fficient to allow
it to touch the bottom; then with a sudden jerk, such as long practice
alone can enable him to give, he raises the weight, and after examining
the mark on the rope made by the water, calls out lustily, so that all
forward can hear, "By the mark seven," or "By the deep nine," according
to the case, or whatever the number of fathoms may be. The lead-line is
marked into lengths of six feet, called fathoms, by knots, or pieces of
leather, or old sail-cloth. In narrow or intricate channels, it is
sometimes needful to place a man in the chains on each side of the ship,
as the depth will vary a fathom or more even in the breadth of the
vessel, and it is of great consequence that the leadsmen give the depth
correctly, as a wrong report might cause the ship to run aground. The
time that the leadsman is employed in taking soundings is often a period
of deep anxiety to the crew and passengers, especially if the vessel be
near an unknown coast. When the decrease in the number of fathoms is
sudden, the captain knows that danger is near, and quickly gives orders
to alter the ship's course: the sailors instantly obey his directions;
but sometimes not all their activity and energy can save the vessel; she
strikes and becomes a wreck.

Turn to the 27th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in your Bible, and
you will there read the deeply interesting account of Paul's shipwreck
on the island Melita. Life has often been compared to a voyage--and
aptly so.

You will find that you, like the mariner, are exposed to many dangers,
and that you are never for one moment safe in trusting to your own skill
to guide your little bark. In watchfulness and prayer, look to your
Heavenly Pilot for directions under every circumstance, often examining
your own heart, as the seaman heaves the lead in danger. Then will you
be safely guided through storms and calms, amid rocks and shoals, and
reach at last the blessed haven of eternal rest and peace.

THE BALLOON AT SEA.

A balloon is a hollow globe, made of silk, rendered air-tight by a
coating of gum and resin, and enclosed within a strong network. When
filled with gas it is so much lighter than the air which surrounds us,
that it will rise with heavier bodies suspended to it. In a sort of car
or boat attached, men, who are called "aeronauts," have performed
journeys through the air.

The balloon was invented by a Frenchman named Montgolfier. Great
expectations were at first