complete the unfinished task, was also struck down. One of our midshipmen likewise received a severe wound, and the ward-room steward was killed. A fellow named John, who for some petty offence had been sent on board as a punishment, was carried past me wounded. I distinctly heard the large blood drops fall pat, pat, pat, on the deck; his wounds were mortal. Even a poor goat, kept by the officers for her milk, did not escape the general carnage; her hind legs were shot off, and poor Nan was thrown overboard.

I have often been asked what were my feelings during this fight. I felt pretty much I suppose as every one does at such a time. That men are without thought when they stand amid the dying and the dead, is too absurd an idea to be entertained for a moment. We all appeared cheerful, but I know that many a serious thought ran through my mind; still, what could we do but keep up a semblance, at least, of animation? To run from our quarters would have been certain death from the hands of our own officers; to give way to gloom, or to show fear, would do no good, and might brand us with the name of cowards, and insure certain defeat. Our only true philosophy, therefore, was to make the best of our situation. I thought a great deal, however, of the other world: every groan, every falling man, told me that the next instant I might be before the Judge of all the earth.

While these thoughts secretly agitated my bosom, the din of battle continued. Grape and canister shot were pouring through our portholes like leaden rain, carrying death in their train. The large shot came against the ship's side like iron hail, shaking her to the very keel, or passing through her timbers, and

scattering terrific splinters, which did more appalling work than even their own death-giving blows. The reader may form an idea of the effect of grape and canister, when he is told that grape shot is formed by seven or eight balls confined to an iron and tied in a cloth. These balls are scattered by the explosion of the powder. Canister is made by filling a powder canister with balls, each as large as two or three musket balls; these also scatter with direful effect when discharged. What, then, with splinters, cannonballs, grape, and canister poured incessantly upon us, the reader may be assured that the work of death went on in a manner which must have been satisfactory even to the King of Terrors himself.

Suddenly the rattling of the iron hail ceased. We were ordered to cease firing.

A profound silence ensued, broken only by the stifled groans of the brave sufferers below. It was soon ascertained that the enemy had shot ahead to repair damages; for she was not so disabled but she could sail without difficulty, while we were so cut up that we lay utterly helpless. Our head braces were shot away; the fore and maintop-masts were gone; the mizen-mast hung over the stern, having carried several men over in its fall: we were in the state of a complete wreck.

A council was now held among the officers on the quarter-deck. Our condition was perilous in the extreme; victory or escape was alike hopeless. Our ship was disabled; many of our men were killed, and many more wounded. The enemy would without doubt bear down upon us in a few moments, and, as she could now choose her own position, would doubtless rake us fore and aft. Any further resistance was therefore folly; so, in spite of the hot-brained lieutenant, who advised them not to strike, but to sink alongside, it was determined to strike our colours. This was done by the hands of a brave fellow named Watson, whose saddened brow told how severely it

pained his lion heart to do it. To me it was a pleasing sight, for I had seen fighting enough for one sabbath; more than I wished to see again on a week day. His Brittanic Majesty's frigate 'Macedonian' was now the prize of the American frigate 'United States.'

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Now, what do you think of a battle at sea? Would you have been in that poor lad's place? He could not help thinking, he says, how soon he might be shot, and die, and appear before God. Perhaps he might think for a moment of home and school, or, what is more likely still, of his mother, and what she would feel if she knew to what terrible danger he was now exposed. Oh, what a dreadful state of mind must he have been in all the time that battle raged! Well might he be glad when it was all over.

When you read of wars and battles they may excite your imagination, but you should think of them, not as they are represented in war-books and war-pictures, -as glorious things, but as they are in reality, horrible and wicked actions. Think of them as this lad thought of this battle. It was the first he had ever been in, and he never wished to be in another.

But why did these men fight in this horrible way? They perhaps had never seen each other before, and had not had any quarrel with each other, and yet, directly they met on the sea, like wild beasts in a forest, they did all they could to wound, and lame, and torment, and kill each other. What a wickedvery wicked thing is war!

What a sad proof is this war-spirit that man is naturally a sinful creature. God made men to live in love and peace, but sinning first against his Maker, man soon began to sin against his brother. God saw all this, and sent Jesus Christ, his son, the Prince of Peace, to make peace through the blood of his cross. By coming and dying for our sins, Jesus Christ hath reconciled us unto God and unto one another. Every

man who fears God and loves the Saviour, will be a man of peace; he would not on any account injure any other man, bnt rather do him good.

Blessed be God! the time is coming, and it will come, when men shall learn war no more.

THIS Bird bears a considerable resemblance to the blackbird in size, shape, and appearance, having a black plumage, but with purple reflections, whose glossy tints vary according to the various lights in which they are placed; the feathers are tipt with white spots; the bill is yellow, the feet brown, and the tail dusky, with pale reddish-brown feathers on the outside the female has more white on the breast. They build in the hole of a tree or wall, with dry grass, and have five bluish-green eggs. They are noisy birds, and have a rough voice, but are good mimics, imitating the creaking of a door as readily as the finest melody, or perhaps rather more so; but are

held in most estimation for their capacity of pronouncing words distinctly. In winter they collect in immense flocks. In Orkney, they are seen in myriads; and are so fond of company, that farther south they associate with redwings and fieldfares, and, rather than sit alone, will even scrape acquaintance with the owls and the jackdaws. They have a whirling mode of flight, which Buffon compares to a sort of vortex, in which the whole flock performs a uniformly circular motion, but advances at the same time.

SNOW.

THIS is confessedly one of the most curious productions in nature, and, in the remotest ages of antiquity, has excited the admiration of both poets and philosophers, whether sacred or profane. The author of the book of Job, in the discourse which he puts into the mouth of Elihu, concerning the glorious and incomprehensible works of the Deity, thus expresses himself: "God thundereth marvellously with his voice: great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend; for he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth." And he represents the Omnipotent Jehovah, in his sublime expostulation with the patriarch, thus demanding: "Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow, or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war ?" "He giveth (says the Psalmist) snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand against his cold ?" "At his commandment (says the wise son of Sirach) he maketh the snow to fall apace. As birds flying he scattereth the snow, and the falling down thereof is as the lighting of grasshoppers. The eye marvelleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the raining of it."