tunity to speak of its typical import, and pointed it out to me. It is an irregular old building, to which you enter by descending a flight of steps. The walls are all around covered with closets, wherein the rolls of the law are kept in wooden covers. A large number of small lamps hung from the ceiling. There was a large chandelier in the centre, to which our particular attention was directed, expecting no doubt that we should have admired it much. It had been recently presented by a wealthy Jew, on the occasion of the birth of a son. It contained many verses from the sacred Scriptures; passages from the rabbis, and mysterious names of angels inscribed round. Mr. Lowitz's curiosity led him to enter a small door opening to it, whither our guide followed him; we entered it too; it was Elijah's assembly room, capable of seating twenty men. Here they have nocturnal assemblies to study the Cabbala, and hold various cabbalistic services. A prayer in Chaldee, said to have been composed by that prophet, written on parchment, hung open on the opposite wall. The floor was covered with a straw mat, and a small table in the centre, with a few volumes upon it, probably the Zohar, the cabbalistic work attributed to Rabbi Shemeon Baryoliai. Of the said prayer Rab Haary says, "it is essential to every man to read this prayer on entering the synagogue before every service, as it is adapted to help and benefit in opening the heart to the fear of the Lord." We were shown a closet upon entrance, where is contained an old roll of the law. I inquired how old? "It was written by Aben Ezra," they replied. They could not tell how long that is ago, nor how it came to Tunis, as it does not appear that Aben Ezra was ever here. I told them that "the sage," Aben Ezra, was a native of Toledo, and died at Rhodes in the latter part of the 12th century, A.D. It is very improbable that the author of no less than twenty-seven works, including a Commentary on the Old Testament, should have wasted his time in merely copying a Pentateuch. The keeper was enraged all the time, considering it, I dare say, a great sin that our steps should defile that holy place. Before leaving the synagogue I gave a tract to each. On offering an epistle to the Hebrews to one, he told me that he had read the New Testament. I was anxious to ascertain what impression the perusal of that holy book made upon his mind, but he seemed afraid to speak about it before the rest; he promised to visit me. Many youths, whom curiosity brought after us, on seeing the tracts, eagerly asked for them; I gave them to those among them who could read. They were chiefly of the little tracts I got

printed in London, which I find from their size very convenient to carry in my pockets, when I go in search of the lost sheep. May they prove messengers of mercy to their souls, and bring them to the foot of the cross.

(To be continued.)

Mr. Lowitz having left Tunis on account of ill-health, thus narratives the incidents of his voyage to Gibraltar:

After parting with Mr. and Mrs. Ben Oliel, I embarked in a small sailing vessel, bound for Malta with a cargo of cattle and a number of Maltese passengers; also S

a Jewish merchant, from Leghorn.

- N

We did not start till the 15th, when the wind was pretty fair. We soon passed the large rock Zembra and Cape Bon, then the Island of Pantuluria. Towards the evening the wind dropped, and it was a calm; during which, every one on board sat down to his meal, and I, for the first time that day, partook of food in company with SN. I entered into conversation with him, and we both admired the beautiful sky and setting sun. I then directed his mind to the Lord, whose footsteps in the mighty deep suggested many an interesting topic of religious conversation, and which very soon led me to introduce to him the Gospel. He listened to me attentively, yet without any desire to speak upon the subject, avowing to me his belief in the only true God, and His goodness and mercy towards the children of men. About ten o'clock p.m. it appeared that, with the exception of the man at the helm, all of us, even the captain himself, had retired to rest in different corners, (for the little cabin was filled with goods and a few Maltese women and children;) in a short time we were rocked fast asleep, when, just about midnight, a very high and boisterous wind suddenly arose. The owner of the cargo awaking first, gave the alarm, when captain, sailors, and passengers were all up. The wind became increasingly high, and the waves beating over the vessel, threatened to sweep everything away, and bury it in the ocean. All saw danger near, all felt death nigh. And whilst the captain was swearing and quarrelling with the owner of the cargo, and wishing him to throw a number of oxen into the sea, in order to lighten the vessel, and make room for the sailors to work with speed, and the rest of us were despairing of our lives except through the intervention of the Almighty, who rules the winds and waves, I appealed to SN asking him if this were not a solemn moment enough to make any one serious about his soul's salvation. Seeing eternity so near, he asked me in a sad but earnest tone,

"What is to be done?" I told him that there was no time to be lost, but that he must pray to God, in the name of Jesus Christ, that He might deliver us from such imminent danger. We accordingly implored the Lord to send help and salvation in the name of Christ, asking in faith that He would still the raging sea, as He did of old; and I likewise induced some of the Maltese Romanists to pray to God, and to call upon the Lord Jesus Christ to save us, instead of praying to the Virgin Mary, and other patron saints. In less than twenty minutes the squalls ceased. Still the wind continued to blow with great violence, tossing the vessel to and fro on the dark and tempestuous sea; and the owner of the cargo, being unwilling to relieve the vessel by casting twenty or thirty oxen over, the captain insisted upon his doing so. It still seemed that we should meet with a watery grave; and whilst in that fearful state, the awfulness was increased by the voice of the mighty waters, the wind blowing, the cattle howling, the women sighing, and the children crying, which indeed produced the most awful scene I ever witnessed; but, thank God! we got safe through the remaining part of the night, and at daybreak found ourselves a great distance out of our way. The wind began to be less adverse, but far from favourable to bring us on our way to Malta. The second and third day we remained doubtful as to whenever we should reach our destination. During the next three days, however, the wind blew favourably, and we were all, on the evening of the 21st of September, safely landed. I must not omit to mention, that after the night when we had a narrow escape, S N— became quite serious about Christianity, and felt very much interested in hearing me explain it to him during the rest of the voyage. As he did not know much of the Hebrew, I gave him the Gospel of St. John in the Italian, which he read over again and again. I tried to remove the difficulties and objections which occurred to him, and this I generally did in the hearing of the Maltese who stood by. Once I left my little Gospel of St. John, which I had been reading, lying open, and went to a different part of the vessel; and, on returning, I was glad to find my gospel in the hand of a Maltese, who was the only one among them who could read the Italian tongue, gathering the others around him, and reading it aloud, at the same time translating it into the Maltese, which is a compound of bad Arabic and Italian; and it was delightful to see that man reading the Word of God and the others listening to it with intense curiosity, excepting a few old women, who preferred muttering their Ave Marias. After reading the first chapter, the man asked me if

I wished to have my little book. I told him he might keep it if he intended to read it all. He thanked me for it, and actually read it all in the course of the voyage, partly by himself, and partly in presence of the others. I likewise spoke to him of the Popish superstitions and absurdities, as incompatible with the pure Gospel, which he admitted, at the same time assuring me that if he reached Malta in safety he would purchase for himself an Italian one. I trust the Lord will open his eyes to see more clearly the errors of Popery, that he may be brought to the truth as it is in Jesus. As for the others, notwithstanding my remonstrance with them, they persisted in addressing their prayers to the Virgin Mary, and to sing to her as to God; and I was very sorry to hear that some of them, who were very poor and miserable, and to whom, on our arrival at Malta, Mr. N and myself had given a few shillings each, as an expression of thanksgiving to the Almighty for bringing us safe into harbour, went along with others from Malta direct from the vessel into the church, and gave the money to the priest, to offer for them mass and thanksgiving for their deliverance. Mr. N and myself both put up at the same hotel. I called on the Rev. Mr. Lowndes, the Bible Society's agent, on the Rev. Mr. Robertson, the Presbyterian minister, for whom I once conducted an evening service during my stay, when a few Jews and some Germans who understood English were present. I also visited the Protestant College at St. Julien's, where I met three Jewish students, who were preparing themselves as missionaries to the Jews: they were exceedingly pleased with my visit. I called at the same time on the Rev. Archdeacon Irving, the principal of the college, and on the Rev. Bryan, the vice-principal, and they both kindly invited me to come over and stay with them till my departure from the island. I thanked them, but could not conveniently accept the invitation, since a steamer was expected from the East in a day or two, and by which I intended to leave: besides, I wished to do some good among the several Jewish families living at Malta. It so happened, that this steamer went direct to England, without touching at Gibraltar. I had, therefore, to wait till the 7th of October, staying at St. Julien's a few days, which I spent profitably to myself, and I trust also to others. By request, I addressed the students, and had much intercourse with the three Jewish brethren, and other pious young men of the establishment; also with Mr. Bryan, a truly good and learned and I was thankful for the opportunity of thus refresh

man;

ing myself, and encouraging them in the prosecution of their studies.

During the remaining days of my stay, I came in contact with several Jews, one of whom is a Mr. C—, from Poland, who is married to an English Jewess, and who often visited me for conversation on Christianity. In visiting him several times at his house, I preached the Gospel to his wife and aged mother-in-law, who is eighty-four years of age, pointing her to Jesus as the refuge and rest for all that believe in Him. She was rather deaf, and only answered that she would think of it Mrs. C- told me that what her husband should do, that she would do likewise. I advised them to read the Bible, and to ask God for His Holy Spirit, that they might obtain life eternal. They had a Bible, and I left with them a few tracts, trusting that Mr. C and his family will one day be brought into the fold of Christ.

Another was Mr. T- a converted Jew, and a native of Tetuan, but who has been settled for a long time in Malta, carrying on a respectable trade. He told me that he had been led to Christ by reading a New Testament given to him by Dr. J. Wolff, when he passed through Malta. He was afterwards baptized in Constantinople, again returned to Malta, and married a Roman Catholic, when the priests obliged him to promise that he would bring up his children in the Popish faith. In the course of time, Mr. T was disgusted with the superstitions of that church, and not knowing the English, he did not attend the Protestant means of grace, so that he quite neglected himself, and became indifferent to religion altogether, till of late, when he made the acquaintance of Mr. Swartz, also a converted Israelite, and who was Hebrew tutor in the Protestant College, and who died a little while before

my arrival. Mr. T— told me that Mr. Swartz, just before his death, spoke to him very seriously, entreating him to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and to follow Him only. His dying words made a great impression on him, and he has given many proofs of it, for all who knew Mr. T- before

see a marvellous change in him, and thus the death of a saint often becomes the life of a sinner. I often read the Bible with himself and children, and conversed with his benighted wife. The Sabbath before I left, she was at the morning service of the Presbyterian Church; the same afternoon I called upon her, and spoke concerning the simplicity of Protestant worship, which she admitted, but, as she did not understand the English language, she thought it useless to go again. Her husband, who knows a little now, has promised to teach her.