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_.



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