Why, we might ask, does this vile slanderer of the illustrious dead suppress the fact, when painting the starving wife and children, that every warrant and petty officer, and every seaman, pressed or not pressed, can at any time allot one half of his pay for his wife, children, or mother, which can be received by them in any part of the United Kingdom ?-Why?—because the statement of this fact would have spoiled the story of Græme's starving wife-fabricated to create an impression of disgust against the naval service and to make the reader sympathise with Græme and his associates in the mutiny, which at length bursts out, and which, after a variety of the most horrible scenes of carnage, is only quenched in the watery grave of all the mutineers save one!

6

There is considerable merit in the author's description of the awful night in which his heroes carry their purposes into effect. In the eastern seas, in particular, it is well known a phenomenon frequently takes place, called the ripples,' when the surface of the sea, in the midst of a dead calm, is thrown into the most violent state of agitation, rolling on, as would seem, with great velocity, while in point of fact there is no current whatever. We have never met with a satisfactory explanation of this extraordinary phenomenon, but it is so well described, though with some exaggeration, by the writer of these pages, that we shall quote the passage:

'A brilliant glare of light was observed to gleam forth from that part of the heavens where the brig was last observed to be. It was not lightning, so much as a dazzling and splendid coruscation. This had scarcely passed away, when a low hollow murmur was faintly distinguished the ear at first doubted whether it was a sound or a deception. Then it grew louder, resembling the distant roar of surf on a lee-shore. With terror in their countenances the men eyed one another, involuntarily and simultaneously exclaiming, "Breakers! But again, they were distant from any land-the noise increased, while the point from whence it came exhibited a bright light, distinguishable through which was for a moment beheld the black speck of the brig. The ocean seemed to be on fire; the tumult increased; the long line of vivid light on the distant horizon rapidly approached with supernatural swiftness; the agitated surface of the waters, lashed into fury, seemed more appropriate to Pandemonium than our globe, -the sailors looked aloft to the canvass, expecting to see the closereefed top-sails blown out of their bolt-ropes. ..... Not a point, not a gasket betrayed the slightest motion. No breath was felt to cool the faces which the sultry air had parched, and which expectation fevered: the roll of the long seas seemed chained; the rest of the ocean appeared as a polished glass; while a quick, steady, tremulous shivering was felt throughout the ship's hull, and her crew momentarily expected the abyss to yawn and close on them for ever. Thus,

Thus, then, they remained staring with distended eyeballs on the approaching confusion of the waters, that traversed miles in seconds, and left distance far behind in its luminous career. No human voice was distinguishable; their breasts throbbed, their pulses seemed clogged with the heavy-laboured breath they drew as it came near. Some chemical decomposition of the atmosphere seemed to take place, as if those particles replete with life, which it once contained, had vanished; they inhaled the air, and yet it seemed to mock them, leaving behind the pangs of suffocation. In an instant more, and it had overtaken them. As far as the eye could reach, a-head or a-stern, all was one stream of fire and foam, while the same view presented itself on either side for a considerable way. The brine boiled up around them, mounting the gangway and splashing in the face of those whose curiosity had led them too near. Still the air was unmoved-the sense of suffocation intense, while the ship trembled beneath their feet, as if endowed with the living and animate comprehension of her terrified crew. pp. 97, 100.

Kavanagh has got together some of the most riotous of the crew on the lower deck, and after holding forth on the glory of freeing themselves from the despots,' and the advantages to be derived from running away with the ship, he and his confederates succeed in swearing the rash multitude to stand by them.

The flogging of Græme was the completion of the business. After imploring the captain not to inflict a punishment, the disgrace of which no future good behaviour could wipe out, 'for the love of mercy,' he says, for heaven's sake, Captain Grummet,' catching his superior's hand, drive me not to madness.'

"Madness! you beast!" snatching the hand away as if polluted. "The cat will take the madness out of you! Get up, you rascal, this instant!" and he inflicted a kick on the suppliant form before him. A gleam of rage flashed forth on Græme's features, and was as suddenly subdued. Captain, for the love of heaven, if—"

66

"Here, master-at-arms, serjeants, take this villain up; seize him to the gratings!" Four men immediately stepped out to obey this order. Meanwhile, the crew, who had been gradually drawing near, all warmly excited by the open tyranny perpetrated on one so universally respected, no sooner beheld the first blow struck than they rushed forward in a body with the cries of "Hurra! my hearties, down with the down with them! true blue for ever!" Each man now seizing whatever weapon came to hand, it was one scene of irretrievable confusion and carnage.'-pp. 114, 115.

The admiral at this moment rushing out on deck, ordered the marines to fire, which was immediately obeyed; the mutineers took shelter on the lower deck; while, by those above, the hatches were battened down; the guns spiked, and the cutlasses and pistols carried upon the poop. The mutineers below were divided as to

says,

what should be done : some advised a surrender-others to remain inactive-others again to get possession of the ship. One fellow I propose we broach the rum, get ourselves groggy, blow the old barky up, and all go to Davy Jones together.' It ended, however, by Græme being appointed leader, and in a determination to take the ship by storm. A long and detailed account follows of the steps taken to attack the officers and the loyal part of the crew, which was at length effected by blowing up the decks,the detail of which is so minutely circumstantial as to lead one to suspect that the writer must have himself been engaged as a mutineer in the course of his service. At the solicitation of a female passenger, it was agreed that one of them was to go to the admiral to propose to him, as it was impossible for his party to retain the ship, to give her up on condition of being set free on the first shore. Some twenty were to draw lots who was to undertake the message: the lot fell upon Grooves, whom, as might be supposed, the admiral ordered immediately to be hung at the yard-arm. This made the mutineers furious, and nothing was heard but Revenge!-revenge for Grooves's murder, and death to the admiral!'

They now proceeded to carry the deck by storm, across which had been formed a barricade of hammocks; to these they set fire with lighted torches. Græme, pointing to the carpenter, still swinging from the yard-arm, called out, There, my boys, there's your murdered shipmate! who shall cut him down first? Revenge or death! three cheers and on!'

A dreadful contest ensues, in which Græme cuts down the captain while defending the admiral, and the latter remains a prisoner at the mercy of the mutineers. Having bound him hand and foot, they take him to the gangway, and having lowered down the body of Grooves, still swinging from the yard, the savages tie the neck and feet of the admiral to the corresponding parts of the corpse of Grooves, which, stiffened in death, is set upright on its feet by the seamen, back to back with the gallant flag-officer, who maintains a dignified silence. They then, after every species of insult, place the two bodies in a horizontal position and launch them into the deep.

The whole of this scene is described in a brutal vein of coldblooded sympathy and diabolical admiration. That none of the ship's officers may escape degradation, the minister of religion is brought forward staggering drunk; and instead of reading the impressive service, ordained in committing the bodies of seamen to the deep, he is made to stammer out the usual grace said at dinner!

And what, even according to this caitiff's own notions, are the natural consequences of mutiny and insubordination ?• On

'On the lower-deck it was one scene of licence. Lavishly illuminated throughout with the candles taken from the purser's storeroom, the glare displayed groups of seamen reeling about intoxicated; others, not so far advanced, were sitting over large casks of rum, hoisted up from the spirit-room, and broached with the most wanton profusion, until the consumers being in many instances too far gone to notice anything, the barrels had slipped from their stations, and rolled about the deck, now literally flooded with raw spirits unable to find a vent.

'Some, dressed in their best clothes, sang songs of glee, and appeared as merry as if this awful moment had been the most auspicious of their lives. Many again were lying past all reason on the deck, the exterior of their persons as thoroughly drenched in the spirit that plashed around them, as the coats of their bodies within, while guns dismounted, and even the corses of some who had crawled below and expired on their road to the surgeon, added to the horrors of the place.' -pp. 254, 255.

The heavens were now glowing with one sheet of flame, the tornado raged violently, the lightning struck the mast, which went overboard a blue flame of ignited spirits rose through the hatchways, followed by the red gleams of burning pitch—the hull of the ship was now on fire :

Short was the time it had to blaze; deprived of its masts, the remaining one having quickly followed its predecessor, the old hulk no longer possessing head-way, it broached-to, and fell broadside to the wind into the trough of the sea. The water inside now mounting rapidly up to her orlop-deck, she became too heavy to mount the waves any longer, when a tremendous billow breaking with all its fury on her deck, the hull fell over upon its side. A hiss-a shriek of human agony was heard along the deep, and the dark mass disappeared from the surface of the waters, to plumb its way through the unfathomed tides below! The flame thus driven from its prey, shot upwards, borne along on the wings of the tempest for a short distance-its purple light soon diminished--quivered-then expired. And all around was night!'-pp. 258, 259.

Thus ends this narrative, introduced for no other purpose that we can see than that of creating a disgust against the naval service generally, and to wound the feelings of the surviving friends of a brave and meritorious officer, who untimely perished in the execution of his duty. The son, however, survives, a distinguished officer in the same profession; and as, when a youth, that son, like another Telemachus, went in search of his lost father, there can be no doubt he will search out the libeller, and take such steps to vindicate his father's memory, as the rank and character of the writer may justify him in doing. It has been stated in the club-houses, that he is a commander in the navy; we hope not;

we

we cannot believe there is one on that list who would thus disgrace himself! Whoever he may be, we have little doubt the name of the offender, when detected, will furnish an adequate refutation of his calumnies.

And now having dispatched this scurrilous publication, we may be permitted to return to the distinguished author of its motto, and briefly inquire whether it be true, that a pressed man is a slave to the will of a despot?' Admitting the affirmative, it would follow that every seaman in the king's service is 'a slave,' because there is no distinction whatever in the treatment, the pay, or privileges, of an impressed man and a volunteer; all are alike subject to the articles of war, enjoy the same advantages, and are amenable to the same regulations with regard to discipline, on board a king's ship, in whatever manner they may have become part of the crew. The chief, it is true, may chance to be of an arbitrary character, and it would indeed be surprising if, now and then, one of this description should not be found among the sixteen hundred captains and commanders whose names stand on the navy list; but even in this case, though the men may be subject to the tyrannical and capricious orders of 'a despot,' they are still very far removed from the condition of slaves; for if their despot should dare to exceed the limits of his authority, which are accurately defined and well understood, the object of his tyranny is not left without remedy; a well-founded complaint of an undue exercise of his power will subject him to the peril of losing his commission, as well as to heavy damages in a court of law.

The advantages enjoyed by these 'pressed slaves,' on board a king's ship, over those in merchant vessels, are manifest and important, and the seamen know them well. In the first place, if they are active, steady, and good seamen, and conduct themselves well, they are sure to be immediately promoted to petty and eventually to warrant officers; nor are instances rare where they have attained the rank even of commissioned officers. At this moment, there are on the list captains, commanders, and lieutenants, who were impressed into the service. The gunners, boatswains, and carpenters, are mostly men that came into the service by impressment. When his present Majesty, as Lord High Admiral, mustered these warrant officers at the ports, he inquired of every one of them whether they had been impressed, and more than twothirds replied in the affirmative. And what are the further advantages enjoyed by these slaves to the will of despots?' Their pay is from 60l. to 100l. a-year, according to the rate of the ship, besides their provisions, and these emoluments and allowances are constant, whether at sea or in ordinary; and when worn out, they