Rev. Dr. Wilson, the missionary at Bombay, having lately travelled through the "Holy Land," gives an interesting description of his visit to that famous place, and states it to be seventy-five feet deep.

At Shechem Dr. Wilson found a remnant of the Samaritans still, and had some interesting conversation with one of their priests. In the immediate neighbourhood is Jacob's Well, where our Lord encountered the woman of Samaria, and with simplest images instructed her in the sublime mysteries of spiritual truth. The well is situated amid the ruins of a church, which surrounded it. The mouth was covered with two large stones. Rolling away these, the travellers with their attendants, swung themselves down to a kind of platform, where they kindled a light, and commenced preparations for ascertaining the depth of Jacob's Well.

It was now time to disclose our plan of operation to our native attendants. 66 Jacob," said we, "a friend of ours, an English traveller, and minister, (the Rev. Andrew Bonar, of Collace,) dropped the five books of Moses and the other inspired records into the well, about three years ago, and if you will descend and bring them up, we shall give you a handsome bakshish." "Bakshish," said the Arabs kindling at the sound, "If there is to be a bakshish in the case, we must have it, for we are the lords of the land." "Well down you go," said we, throwing the rope over their shoulders, "and you shall have the bakshish." Nay verily," said they, "you mean to hang us; let Jacob do what he pleases." Jacob was ready at our command; and when he had tied the rope round his body below the shoulders, he received

our parting instructions. We asked him to call

arrived at the that we should

out to us the moment that he surface of the water, and told him so hold the rope, as to prevent him from sinking, if there was any considerable depth of the element. We told him also to pull out one of the candles, with which he had stored his breast, and to ignite it when he might get below. As he looked into the fearful pit on the brink of which he stood, terror took hold of him, and he took himself to prayer in the Hebrew tongue. We of course gave him no interruption in this solemn exercise, as, in the circumstances of the case, we could but admire the spirit of devotion which he evinced. On a signal given, we let him go. The Arabs held with us the rope, and we took care that he should descend as gently as possible.

When our material was nearly exhausted, he called out, "I have reached the bottom, and it is at present scarcely covered with water."

Forth

with he kindled his light; and, that he might have every advantage, we threw him down a quantity of dry sticks, with which he made a blaze, which distinctly showed us the whole of the well, from the top to the bottom.

We saw the end of the rope at its lower part; and we put a knot upon it at the margin above, that we might have the exact measurement, when Jacob might come up. After searching for about five minutes for the Bible, among the stones and mud at the bottom, our friend joyfully called out, "It is found! it is found! it is found!" We were not slow, it may be supposed, in giving him our congratulations. The prize he carefully put into his breast; and then he declared his readiness, with our aid, to make the ascent.

* * *

We found it no easy matter to get him pulled up, as we had to keep the rope from the edge of the well, lest it should snap asunder. When he came into our hands, he was unable to speak, and we laid him down on the margin of the well, that he might collect his breath.

"Where is the bakshish?" were the first words which he uttered, on regaining his faculty of speech. It was immediately forthcoming, to the extent of about a sovereign, and to his fullest satisfaction. A similar sum we divided among our Arab assistants. The book, from having been so long steeped in the water and mud below, was, with the exception of the boards, reduced to a mass of pulp.

In our efforts to recover it, we had ascertained the depth of the well, which was exactly seventy five feet. Its diameter is about nine feet. It is entirely hewn out of the solid rock, and is a work of great labour. It bears marks of great antiquity. "The well is deep," was the description given of it by the woman of Samaria to our Lord. It still, as now noticed, has the same character, although to an extent, it is perhaps filled with the stones which are thrown into it, to sound it, by travellers and pilgrims.

66

The adventure which I have now noticed being over, we emerged from the well, and sitting down at its mouth, we could not but think of the scenes and events of other days. We were very near to the very 'parcel of ground that Jacob_gave Joseph." Jacob's Well was here! Here Jesus, our Saviour, sat wearied with his journey, suffering from the infirmities of that lowly human nature He had assumed, when He came from heaven to accomplish the work of our redemption, which

His Father had given Him to do. Here He spake with inimitable simplicity and majesty, as man never spake, setting Himself forth as the Source and Giver of the copious and satisfying waters of eternal life.

RELIGIOUS PEACE IN A DYING
SOLDIER.

Soldiers and Sailors are commonly classed together, as being unfavourably circumstanced as to religion. There are, however, happily, many "Bethel soldiers" as well as seamen.

After a bloody battle, a soldier, mortally wounded, was laid beneath a tree by his comrades. He begged them to open his haversack, and, taking from it the New Testament, to read him a few verses of it. He himself pointed out this "Peace I leave with you, my peace I passage: give unto you: not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (1 John xiv. 27.) "Now," said the soldier, "I die contented; I possess the peace of God, which passeth all understanding." An officer passed by and inquired what he could do for him? The soldier repeated the same words: "I die contented; I possess the peace God, which passeth all understanding" and then expired.

of

YARMOUTH SEAMEN'S MISSION.

OUR young readers will be interested in the following summary of the labours of the Society's missionary at Yarmouth, taken from the Sailors' Magazine. From this they will not fail to see the great importance of such service, in making known the gospel of salvation to seamen. Mr. Vallim, the missionary, reports for four months: Religious services in connexion with the mission, 83, with an aggregate of hearers, of from 4,500 to 5,000. The services may be

divided thus:

:

Mariners' Chapel

In Houses..

43

29

On Ship-board

On Gorleston Pier-head

Services in other places of worship not connected with the mission

83

9

92

"In my prayer-meetings, 187 have exercised in prayer, and often with such fervour, liberty, and power, which constrained me to say, 'Master, it is good for us to be here.' My visits to families have been, generally, acceptable. The number of such visits has beep 495. On many of those occasions I have read the Scriptures, and prayed with those who were present, and, in every case, directed their attention to eternal things. Of those 495 visits, 107 have been made to sick persons, both old and young, many of whom are gone to their last homes, and some,