e gospel with which the missionaries have had to
contend. It is, humanly speaking, surprising that they have made any
progress at all. Were it not indeed that God's hand has been in the
work through the agency of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible that they
could have succeeded."

Captain Judson did not, perhaps, clearly comprehend the meaning of all
Mr Martin said; but he thanked him cordially for his remarks, and
returned on board his ship with several religious and other books for
his crew, and among them a Bible, which he confessed that he had not
before got on board.

"What!" exclaimed Ben, when he heard this from Mr Martin; "a ship go to
sea without a Bible! How can the people get on? how can they do their
duty? I am afraid they must forget to say their prayers."

"You are right, Ben," observed Mr Martin; "there are very many ships
that go to sea without Bibles, and the crews very often forget their
duty to God and man. In my younger days, indeed, there were very few
which took Bibles, and the exception was to find one. A praying,
Bible-reading captain and ship's company was a thing almost unknown."

Ben, who had carefully preserved his Bible, prized it sincerely, and
read it every day, was surprised to hear this. There were a good many
men also on board the Ajax who had Bibles, and read them frequently.
Sometimes some of the other boys had laughed at Ben when they found him
reading his Bible, but he did not mind them, and went on reading
steadily as before.

The account of the cruel way in which the natives had been kidnapped by
the Peruvian slavers made everybody on board the Ajax eager to catch
some of them. Night and day bright eyes were ever on the watch in
different parts of the ship. This was especially necessary in those
seas, where rocks and reefs abound; and though they are far better known
than in Lord Anson's days, yet there are many parts but imperfectly
explored.

Wherever the ship touched, Ben made his usual anxious inquiries for Ned.
He, as before, frequently heard of Englishmen living with the savages;
but they did not answer to the description of his brother. Still he had
hopes that he should find him. Ben remembered his father's advice, and
acted up to it: "Do right, whatever comes of it." By so doing he had
gained the favour of his captain and all the officers of the ship.
Everybody said, "Ben Hadden is a trustworthy fellow; whatever he
undertakes to do he does with all his he