Page images
PDF
EPUB

Mr. Squance, I must here observe, gave us a pleasing account of the influence of religion, in the Lady Melville among the cabin passengers. There were eight officers of the army, of very respectable rank in the ship, who had (as far as I could learn from his modest account) taken a liking to the manners, address, and conversation of Mr. Squance; so far as to offer him their very large cabin, on the second deck, to preach in on Sunday evenings. The cabin at those times, was crowded; and good, I doubt not, was done. As to our own ship, I hope to have something good to say of it when we reach Bombay.

February the 10th.-We were all at breakfast, and an officer of our ship came in and informed us that several ships had hoisted their flag half-masthigh, as a signal of death. Our signal was immediately hoisted. But our whole company, who had previously known of Mrs. Ault's illness, concluded that the signals were raised on account of her death. The signals all continued half-mast-high till about half an hour before sunset, when the Lady Melville lifted up her death-signal top-mast-high, which was followed by all the fleet. This was the signal that the officiating minister (who was Mr. Squance) had begun to read the 15th chapter of the 1st Epistle of Corinthians. And when the Melville had dropped down her signal, the rest of the fleet followed her example; and thus ended the ceremony.

A few days after this Mr. Harvard and Mr. Clough took the advantage of a calm, and visited our friends in the Lady Melville. I am so old, that I dare not venture up and down the sides of ships but as little as possible. I hazarded my life in visiting the ships in the East India Docks, near London, to find out ships for myself and my companions. Mr. Harvard and Mr. Clough found Mr. Ault humbly resigned, though feeling exquisitely on the occasion. His dear wife died triumphant in the faith: and her resignation was most entire. When her husband spoke to her relative to having her remains pre

served

served and carried to Bombay for interment, she answered in words similar to these: "O no: let me be buried in the ocean. It matters but little what becomes of the MORTAL PART, so that the IMMORTAL, -THE SOUL be secure!" When she became speechless, she testified her victory over the last enemy, by lifting up her hands in a most triumphant manner; and she continued sensible to the last. When she was at Portsmouth, she certainly did not apprehend herself to be in immediate danger, as she observed to Mrs. Harvard, when speaking to her on the subject, that she thought Mr. Ault would die before her.

On February the 19th, Captain Burgoyne, of the Port Mahon brig of war, most kindly came on board to inform us that in a few days he should set sail for the Brazils, with a fleet of our merchantmen, which are bound for Rio Janeiro: and that he would deliver any letters, we should intrust to his care, to the British Consul, to be forwarded to England by the first packet. I must therefore now conclude, having, indeed, brought down our voyage to the present day, February the 21st, 1814.*

* We doubt not that Dr. Coke kept a regular Journal till the day of his death: but no more of it than we have now inserted has come to hand,

FINIS

« PreviousContinue »