to consideration, and to come to some
decision on it, at an early day.

The following Monday it rained nearly the whole morning, confining our
mariners to the ship. They took that occasion to overhaul the
''twixt-deck' more thoroughly than had yet been done, and particularly
to give the seed-boxes a close examination. Much of the lumber, and most
of the tools too, were stowed on this deck, and something like a survey
was also made of them. The frame and other materials of the pinnace were
looked for, in addition, but without any success. If in the ship at all,
they were certainly not betwixt decks. Mark was still of opinion no such
articles would ever be found; but Betts insisted on the conversation he
had overheard, and on his having rightly understood it. The provision of
tools was very ample, and, in some respects, a little exaggerated in the
way of Friend White's expectations of civilizing the people of Fejee. It
may be well, here, to say a word concerning the reason that the Rancocus
contained so many of these tributes to civilization. The voyage of the
ship, it will be remembered, was in quest of sandal-wood. This
sandal-wood was to be carried to Canton and sold, and a cargo of teas
taken in with the avails. Now, sandal-wood was supposed to be used for
the purposes of idolatry, being said to be burned before the gods of
that heathenish people, Idolatry being one of the chiefest of all sins,
Friend Abraham White had many compunctions and misgivings of conscience
touching the propriety of embarking in the trade at all. It was true,
that our knowledge of the Chinese customs did not extend far enough to
render it certain that the wood was used for the purpose of burning
before idols, some pretending it was made into ornamental furniture; but
Friend Abraham White had heard the first, and was disposed to provide a
set-off, in the event of the report's being true, by endeavouring to do
something towards the civilization of the heathen. Had he been a
Presbyterian merchant, of a religious turn, it is probable a quantity of
tracts would have been made to answer the purpose; but, belonging to a
sect whose practice was generally as perfect as its theory is imperfect,
Friend Abraham White's conscience was not to be satisfied with any such
shallow contrivance. It is true that he expected to make many thousands
of dollars by the voyage, and doubtless would so have done, had not the
accident befallen the ship, or had poor Captain