lls gently on my ear, and
conjures up a thousand agreeable associations.

The owner of the Mary, Mr. Jarvis, was an active and enterprising
man. He did not allow his vessels to remain idle. In a few days we had
another cargo on board, and proceeded down the river on our way to New
York. Being detained as usual at the Inlet, several of the pilots and
other inhabitants of Portsmouth came on board, and the ribald jest,
the oath, and the dram cup passed freely round. Cochran's pamphlet was
consigned to oblivion. I was no longer called upon to read passages from
the Holy Scriptures. Solemn looks and serious conversation were voted
a bore. They laughed at their former fears; a reaction had taken place,
and the struggle now seemed to be who should surpass his fellows in
wickedness.

So much for Cochran's famous prediction, closely resembling in character
that of Miller at a later day, and uttered with as much confidence and
believed by as many persons. Morever, it is probable that Cochran was as
sincere in his belief as Miller, perhaps more so, for the miserable man,
finding his imagination had played him a trick, and that his prediction
had not been fulfilled, overcome by mortification, and not supported by
a pure religious principle, COMMITTED SUICIDE BY CUTTING HIS THROAT.

It is hardly worth while for man to attempt to solve mysteries in order
to ascertain when the day of judgment will arrive. He should strive so
to regulate his actions, that, let it come when it will, he need not
fear the result.

Chapter XX. DECLARATION OF WAR

On our passage to New York we met with no remarkable occurrence, and
saw not a cruiser of any nation. On reaching the city, we found that an
extraordinary excitement prevailed. War had been declared against Great
Britain; an American fleet under Commodore Rodgers had sailed the day
before on a cruise. The frigate Essex was at Brooklyn with a complete
and gallant crew, and her commander, Captain Porter, was making
preparations for an immediate departure. This brave officer made no
secret of his intention to bring the enemy to close quarters whenever a
chance offered, and proclaimed throughout the frigate that any man who
repented having shipped might receive his discharge.

One man only of the hundreds composing the crew availed himself of
the captain's proclamation, under the plausible pretext that he was
an Englishman. But it having been ascertained that so far from being a
loyal sub