The insurance premium* rose and rose until yon had to pay £9O for every £IOO insured. Brt even then the offices lost, since after three or four months there was no doubt that the City of Boston had gone down.
In the year 1854 a large steamer, the City of Glasgow, was amongst the list of ships never heard of. It c.irried 480 soul?, and probably capsized. Unhappily, one cannot think that the same quick fate overtook the GreatQuetnsland. which left London for Melbourne in the year 1876.
She was known to carry large quantities of gunpowder, ami when she failed to arrive at her destination it was easy to imagine that fire and explosion had sent her to her doom. The same fate, too, must have overtaken the ship Cairo, which contained all mauuei of explosive goods, and which disappeared far out at sea with every soul ou board.
At one time the steamship Austria was put in this category of vessels utterly unheard of. But after mauy months of waiting a passenger was lauded in Norway and he told the tale The passengers were sitting at their dinner one evening when they heard the rapid working of the pumps. Soon came the order, " All on deck." At that time a little smoke only was issuing from the fore-hatchway ; but quickly th» re was a resounding report, for the decks

were burst open. The scene of agony that followed beggars description ; come flung themselves into the sea; others climbed into the rigging, and thence fell into the roaring furnace below them. But a few escaped on planks and hen-coops.
SLEEPING AMONG RATTLE SNAKES.
