board, he considered himself bound to make every effort in his power to cripple his pursuer in order to effect his escape." In compliance with the wish expressed by the officer, he returned with him on board the H-The first object which presented itself to his view, was the mutilated bleeding body of the First Lieutenant, extended on the quarter-deck -a melancholy testimony of the error which had been committed. What the Commander's feelings must have been upon seeing the result of that error, none but himself can say. Upon an inquiry being made by Capt. K-, how he happened to misunderstand the private signal made by the H-? He stated, "That during her absence from England, they had been changed, in consequence of an English vessel being taken without having destroyed her book of private signals." He acknowledged that "he recognized it as the one formerly in use," but denied observing anything else which induced him to think his pursuer an English ship;" he expressed much sorrow at the result, justifying himself, however, by the circumstances under which it occurred. It is not intended to throw any blame upon the Master of this packet if still living; he behaved with a spirit which did him credit, and it is a pity his discernment cannot be commended so highly as his courage, for doubtless, had the proper degree of observation been backed by a moderate portion of judgment, this melancholy rencontre would never have taken place, by which no laurels were gained, and those of an aspiring young officer were destroyed for ever in their bloom.

The deed was done-if any fault existed, it was too late for the remedy; the packet was therefore allowed to continue her course, leaving her pursuers defeated of their expected prize, and ultimately of their revenge. The next duty to which they were called was to fill a sailor's grave with the body of their beloved officer, and the packet might have heard the guns, which were loaded for their destruction, pealing at distant intervals over the closing wave which received his cold remains.

"His early laurels fill an ocean grave,

That tomb not subject to the hand of Time,
Where sleep so many thousands of the brave,
To wait their orders from the will Divine!"

ANECDOTE OF A SEAMAN BELONGING TO H.M.S. REVENGE.

Ar the engagement in Basque Roads, on the 12th April 1809, the Revenge was ordered to attack the enemy under the batteries of the Isle de Aix. A shot from the batteries shattered both the legs of a seaman, named James Cook. When taken down to the after cockpit, he underwent, without a murmur, the amputation of one of his legs, merely observing to the doctor, "he hoped he would leave him the other that he might wear his shoes out." Four or five days after, however, it became necessary to take off the other limb to prevent mortification; this he also bore with similar firmness. When completed, he inquired of the Doctor," Have you done, Sir?" The Doctor replied, "Yes, my good fellow, pray compose yourself."-"Thank you, Sir," replied poor Cook, "I have now done with the shoemakers, and they may all go to David Jones for me." Alas, poor fellow! he went to David Jones himself a few days afterwards, much lamented by the crew.

CHOLERA MORBUS.

In the New Monthly Magazine for November is an article, headed, Cholera Disarmed! The subject is one of vast importance to all classes at this crisis. All the accounts bearing on this matter, only tend to alarm the ignorant and depress the weak. Each succeeding paper has advised different remedies, thus proving the doubt, the uncertainty, or perhaps, utter uselessness of what had been previously recommended. In the article alluded to in the New Monthly there is a tangible remedy proposed: viz. heat and moisture by means of vapour baths. This remedy has not, as yet, been either understood, or properly applied in this country by the majority of persons, who have made this business their department. The merit of the paper quoted consists, therefore, in having brought it before the public. It is necessary to apprise those unacquainted with the disease, that its first symptoms are sensations of numbness throughout the whole of the vessels of the skin. The heat of vapour, therefore, aided by frictions, hot drinks, stimulants and other medicaments, would seem well calculated to restore those parts to healthy action. The remedy is simple, there is no theory in it. Heat opens the pores even of iron, and expands the dimensions of all substancesof course the contracted vessels of the skin. Assalini, Buonaparte's surgeon in Egypt, proposed this remedy to Dr. Uccelli, a physician in the Russian service, who is said by it to have baffled the obstinacy of the disease in a way that surprised all his brother practitioners, only eight or nine in a hundred of his cholera patients dying, and those had applied, he says, too late for reasonable hopes of success to be entertained. Previous to this mode of treatment, the mortality had been dreadful at Tefflis, in the autumn of 1820, 20,000 fell victims, and at Astracan, 17,000, with similar proportions in many other places throughout the Russian Empire. The means alluded to are now adopted throughout Russia, the Baltic, the Crimea, &c. and Cholera is no longer dreaded as the "fell destroying monster." The paper to which we have referred, gives the merit of having originated this remedy to Assalini; it however, becomes our duty to claim it for an Englishman and a brother officer, in the person of Capt. Jekyll, of the Royal Navy; a man always actuated by the most kind and humane feelings, and whose numerous inventions are characterized by their simplicity and perfect fitness for the purposes for which they are designed. Nine years ago,

Capt. Jekyll employed his utmost zeal and endeavours to bring this subject before the proper authorities, when his state of health compelled him to seek a more genial climate. With Cholera Morbus, he had been long familiar in India, as likewise with the yellow fever, but these diseases not immediately pressing upon us in England, his suggestions were little attended to. He then advocated heat and vapour as curative for rheumatism and those diseases consequent on colds and chills, so common in this country, with better success, as appears by his Essay, published in 1828 on the use of his patent portable vapour bath. The whole of the apparatus, (with seat, mahogany box, containing the dresses, &c.) occupies but a foot and a half square; nor can it be put out of order, but through the carelessness of the servant. A gentleman who has been in the habit of using one of them since 1823, has never needed to have it even repaired. It is so contrived, that the

feet are always kept rather hotter than the other parts of the body, the contrary being the great error in all the vapour baths in this country; for by keeping the feet the hottest, whatever disease is in the body, is by this means brought down and kept at the feet, thereby freeing the more vital organs. In his bath, moreover, the vapour is dispersed equally, or to various parts of the body, as may be required; the vapour is at the perfect control of the patient, so that the most delicate or weakly person can take it. Not so with the unscientific, cumbrous, and awkward apparatus of Assalini, though said to be used by Dr. Uccelli with so much success; and worse than his are those contrivances for the same purpose recommended in the paper in the New Monthly. But if Assalini's plan could produce such beneficial effects in the treatment of a disease hitherto so untractable as Cholera, and where it was committing such ravages, what happy results might have been effected, and what numerous miseries might have been averted by the use of Capt. Jekyll's perfect and portable apparatus!

It is right to add, that Capt. Jekyll had not these baths made with a view to profit, but was actuated solely by the desire of doing good to the afflicted, and it was his own afflictions, the want of remedies, and his peculiar turn for inventions and mechanism, that led him to the construction of his little portable vapour bath. He took out a patent for it, in order that his name might not be discredited by the spurious and imperfect ones advertised and made in imitation of his.

J. G.

SURGEON, ROYAL NAVY.

OF

REVIEWS AND CRITICAL NOTICES.

THE OFFICER'S MANUAL-MAXIMS NAPOLEON. - Colonel d'Aguilar, Deputy Adjutant-General to the troops in Ireland, with his wonted zeal, has rendered a valuable service to the officers, especially of the junior ranks, of the British Army, by offering them an admirable translation of a French work under the above title. Something of the kind was undoubtedly much wanted, as a stimulus to the study and a guide to the application of the principles of war. The little volume in question is singularly well adapted to this object, combining in an eminent degree the qualities of conciseness and perspicuity in its original matter, and of unaffected simplicity and clearness in the style of its English version. We only marvel how Colonel d'Aguilar could have found time, amidst his unremitting official toils, for a task which he has so completely executed. The reward which he seeks and deserves is, that this little vade mecum should be in the hands of every officer who desires

an incitement or an aid to professional study.

ROUGH SKETCHES OF THE Life of AN OLD SOLDIER. By Lieut.-Colonel J. Leach, C.B.-Since the peace, the Members of the Light Division, forced to sheath the sword, have applied themselves rather to the pen than the ploughshare; and with their wonted spirit and success, inspired by the example of their great comrade and Coryphæus, Napier, they have extended, as it were, in skirmishing order, advancing to the front and reconnoitring the flanks of the Peninsular War. Not a thicket has been left unexplored, not a post nor a shot unmarked by these lynx-eyed and light-hearted Tirailleurs-who may be said to pour their tributary information and experience into the great magazine of the historian's materials. Kincaid lately gave us a specimen of a Rifleman in print; and a right merry and soldier-like sample it was. Colonel Leach, of the same corps, the old 95th,

Captain

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE UNITED SERVICE JOURNAL.

Count Charles Alten.

MR. EDITOR, Having read in the Thirty-fourth Number of the U. S. Journal, Count Alten's letter relative to the march of the corps under his command from Astorga to Vigo in 1808-9, as well as Colonel Napier's reply to this letter in the Thirty-fifth Number, in which the latter makes use of the following passage:

"Were I, indeed, disposed to attack Gen. Alten with any taint of malice, I might observe, that on the only occasion in which he used his discretionary power, his judgment was at fault. For certainly Sir John Moore's intention was to assemble the whole army (after embarkation) in the Bay of Vigo, with a view to restore order; and then Count Alten took the responsibility of making sail for England with that part of the army under his command, before he knew of the catastrophe at Corunna, which would have proved an error if Sir John Moore had lived."

I beg leave to transmit to you for insertion in your valuable and impartial Journal, the annexed authenticated copy of the letter written by Count Alten to Capt. Hayes, of H. M. S. Alfred, previous to the fleet with the troops under his command sailing for England.

Count Alten, in his letter published in your Journal, has expressed his determination not to take up his pen a second time in this matter. However, I myself having become possessed after the death of my late brother, Lieut.-Colonel Augustus Heise, of the official letter-book kept by him in his capacity of Aide-de-Camp to Count Alten, during the march from Astorga to Vigo, consider it a duty I owe to truth, and to the character of Gen. Alten, to lay this document before the public, leaving it with them to decide about a fact upon which the gallant Colonel appears to have been so completely misinformed.

As I do not enjoy the advantage of having been an eye-witness to the military events which have in this instance called forth the censure of the historian of the Peninsular war, I must leave the rest of Colonel Napier's reply to Count Alten's statement of facts, to the judgment of every individual reader who will take the trouble of comparing both. Should I be permitted to venture a remark which has struck me during their perusal, it is this:

That many of the leading events, as well as of the minor details, connected with military operations, are sure to come to the knowledge of the officer in command, and will guide his conduct accordingly, while they will most likely remain at the time a secret to the eye-witness in a subordinate situation, and, therefore, the latter's opinion may be influenced, or, perhaps, prejudiced to such a degree, as to make it difficult for him to alter it at a subsequent period, and, probably, not the less so, should the eye-witness, unfortunately for the responsible superior, happen to be a party interested in upholding his own first impressions.

Having now, Sir, stated as much as I think fitting for me on this occasion, I trust that my reasons for doing so will not meet with any misinterpretation, and that I shall stand exonerated from any selfish motive, for thus far trespassing with my humble observations on your pages and the patience of your readers, while I beg leave, in conclusion, to cite for myself, and to apply, as far as it is applicable to my own situation, the same plea which Colonel Napier has brought forward as the main cause for publishing a reply to Gen. Alten's letter, viz. :

"Were it not that the thing is easy in itself, and that I owe Count Alten some

In my own case I beg, however, permission to substitute in lieu of some, the

highest.

C. H.