of　her　solid　iron…work：　　in　which；　also；　several　loose　sovereigns
  that　the　ingot　had　swept　in　before　it；　had　been　found；　as　firmly
  embedded　as　though　the　iron　had　been　liquid　when　they　were　forced
  there。　　It　had　been　remarked　of　such　bodies　come　ashore；　too；　as
  had　been　seen　by　scientific　men；　that　they　had　been　stunned　to
  death；　and　not　suffocated。　　Observation；　both　of　the　internal
  change　that　had　been　wrought　in　them；　and　of　their　external
  expression；　showed　death　to　have　been　thus　merciful　and　easy。　　The
  report　was　brought；　while　I　was　holding　such　discourse　on　the
  beach；　that　no　more　bodies　had　come　ashore　since　last　night。　　It
  began　to　be　very　doubtful　whether　many　more　would　be　thrown　up；
  until　the　north…east　winds　of　the　early　spring　set　in。　　Moreover；　a
  great　number　of　the　passengers；　and　particularly　the　second…class
  women…passengers；　were　known　to　have　been　in　the　middle　of　the　ship
  when　she　parted；　and　thus　the　collapsing　wreck　would　have　fallen
  upon　them　after　yawning　open；　and　would　keep　them　down。　　A　diver
  made　known；　even　then；　that　he　had　come　upon　the　body　of　a　man；　and
  had　sought　to　release　it　from　a　great　superincumbent　weight；　but
  that；　finding　he　could　not　do　so　without　mutilating　the　remains；　he
  had　left　it　where　it　was。
  It　was　the　kind　and　wholesome　face　I　have　made　mention　of　as　being
  then　beside　me；　that　I　had　purposed　to　myself　to　see；　when　I　left
  home　for　Wales。　　I　had　heard　of　that　clergyman；　as　having　buried
  many　scores　of　the　shipwrecked　people；　of　his　having　opened　his
  house　and　heart　to　their　agonised　friends；　of　his　having　used　a
  most　sweet　and　patient　diligence　for　weeks　and　weeks；　in　the
  performance　of　the　forlornest　offices　that　Man　can　render　to　his
  kind；　of　his　having　most　tenderly　and　thoroughly　devoted　himself　to
  the　dead；　and　to　those　who　were　sorrowing　for　the　dead。　　I　had　said
  to　myself；　'In　the　Christmas　season　of　the　year；　I　should　like　to
  see　that　man！'　　And　he　had　swung　the　gate　of　his　little　garden　in
  coming　out　to　meet　me；　not　half　an　hour　ago。
  So　cheerful　of　spirit　and　guiltless　of　affectation；　as　true
  practical　Christianity　ever　is！　　I　read　more　of　the　New　Testament
  in　the　fresh　frank　face　going　up　the　village　beside　me；　in　five
  minutes；　than　I　have　read　in　anathematising　discourses　（albeit　put
  to　press　with　enormous　flourishing　of　trumpets）；　in　all　my　life。　　I
  heard　more　of　the　Sacred　Book　in　the　cordial　voice　that　had　nothing
  to　say　about　its　owner；　than　in　all　the　would…be　celestial　pairs　of
  bellows　that　have　ever　blown　conceit　at　me。
  We　climbed　towards　the　little　church；　at　a　cheery　pace；　among　the
  loose　stones；　the　deep　mud；　the　wet　coarse　grass；　the　outlying
  water；　and　other　obstructions　from　which　frost　and　snow　had　lately
  thawed。　　It　was　a　mistake　（my　friend　was　glad　to　tell　me；　on　the
  way）　to　suppose　that　the　peasantry　had　shown　any　superstitious
  avoidance　of　the　drowned；　on　the　whole；　they　had　done　very　well；
  and　had　assisted　readily。　　Ten　shillings　had　been　paid　for　the
  bringing　of　each　body　up　to　the　church；　but　the　way　was　steep；　and
  a　horse　and　cart　（in　which　it　was　wrapped　in　a　sheet）　were
  necessary；　and　three　or　four　men；　and；　all　things　considered；　it
  was　not　a　great　price。　　The　people　were　none　the　richer　for　the
  wreck；　for　it　was　the　season　of　the　herring…shoal　…　and　who　could
  cast　nets　for　fish；　and　find　dead　men　and　women　in　the　draught？
  He　had　the　church　keys　in　his　hand；　and　opened　the　churchyard　gate；
  and　opened　the　church　door；　and　we　went　in。
  It　is　a　little　church　of　great　antiquity；　there　is　reason　to
  believe　that　some　church　has　occupied　the　spot；　these　thousand
  years　or　more。　　The　pulpit　was　gone；　and　other　things　usually
  belonging　to　the　church　were　gone；　owing　to　its　living　congregation
  having　deserted　it　for　the　neighbouring　school…room；　and　yielded　it
  up　to　the　dead。　　The　very　Commandments　had　been　shouldered　out　of
  their　places；　in　the　bringing　in　of　the　dead；　the　black　wooden
  tables　on　which　they　were　painted；　were　askew；　and　on　the　stone
  pavement　below　them；　and　on　the　stone　pavement　all　over　the　church；
  were　the　marks　and　stains　where　the　drowned　had　been　laid　down。
  The　eye；　with　little　or　no　aid　from　the　imagination；　could　yet　see
  how　the　bodies　had　been　turned；　and　where　the　head　had　been　and
  where　the　feet。　　Some　faded　traces　of　the　wreck　of　the　Australian
  ship　may　be　discernible　on　the　stone　pavement　of　this　little
  church；　hundreds　of　years　hence；　when　the　digging　for　gold　in
  Australia　shall　have　long　and　long　ceased　out　of　the　land。
  Forty…four　shipwrecked　men　and　women　lay　here　at　one　time；　awaiting
  burial。　　Here；　with　weeping　and　wailing　in　every　room　of　his　house；
  my　companion　worked　alone　for　hours；　solemnly　surrounded　by　eyes
  that　could　not　see　him；　and　by　lips　that　could　not　speak　to　him；
  patiently　examining　the　tattered　clothing；　cutting　off　buttons；
  hair；　marks　from　linen；　anything　that　might　lead　to　subsequent
  identification；　studying　faces；　looking　for　a　scar；　a　bent　finger；
  a　crooked　toe；　comparing　letters　sent　to　him　with　the　ruin　about
  him。　　'My　dearest　brother　had　bright　grey　eyes　and　a　pleasant
  smile；'　one　sister　wrote。　　O　poor　sister！　well　for　you　to　be　far
  from　here；　and　keep　that　as　your　last　remembrance　of　him！
  The　ladies　of　the　clergyman's　family；　his　wife　and　two　sisters…in…
  law；　came　in　among　the　bodies　often。　　It　grew　to　be　the　business　of
  their　lives　to　do　so。　　Any　new　arrival　of　a　bereaved　woman　would
  stimulate　their　pity　to　compare　the　description　brought；　with　the
  dread　realities。　　Sometimes；　they　would　go　back　able　to　say；　'I
  have　found　him；'　or；　'I　think　she　lies　there。'　　Perhaps；　the
  mourner；　unable　to　bear　the　sight　of　all　that　lay　in　the　church；
  would　be　led　in　blindfold。　　Conducted　to　the　spot　with　many
  compassionate　words；　and　encouraged　to　look；　she　would　say；　with　a
  piercing　cry；　'This　is　my　boy！'　and　drop　insensible　on　the
  insensible　figure。
  He　soon　observed　that　in　some　cases　of　women；　the　identification　of
  persons；　though　complete；　was　quite　at　variance　with　the　marks　upon
  the　linen；　this　led　him　to　notice　that　even　the　marks　upon　the
  linen　were　sometimes　inconsistent　with　one　another；　and　thus　he
  came　to　understand　that　they　had　dressed　in　great　haste　and
  agitation；　and　that　their　clothes　had　become　mixed　together。　　The
  identification　of　men　by　their　dress；　was　rendered　extremely
  difficult；　in　consequence　of　a　large　proportion　of　them　being
  dressed　alike　…　in　clothes　of　one　kind；　that　is　to　say；　supplied　by
  slopsellers　and　outfitters；　and　not　made　by　single　garments　but　by
  hundreds。　　Many　of　the　men　were　bringing　over　parrots；　and　had
  receipts　upon　them　for　the　price　of　the　birds；　others　had　bills　of
  exchange　in　their　pockets；　or　in　belts。　　Some　of　these　documents；
  carefully　unwrinkled　and　dried；　were　little　less　fresh　in
  appearance　that　day；　than　the　present　page　will　be　under　ordinary
  circumstances；　after　having　been　opened　three　or　four　times。
  In　that　lonely　place；　it　had　not　been　easy　to　obtain　even　such
  common　commodities　in　towns；　as　ordinary　disinfectants。　　Pitch　had
  been　burnt　in　the　church；　as　the　readiest　thing　at　hand；　and　the
  frying…pan　in　which　it　had　bubbled　over　a　brazier　of　coals　was
  still　there；　with　its　ashes。　　Hard　by　the　Communion…Table；　were
  some　boots　that　had　been　taken　off　the　drowned　and　preserved　…　a
  gold…digger's　boot；　cut　down　the　leg　for　its　removal　…　a　trodden…
  down　man's　ankle…boot　with　a　buff　cloth　top　…　and　others　…　soaked
  and　sandy；　weedy　and　salt。
  From　the　church；　we　passed　out　into　the　churchyard。　　Here；　there
  lay；　at　that　time；　one　hundred　and　forty…five　bodies；　that　had　come
  ashore　from　the　wreck。　　He　had　buried　them；　when　not　identified；　in
  graves　containing　four　each。　　He　had　numbered　each　body　in　a
  register　describing　it；　and　had　placed　a　corresponding　number　on
  each　coffin；　and　over　each　grave。　　Identified　bodies　he　had　buried
  singly；　in　private　graves；　in　another　part　of　the　church…yard。
  Several　bodies　had　been　exhumed　from　the　graves　of　four；　as
  relatives　had　come　from　a　distance　and　seen　his　register；　and；　when
  recognised；　these　have　been　reburied　in　private　graves；　so　that　the
  mourners　might　erect　separate　headstones　over　the　remains。　　In　all
  such　cases　he　had　performed　the　funeral　service　a　second　time；　and
  the　ladies　of　his　house　had　attended。　　There　had　been　no　offence　in
  the　poor　ashes　when　they　were　brought　again　to　the　light　of　day；
  the　beneficent　Earth　had　already　absorbed　it。　　The　drowned　were
  buried　in　their　clothes。　　To　supply　the　great　sudden　demand　for
  coffins；　he　had　got　all　the　neighbouring　people　handy　at　tools；　to
  work　the　livelong　day；　and　Sunday　likewise。　　The　coffins　were
  neatly　formed；　…　I　had　seen　two；　waiting　for　occupants；　under　the
  lee　of　the　ruined　walls　of　a　stone　hut　on　the　beach；　within　call　of
  the　tent　where　the　Christmas　Feast　was　held。　　Similarly；　one　of　the
  graves　for　four　was　lyin