Changing the Course One Point

Walking across Palace Square in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with an American ship-master, (says a correspondent of the _Watchman_) he invited me to accompany him to his hotel. While there he showed me a very large gold medal he had received from the British government for saving a ship's company at sea.

The circumstances were these: One night at sea, when it was the captain's "mid-watch,"—the watch from twelve, midnight, till four o'clock in the morning—just before turning in, he gave the officer of the watch the ship's course; the direction in which she was to be steered.

While undressing, it was impressed on his mind that he ought to change the course a point; but he could see no reason for the change, as the ship was on the right course for the port of her destination. He turned in and tried to fall asleep, as it was only four hours to his watch; but the impression that he ought to change the ship's course kept him awake.

In vain he tried to throw off that impression; and yielding to it, he went on deck and gave the order for the change. On returning to his berth, he was asleep as soon as his head was on the pillow. The next day he sighted a ship in distress, and made sail for her. The ship was in a sinking condition, and he rescued the whole ship's company.

Shortly after, a gale of wind arose and carried the sinking ship to complete destruction. Had not the American captain changed the course of his ship that evening, he would not have come in sight of the ship in distress, and all of the company would have perished.

_Query_—_What made that Captain arise in the middle of the night and, contrary to all science, reason and his own will, change the course of his vessel_, but a _Supreme Being, whose power he could not resist_, and what made him _exactly_ reach that sinking _ship just in time_.