years ago, but it is easy
to imagine the very tones in which the good, God-loving Dr. Gale gave
thanks for the new blessing that had that day fallen on his friend's
house.

It is impossible to follow David Bushnell in his many journeys to the
iron furnaces of Salisbury, in the spring and early summer of 1776,
during which time the entire country was aroused and astir from the
removal of the American army from Boston to New York; and our friends
at Saybrook were busy as bees from morning till night, in getting
ready perfect machines for duty.

David Bushnell's strength proved insufficient to navigate one of his
Turtles in the tidal waters of the Sound, and his brother Ezra learned
to do it most perfectly.

In the latter end of June, the British fleet, which had sailed out of
Boston harbor so ingloriously on the 17th of March, for Halifax, there
to await re-inforcements, appeared in waters adjacent to New York.

The signal of their approach was gladly hailed by the inventor and by
the navigator of the American Turtle.

A whale-boat from New London, her seamen sworn to inviolable secrecy,
was ordered to be in the river at a given point, on a given night, for
a service of which the men were utterly ignorant.

On the evening previous, Ezra Bushnell, overworn by many attempts at
navigating the machine, was taken seriously ill. At midnight he was
delirious--at day-dawn Dr. Gale was sent for.

When night fell he was in a raging fever, with no prospect of rapid
recovery.

David set off alone, and with a heavy heart, to meet the boatmen. In
the seine-house on Poverty Island the brothers had stored provisions
for a cruise of several days. To this spot David Bushnell went alone,
and with a saddened heart, for he knew that it must be many days ere
he could learn of his brother's condition.

The New London boatmen were promptly at the appointed place of
meeting.

When they saw the curious thing they were told to take in tow, their
curiosity knew no bounds; and it was only when assured that it was
dangerous to examine it, that they desisted from their determination
to know all about it, and consented to obey orders.

When, at last, a departure was made, the hour was midnight, the tide
served, and no ill-timed discovery was made of the deed.

The strong-armed boatmen rowed well and long, and, as daylight dawned,
they were directed to keep a look-out for Faulkner's Island, a small
bit of land in the Sound, nearly five mi