29 THE SEVEN The Seven Icebergs of Spitzbergen. ICEBERGS OF SPITZ- "THE Seven Icebergs are each, on an average, about a mile in length, and perhaps near two hundred feet in height at the sea edge; but some of those to the southward are much greater. A little to the northward of Horn Sound, is the largest Iceberg I have seen. It occupies eleven miles in length of the sea coast. The highest part of the precipitous front adjoining the sea, is, by measurement, four hundred and two feet, and it extends backward to the summit of the mountain, to about four times that elevation. Its surface forms a beautiful inclined plane of smooth snow; the edge is uneven and perpendicular. At the distance of fifteen miles, the front edge subtended an angle of ten minutes of a degree. Near the South Cape lies another iceberg, nearly as extensive as this. It occupies the space between two lateral ridges of hills, and reaches the very summit of the mountain, in the background, on which it rests. It is not easy to form an adequate conception of these truly wonderful productions of nature. Their magnitude, their beauty, and the contrast they form with the gloomy rocks around, produce sensations of lively interest. Their upper surfaces are generally concave: the higher parts are always covered with snow, and have a beautiful appearance; but the lower parts, in the latter end of every summer, present a bare surface of ice. The front of each, which varies in height from the level of the ocean, to four hundred or five hundred feet above it, lies parallel with the shore, and is generally washed by the sea. This part, resting on the strand, is undermined to such an extent by the sea, when in any way turbulent, that immense masses, loosened by the freezing of water lodged in the recesses in winter, or by the effect of streams of water running over its surface and through its chasms in summer, break asunder, and with a thundering noise fall into the sea. But as the water is in most places shallow in front of these icebergs, the masses which are dislodged are commonly reduced into fragments before they can be floated away into the main sea. This fact seems to account for the rarity of icebergs in the Spitzbergen sea. 30 The front surface of icebergs is glistening and uneven. Wherever a part has recently broken off, the colour of the fresh fracture is a beautiful greenish blue, approaching to emeraldgreen; but such parts as have long been exposed to the air, are of a greenish-grey colour, and, at a distance, sometimes exhibit the appearance of cliffs of whitish marble. In all cases, the effect of the iceberg is to form a pleasing variety in prospect, with the magnificence of the encompassing snow-clad mountains, which, as they recede from the eye, seem to "rise crag above crag," in endless perspective. On an excursion to one of the Seven Icebergs, in July 1818, I was particularly fortunate in witnessing one of the grandest effects which these polar glaciers ever present. A strong north-westerly swell having for some hours been beating on the shore, had loosened a number of fragments attached to the iceberg, and various heaps of broken ice denoted recent shoots of the seaward edge. As we rowed towards it with a view of proceeding close to its base, I observed a few little pieces fall from the top, and while my eye was fixed upon the place, an immense column, probably fifty feet square, and one hundred and fifty feet high, began to leave the parent ice at the top, and leaning majestically forward with an accelerated velocity, fell with an awful crash into the sea. The water into which it plunged was converted into an appearance of vapour or smoke, like that from a furious cannonading. The noise was equal to that of thunder, which it nearly resembled. The column which fell was nearly square, and in magnitude resembled a church. It broke into thousands of pieces. This iceberg was full of rents as high as any of our people ascended upon it, extending in a direction particularly downward, and divided into innumerable columns. In some places, chasms of several yards in width were seen, in others they were only a few inches or feet across. One of the sailors who attempted to walk across the iceberg, imprudently stept into a narrow chasm filled up with snow to the general level. He instantly plunged up to his shoulders, and might, but for the sudden exertion of his arms, have been buried in the gulf.'Scoresby. 31 Female Character at Otaheite.-Remarkable Coincidences. 32 SKETCHES OF FEMALE CHARACTER AT OTAHEITE, IN 1796. THE Women of quality allow themselves greater liberties than their inferiors; and many among the Arreoy women, (a licentious society enjoying various privileges) pride themselves on the number of their admirers, and live in a fearfully promiscuous intercourse. Few children can be the consequence of this mode of life, and these are universally murdered the moment they are born. Yet with all this, many are true and tender wives; their large families prove their sacred attachment to the individual with whom they are united; and our European sailors who have cohabited with them have declared, that more faithful and affectionate creatures to them and their children could no where be found. The history of Peggy Stewart marks a tenderness of heart that will never be heard without emotion. "This woman was the daughter of a chief, and was taken for his wife by Mr. Stewart, one of the unhappy mutineers. They had lived with the old chief in the most tender state of endearment. A beautiful little girl was the fruit of this union. She was at the breast when the Pandora arrived, seized the criminals, and secured them in irons on board the ship. "Frantic with grief, the unhappy Peggy (for so he had named her) flew with her infant in a canoe to the arms of her husband. The interview was so affecting and afflicting, that the officers on board were overwhelmed with anguish ; and Stewart himself, unable to bear the heart-rending scene, begged she might not be admitted again on board. She was separated from him by violence, and conveyed on shore, in a state of despair and grief too big for utterance. "Withheld from him, and forbidden to come any more on board, she sunk into the deepest dejection; it preyed upon her vitals; she lost all relish for food and life; rejoiced no more; pined away under a rapid decay of two months; and fell a victim to her feelings, dying literally of a broken heart. Her child is perhaps yet alive, having been brought up by a sister, who nursed it with peculiar care, discharging towards the helpless orphan, all the duties of an affectionate mother." REMARKABLE COINCIDENCES RESPECT ING SNEEZING. Ir was formerly a prevailing custom in this country, on the sneezing of an infant, for its father, mother, nurse, or some friend present, to say "God bless you," or, God bless you, my dear ;" and in many parts of the nation this usage is not yet abandoned. This custom seems to have been founded upon an ancient superstition, that sneezing was occasioned either by witches or evil spirits, portending evils, which this invocation was introduced to prevent. It is somewhat remarkable, that in Otaheite the same custom prevails among the natives; but their views of the occasion have not been communicated. With us the expression "God bless you," &c. is chiefly confined to the sneezing of infants, but not exclusively so, it being sometimes used in reference both to men and women. In Otaheite, when a stranger enters the habitation of a native, the people of the house call out Mannow wa, "Welcome," to which the stranger replies Harre minay, "I am coming:" immediately those of the house answer, Yourana t' Eatooa, "God bless you.' And if any person sneeze, whether old or young, they use the same salutation or expression, "God bless you." After the origin of this singular coincidence it would be in vain to inquire. ANOTHER COINCIDENCE ON THE TRINITY, STILL MORE REMARKABLE. THERE is another coincidence in the names given by the inhabitants of Otaheite to the objects of their worship, that is equally striking, and far more important. The deities of Otaheite are nearly as numerous as the persons of the inhabitants. Every family has its tee, or guardian spirit, whom they set up and worship at the morai. But they have a great god, or gods, of a superior order, denominated FWHANOW PO, born of Night. The general name for deity, in all its ramifications, is Eatooa. Three are held supreme; standing in a height of celestial dignity that no others can approach unto; and what is more extraordinary, the names are personal appellations. 1. Tane, te Medooa, "THE FATHER." 33 Reflections on the New Year. 34 2. Oromattow, 'Tooa tee te Myde, | hours, and enliven the lonesome path. "GOD IN THE SON." 3. Taroa, Mannoo te Hooa, "THE BIRD, THE SPIRIT." "To these dii majores they only address their prayers in times of great distress and seasons of peculiar exigency, supposing them too exalted to be troubled with matters of less moment than the illness of a chief, storms, devastations, war, or any great calamity.”—Missionary Voyage, page 333. REFLECTIONS ON THE NEW YEAR. 'Tis greatly wise to talk with our past hours, Nor is it only thus, but must be so. Who knows not this, though grey, is still a child. To review a past year, a past month, more savage men, The mariner, who is sailing on a sea replete with rocks and quicksands, steers his fragile bark with much anxiety and solicitude, and ever and anon, amid impending dangers which threaten him with immediate destruction, he inquires, Whither am I directing my course? Shall I arrive in safety at the haven of security? Whilst hope keeps his mind buoyant; and the prospect of seeing those he loves, and who are related to him by ties the strongest, and most endearing, adds a sweet to the bitters of many a cheerless day, and joyless night. The Christian is a traveller; the world, in his estimation, is a dreary region; he is beset with merciless and cruel foes; he is continually in danger of mistaking his path, and becoming a prey to his blood-thirsty and implacable enemies: how indispensably necessary then is it for him to cultivate reflection, and to make frequent inquiries with regard to his situation, but above all to solicit the aid and guidance of that God, whose he is, and condescendingly and kindly engaged whom he professes to serve, who has his people, whilst they are wandering to become the guide and protector of through this vale of tears. The Christian is a mariner; he is sailing over a tempestuous ocean, and his feeble bark is in continual danger of dashing upon a rock, or of foundering upon the quicksands; he experiences wave upon wave, billow upon billow, and often gives up all for lost. "All hope that he shall be saved, is taken away:" at this moment, howvokes the assistance of that friend, who ever, with restless importunity he inis born for adversity, whose aid he has heretofore experienced in circumstances as urgent as those in which he is now placed; and exercising implicit confidence in his veracity and fidelity, he exclaims," Lord, save, or I perish.' Nor does he supplicate in vain; for soon, in accents sweet and melodious, more sweet than e'er flowed from mortal tongue, he hears his Father's voice, saying, "Peace, be still; and, lo, there is a calm." Then he dismisses his fears, and banishes his sorrows; with alacrity and joy, he unfurls his sails and speeds his course, whilst the consciousness of his possessing a skilful and unerring pilot, and the anticipation of a speedy arrival at the haven 39 66 On the Salvation of the Heathen. The first question was, how she came there? Her father not suspecting the miraculous escape his daughter had experienced, she sobbed out, Me was frighten'd, father, and jumped out of the window." In truth, though scarcely to be credited, she had sprung from the back window of the first floor, into the yard below, a height of nearly eighteen feet; the ground having been excavated to give light to kitchens below. The first consideration was, to search for broken bones, bruises, &c. But, after a minute inspection, both by himself and a surgeon, it was ascertained that no hurt was occasioned by | the fall, at least there was no outward appearance of any, save a slight scratch down the middle of the back, which it was supposed had been received by her springing against a projecting wall, and which perhaps in some degree broke the violence of the fall. The child underwent the restrictions recommended by the medical attendant, of repose, &c. and after three days was perfectly recovered. On the Salvation of the Heathen. 66 40 SIR,—When an opinion is industriously propagated, which is derogatory to the Honour, and Mercy, and Goodness, and Veracity, of the Divine Being, it is the duty of every man, who considers it as having this tendency, to lift up his voice against it, and justify the ways of God to man." It is in this point of view that I consider the opinion, which I have ventured to controvert, in the No. for Sept. column 701, of your excellent Magazine. I have already said, "Either the Heathens are moral agents, (independent of revelation) or they are not." Let us try to prove this a little more at large. 1st. The great JEHOVAH is a being in whom infinite intelligence, moral excellence, and efficiency, concentrate; and we are told (Gen. i. 27.) that man was "created in his image;" therefore man must also possess finite intelligence, a limited moral capacity, and confined efficiency. cient, though they possess the capacity for these, as it respects their minds. This is the case with infants. idiots, and the diseased, and they are not accountable for a moral capacity, which cannot, in the nature of things, be exerted. The Heathens then, who are not infants, idiots, or diseased, must be accountable for the exercise of their moral capacity. The imminent danger from which the child thus escaped, arose out of 2d. The soul of man is the substance the too prevalent custom of alarming in which these attributes or properties children with idle tales of old men, inhere, and the body is but the vehicle boogaboes, &c. Such folly cannot be of his mind; yet if the body be so too severely reprehended. That mo- circumstanced that it cannot perform thers will accustom themselves, or its part in the process of intelligence, suffer those entrusted with the care of &c. such persons cannot be denomitheir offspring, to frighten them intonated intelligent, moral agents, or effia temporary and agitated repose, is deeply to be lamented. The little innocent indeed, through fear, appears to sleep; its eyes are shut; and perhaps, by dint of persevering alarms, may at last fall into a slumber, but is it the sleep of repose and rest?' does it refresh and invigorate its tender frame? Alas, no! Mark its convulsive movements: dreams agitate its little mind; it starts in agony; it sobs, and at last awakes in affright, though not invariably like the child in question, who, it appears, had, from the same cause, and through the strongest fear, contrived to throw itself from the window, yet always leaving the same effects, a constant dread and intimidation through life, not unfrequently such as imbitter a great portion of our valuable time, leaving us a prey to diseases, beyond the art of medicine, and the skill of experience, to W. H. cure. Bermondsey-Square, Nov. 1st. 3d. If the Heathens are not moral agents, independent of the "gospel read or preached," they must then be necessary agents, until we are good enough to send them it, and if so, their actions, &c. can have no moral evil in them, consequently they can be no bar to their salvation. 4th. If the "gospel read or preached" communicates moral agency to those who hear it, the “ gospel read or preached," must be itself a moral agent, or, if not, how can it communicate what it does not possess? 5th. There is an eternal distinction |