Thrilling Narrative

Th(! following narrative may be ot interest lo the reader, as teaching us uev er to despuir while tliere is yet hope, and as shuwhig, ib a very remarkable degree, tbe providrtice of GoÜ The tiiwn of Liverpool, in Nova Sco tia, situated ibout sixty milos from H ilfiiK, is a femt of soine magnitude for a colonial outport. It is, aud aluuys bas been, mn ukable for the ueatness and comfort of its bwuseaj for the activity aud enterprise of its people, and for the wealth and wt-ll being of all who chooe to be industrious and inclined to lay up worldly goods. The intercourse wil li Halifax, the capital of the pr;viuoe, was, at, the time of which we spyak, kept up by a smart and dashing iiitlecraft, qailed the Liverpool I'acket, coiinnaiidid by Capt Bass, which ulied weeidy betweeu the two places throughout the .spring and sunuiier moijths, liyiig up üuring tlie severity of the wiütei-, wlieu tlie coui uiunicatiou with Iluhfax was. for the most part, liuii teil to a weekiy post by land. About the year 1815 or 1816, as thu se-asou for mivigation v,im ih-awing to a close, a grcal i.uu.ber of passengeis went to iiahfax, as was the cust.om, to ripl-enish tbsttjr siori-s, lor tlie winter, whili: many heails of tauiilies pruueeded thither lo purchase clütiiing, groceries, &c for thcir private winter stock ; and as this was to be the last trip of i he spason, the little b rk wis crowduil wilh some forty or üfiy pa.=:sengors, chiefly faihers and tnothers of large famihes who wei e 1 e ft, at home. The voyaize to llaüfax was prosperous, the voy-'gurs made tluur jiuichase.-i, and in due time the Liverpool Packet was ready to return. AH the pa-sengurs finbvrked i:i good spirits, and the bmk sailed cheeriiy dowu the harbor, and proceeded for her destinatinn. A few hours after her diparture t'tiere fpruiiií up une of those terrible Northwe-tcrs, so well known ot) tho ooast of Nova Scotm, and blo-ving wi'h t!i at niost fury f r sevenil days, attendcd vvitli intenso frost. It was clear th'at no vesel i;i iiid keep thé ernst; she must ei! her put heiself befnre the v'n:il and run out to sea, or all pcrish miserably by wreek' and tlia rior of ta atmospliui e twenty tttgreéa bcluw zei o. A changa of woathor sn suilden and sovero and so unexpoctcd, gave rbe to gre;it fears for the safety ol the litt'e Paoket, ;uid the iicxt pos by land w:is anxionsly waited fur by trieiids and rclativcp nt both town.. The post at le;;gth ar: ived but brouglit no tidings of Uie Liverpuol Paoket; anotlier post and anolher eaine in, and Jt DO news of the niiísiiiif vesquí. Soaroh was then m hIh aloni; tho shore to see if iho wreek could be foutid, but, as in tho case of the Pacific, not a vestige could be discovert'd. The bold begun to doubt and the liinid todiKpair, and the opinión was at lapt arrived at, that tho vessol had been blown off the const or sunk in the gale If the latter, her and hor passengere wen; irretrievablv lost, as no person could live in boats in Mcb weather ; if' the former, there was still hope that the tiext arrival from Benuudii would bring sonie intelligfnco. We will not attempt to desoribe the deplorable state of rnind of tho people in the once happy little town, for nearly all had a rrlative on board; either father, mothcr, brother or sister. Prayers were put up in the churohes, and i gloora uiautled over the eountenauce of every ono. Adviees were in due time received from Bermuda, but uothing was Leard from the little Packet and her gers. Accounts were also received frotn sevral of ihe West India Islauds, but stili without any iutolligeuce of the missing vessel. T bree inuuths at length pased away, and t e Paeket was giveu up for lost. - Thoso who had fneuds du bnird went into inournjng, and so conuectcd were the different, families with etttsli otherthroughout the town, tint tlie Suiiday on vvhicli all who liad frioudrt put on black, put nearly the eutire population u the babil iineiits ot woe. Fuur uionths h id now pnssed away ; the moiinio'', uotwithstanding tlieir ii' reparable los, were becpming retsuocijed to tliejr bereavement; for there is a philosop'iy in tiiu human heart which teacli es us to b.ar with furtitude greaf losses, whcu tiioee of hjss sevcrity are met with impa ience All hope had now fieú the vei-sel had without doubt fuuuJered and gona to the bottoin with all on board ; but wlieti, or in what part of the occan, was to reuiain veiled in the seerets of the deep uutil tbe se should give up her dea.il. Sixteen weeks had now elapsed, wben one fine tnorniug in the spring, souie seafaring people d.nïii al the Fort descried a stivinge bi ig approaehmg the harbor. - She altracted attuntiou frota tlie circumstance, and altliough a strauger, tuo was navigatcd by one vvho weil kuew the eutrance of the harbor. lor sin; carne in without a pilot or shortenlng sail. Tlie uick eye aud watchtul hnbits of the scamen cou'd not Jightly pass over sueh a cireuuista!i3e, ;iud the report of t&B strange vessol coming ia soon spread through the little towu, and many persons assembled. The best teleLCopes wero put 'm requisitio-i, but none could make out who er wt'.at the stranger was As she drew uearer to the anxious group, her deck was discovured to bo crowded with male and témale passengerd, " Ah !'' exclaimed que who had a certain undeliuable hope, as that hope sank within biin, "au emigrant ship after all," and a deep siüh caiue lrom bis bosom ; for he liad a near and friend on the little Packet. '' Au emigrant slap?" said another ! " Huw eau the captain of au emigrant ship kuOW so we;l hts way into llris harbor 'Í'' ' Besides, emigrant ships do uot co.i'e to Liverpool ' A pause eu sued, during vvhich, uiiö with a quiek eye gazed through tlie best glas the towu atlorded ; bewas on one kuee, resting bis tele-cope, wtien he suddenly sp-aug to lis feet, ïud declared that Capt. Basa asauiong the passengeraj "Nonsenser' was the incredulous ery ; " Captain Buss and the Liverpool P.icket are uu the j bottöm of the sea, and will t;iere remain j uutii the day ot' resurrectiou." Not dauuted by their incredulity, he said, " Give me the tnimpet I will speak the brii;; in a few moments she will be near euough " 'What brig is that?'' ïhe response was givcu. " Are you Capt. Bass?" "Yes," was the reply 1- A few wurds sufficed to reveal that the vessel had been blown off and for many days went bef.ire the wind with gn-at rapidity. As the gale abated, Captain liass found be could better reach the West Indios than he eould get b ick with so Sraall and so erowded a vessel. - Using their provisious eoonoinieally, and slaking thuir thirst witii eider and barrels of apples that were on bo ird, they reached Barbadoes. There the Captain sold bis sloop, bought the brig, and carne i back safe with all bis passengers ! The joyful news Üed thrugh the town, with the inipetuosity of lightning, and ere the vessel eould be brought to the Wharf, the enlire popul-itinn of the plueo had assembled to meet and embrace thfir friends. It wou!d be vain to attempt to ilesmbu .uuii a .sceue - ail were in mourning - -vet all with a smíle of j'iy beaming in their countenances. As the long lost friends and lelatives leaped on i shore. f.ither.-i muthers, and brothers were i lockfd it) each nthers anus, aud tbeir smiles becunie t'ars of j y. liut how was Buoh a scène to end - huw i;uutd it, huw ought it to end, wit h a moral and a ührigtian p.:nple ? There is in the depth of the foini'ains of the human heart an ever living si'ing, from wliiuh fl 'W its pni'est and saciedest etnotions. There antes tliü principie of reliirion, the sense of accmntability to God and love for all his good.iess. Tliis impuisive faeling came forth in a spon taneous btirst of gratitude and the tears and sobs had scarcely ceased when with One suddeu impulse tin? wlioie assemblage sank to their k'iees, aud in a burst of pious fervor, poured out thanks to the great and tnerciful Ijeing who had so singularly preserved tliem - and who hobh us n the hollow of his hand. This extraordinary circuinstance is not within. he rocolleo'ion of miny pey sou-, but a few still survive in Nova Scotia, who have a distinot reaienibrance of it. In its relation we miy have omitted its details, but the genera1 oullineis true.