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dreds of dead and dying on the field, with all their baggage and matériel. The British troops triumphantly entered the town; the victory was complete. Thanks were due to N for the assistance he had afforded by his valuable information; but, alas! fate ordained he should not be conscious of the result of his exertions; he lived not to enjoy the proud feeling the glory of this day would have given him. When the returns were sent in, poor N was amongst the killed, and by inquiries in the regiment it was ascertained, that he had fought nobly during almost the whole day, and it was not till nearly the close of it that the fatal bullet carried its billet. Thus ended the short but brilliant career of one alike distinguished as an ornament to his profession as he was for his private virtues. Peace to his manes!

HARD UP AT TARIFA.

AN EXTRACT FROM A REEFER'S LOG.

IN the year 1811, I was a Midshipman of an 18-gun brig, lying at Gibraltar, and commanded by that noble old veteran, Capt. William Shepheard. On a certain night I had the middle-watch, and like all other proper midshipmen under the same circumstances, I was fast asleep in my hammock. On a sudden, the Quartermaster awoke me with the agreeable intelligence that the first Lieutenant wanted me on deck; well, thinks I, that is No. 1; and No. 2, will be a precious growl from the old brute; No. 3, a few hours extra on deck; and perhaps No. 4, a mast-heading to-morrow morning.

As I did not, however, want to extend this enumeration of blessings, by keeping the old fellow waiting any longer than could be helped, Í got my legs over the gunwale of my hammock as quickly as possible, slid into my trousers, and putting on an old pair of slippers, which were stuck in the batten over my head, went up the fore-ladder, shipping my jacket and waistcoat on the road; and then coming aft with as innocent a face as possible, met with the Turk, with "Just gone forward, Sir, for a minute, that's all."

"Yes," said he, " and I might have hoisted that story in, if I didn't know it was as old as the ark: the first time Shem was caught off deck in his watch by Noah, he made the same excuse." To my great relief, however, he ordered me into a boat alongside, which I found manned and armed, and commanded by the Master. When I first saw the cutlasses in the boat, I thought we were going on the press-gang system, but happening to cut my ancle against the flint of a musket as I stumbled half asleep into the stern sheets, I found thereby, as mathematicians would say, "Quod est demonstrandum," there were fire-arms in the boat, which we never took on those excursions.

Not liking to be very conversationable, for fear of being asked why I kept the middle-watch without stockings, neck handkerchief, &c.(N.B. to stow these articles away in my jacket-pockets every night for -the future,) I was for some time puzzled as to when and where we were to commit murder; at last, however, we proceeded, by the Mas

ter's orders, alongside the Commodore's ship, the old San Juan, lying in the Mole. Here they handed down three days' provisions to us, and told us to follow the other boats, down the Gut of Gibraltar, and that we should find our commander among the headmost ones.

Thus "following my leader," we after sixteen hours' hard pulling, head to wind and stem to tide, at length landed at Tarifa on the Spanish side of the Gut, nearly opposite Tangiers. Here we found that the French were close to the town, and that against all evil-disposed persons, we were to defend the said town, for the honour and glory of King Ferdinand the Seventh, that he might in due time weave petticoats for our lady of Loretto.

I was going to say a word about Jack's soldiering, but what is the use of making game of the honest fellow? The Devil himself could not hinder a soldier from laughing at a sailor on shore, but Jack has his turn when he gets the soldier afloat, and a green sea or two begins to make the pipe-clay run, and he tries to settle his accounts out of a weather-port first, and then finding them literally all aback, in attempting to get over to leeward, goes sprawling into the leescuppers, knapsack and all; musket flying one way, cap and feather the other, &c. &c. There were five hundred of us altogether, and also a portion of troops sent from Cadiz by Sir Thomas Graham; and fine work Jack made of mounting guard and going sentry all night upon the ramparts: not that I know any thing about this latter part of the business, for "I was never called, Sir."

The soldiers christened us Beelzebub's Rangers, or the Devil's Fusileers. There was but one wine-shop took our fancy, it was in the middle of the town, and from our invariably gravitating towards this as a centre, we also had the name of Guzzle-eers. Jack, however, took it all in good part, and contented himself with calling the redcoats a parcel of brass-mounted, leather-necked lobsters.

I must now get a little stern-way for a minute. It was so late when we landed, that we could not receive any billets that night, and were therefore quartered altogether in an old church,- -as my coxswain said, in a "levy in smash;" and the first act of the grateful Spaniards was to steal all our provisions as soon as we went to sleep. I suppose the last sermon preached there was to the text of the eleventh commandment, -take care of yourself; but as we had not heard it and the Spaniards had, they profited and we lost. The next morning I was billeted in a chandler's shop, where moreover, on making my appearance, I received any thing but a welcome. Here I was, hungry and penny less, and shoe-and-stocking-less, with not a very light heart, yet an undeniably thin pair of breeches, for being rather ancient, there were two or three holes in the stern of them. The first question was, how to raise a breakfast; or, the time being between-whiles, that and dinner might be included in a parenthesis. I cast my eye over the shop; all its contents were rotten cheese, mouldy garlic, and stinking Sardinias, and after waiting some time for a favourable cast of countenance in my surly landlady, aged sixty-five, I ventured to prefer my humble request, of having trust given me for one of the said Sardinias, (value three-farthings, I having left my ship without a maravedi in my pocket, in my great haste to defend the noble Spaniards against their foes.) She

HARD UP AT TARIFA.

slapped "no" at me almost before I had done speaking, and this small matter being so unceremoniously refused, I knew it was a clewer up with me altogether in that quarter.

Going to visit my friends I found them no better off, and blessing Spanish generosity, I wandered about the town forty-eight hours withWe had sent to Gibraltar to advise out a morsel to break my fast. our shipmates of our wants, but it was not till the third day we saw a boat from thence, approaching the eastern roadstead of Tarifa. The master of the brig and I ran down to the beach to meet her, and there our longing eyes were gratified with the sight of a basket sent to us, containing wine, rum, biscuit, and to crown the glory, a leg of mutton. When famine has had two or three days roving commission in a man's internals, he is not mighty particular about appearances; I therefore grappled the leg of mutton by the shank, and sallying through the town with it over my shoulder, "My quarters are nearest," said I to the Master, "I'll whip this in the pot, if you will bring along the rest of the traps."

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A very few minutes ushered me into the presence of mine hostess of the chandler's shop. Come," said I, "mother, bear a hand and on with this mutton, for the love of all the saints in your calendar, for I'm dying with hunger." To my very great astonishment, she answered me in Spanish, with what in English would be equivalent to a person telling you they would see you d-d first. "Why, what do you mean, old woman?" said I, getting rather warm upon the subject," will you cook the mutton, or will you not?" "No, I won't," said she, as cool as a cucumber.

Well, thinks I, this is a queer rig, but as it was no time for ceremony, I was not long in getting it into a pot and putting it on the fire myself. During this process, I received sundry blessings from the old dame, and at the end of it she began very deliberately to undo my work in the same number of motions which I had employed in doing it: she had got the pot down off the fire; I, however, quickly came to the rescue and put it on again; she then took off the lid and threw it to the other side of the room; while I ran after the lid, she got the leg of mutton out, and hove it down in the ashes-and then, God help me! I got out of all patience, and laying hold of it, I banged her over the head with it till her old lantern-jaws rattled like a dice-box.

Just at this moment in came the Master, "What!" said he, “have you had any words, or did you fall out without them? what's the matter, old dame ?" "The matter!" said she, "why you are two cursed English heretics, and no heretic's mutton shall go into my pot."

And are such people as these to be emancipated? I say no. I am no politician, and I can also forget and forgive, but this old devil made such an infernal row, that I was glad at last to eat the mutton half raw; and what with that and its cinder sauce, it has certainly stuck in my throat ever since. I would be civil to Mahometans, Brahmins, Jumpers, Shakers, any thing but the playmates of St. Peter, after the say the same, way they served my mutton; and I hope all those who have at least as good a reason.

L. C.

PRESENCE OF MIND IN SHIPWRECK. Ja ge

THE following narrative exemplifies in a most striking manner the commanding sway which a bold and daring spirit exercises over the energies of its fellow men in the hour of peril. The recital may serve to hold forth to the younger officers of the British army, a noble ex, ample of resolution in the time of danger.

On the 2nd June 1816, the "Archduke Charles" transport sailed from Quebec for Halifax, having on board six companies of the Royal Nova Scotia regiment, consisting of 11 officers and the staff of the regiment, 200 men, and 48 women and children. The former part of the voyage was prosperous; the vessel had been ten days at sea, and was approaching the place of her destination. On the evening of the 12th of June, a dense fog arose, stretching from north-east to south-west. The "Archduke Charles" was then in the track of the homeward-bound West Indiamen, and, as is usual in such cases, every precaution was taken to prevent the danger of a collision with other ships during the continuance of the darkness. A dead silence was preserved by all on board, in order to give the greater effect to the blast of the bugle, or sound of the drum, which at regular intervals, alternately broke the stillness, conveying to other vessels which might happen to be within hearing, intimation of the approach of the ship. In this manner passed several hours of deep solicitude. At length those on board, whose duty did not require their presence upon deck, retired to their berths in anxious expectation of the morning's dawn-that morning, which they hoped would see them safely anchored in the port for which they were steering, but which many were fated to behold as the last of their mortal existence. Between the hours of twelve and one, the vessel struck. The shock was violent. In a moment, men, women, and children hurried upon deck. Horror was depicted upon every coun tenance-even the oldest of the seamen quailed, for the people had scarcely time to reach the upper deck when the vessel began to fill. They were not within sight of land, and even if the coast had been nearer, the density of the fog would have prevented its being visible. In this situation, it is not to be wondered at if the stoutest hearts sick-: ened with terror. The sea ran tremendously high, and so frequently washed over the deck, that every attempt to lighten the vessel by: cutting away the masts, was found unavailing. For the remainder of the night, the darkness rendered it impossible for those on board to... know the exact nature of their situation, and every individual exerted himself to the utmost to retain his hold of the wreck.

As the morning dawned, the fog partially cleared away, and the sufferers beheld the top of a rock at a short distance; but between it and the wreck there was a gulf, across which the heavy swell seemed to render the idea of passing an utter impossibility. The waves ran mountains high. It was at this perilous moment, that the hopes of all pointed to the rock as the only means of attaining a chance of ultimate rescue. Each individual seemed to shrink from incurring the risk of death in the attempt to gain the wished-for point. Lieut. Charles Stewart, of the Grenadier Company,* at length nerved himself to the enterprise. He secured the end of a rope round his waist, and threw

* At present a Captain on half-pay unattached.

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himself overboard with the heroic determination of rescuing himself and his fellow-sufferers, or perishing in the attempt. He disappeared from the view of his companions, and all gave him for lost; the word was passed, that Lieut. Stewart and two men (who were washed off the deck) had perished. As the day advanced, the atmosphere became clearer, and Lieut. Stewart was seen on the rock waving his regimental cap to those who remained on board. This sight inspired them with new vigour, and a sailor, after two or three ineffectual attempts, succeeded in joining Lieut. Stewart with another rope. By this means, a communication was open with the rock, by which the men were hastening from the wreck, while the jolly-boat (the only one that had escaped destruction) was actively employed in saving the women and children. Many perished in the attempt to reach the rock, for the swell had not abated, and their bodies were thrown up, a sad spectacle to the survivors. At length there was not a single individual remain ing on the wreck. The unfortunate beings who had found a shelter on the rock, soon discovered that they had protracted their period of suffering, for the footing which they had gained was on a sunken rock, which would soon be overflowed by the rising of the tide, and a period be thus put at once to their sufferings, unless they could quickly find a refuge. This seemed impossible, for within the limits to which the fog confined their vision, nought appeared but the raging sea, roaring as if for the prey which had been snatched from its jaws. The jolly-boat was at hand, and in sending her in search of land, or a safer place of refuge, no time was to be lost, for the sea was gaining fast upon them. The boat was dispatched, and when it disappeared in the fog, the feelings of those who were left behind can scarcely be imagined, much less described. All eyes were strained towards the point at which she had been lost sight of, and after an interval of intense anxiety, she was at length seen to be returning. The crew reported, that at a short distance there was a rock, whose surface being above high-water-mark, promised a temporary safety. The boat was instantly engaged with all possible activity in conveying as many as it would hold. The women and children were first removed, and while the officers were departing, the time occupied by each voyage served to show to the men, that it would be impossible to remove many more before the rising of the sea would wash away all those who were upon the rock. This was the state of affairs when the boat returned, as was expected for her last freight, for the sea had nearly risen as high as the surface on which the unfortunate men were standing. A simultaneous rush was made for the spot on which the boat would touch. The Commanding officer had left the rock-a few of the officers remained, and among these was Lieut. Stewart, by whose gallant selfdevotion, the crew and passengers had been enabled to quit the wreck. He had lain down on the rock exhausted by his previous efforts; but at this moment he felt the necessity of setting to the men an example of resolution, in which alone, under Divine Providence, lay their only hope of relief from the perils by which they were surrounded. His former conduct, which was known to the men, had acquired for him that degree of respect which induced them to listen to him. He represented to them in plain but energetic language, that the only method of communicating with the land was by means of the boat,

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