I was told by the captain, that the greater part of his cargo consisted of implements of husbandry; and that to their heavenly calling they had added that of a competent knowledge of all the useful arts of agriculture; so that, wherever such a virtuous family was planted, the savages who surrounded them would not only have their mental darkness dispelled, but their temporal condition improved, and their wants more amply supplied. We had now no farther apology for remaining. I rose; the clash of my cutlass against the chair awoke the sleeping child. He opened his blue eyes where he lay on the sofa, and looked up; presently he stretched forth his little hands towards me--I stooped down over the blessed infant, and kissed his forehead. "Good-night," he said, "good-night, and be good boy like me."--A tear stood in my eye, for the soul of me, I could not have helped it. I again shook hands with the old man. And as I was turning to take my leave of the other members of this most interesting family, he placed his hands on my head. "Young man, we thank you for your visit, and your urbanity--our meeting has been like an oasis in the desert, like a green spot in a dry parched land--and we shall pray for thee to Him 'whose way is in the sea, and whose path is in the waters, and whose footsteps are not known.'" I had no heart to speak--so after a long pause-- "My sons," said the patriarch, "we are about concluding our Sunday evening's service--stay a few minutes longer." Seeing I hesitated, and looked towards Lanyard, he addressed himself to him.--"It is no great boon to concede this to us, whom in all human probability you shall never meet again." We bowed, and immediately the whole party stepped forth into the air, and formed a circle on the quarterdeck round the capstan. Every thing was silent--presently the old man said a low murmuring prayer of thanksgiving--there was another solemn pause--when all at once they chanted the following magnificent lines of the cvii. Psalm, so beautifully fitted to our situation:-- "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; "These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. "For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. "They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. "They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. "Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. "He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. "Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness."