duced with the still silence that prevailed. The sea was so calm, that I could scarcely hear the light rippling of the water by the vessel's side. One by one I committed the corpses to their watery grave. At length my dreadful task was finished.

My next thoughts were for the ship's boats. They were gone. I could not bear to remain in the ship. It seemed a vast tomb for me. I resolved to make some kind of a raft, and depart on it. This occupied two or three days; at length it was completed, and I succeeded in setting it afloat, without much damage. I lowered into it all the provisions which I could find in the ship; but the quantity was trifling, for the sailors, I suppose, had carried away the remainder. All was ready, and it only remained for me to leave the ship. I trembled at the thought of the dangers I was about to encounter. I was going to commit myself to the ocean, separated from it only by a few boards and trunks, which one wave might scatter over the surface of the water. I might never arrive at land; I should be without shelter, and almost without food. I half resolved to remain in my present situation, but a moment's reflection dispelled my purpose. I descended. I stood on my raft. I cut the rope by which I had fastened it to the ship. I was confused to think of my situation; I could scarcely believe that I had dared to venture alone on the wide waste of waters. I fruitlessly endeavoured to resign myself to it. As far as I could see, nothing presented itself to my view but the vessel which I had left. The sea was perfectly still, for not a breath was stirring. I endeavoured with two pieces of wood, which supplied the place of oars, to row myself along but the little progress I made alarmed me. the calm should continue, I should perish of hunger. I longed to see the sail, which I had made, agitated by the wind. I watched it from morning to night; it was my only employment, but I watched it in vain,-the weather continued the same.

:

If

Two days passed over. I looked at my provisions; they would not, I supposed, last above three or four

days more at the farthest. Those days were quickly passing over. I gave myself up for lost; I had no hope of ever escaping.

On the fourth day after my leaving the ship, I thought I saw something at a distance; I gazed at it intently; it was a sail! Good heavens! what did I feel at this sight. I fastened my handkerchief to the top of a piece of wood, and waved it, in hopes that it would be observed, and I should be rescued from my horrible situation. The vessel kept on its course. I shouted; I knew they could not hear me, but still some vain hope impelled me to try so useless an expedient. It passed on; it grew dim. I stretched my eye-balls to see it. It vanished-it was gone! I will not attempt to describe the exquisitely torturing feelings which I endured at seeing destroyed the chance of relief which had offered itself. I was stupid with grief and disappointment.

My stock of provisions was now entirely exhausted, and I looked forward with horror to an excruciating death. It was eight hours since I had tasted food. I sought without effect for any thing to satisfy my hunger; a little water which still remained quenched my thirst. I wished that the waves would rush over me. I wept like an infant. My hunger shortly became dreadful, but I had no means of satisfying it. I endeavoured to sleep that I might forget for a while my torments, and my wearied frame yielded to slumber. When I awoke, I was not, however, refreshed. I was weak, and felt a burning pain at my stomach. I became hourly more feeble. I lay down, but I was unable to rise again: my limbs failed me; my lips and tongue were parched; a convulsive shuddering agitated my frame; my eyes seemed darkened; I gasped for breath.

The burning pain of my stomach now departed. I experienced no pain, but a dull torpor came over me. My limbs became cold. I believed that I was dying, and I rejoiced at it. Presently I lost all thought and feeling. I lay senseless on the few boards that divided me from the ocean.

In this situation, as I was afterwards informed, I was taken up by a small vessel, and conveyed to I slowly recovered, but was some time before I could call to mind the events which had lately taken place. I remembered only waking as from a deep sleep, and seeing a strange person, who, when I attempted to speak, motioned to me to be silent. The mutinous crew I presume perished, for none of them were ever heard of, and it is probable that I was the only one who came to land. Pocket Magazine.

ACCOUNT OF THE VERBETERING HUISEN, or Houses of Domestic Reformation in Holland.

THERE are, in most of the large cities of Holland, one or more institutions thus called, the object of which is to confine and restrain any person, male or female, whose conduct is marked by ruinous extravagance; and many a family have been preserved from total ruin by their salutary operation.

They are placed under the immediate superintendence of the magistracy, and such obstacles are opposed to their abuse, that it is not possible to place any individual in one of those houses without showing ample cause for the coercion.

Mynheer Van Der -, who, in 1796, lived in high style on the Keizer Gragt, in Amsterdam, had a very modest wife, who dressed most extravagantly, played high, gave expensive routs, and showed every disposition to help off with money quite as fast as her husband ever gained it. She was young, handsome, vain, and giddy; and completely the slave of fashion.

Her husband had not the politeness to allow himself to be ruined by her unfeeling folly and dissipation; he complained of her conduct to her parents and nearest relations, whose advice was of no more avail than his own. Next he had recourse to a respectable minister of the Lutheran church, who might as well have

preached to the dead. It was in vain to deny her money, for no tradesman would refuse to credit the` elegant-the fascinating wife of the rich Van Der

Involved as the young lady was in the vortex of fashionable dissipation, she had not yet ruined either her health or reputation: and her husband, by the advice of his friend, M-k-r, determined to send her for six months to a Verbetering Huis.

With the utmost secrecy he laid before the municipal authorities the most complete proofs of her wasteful extravagance and incorrigible levity; added to which, she had recently attached herself to gaming with French officers of rank, who lay under an imputation of being remarkably expert in levying contributions. She was already, in debt upwards of thirty thousand florins to tradesmen, although her husband allowed her to take from his cashier a stipulated sum every month, which was more than competent to meet the current expenses of his household; whilst to meet a loss which occurred at play, her finest jewels were deposited in the hands. of a benevolent money-lender, who accommodated the necessitous, upon unexceptionable security being previously left in his custody.

Her husband was full twenty years older than his volatile wife, of whom he was rationally fond, and at whose reformation he aimed, before she was carried too far away by the stream of fashionable dissipation.

Against his will, she had agreed to make one of a party of ladies who were invited to a grand ball and supper at the house of a woman of rank and faded character.

Her husband, at breakfast, told her she must change her course of life, or her extravagance would make him a bankrupt, and her children beggars. She began her usual playful way of answer; said, "She certainly had been a little too thoughtless, and would soon commence a thorough reformation." "You must begin to-day, my dear," said her husband, and, as a proof of your sincerity, I entreat you to drop the company of and to spend your evening at home, this day, with me

dear man,'

and children."your -"Quite impossible, my said the modest wife, in reply; "I have given my word, and cannot break it." "Then," said her husband, "if you go out this day dressed, to meet that party, remember, for the next six months these doors will be barred against your return.-Are you still resolved to go?" "Yes," said the indignant lady, "if they were

to be for ever barred against me!" Without either anger or malice, Mynheer Van Der told her, "not to deceive herself; for, as certain as that was her determination, so sure would she find his foretelling verified." She told him, "if nothing else had power to induce her to go, it would be his menace." With this they parted,-the husband to prepare the penitentiary chamber for his giddy young wife, and the latter to eclipse every rival at the ball that evening.

To afford her a last chance of avoiding an ignominy which it pained him to inflict, he went once more to try to wean her from her imprudent courses, and proposed to set off that evening for Zutphen, where her mother dwelt; but he found her sullen, and busied with milliners and dressers, and surrounded with all the paraphernalia of splendid attire.

At the appointed hour the coach drove to the door, and the beautiful woman (full dressed, or rather undressed,) tripped gaily down stairs; and, stepping lightly into the coach, told the driver to stop at — on the Keizer Gragt. It was then dark, and she was a little surprised to find the coach had passed through one of the city gates: the sound of a clock awoke her as from a dream. She pulled the check-string, but the driver kept on; she called out, and some one behind the coach told her, in a suppressed voice, she was a prisoner, and must be still! The shock was severe; she trembled every limb, and was near fainting with terror and alarm, when the coach entered the gates of a Verbetering Huis, where she was doomed to take up her residence.

The matron of the house-a grave, severe, yet a well