Now all is excitement-the red glare around and upon the sky, and the black volumes of curling smoke rolling past, in vite all haste; streams of men, engines, hose-carriages, hooks and ladders, are hurrying on, on, alike heedless of consequences to those who thoughtlessly impede their progress. The loud orders of the foreman through his trumpet; the solemn and alarming tolling of the bells; the impatience of the living tide of men eagerly pressing forward to the conflict, unite to give a fearful impetus to almost superhuman effort. Soon -aye, how very soon!-but a few moments apparently, and the gallant firemen the guardians of the public property, with their means of salvation, and without a selfish thought, are at hand to compel submission to the common enemy.

See them in their Roman-like helmets, and with their Roman-no, American courage, hurrying up ladders; leaping on roofs; rushing through doorways; climbing through windows; creeping on floors to prevent suffocation; crawling on the very top of the trembling and consuming building; that, in the front of the battle, they may successfully combat and annihilate the fell destroyer. What though he may fall over into immediate death; or drop through into the fiery abyss which is raging below, to immediate destruction; nothing daunted, on, on he presses; nor will he quit his post until the victory is won!

Should a cry for help, from some almost inaccessible height be heard,—from frantic mother or helpless children,-how quickly

The fire is subdued. Now comes the stern realities of the loss. A life saved from destruction, lives to be grateful, that is much, very much; but, alas ! from comparative opulence, the sufferers are reduced to actual destitution. All the luxuries of life which they were just beginning to enjoy as the reward of unremitting toil, are now lying in the dust, like the frail card-palace— the toys of our childhood.

Oh, what news to send to the fond, and perhaps absent partner of his life, to the little and loving ones at home! Of what comforts has it not robbed them? of what innocent pleasures has it not bereft them?

Encouraged by friends he has to begin life anew; though perhaps now an old man, he has to put on the vigor of a young one, to supply even an ordinary subsistence to the cherished ones of his once happy household. This is not a picture merely, but the recital of a reality—aye, many a heart-touching story of California experience could be written of fire in the commercial cities of our State, and in nearly all of the large mining towns; of men, who are rich to-day and helplessly poor to

morrow.

A PRAIRIE ON FIRE.-Amidst the roar of the contending elements, is heard, at a distance, the screams of fugitive animals; now a faint trampling, then in the farstretched out horizon an incongruous herd of the hairy denizens of the wild forest and plain. Nearer and nearer they approach; plainer and plainer are heard their mad

dened tramplings; onward they rush, helter-skelter; terror in each eye, fury in each tread. Behind and around them, following them up, appears a wall of fire, crackling, sparkling, roaring, like the blast of a heated furnace! Onward, still onward, they rush, trampling many a young fleet one beneath their feet, to feed the flame as prey to the spoiler. Side by side, the tiger races with the deer, the lion with the buffalo, the jackal with the hare, the panther with the roebuck. Clouds of heated dust and blackened smoke, mark the progress of their race, and the reckless tyrant behind them. Suddenly they are brought up to a halt by the art of the old, experienced and intrepid traveler. He, foreseeing the angry aspect of the barning heavens, with cool, calculating judgment, marks the path of the destroyer. Snatching a light from his wallet, he watches the direction of the blast, ignites a ridge of weeds before him, and clears sufficient space before it to stay its progress. With marked astonishment, he views the wonderful effects of fright upon the fugitives around him. The lion has lost his courage, yet terrorstricken roars; the tiger no longer thirsts for blood, but sneaks with tail behind him, a very craven. The wild deer turns not

aside from the traveler, but almost offers his throat to the knife; some remain stationary, lashing their tails, as if undecided what to do; others turn and rush madly on the heated embers and perish in their path.

A SHIP ON FIRE. One of the most heart-rending scenes we ever witnessed, was that of a ship on fire at sea. Having just taken our usual position on the quarter deck, looking at the shoals of porpoises which were at play about. our vessel, we heard the soul-thrilling cry of fire-fire ! shouted in wild affright from all parts of the ship. Where? where? was eagerly enquired. The steerage! the steerage!

Without scarcely waiting for the answer, we sprung forward and cut down the buckets from beneath the boats, when a voice called, M. ——, M. — We hastened to the spot from whence the voice proceeded, and there we found the captain looking pale, though collected, and firm us though nothing were happening, giving his orders to every man what to do.

"M. -, please bring every woman and child on board, to the quarter deck immediately."

Immediately we proceeded to execute his orders, but the scene presented made

one almost powerless, either to run or speak. Children dumb with fright were, clasping their mother's knees, as the most certain place of refuge. Some mothers frantic with fear, were crying and wringing their hands; others holding up their little ones, pressed them to their bosoms, exclaiming "what shall we do?" Agonizing despair seemed writtten upon almost every countenance. Many of the men ran about, like children, now this way, now that, crying, "we shall all be burnt! we shall all be burnt." Others suggested that they jump overboard to save themselves. "Where is your Manhood?" exclaimed a sailor, with a loud voice; and it was astonishing the effect this candid question produced. Men rose from their knees, (for some of the worst men on board had actually been the first to pray); women wiped their eyes; as through their tears they looked and asked if there were any danger; but now some of the men returning from below, cried: "it is out," "it is out."

Now if the reader ever noticed the first bright gleam of sunshine falling upon a tree or flower, after a storm, when the diamond rain lay nestling in the hollow of a leaf, and the sparkling change then produced; he may in a measure, realize the effect this glad intelligence made upon all on board, as they cried, laughed and looked joyfully through their tears at the messenger. Eager joy lighted afresh the eyes still wet with tears. Despair's deep wrinkles gave place to Hope's round dimples.

One fact we noticed too;-now, that those whose manly hearts knew no fear in the hour of danger, but who unmoved, rushed fearlessly below to combat the destroying element, when the danger was over, and the foe was conquered, had a tear standing in the eye, as with their voice almost choked with feeling they remarked: "Thank God we're safe."

The danger over, we had time to inquire the cause and extent of the fire. It ap

peared that in obedience of orders, a bucket of tar and a red hot iron had been taken below by the sailors to fumigate the steerage, and purify the unwholesome air; besides compelling those to go on deck who had not been up there since leaving port, at the risk of severe sickness. By some mishap the tar bucket when on fire, had been tipped over, and the fiery; resinous substance had run among the trunks and berths, and set them on fire.

How truly fearful must be a fire at sea, when all hopes of safety or flight are cut off, and death from fire or drowning is inevitable. How beautifully expressive are the graphic lines of Charles Mackay, the present able editor of the Illustrated London News, entitled:

THE SHIP ON FIRE.

The storm o'er the ocean flew furious and fast,
And the waves rose in foam at the voice of the blast,
And heavily labored the gale-beaten ship,
Like a stout hearted swimmer, the spray at his lip;
And dark was the sky o'er the mariner's path,
Except when the lightning illumin'd it in wrath.

A young mother knelt in the cabin below,
And pressing her babe to her bosom of snow,
She prayed to her God 'mid the hurricane wild:
Oh! Father have mercy, look down on my child.
It passed.-The fierce whirlwind careered on its way,
And the ship, like an arrow, divided the spray;
Her sails glimmered white in the beams of the moon,
And the wind up aloft seemed to whistle a tune.
There was joy in the ship as she furrowed the foam,
For fond hearts within her were dreaming of home;
The young mother press'd her fond babe to her breast,
And sang a sweet song as she rocked it to rest,
And the husband sat cheerily down by her side,
And look'd with delight on the face of his bride.
Oh happy, said he, when our roaming is o'er,
we'll dwell in our cottage that stands by the shore;
And the smoke of its hearth curling up to the sky,

Already in fancy its roof I descry,

Its garden so green and its vine-cover'd wall,
The kind friends awaiting to welcome us all,
And the children that sport by the old oaken tree;
Ah gently the ship glided over the sea.
Hark! what was that-Hark! hark to the shout!
And an uproar of voices arose in the air,

Fire?-then a tramp-and a rout,

And the mother knelt down-and the half spoken pray 'r.

That she offered to God in her agony wild,
was Father have mercy, look down on my child:

She flew to her husband, she clung to his side,

oh there was her refuge, whate'er might betide. Fire! Fire! it was was raging above and below,

Their eyes filled with tears and their hearts filled with

woe,

And their eyes glistened wild in the glare of the light;
And the cheeks of the sailors grew pale at the sight;
The pitiless flame was the lord of the ship,
And the smoke in thick wreaths, mounted higher, and

'Twas vain o'er the ravage the waters to drip,

higher;

Alone with destruction, alone on the sea,

Oh God it is fearful to perish by fire;

Great Father of mercy, our hope is in Thee.

Sad at heart and resign'd, yet undaunted and brave,

They lowered out the boat, a mere speck on the wave
First entered the mother enfolding her child,
It knew she caressed it, looked upward and smiled;