ervice, when
Rev. Mr. McMonagle preached. In the afternoon we went to the forward
part of the steamer, and grandpa preached to the steerage passengers, on
"Christ in the ship in the storm." The choir sung, and the poor people
looked so gratified and pleased to have preaching and singing that it
did one's heart good.

We used to sing songs almost every evening, and it was very pleasant as
we sat on the quarter-deck looking off on the water. The moon cast her
radiance over the ocean; the white foam, in a long line back, marked our
track; and the brilliant stars, seeming far brighter than they do in our
northern heavens, looked like diamonds in God's firmament. We sailed
along easily and smoothly until the morning of August 30, when we were
wakened early by the rolling of the ship, and found a hurricane upon us.
It was almost impossible to dress, but after being tossed against both
sides of my stateroom several times, I succeeded. What a dismal scene
met my eye as I opened my door! Carpets rolled up, sofas and chairs
piled in together, the marble tops of the tables taken off and lashed to
the floor, skylights leaking, so that we had to choose our footing
carefully, or the slippery floors and the ship's rolling would soon
bring us down to the floor. On every hand crashes were heard from
unlucky lamp-shades, bottles, pitchers, or anything breakable that was
not properly secured. The waves seemed mountain high, and the wind was
so strong that their crests were blown off in spray.

After a while the captain ordered us all below. The scene in the lower
cabin was dismal in the extreme. Passengers--many of them only half
dressed, most of them pale from sea-sickness or fear--all crowded
together on the sofas on one side of the saloon; for the vessel lay over
so that we could sit only on one row of sofas. A dozen people, perhaps,
were leaning over the backs of the sofas at one time, all sea-sick.
Children were crying from hunger or fright. What a scene! We shipped
wave after wave with a shock that made the vessel tremble from stem to
stern. Crash followed crash. At one time the cases filled with dishes in
the pantry gave way, and what a noise of broken crockery! Three enormous
baskets were filled with the pieces. One of the bulkheads was knocked
out, and eleven sheep were washed overboard. The butcher's shop was
washed away, and two barrels of beef, one of mackerel, and one of table
butter went with the rest. The heavy stoves in t