At this momentous time, every one feels the importance of strict obedience. Some, who have not been accustomed to the deadly battle with the monsters of the deep, pull with heavy hearts, dreading the moment of attack; while those who have been long in the business feel less dread; — although a strange sensation creeps through every bosom, as the sea looks black with the bulk of an unwieldy monster, who goes down to the oozy ocean caves, then rises to the regions of day, and spouts out his pent breath towards heaven. A chill of dread comes over the hardiest bosom.

But- the boat goes fast. It is now alongside. The word from the captain to the boat-steerer, is, 'Stand up!' which is done, his hands resting upon his harpoon. Now he raises it, as if he would plunge it deep into the whale; but a motion from the captain deters him. The whale lies spouting, with little motion. The boat's head is laid towards him; the word is given. Two harpoons are darted into the whale; he rears, plunges, and is lost to the sight.

The other boats are seen coming to our relief; and the whale rises again in sight. 'Haul line, haul line; - haul, I tell you: we will kill her before the other boats get up,' says the captain. Every man hauled as for his life; the whale going through the water very rapidly. We had approached our object within a few feet; and the captain was in the attitude of darting his lance, when the whale made a sudden halt, which brought the boat in contact with his head. In an instant, the jaw was elevated, and as quickly fell again, which stove the boat in pieces.

While the other boats, which were at some distance, approached for our relief, we were some of us clinging to the shattered fragments of the boat, and some of us swimming in the water. We were rescued, and immediately carried to the ship. One of the crew, a young man from New Hampshire had his leg broken in three places, and the flesh torn and mangled in a horrid manner.

After our arrival at the ship, and our first care of the wounded man, whom we placed in as comfortable a situation as our circumstances would permit, we saw the waist-boat engaged in perilous conflict with the enemy who had wrecked After a bloody battle of two hours, they succeeded in killing the 'old soldier.'

us.

EXERCISE XXXIII.

HUNTING THE COUGAR.- Audubon.

In the course of one of my rambles, I chanced to meet with a squatter's cabin, on the banks of the Cold Water River. In the owner of this hut, like most of those adventurous settlers in the uncultivated tracts of our frontier districts, I found a person well versed in the chase, and acquainted with the habits of some of the largest species of quadrupeds and birds; and on asking if he would accompany me through the great morass, and allow me to become an inmate of his humble but hospitable mansion, I was gratified to find that he cordially assented to all my proposals. So I immediately unstrapped my drawing materials, laid up my gun, and sat down to partake of the homely but wholesome fare of the supper intended for the squatter, his wife, and his two sons.

The quietness of the evening seemed in perfect accordance with the gentle demeanor of his family. The squatter, his sons, and myself, spoke of hunting and fishing, until at length tired, we laid ourselves down on pallets of bear-skins, and reposed in peace, on the floor of the only apartment of which the hut consisted.

Day dawned; and the squatter's call to his hogs, - which, being almost in a wild state, were suffered to seek the greater portion of their food in the woods, — awakened me. Being ready dressed, I was not long in joining them. The hogs and their young came grunting at the well-known call of their owner, who threw them a few ears of corn, and counted them; but told me that, for some weeks past, their number had been greatly diminished, by the ravages committed upon them by a large panther, (by which name the cougar is designated in the West,) and that the ravenous animal did not content himself with the flesh of his pigs, but now and then carried off one of his calves, notwithstanding the many attempts he had made to shoot it. The painter,' as he sometimes called it, had, on several occasions, robbed him of a dead deer; and to those exploits the squatter added several remarkable feats of audacity which it had performed, to give me an idea of the formidable character of the beast. Delighted by the description, I offered to assist him in destroying the

enemy, at which he was highly pleased; but assured me, that unless some of his neighbors should assist us with their dogs, and his own, the attempt would prove fruitless, Soon after, mounting a horse, he went off to his neighbors, (several of whom lived at a distance of some miles,) and appointed a day of meeting.

The hunters accordingly made their appearance, one fine morning, at the door of the cabin, just as the sun was emerging from beneath the horizon. They were five in number, and fully equipped for the chase, being mounted on horses which in some parts of Europe might appear sorry nags, but which in strength, speed, and bottom, are better fitted for pursuing a cougar or a bear through woods and morasses, than any in other countries. A pack of large, ugly curs were already engaged in making acquaintance with those of the squatter. He and myself mounted his two best horses, whilst his sons were bestriding others of inferior quality.

EXERCISE XXXIV.

THE SAME SUBJECT, CONCLUDED.

Few words were uttered by the party till we had reached the edge of the swamp, where it was agreed that all should disperse, and seek for the fresh track of the panther; it being previously settled that the discoverer should blow his horn, and remain on the spot until the rest should join him. In less than an hour, the sound of the horn was clearly heard; and sticking close to the squatter, off we went through the thick woods, guided only by the now and then repeated call of the distant huntsman. We soon reached the spot; and in a short time the rest of the party came up. The best dogs were sent forward to track the cougar; and in a few moments the whole pack were observed diligently trailing, and bearing in their course for the interior of the swamp. The rifles were immediately put in trim; and the party followed the dogs at separate distances, but in sight of each other, determined to shoot at no other game than the panther.

The dogs soon began to mouth, and suddenly quickened their pace. My companions concluded that the beast was on

the ground; and putting our horses to a gentle gallop, we followed the curs, guided by their voices. The noise of the dogs increased, when, all of a sudden, their mode of barking became altered; and the squatter, urging me to push on, told me that the beast was treed, (by which he meant that it had got upon some low branch of a large tree, to rest for a few moments,) and that, should we not succeed in shooting him when thus situated, we might expect a long chase of it. As we approached the spot, we all by degrees united into a body; but, on seeing the dogs at the foot of a large tree, separated again, and galloped off to surround it.

Each hunter now moved with caution, holding his gun ready, and allowing the bridle to dangle on the neck of his horse, as it advanced slowly towards the dogs. A shot from one of the party was heard, on which the cougar was seen to leap to the ground, and bound off with such velocity, as to show that he was very unwilling to stand our fire longer. The dogs set off in pursuit with great eagerness, and a deafening cry. The hunter who had fired came up, and said that his ball had hit the monster, and had probably broken one of his fore-legs, near the shoulder, the only place at which he could aim.

A slight trail of blood was discovered on the ground; but the curs proceeded at such a rate, that we merely noticed this, and put spurs to our horses, which galloped on towards the centre of the swamp. One bayou was crossed, then another, still larger and more muddy; but the dogs were brushing forward; and as the horses began to pant at a furious rate, we judged it expedient to leave them, and advance on foot. These determined hunters knew that the cougar, being wounded, would shortly ascend another tree, where, in all probability, he would remain for a considerable time, and that it would be easy to follow the track. We dismounted, took off the saddles, set the bells attached to the horses' necks at liberty to jingle, 'hoppled' the animals, and left them to shift for themselves.

After marching for a couple of hours, we again heard the dogs. Each of us pressing forward, elated at the thought of terminating the career of the cougar. Some of the dogs were heard whining, although the greater number barked vehemently. We felt assured that the cougar was treed, and that he would rest for some time, to recover from his fatigue. As we came up to the dogs, we discovered the ferocious animal

stretched across a large branch, close to the trunk of a cottonwood tree; his broad breast lying towards us. His eyes were at one time bent on us, and again on the dogs beneath and around him. One of his fore-legs hung closely by his side; and he lay crouched, with his ears lowered close to his head, as if he thought that he might remain undiscovered. Three balls were fired at him, at a given signal, on which he sprang a few feet from the branch, and tumbled headlong to the ground. Attacked on all sides by the enraged curs, the infuriated cougar fought with desperate valor; but the squatter advancing in front of the party, and almost in the midst of the dogs, shot him immediately behind and beneath the left shoulder. The cougar writhed for a moment, in agony, and in another lay dead.

EXERCISE XXXV.

THE MISSIONARY.-W. Howitt.

'He was the first that ever bore
Glad tidings to that desert shore.'

My heart goes with thee, dauntless man,
Freely as thou dost hie,

To sojourn with some barbarous clan,
For them to toil, or die.

Fondly our spirits to our own
Cling, nor to part allow;

Thine to some land forlorn has flown,

Thou climb'st the vessel's lofty side, -
Numbers are gathering there;
The youthful warrior in his pride,

The merchant in his care,

Hearts which for knowledge track the seas,
Spirits which lightly rove,

Glad as the billows and the breeze,

And thou, the child of love.

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