Changing The Course One Point.
Walking across Palace Square in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with an American
ship-master, (says a correspondent of the _Watchman_) he invited me to
accompany him to his hotel. While there he showed me a very large gold
medal he had received from the British government for saving a ship's
company at sea. The circumstances were these: One night at sea, when it
was the captain's "mid-watch,"--the watch from twelve, midnight, till
/>
four o'clock in the morning--just before turning in, he gave the officer
of the watch the ship's course; the direction in which she was to be
steered. While undressing, it was impressed on his mind that he ought to
change the course a point; but he could see no reason for the change, as
the ship was on the right course for the port of her destination. He
turned in and tried to fall asleep, as it was only four hours to his
watch; but the impression that he ought to change the ship's course kept
him awake. In vain he tried to throw off that impression; and yielding
to it, he went on deck and gave the order for the change. On returning
to his berth, he was asleep as soon as his head was on the pillow. The
next day he sighted a ship in distress, and made sail for her. The ship
was in a sinking condition, and he rescued the whole ship's company.
Shortly after, a gale of wind arose and carried the sinking ship to
complete destruction. Had not the American captain changed the course of
his ship that evening, he would not have come in sight of the ship in
distress, and all of the company would have perished.
_Query_--_What made that Captain arise in the middle of the night and,
contrary to all science, reason and his own will, change the course of
his vessel_, but a _Supreme Being, whose power he could not resist_, and
what made him _exactly_ reach that sinking _ship just in time_.
* * * * *