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close of the war: peace was soon after declared. He now returned home, but his master refused to grant him freedom without a compensation for the original forty pounds, the amount he first paid for him. This after a term of near forty years' service, seven of it spent in the defence of a country which denied the right of citizenship both to himself and all his posterity. Yet all things considered, wicked and unrighteous as this demand was, it was deemed best on the whole to pay it, principally upon the consideration that his large family of children would be free; but in fact, they were as free before as they could be afterwards, for my grandmother was free, so his master could have no claim to them whatever; for it is the universal practice among slave-dealers and breeders, for the children to follow the destiny of the mother, whether she be bond or free. He was ignorant of this, and therefore was induced to yield to this unrighteous demand of his master. What, I ask, is there that belongs to the dark catalogue of crime, that this iniquitous system has not been guilty of practising? Every species of fraud and injustice, as well as every abomination of cruelty, is the result of this great wickedness.

As a compensation for his service from the commencement of the war, he was allowed by the United

States government, ninety-six dollars a year, or about nineteen pounds, as long as he lived. Through the aid of this small pittance, and practising the strictest economy, he succeeded in a few years in complying with the demand of his wealthy and professedly pious master. About this time it pleased the Lord, who is rich in mercy, to make my grandfather a subject of his grace, for with God there is no respect of persons, who "has made of one blood all nations of men to dwell upon the face of the earth." See this poor man stolen from home, and so unjustly treated by him who ought ever to have regarded his welfare with the deepest interest; yet the Lord had respect unto him. He took him up; praised be His holy name!

He soon removed from the neighbourhood of his master to the town of North Brandford, where he purchased a small plantation and settled down upon it for the remainder of his days. He united with the Independent church in that place, and I believe was a consistent member of it for nearly half a century, as when he died he was nearly or quite one hundred years of age. Here I shall take leave of the narrative of the little African captive.

THE LEMON TREE.

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MOST of our young friends have seen that foreign fruit called a Lemon, with a rind or peel like an orange, but longer in shape and of a paler yellow. It is sold in this country by grocers and confectioners, and may

be had all the year round, but the price is usually as much more as that of the orange. It is chiefly used to give a delightful acid flavour to confectionary or medicines; and a little of its juice squeezed into water, will make an agreeable beverage in the hot days of summer.

The lemon is a native of Assyria and Media, in Asia. It was afterwards planted in Greece and Italy; but is now grown extensively in Spain and Portugal, from which countries the greater part consumed in England are now brought. The lemon groves of Spain and Portugal are very beautiful, the fruit hanging from the branches among the broad green leaves

like balls of gold, while the fragrance is very refreshing and delightful.

The citron is also a kind of lemon, only larger and richer, and so is the lime, a much smaller fruit, the juice of which some prefer to that of the lemon.

POWER OF THE WHALE.

THE most dreadful display of the whale's strength and prowess yet authentically recorded, was that made upon the American whale ship Essex, Captain Pollard, which sailed from Nantucket for the Pacific Ocean in August, 1819. Late in the fall of the same year, when in latitude forty of the South Pacific, a shoal of sperm whales were discovered, and three boats were manned and sent in pursuit. The mate's boat was struck by one of them, and he was obliged to return to the ship in order to repair the damage.

While he was engaged in that work, a sperm whale, judged to be about eighty-five feet long, broke water about twenty rods from the ship, on her weather bow. He was going at the rate of about three knots an hour, and the ship at nearly the same rate, when he struck the bows of the vessel just forward of her chains.

At the shock produced by the collision of two such mighty masses of matter in motion, the ship shook like a leaf. The seemingly malicious whale dived and passed under the ship, grazing her keel, and then appeared at about the distance of a ship's length, lashing the sea with his fins and tail, as if suffering the most horrible agony. He was evidently hurt by the collision, and blindly frantic with rage and fury.

In a few minutes he seemed to recover himself, and started with great speed directly across the vessel's course to the windward. Meantime the hands on board discovered the ship to be gradually settling down at the bows, and the pumps were to be rigged. While the crew were working at them, one of the men cried out, "God have mercy! he comes again!"

The whale had turned at about one hundred rods from the ship, and was making for her with double his former speed, his pathway white with foam. Rushing head on, he struck her again at the bow, and the tremendous blow stove her in. The whale dived under again and disappeared, and the ship foundered in ten minutes from the first collision. But five souls of the twenty were saved.

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