nothing of the cascade-like rushing of the water within; all these were certain indications of a consummation which no exertions of ours would probably be sufficient long to defer."- Voyage of Terror, p. 438.

"Next day they lightened the ship."

"It was determined that the guns should be thrown overboard, as well as part of the cargo."— Bridgewater.

"Cut away the sheet and stream anchors."— Bridgewater.

Ver. 20. "All hope that we should be saved was then taken away."

"I confess that all hope of ultimate preservation entirely left me.”Bridgewater.

Ver. 21. "After long abstinence."

"To aggravate our disasters, the ship too laboured so as to make it impossible to light a fire, and thus deprived us of the nourishment essential to the restoration of our exhausted energies.”— Terror, p. 440.

"With the exception of a biscuit and a glass of spirits occasionally, not a man in the ship had throughout three days either sustenance or sleep. Owing to this, together with the great exertions required of them at the pumps, they had become completely exhausted and dispirited."-Bridgewater.

Ver. 29. "They anchor the ship."

"Near midnight anchored safely in Loch Swilly."- Terror, p. 441.

Ver. 39. "They discovered a certain creek with a shore (beach), into which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship."

'Finding that their united efforts were unable to keep her afloat it was determined to run her ashore on a small sandy beach, selected for the purpose."— Terror, p. 442.

I offer these extracts, not as curious coincidences, but that the reader may see from parallel cases what was the state of their ship, and the cause of their running her ashore.

They have now escaped the dangers of the sea; but other dangers await them: the guard, in conformity with the stern behests of Roman law, proposed to kill the prisoners, in order to prevent their escape. "But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land. And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land."

143

CHAP. V.

MELITA TO ITALY.

(Chap. xxviii. 1.)

AFTER reaching the shore, they learnt, for the first time, that the name of the island was Melita. Their previous ignorance of this has been adduced, as an argument * that this could not be a place so well known as the African Melita, now Malta. Major Rennel, with his usual candour, states the difficulty, and admits that he cannot remove it. This circumstance, however, will not be felt as a difficulty by any one acquainted with the locality; the sailors were, probably, little acquainted with any part of the island, except the great harbour (of Valetta) and the coast near it the scene of the shipwreck lies remote from it, and it is out of the usual track of ships approaching the harbour; and there is no marked feature in the configuration of the land which could make it known even to a native, if he came unexpectedly upon it.†

1 Και διασωθεντες, τοτε επεγνω

σαν ότι Μελιτη ἡ νησος καλειται.

1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

* Georgi, p. 191. See note at p. 100.

† Admiral Smyth makes use of the buildings, Selmoon palace and the university tower, as land-marks.

*

The natives received the unfortunate voyagers with kindness, and kindled a fire, because of the rain, and because of the cold.

These meteorological remarks prove that the wind was to the north of east, for if it had been a Scirocco wind (S.E.), as Bryant and others contend, it would have been hot and sultry, for such is the character of that wind in the Mediterranean even so late as the month of November. I may add, that the scirocco seldom or ever lasts more than three days.t

2 Οἱ δε βαρβαροι παρείχον ου την τυχουσαν φιλανθρωπιαν ἡμιν αναψαντες γαρ πυραν, προσελαβοντο παντας ήμας δια τον ύετον τον εφεστωτα, και δια το ψυχος.

2 And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness, for they kindled a fre, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

* In the Dissertation on the Island of Melita, I have answered the arguments of Bryant, founded on the term ẞapsapoi, applied by St. Luke to the natives.

† Gales, in other directions, are of much longer continuance. Mr. Greswell cites a case which agrees in a remarkable manner with that of St. Paul. Aristides (the orator) encounters a gale in the Ægean Sea, and is driven through it for fourteen days and nights. Τέτταρες παλιν αυται προς ταις δεκα ἡμεραι και νυκτες χειμωνος κυκλῳ δια παντος του πελαγους φερομένων.— Dissertations, vol. iv. p. 197. Professor Newman met with a continuous easterly gale on the coast of Cyprus, in Dec. 1830. He writes: "We were bound for Latakia in Syria, the course almost due east; but were driven back and forced to take refuge in the port of Famagousta, the antient Salamis. Here we lay wind-bound for days. Owing to our frequent remonstrances, the captain three times sailed out driven back, and once after encountering very heavy seas and no small danger. It was finally the 1st January when we reached the Syrian coast."

but was always

A circumstance now occurs which has given rise to much discussion :

“When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat and fastened on his hand; and when the natives saw the venomous beast hang upon his hand, they said among themselves, no doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. He, however, shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. But they expected that he would have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly; but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said he was a God.” The difficulty here is, that although there are serpents

3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fre, there came a viper out of the heat and fastened on his hand.

4 And when the barbarous people saw the venomous beast hang upon his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

5 And he shook off the beast into the fre, and felt no harm.

6 How beit, they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said he was a God.