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fortunately returned at this moment, and, attacking the monster, severed a portion of its tail, which so disabled it, that it no longer retained the power of doing mischief. The snake was then easily despatched, and found to measure, as stated, sixty-two feet and some inches in length."

Dr. Smith describes one of these monsters, under the name of PYTHON NATALENSIS, which, among others, he met with in South Africa. “This snake,” he says, 66 or at least one resembling it, was formerly an inhabitant of the district now within the Cape colony; and the traditions of the older Hottentots abound with instances of its miraculous powers. At present it is not to be found within a hundred miles of the boundaries of the Cape colony; and few specimens have been observed nearer than Port Natal. It occasionally attains to a very large size; and, according to the natives, individuals have been seen, whose circumference was equal to that of a stout man. We have ourselves seen a skin which measured twenty-five feet, though a portion of the tail was deficient. It feeds upon quadrupeds; and for some days, after swallowing its food, remains in a torpid state, and may be then easily destroyed. The South Africans, however, seldom avail themselves of their means of its destruction," on account of their superstitious dread. And we learn that the same feeling exists in Western Africa, where it is worshipped by impious priests, deluding the ignorant people. What an argument for the support of missionaries, to teach them the knowledge of salvation by the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

GREAT SEA SERPENT.

INTENSE interest has been excited in the minds of many, young persons especially, in relation to reports from time to time published by those who had seen the "Great Sea Serpent." While those

reports have been given, incredulous persons, both landsmen and seamen, have declared their unbelief in its existence. For two accounts of such monsters, one seen near Norway, and another in America, our readers are referred to pages 147 and 247 of the Bethel Flag Magazine for last year. The following is taken from the Times newspaper of Tuesday, October 10th last, related by officers of the Royal Navy :

"When the Daedalus frigate, Captain M'Quhae, which arrived here (Plymouth) on the 4th inst., was on her passage home from the East Indies, between the Cape of Good Hope and St. Helena, her captain, and most of her officers and crew, at four o'clock one afternoon, saw a sea serpent. The creature was twenty minutes in sight of the frigate, and passed under her quarter. Its head appeared to be about four feet out of the water, and there was about sixty feet of its body in a straight line on the surface. It is calculated that there must have been under water a length of thirty or forty feet more, by which it propelled itself at the rate of fifteen miles an hour. The diameter of the exposed part of the body was about sixteen inches, and when it extended its jaws, which were full of large jagged teeth, they seemed sufficiently capacious to admit of a tall man standing upright between them. The ship was sailing north, at

the rate of eight miles an hour. The Daedalus left the Cape of Good Hope on the 30th of July, and reached St. Helena on the 16th of August."

THE CHILD'S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE. CHAPTER XXI.

The Judges of Israel.

JOSHUA left no one as his successor in the government of Israel. Each tribe was to govern itself, according to the law of God, as taught by the Levites. But the nation honoured the name of Joshua; and it is said, "The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel."-Judges, ii. 7.

But, "there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of their enemies. Nevertheless, the LORD raised them up Judges, which delivered them."-ver. 11-16.

The succession of the Judges continued nearly 400 years, to the time of Samuel, who appointed Saul to be king over Israel: but only a few of the remarkable things can be noticed here referring to the Judges.

Deborah, a prophetess, delivered Israel, when

they were oppressed by Jabin, king of Canaan, who had 900 war chariots of iron, and Sisera was the general of his army. Deborah called Barak

to bring 10,000 men to meet her at Mount Tabor, and she directed him against their enemies." And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet."-iv. 15. Deborah was then inspired to write a song of praise to God; and the whole account must be read by young people.-iv., v.

Gideon's deliverance of Israel must be read with attention-how he was called by the angel of God; how he broke down the altar of Baal; how he called the people; the sign by a miracle with a fleece of wool; his taking 300 men with pitchers, lamps, and trumpets, to invade the camp of the Midianites.-vi.-viii.

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Jephthah had been persecuted by his people, but in their distress they sent to him to deliver them. "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Jordan, and fought against the Ammonites, and the LORD delivered them into his hand."-xi. 29. But Jephthah brought himself into trouble by his rashness; as vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said: If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering."-ver. 30, 31.

As he returned he was distressed by his daughter, his only child, coming to meet him, rejoicing with timbrels. Some have thought that he slew

her for a sacrifice to God: but she was rather devoted to a single life, which was then reckoned a calamity; and especially as in the case of Jephthah, who had no other child to preserve his name in Israel !

CHAPTER XXII.

Samson's Life and Death.

SAMSON was one of the Judges. He was the strongest man that ever lived. His birth was foretold by an angel; and he came again, in answer to the prayer of his father, foretelling that his son should begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines. The angel directed the mother of Samson to dedicate her child, as a Nazarite,—one under a vow,-to the service of God. "And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass, we may do thee honour? And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?"-Judg. xiii. 17, 18. Manoah offered a sacrifice, and "the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD." Being alarmed, he "said unto his wife, we shall surely die, because we have seen God." But the wise woman reasoned with her husband, "If God had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted our offering, nor showed us such things as he has done.'

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Samson was born as the angel had foretold; and when young, "the Spirit of the LORD began to move him in the camp of Dan." He sought a Philistine young woman for a wife: to which

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