ight or power to interfere
in the matter--but all to no purpose; for there are times when neither
facts nor fancies, fair words nor foul, fire, fury, folly, nor
philosophy, will avail to move some "powers that be!"

In a towering fit of indignation Harry Boyns resolved to throw up his
situation; but it occurred to him that this would perhaps be deemed
cowardice, so he thought better of it. Then he madly thought of going
direct to the President of the Board of Trade and making a solemn
protest, backed by a heart-stirring appeal; but gave up that idea on
recalling to memory a certain occasion on which a deputation of grave,
learned, white-haired gentlemen had gone to London expressly to visit
that august functionary of the State, and beseech him, with all the
earnestness that the occasion demanded, that he would introduce into
Parliament a bill for the better regulation and supervision of ships,
and for preventing the possibility of seamen and passengers being
seduced on board unseaworthy vessels, carried off to sea, and there
murderously drowned in cold blood, as well as in cold water; which
deputation received for answer, that "it was not the intention of
Government, as at present advised, to introduce a measure for providing
more stringent enactments as to the equipments, cargoes, and crews of
passenger vessels!"--a reply which was tantamount to saying that if the
existing arrangements were inadequate to the ends desired, Government
saw no way out of the difficulty, and people must just be left
unprotected, and go to sea to be drowned or spared according as chance
or the cupidity of shipowners might direct!

This was pretty resolute on the part of Government, considering that
above a thousand lives were then, and above two thousand still are, lost
annually on the shores of the United Kingdom; a very large number of
which--if we may believe the argument of facts and the pretty unanimous
voice of the press--are sacrificed because Government refuses to
interfere effectively with the murderous tendencies of a certain class
of the community!

When Harry Boyns thought of all this he sighed deeply, and made up his
mind to remain by the _Swordfish_, and sink or swim with her. Had he
been more of a man of business, perhaps he might have been more
successful in finding out how to have prevented the evil he foresaw; but
it was the interest of the owner to keep him in the dark as much as
possible, for which end Mr Webster kep