upholstery. Then as to danger from leakage and the possibility of foundering; it is really difficult to conceive how she could founder. In the first place, the huge hull is built double high above the water mark, so that any accidental collision with a rock or another vessel, that should fracture the outer hull, would, in all probability, fail to injure the inner one. In the second place, being built in twelve separate water-tight compartments, she is in fact twelve distinct floating vessels firmly united together; and even though two or three of these compartments should by any mischance become filled with water, she might yet proceed on her voyage and reach her destined port with little retardation of her course. Danger from accidents to her steam machinery is warded and fenced off by the disposition of the coalbunkers, which, under an arch of solid iron, interpose a shield between the berths and saloons and the boilers with their furnaces. If, from a protracted consumption of her coals, she should stand in need of ballast, provision is made for letting in at any moment any quantity short of two thousand five hundred tons of water in the cavities between the inner and outer hull. To insure the immediate execution of orders, the usual speaking trumpet will be superseded by a code of signals, and these will be supplemented by the use of an electric telegraph, and a communication by speaking tubes.

From all these precautions, it would appear that the only real danger she runs is that incident to all vessels, of grounding on some unknown shallow, from which, owing to her weight, it is probable there would be no means of towing her off. In that case, however, the passengers would stand

an excellent chance of escape; for she will carry twenty large boats on her deck, and in addition to these will swing abaft her paddle-boxes two small screw steamers of sixty or seventy tons each, which can be raised and lowered at will, and will be maintained in constant working order. These little steamers will prove of immense use, and will be in constant requisition: they will act for the transport of passengers, luggage, and merchandise to and from the shore, as the huge vessel will be naturally shy of taking a station too near to a wharf or pier. In order that she may lie comfortably at her moorings, she will be furnished with ten anchors, which, with their stocks, will weigh fifty-five tons; she must have eight hundred fathoms of chain cable, weighing ninety-eight tons. All this heavy duty, which no united force of men could accomplish, will be done by steam-engines.

What more shall we add? It is said that gas will be manufactured on board, and laid on to every part of the vessel, and that the electric light will be fixed on the mast-head.

The question was, for some time, how can this mighty mass of iron-work weighing 12,000 tons be got into the river. She was ready for the water in October 1857, and an inclined plane was contrived to let her down sideways into the stream. Such a thing had never been done that we heard of, and many thought it never could be-the difficulty being to force her off and yet keep her in check from going too fast. Ships are usually launched at once in a few minutes down into the water, but the Leviathan, like the animal it is

named after, must creep into its native element. It has only crept about 100 feet yet, (Dec. 15) at an expence of nearly £1,000 a foot! Will they ever get her in?

"WHEN OUR SHIP COMES IN."

A LITTLE child dwelt by the flowing sea,
And her home was the home of poverty.
She ran with bare feet o'er the golden sands,
And gathered shells with her small brown hands.

Gay strangers came in rich robes dight,
But the little maiden shunned their sight;
And, shaking her curls o'er her blushing face,
Sped away like a fawn that flies the chase.

When the strangers were gone, said the mother mild,
"What was it dismayed thee, my darling child ?”
"O, mother! my feet were bare and brown,

I had no bonnet, and then-this gown!"

She held up the skirt of her faded frock,
Sadly rent by the jagged rock,

And she said, with a deep and long drawn sigh,
"Shall I have such dresses as they by-and-by ?"

Her mother smiled with a grave sweet grace,
As she smoothed the curls from the half-grieved face,
And said, “When our ship comes in from sea,
You shall have garments and all things free."

"When our ship comes in!" said the little one,

And away to the highest rock she ran,

And watched till night-shadows dimmed the shore,
For the freighted ship and its treasured store.

Long and often she watched in vain.

No ship for her sailed over the main.
How many such watchers in life there be

For the ship that never comes over the sea.

C. F. O.

THE HAMMER-HEADED SHARK.

WHAT curious creatures are sometimes found in the depths of the seas and oceans! You can scarcely fancy a shape or form in which these singular inhabitants of the deep are not found-all shewing the marvellous wisdom and power of Almighty God.

Of all the creatures found in great waters the shark is the most fierce and terrible, the great white shark especially, some of which are nearly as large as a whale, being from twenty-five to thirty feet long. The inside of the mouth is filled above and beneath with teeth, and it is capable of swallowing a boy or a man, for a human being has sometimes been found whole in the belly of a large shark.

But that of which we give this picture is called the Hammer-headed Shark. It is so curious in its form that there is no other creature like it either on land or water. The eyes are fixed one at each end of what we might call the hammer-head, and the mouth, which is full of sharp teeth, is under the

head. It is about six feet long, and is found n the Indian and Mediterranean seas. It has several fins along its body, and a double fin on its tail. It is grey on the back, and white on the belly. Like the great white shark it

is very fierce and voracious.

We have never heard of its appearance near our own shores, and we hope it will keep away, for we should not like to make acquantaince with it, or any of its species, when bathing in the sea.

But should we not, when we read of these strange creatures, exclaim-“O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts."

CLIMBING BEN LOMOND BEFORE SUNRISE.

FROM SMILES AND TEARS," BY ARTHUR MURSELL.

ONE morning, when I was visiting, with a friend, upon the banks of Loch Lomond, in Scotland, I contrived to turn out about two o'clock in the morning. My object was to ascend the huge mountain which overhangs the lake, and see the sunrise from the summit. I set out all alone-my companion being too lazy to get out of bed-and too fat to climb the mountain even if he had got up. It was starlight when I commenced plodding up the shaggy breast of the hill, and I could see the eyes of heaven reflected in the clear surface of the lovely lake, like jewels sparkling on the bosom of a royal maid. I trudged up higher and higher, through the chill and misty air, which seemed to hang upon the heather like a flimsy shroud. Wearying, and growing fagged, as the ascent grew steeper and more dangerous, I began to blame myself