| 466 Israel shall be blessed. It also informs us that the ten tribes shall return, at or before the time the Messiah shall stand upon Mount Zion. It says, that they went into a far country where never man dwelt, which was a year and a half's journey from the land of Assyria. Some suppose that the land here described is America; but we have before proved that the Aborigines of this land are descendants of the tribe of Joseph; and, that this is a promised land to the tribe of Joseph; therefore, the ten tribes are not upon this land. The exact place of their location, we do not pretend to have a knowledge of. The prophets speaking of their return say, that they shall come from the North counties. (See Jer. xvi. 15. Do. xxxi. 8.)
Esdras in the xiv chapter of his second Book, says that the law was burnt, and that the Lord inspired him so that he dictated, that his scribes wrote it again. He says that they wrote two hundred and four books. It is evident from this that there has a been a great destruction or hiding of the sacred writings: for we have not half of that number of books, written at so early a period. The most of historians admit, that Ezra or Esdras, compiled the most of the Old Testament writings, which agrees with what is said in the above mentioned chapter.
There are also many other things in the writings of Esdras that are interesting, and well worth a candid perusal. In the xvi chapter of his second Book he gives a full description of the calamity that will come upon the inhabitants of the earth in the last days, and also the manner that the people of God shall be treated;-we advise all to read it, and then judge its merits.
Dreadful Accident at Quebec.
The Quebec papers furnish particulars of the fall of the enormous mass of rock and earth from Cape Diamond, upwards of 200 feet, carrying with it part of the government garden and fortification wall, and crushing in its descent eight houses and their inmates, on Champlain st.
The portions of the cliff which gave away fell about two hundred and fifty feet, so silently and suddenly that none of the unfortunate inmates of the houses beneath had any warning to escape. From a state of perfect health, and of joyous carelessness and happiness they were unconsciously ushered into the presence of their God, without preparation for so sudden and awful a change.
It has been confidently stated that the shock of an earthquake was distinctly felt in various quarters, from Diamond Harbor to the Upper Town of Quebec, at between one and two o'clock during the proceeding night.
Similar falls of a portion of the Cape have previously taken place, but unaccompanied with any serious consequence. The only cause assigned is the numerous springs flittering through the crevices of the rock, which falling into cleffs [clefs], expanded by frost during the winter, increase the fissures and loosen large masses of rock, which subsequent natural operations entirely detach, till whole bodies are removed from their positions.
Melancholy Shipwreck-One hundred and forty eight lives lost.
We take the following account of a dreadful casualty from the Quebec Mercury:
The Minstrel left Limerick, Ireland, on the 21st April last, for Quebec, with one hundred and forty-one passengers, emigrants intending to settle in Canada. the vessel had a tolerable passage up to Tuesday last, at four o'clock in the morning, when she struck on Red Island reef. There was a heavy sea running at the time, but the boats were launched and made fast to the fore chains. Upward of one hundred passengers embarked in the boats, but their doom was quickly sealed; the vessel "heeled off" into the deep water and went down stern foremost, so suddenly that the "painters" of the boats could not be cast off, and the people who had embarked in the boats perished with their equally unfortunate companions on board the ship, except four of the crew and four passengers, who alone of upwards of 150 souls remained to tell the sad tale. These eight persons embarked in the gig, which towing astern, and fortunately for them the rope which attached it to the vessel broke when she went down. They succeeded in pulling to White Island, where they remained until the following day when they were taken off by the ship Wellington of Belfast, Capt. McIntyre, and brought to Grosse Island.
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