cross; and, first of all, give up that habit, I entreat you, which is at war with all vital religion— the habit of drinking. You say you have been trying twelve years in vain to lessen your daily allowance. If the ship had sprung aleak, and there were six feet of water in the hold, would you pump out three and let her fill again; or pump her dry, and stop the leak once for all, Mr. Rodney? If an enemy of superior force were bearing down while you were at anchor, would you cut your cable a little, or cut it off? Depend upon it, Mr. Rodney, there is no security but in the whole armour of a cold-water man. He who leaves himself the liberty of taking a little now and then, leaves the nest egg of destruction." This conversation had left a deep impression on the mind of Rodney. His heart was naturally generous and frank, and he took the earliest occasion the following day to do abundant justice to the character of Fritz, and to express his regret for having said anything to his disparagement. Fritz, on his part, was not backward in performing his promise of the preceding evening; and it soon became a source, though of daily diminishing surprise to the ship's company, to see Rodney, the scoffer, spending a part of his leisure, day after day, sitting between decks upon his chest, and perusing the volume of eternal life.

It would be a heavy tax upon the reader's patience, to lay before him a minute account of the many interesting conferences between Rodney and Hazell, which led, under the blessing of heaven, to the entire reformation of an unhappy man. Hazell had drawn up an agreement, in the early part of the voyage, by which nineteen of the ship's company pledged themselves to abstain entirely from ardent spirit. It was with a light heart and a quick step, that he went aft to inform the captain's clerk, that Rodney requested him to take notice that he would draw his grog no longer from that date.

Ten years have gone by since the Antwerp crossed the ocean for Canton; and the character of Captain Rodney, for that is his present title, has become thoroughly established as a devout and penitent christian, and an uncompromising cold-water man.

About a week before the ship's arrival in Canton, when Fritz Hazell, upon a sabbath evening, had finished two or three chapters in the Bible to a far more numerous group than had gathered round him upon such occasions at the beginning of the voyage, a conversation arose among the crew upon the evils of intemperance. Several related such examples of crime and misery as had come to their knowledge, making together an awful aggregate of human wretchedness and depravity by sea and land. "My friends," said Rodney, after listening to the tales of others, "I have been an eye-witness to the fatal effects of intemperance myself. I was born in New England, and have some connexions there still. About ten years ago I was travelling on foot through a town in Massachusetts, and hearing the cry of murder, I hurried to the spot. The sound came from a small dwelling. Receiving no answer at the door, it was burst open; and I saw upon the floor a man weltering in his blood, and his wife with her throat cut from ear to ear, lying at his side. They had been

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drinking, and the man was not quite dead, though he died while I was there." Mr. Rodney," said Fritz Hazell, with evident agitation, “what was the name of that town?" "I really cannot remember; I was never in it before,” he replied. "Did any one go with you to the house of these unhappy people ?" "Yes," replied Rodney, "there was an old man, a foreigner, I think, who went with me." "Was there a child in the house?" "There was a little boy; and I never shall forget the look of terror when he clung to the old man and begged him not to let his father kill him." "Did you not give some money to that old man for the boy's use?"

"I now recollect I did: I gave him a two-dollar bill; and I remember it more perfectly, because it was the last farthing I had. I had been up to the country to see my friends, before I went to sea again. But how could you know all these particulars?" Fritz sat for a few seconds with his hands before his features. The surrounding group looked on in silent astonishment. At length he uncovered his face, which was bathed in tears, and exclaimed, "How mysterious and how wise are the dealings of God! I am that orphan boy. That excellent old man, to whom you gave your bounty, laid it out in the purchase of this book; and wrote, as you see here, 'The gift of an unknown friend.' In this very book you have learned, I trust, a lesson of eternal wisdom." Fritz opened the volume at the eleventh chapter of Ecclesiastes, and pointed to the first verse. Rodney read the passage aloud "Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days." "How little you thought," said Fritz Hazell, "when you bestowed your two dollars upon an orphan boy, that you were purchasing the bread of eternal life!" The effect produced by this explanation was of the most solemn and impressive character. There was not a dry eye upon the forecastle.

When it was intimated to Fritz that he would be retained in the capacity of third mate for the homeward voyage, he went to captain de Witt and earnestly recommended Rodney as better qualified; but the captain would not change his arrangement.

After an unusually short and prosperous voyage, the Antwerp arrived in safety at Amsterdam; and Fritz had the pleasure of receiving letters from old captain Hazell, in which he stated, among other matters, that his health was not quite as good as it used to be, and expressed an earnest desire of seeing Fritz once more at home. This wish entirely corresponding with the views and feelings of the young sailor, upon the recommendation of captain de Witt, he readily obtained the situation of first mate of the brig Thetis, bound for Philadelphia. Before his departure, he represented the case of poor Rodney so strongly to captain de Witt, and even to Van Scrompfen himself, that both of them expressed their willingness to advance his interest, should he be able to keep his resolution. Rodney proved faithful to his pledge, and de Witt and Van Scrompfen were not unmindful of their promise.

(To be concluded in our next.)

BREEDING OF SALMON ARTIFICIALLY.

By SIR FRANCIS A. MACKENZIE.

IN the autumn of 1840, having chosen a brook, flowing rapidly into the river Ewe, a hollow spot adjoining to it was selected and cleared out, of the following dimensions:-length, twenty-three yards; breadth, from twelve to eighteen feet; and all the large stones having been cleared away, the bottom was covered a foot thick with coarse sand and small gravel, the largest stones not exceeding the size of a walnut. A stream from the brook was then led into the hollow, so as to form a pool of about eight inches in depth at the upper, and three feet at the lower end; thus giving it one uniform, gentle current, over the whole pool, whilst the supply of water was so regulated by a sluice, as to have the same depth at all times, whilst a strong stone wall excluded all trout or eels, so destructive to both spawn and fry.

On the 13th November, four pair of salmon, male and female, were taken by net from the Ewe, and carefully placed in the pool. On the 18th they showed a disposition to spawn; but on the 20th, the whole were carried away at night, by some ill-disposed persons, and, on examining the pool, only a small quantity of ova appeared to have been deposited.

On the 23rd of November, four pair of salmon were again caught and placed in the pool, and which were observed to commence spawning on the day following-caught them carefully-squeezed gently about 1,200 ova from a female into a basin of water, and then pressed about an equal quantity of milt from a male fish over them-stirred the two gently but well together with the fingers, and after allowing them rest for an hour, the whole was deposited and spread in one of the wicker baskets recommended by professor Agassiz, having about four inches of gravel below them, and three inches of gravel above.

A similar quantity of ova, treated in the same way, was also deposited in one of the copper-wire bags used by Mr. Shaw, and both were then immediately placed under water in the pool; a little of the ova was buried in the open gravel, at about three inches depth.

In another basket, and also in another copper-wire bag, two or three inches of gravel were placed at the bottom of each, and both basket and bag laid in the pool, covered with about four inches of water. The ova of a female and milt of a male were then squeezed from two fish on the gravel, and spread regularly with the hand, one after the other; and after leaving them exposed in this state to the water for a few minutes, the whole was covered with two or three inches of gravel, and left in the pool. These four fish emitted afterwards, voluntarily, a small quantity of spawn which had been left with them; and on 1st December they were turned out into the river.

On 3rd December, caught three pair of salmon, which had already partially spawned in the Ewe-used another basket, and also a wire bag, treating the spawn in the same manner as last stated-the fish were there

allowed to deposit voluntarily the little spawn of which they had not been deprived, and afterwards turned out into the river.

On 19th February, examined the ova, and life was plainly observed in the basket, wire bags, and unprotected gravel, both were placed artificially, and were deposited by the salmon themselves.

19th March.-The fish had increased in size, and went on gradually increasing, much in proportion to the temperature of the weather.

22nd. The eyes were easily visible, and a few of the ova had burst -the young fry having a small watery bladder-like bag attached to their throat.

18th April.-The baskets and bags were all opened. The bags had become detached from their throats; the fry measured about threefourths of an inch in length, and they swam about easily, all distinctly marked as par.

The baskets recommended by professor Agassiz, proved themselves superior to the wire-bags of Mr. Shaw. In the latter only about 20 per cent. came to maturity, whilst in the former not above 10 per cent. proved barren; and in the baskets used 5th of December, not above 5 per cent was unproductive. It is impossible to say exactly the proportion of ova which came to life, either of that artificially impregnated and deposited in the open gravel, or of what was spawned by the fish themselves naturally; but, so far as can be judged, they succeeded equally well with that in the baskets. Perhaps the baskets may have a preference over the other methods tried, as affording more certain protection to the spawn during winter; and it is proper to state, that the last described mode of depositing the ova and milt was most successful. There can be no doubt, from the success which has attended the above-described experiments, that the breeding of salmon, in large quantities, is, comparatively speaking, easy; and that millions may be produced, protected from every danger, and turned out into their native element at the proper age; which Mr. Shaw has proved, by repeated experiments on a small scale, to be when they have attained about two years of age, when the par-marks disappear, they assume the silvery scales of their parents, and show distinctly a strong inclination to escape from confinement, and proceed downwards to the sea.

Professor Agassiz asserts, and I fully believe with truth, that the ova of all fish, when properly impregnated, can be conveyed, in water of a proper temperature, even across the Atlantic, as safely as if it were naturally deposited by the parent fish; so that any quantity of salmon spawn can, after impregnation on the banks of a river, be carried to other streams, however distant, which may be favourable for hatching.

It may be right to observe, that, as the fry are to remain two years in the artificial pools where hatched, fresh places must be used every second year for the spawn, as even one-year-old fry will destroy spawn, or their more infantile brethren, if left together. Old spent salmon are also destructive both to spawn and fry.

It can only be determined by experience what kind or quantity of food will be required for the fry. Carrion hung at the top of the pool

in which they are, would, in the opinion of professor Agassiz and Mr. Shaw, supply them with maggots; but in this there are difficulties, and when tried by Sir Francis A. Mackenzie this season, a few of the fry were found dead round the carrion given to them. droppings of cattle, allowed to rest till half dry and occupied by worms and the ova of insects, seem to suit them best.

The

About 1st September last, Sir Francis A. Mackenzie, when on an agricultural tour of Belgium, visited an establishment belonging to king Leopold, and adjoining his new palace of Ardennes, on a much more expensive scale than that now described-where the breeding of trout had been tried for three years previous, though with but little success. A very few small trout, bred in 1839 and 1840, were still alive, but the ova of 1841 were a total failure, chiefly from not properly covering the spawn with gravel, and other errors. Bread made of brown and white flour mixed, was the food found best suited to the few living, who, judging from their appearance, as seen swimming about in a small pool, were in excellent condition. The trout-breeding establishment of the Ardennes, however, proves that their spawn, if treated in the same way as that of salmon, above described, will produce the same successful results, and that any one possessing a convenient pond or stream, may stock it with the best kinds of trout in one or two years, and by good feeding have them in high condition. Where trout already exist of small size and inferior quality, Sir Francis A. Mackenzie would advise, wholly destroying the breed by saturating the water with quick lime, or any other mode more advisable, and procuring spawn or fry from lakes where the best kinds of trout are found in Scotland, or elsewhere. The same may be said of grayling-pike, or any other kind of fish suited to ponds or rivers, as may be desired by their owners, which renders the discovery now made known, of value to all, and in all quarters, as well as to salmonfishing proprietors.

In conclusion, Sir Francis A. Mackenzie hopes that the above brief account may not only be well understood, but that the ease and comparatively trifling expense at which the breeding of fry can be accomplished, may induce many this season to try this novel but successful mode of increasing our stocks of salmon and other fish, and, consequently, adding largely to the wealth of our country.

SOME men, in knowledge, are like ships loaded with a general cargo;—while some, being deeper loaded than others, draw more water, and therefore are of more value.