From these incidents recorded by Schwartz it is easy to recall the difficulties of navigation at a time when the ship was absolutely dependent upon the winds and tides. These fine old East Indiamen vessels, which were far more picturesque than are the steamships of to-day, had in his time the double risk to contend with of great and fierce storms in the eastern seas and the prospect of capture, or at any rate injury, by the French Navy, with which nation we were then at war. For these and other reasons the missionaries began to hope anxiously for their journey’s end. “From this time we began to look out for India, and thought we had now left the worst behind. But on the 17th June, in the night, we had a most furious storm, in which all declared we were in great danger. Even the next day it was frightful to behold and it was much heightened by the heavy rain which accompanied the wind. Meanwhile, when the tempest was at the highest, we slept in peace and quiet, a gracious God had hidden the danger from us. On the 19th there was a pretty strong breeze. A rope, with which a sail was belayed, happened to break, which caused the ship to heel a little, and all at once we lay on our side. The captain called out to the man at the helm to put the ship about, but they could not accomplish it. The vessel had inclined altogether to one side, and was, moreover, quite wet from the rain, so that the people fell as they attempted to walk on the deck. However, the storm at length subsided and we sustained no material injury. In how many distresses hath not our gracious God covered us, as it were, with His wings! On the 30th of June we passed the tropic of Capricorn a second time. Now we came again into a pleasant climate, hitherto we had sometimes very cold weather. On the 4th July the rope of the helm broke, and as the wind happened to blow fresh, the ship fell into some disorder. On the 10th we again crossed the line. The 13th was a most agreeable day for we then came in sight of Ceylon. The chief mate discovered it about nine in the morning. The joy which this produced on board is hardly to be described, since the greater number scarcely expected that we should make it so directly. We said, ‘This hath God done! O how great is His goodness and how graciously doth He hear our prayers! May the kindness which He hath showed us in this instance serve to strengthen us in filial confidence!’