deposited on the deck, and jammed up with swabs, and secured by marline to the capstan pauls, whilst a dry boat's sail was spread to sit upon. "A good look out, there, forud," shouted the officer of the watch; keep your eyes unbuttoned upon the poop; do you see any thing of the Commodore's light?" An answer in the negative was returned."Then here goes for a middle watcher,"-taking his seat-" Quartermaster!"

"Aye, aye, Sir," answered old Johnson, making the best of his way towards us; "I'm close aboard of you, Mr. Allen; the water is out of the drip-stone; I filled the goglet with my own hands,-it's precious cold, and wants a goodish taste of rum to warm it."

66

“Tail on, then," said Allen, handing a stiff glass of grog to the veteran, put that under your jacket, Johnson, 'twill cherish the cockles of your heart, old boy!"

66

Well, God bless you, Sir," returned Johnson, taking the glass, and holding it as steady as if the ship had been lying moored to a buoy in the Thames; "God bless you, Sir, my ould heart does get a little frostbitten by age, Mr. Allen, and nothing thaws it like a drop of lignum vite, as the larned calls it. But axing your pardon, Sir, may I share it with black Jackson, there; for though he's ounly a knock-kneed negur, and hasn't the discrimmagement of a Christian, yet there's a natral summut about him as would put many a pale face to the blush!" "Drink off your stuff, old man," requested the officer, shall have a glass to himself. Come here, Congo; why do you call your country the Coast of Guinea ?"

"Jackson

"Ky, Massa Allen," responded the black, "you nebber know dat? 'Cause em hab de yellow feber when dey steal him poor nigger for sell him in a West Ingees."

"And was you stole, Jackson?" said Allen compassionately; "well, well, never mind, I don't want to ask questions,-here's something to keep your eyes open, swallow it like a sucking mermaid, and away and keep a look out."

"Aye, aye, Massa Allen," replied the grateful black, taking the grog, which disappeared at one gulp, "dis make a eye crack for see ebery ting in a varsel warld; many tank you, Sir."

During this colloquy on the deck, a different scene was enacting at the capstan-head. "There's the grog and biscuit, Mr. Purvis," said Pascoe. "The cadets in the steerage-there's not one of them snoozing-begged hard to know how the weather is, and I told them we were past all safety, and had got into deep water, the gale was increasing, and Mr. Allen had sent me down for the ship's bible, to read prayers to the watch before we went down."

"Poor devils, we'll have some sport with them, presently," returned Purvis. "Pork pie or cheese, that's the question; now, who would eat cheese when he could get pork pie?—and if we don't consume it somebody else will, for it was made to be eaten, and so, Grummett, shove out the bars."

"There they go, Sir," said I, displacing them with very little trouble; they're gone, Mr. Purvis."

"And out comes the pie," added he, abstracting it through the aperture. "Here, Pascoe, puckalow the dish, and hand it over to Mr. Allen." Aye, aye, Sir," returned Pascoe, "it shall never be said I disobeyed the orders of a superior officer; and now, Mr. Allen--"

"Oh you pi-rats!" exclaimed Allen, placing the dish on the deck. "But there, don't make a noise, but sit down and share it out;" and he commenced singing in an under tone

"They say little pigs make very good pork."

The pie was consumed, and a most delicious one it was the grog went round-the empty dish was carefully restored to the safe-the bars were refastened, and the middle watch at an end. The Quartermaster and Pascoe took the basket below, and the latter reported that the cadets were dreadfully alarmed; indeed, the motion of the ship was incessant, and the dashing of the waters, and horrible creaking of bulk-heads, was no very pleasant music to terrified minds. We held a consultation, and I was sent below into the steerage, where I commenced groaning most piteously. "Who's that?" inquired one of the cadets; "what's the matter?"

"Matter enough," I replied; "the ship is expected to go overboard every minute, and every timber in her will be afloat."

"Lud have mercy upon us!" solemnly ejaculated another, "you don't say so?"

"Oh!" groaned I, my poor mother!"- -a heavy sea struck us at that moment, and gave the Lady Graves a tremendous shaking. there it comes-what shall I do? we must all go to the bottom."

"Oh!

"Oh dear! there goes my watch out of my cot," muttered a third,— "Oh, the devil, what's this?" (I had pitched a wet swab into his bed;) "why, here's one of the ship's mops tumbled right through the deck!"

Aye, aye," returned I, "her seams are opening very fast; I got my foot jammed betwixt a couple of the planks just now. Oh, oh, it's all over with us!" The men began to jog the hand-pumps, and the clattering noise added considerably to the confusion,-"There's the chainpumps going, and every one of you must turn out and take a spell, though it will only prolong existence for a short time."

"Grummett," exclaimed Pascoe, who now joined me, "where are you?"-"Oh," groaned I. "Oh, messmate," continued he, "this is enough to make the stout heart quail! The carpenter has found a hole in the main-hatchway, and there's six feet water in the pumps."-" Oh," groaned I again, and "Oh," groaned Pascoe; whilst we could hear the cadets repeating their prayers, and imploring for merey, and amongst them Beaumgardte was one of the loudest. "Is there no hope, Mr. Pascoe?" inquired a voice that we did not expect to hear, and which we knew to be the Rev. Mr. C-'s-"Oh," groaned Pascoe.-" Then I am resigned," said the worthy clergyman;-"thy will be done,'" and he again composed himself in his cot. "What's all this uproar?" shouted Major Campbell; "is there any danger?" We did not dare to trifle with him, and therefore remained silent, but the cadets loudly vociferated that the ship had sprung a leak in the main-hatchway, and was going down. "And you all in your beds, young men !--for shame, for shame!-turn out and see if you cannot render assistance." "And I will go also," said the parson. The gale had somewhat lulled, and the sail she had set not keeping her sufficiently steady, the ship rolled heavily to windward, and several seas washed clean over us. The cadets in a body crept out of their cots, and were partly dressed, when Mr. Allen's voice resounded through the speaking-trumpet down the companion"Rouse out the idlers, and send them up directly, or she'll roll her keel

out!" Away rushed the cadets to the companion-ladder, and a despe rate struggle took place for precedency. Pascoe and I renewed our groans louder than before, when a tremendous rush of water came tumbling down the companion hatch; shrieks and yells followed, and the cadets rolling over one another, and hallooing out with all their might, effectually roused every soul in the cabins, and out came Tremenhere. "Quartermaster, a light here!" he called out, and old Johnson speedily made his appearance with a lantern, and was soon followed by Pascoe and myself with another, for we had gone forward and got up the fore-scuttle. The dim rays of the lights showed us the unfortunate cadets huddled up together, some on their knees, others flat on their faces, some clinging round each other's necks, and all in the utmost state of terror, soaked to the skin, and not a little bruised in their attempts to get away.

Why, what's all this?" exclaimed Tremenhere" what are you doing out of your cots, young gentlemen, and shrieking as if old Davy was twisting your necks into grannies' knots?"

"Ask the midshipmen, Sir," said Beaumgardte; "they told us the ship was sinking, and-"

"Have you stowed away the buckets," whispered Pascoe to old Johnson, and, receiving a knowing wink in reply, he left me to fight it out; but in another instant I heard him hailing," Grummett, Mr. Allen wants you ;" and I immediately followed him and found the watch and idlers setting the close-reefed maintop-sail.

"Did we do it well, Pascoe?" asked Purvis" Johnson had one bucket, Jackson had another, and I a third-did we hit the for a wash ?"

proper time "Most admirably so, Mr. Purvis," replied Pascoe: "the cadets made sure it was all over with them when the water came pouring down, and they roared so loud, that Mr. Tremenhere turned out, and I am afraid we shall have some squally looks."

"Never mind-away to duty now, and show yourselves smart," said Purvis; it will soon blow over, and we are all tarred with the same brush, you know."

The chief-mate came on deck; but Pascoe and myself were in the main-top. He said a few words to Mr. Allen, and finding everything in order, he went below again, and turned in.

The next day the gale increased, and the maintopsail was once more handed, so that we were, as before, reduced to the mainstaysail. Towards evening it lulled, and one of the ships, a large Chinaman, hoisted her colours at the topmasthead, union downwards, whilst the reports of her guns as signals of distress were faintly heard mingling with the howling of the storm. She lay to leeward of us, and the frigate was about two miles to windward. We repeated the signal and bore up, and the manof-war followed the example. We found the Chinaman was making water very fast, and the captain, fearful of not keeping her afloat through the night, was desirous of quitting her altogether: his boats were in readiness, ours and the frigates were also sent; and after much labour and great risk we succeeded in taking out every living soul before dark, without any material accident happening. The deserted ship, under a close-reefed maintopsail, with her helm lashed a-lee, formed an object for careful watchfulness during the night; and the consideration

that she was alone, without succour, on the wide waters carried with it a melancholy interest. Her captain never quitted the deck, but kept his eyes almost constantly fixed upon the craft, expecting every moment to be her last. Towards morning the weather moderated, and the Chinaman was still afloat-unmanned and unmanaged, she had weathered the strength of the gale. Daylight at length broke-a beauteous, gorgeous, redflushed daylight, and the boats were lowered down and manned, pursuant to a signal from the frigate, for the purpose of returning to the China ship to see if anything could be done to save her. The flotilla had got about half a cable's length from its destination, when the bows of the immense fabric were seen to recede from the wind-her stern rose high in the air, her head gradually settled down, and the proud ship that had so lately stemmed the waves, in a few minutes disappeared for ever, carrying with her a cargo which could not be worth less than eighty thousand pounds. The boats returned, the fleet was collected together, and the wind coming round in our favour, we soon quitted this inhospitable climate, and enjoyed a fine run through the Mozambique Channel, sighted Point de Galle, in the island of Ceylon; on the 26th of August made St. Thomas's Mount and the Pullicat Hills; and on the following morning moored ship in Madras roads, about two miles from the shore.

Here a world of wonders opened upon us. "Ma conscience," exclaimed Marshall, "what do you call them, Pascoe?" pointing to a catamaran that two natives were paddling off.

"They're a couple of devils playing at single-stick," replied Pascoe; "they'll be alongside directly-so look out, Scotchman!"

And alongside they came on their logs lashed together; light, active men, their black bodies whitened with saline particles from the briny element, no covering but a cloth round their loins, and a pointed straw cap upon each head in which they convey letters perfectly dry and safe. Those who have never witnessed it can form no conception of the rude construction of these catamarans, and the immense surf they have to pass through, and I have seen them, when the ships have been riding with lower yards and topmasts struck, bring off a communication from the shore as clean and as dry as when first placed in their hands, although they have been repeatedly buried beneath the huge waves that rolled over them. Yet they perform this for a very trifling remuneration, and the gift of a biscuit and a glass of rum is acknowledged with the utmost gratitude-they will even dance for it.

Aweel, Pascoe," said Marshall, "but them's strange ootlandish beings anyhow, and yon's a wondrous sight," pointing to the surf,surely these logs never came through sic a foaming surge as that!" "Not a bit of it," replied Pascoe; they've an underground tunnel beneath the surf, so that they escape it altogether: but look at that fellow yonder, see what a rate he's going at by means of clock-work."

We both looked, and saw a man squatting very steady on a catamaran, which was running along at a rapid rate, without any visible cause for its motion.

"And whereaboots is the machinery?" inquired Marshall; "there must be great ingenuity vera badly applied."

"You'll see his machinery presently, Mr. Marshall," exclaimed old Snatchblock," as, in regard o' the matter o' that, he's just going to wind it up."

The catamaran was approaching us, and the man commenced hauling upon a line which increased the speed of his log barque, which suddenly twisted round and went off in another direction; in a short time, however, we observed him pull up a large fish, which, by its back fin, I knew to be a shark, and whilst on the surface he slacked his line and struck the monster a heavy blow with his paddle, and off it flew again, dragging the catamaran nearly under water. Several times he repeated the operation of getting the creature within his reach and battering it with his paddle, till at last it became exhausted, and then he dexterously brought his logs alongside of us, and assistance was given him to secure his prize. It was a ground shark, about nine feet in length, with a tremendous pair of jaws, and as the poor fellow could not well carry it ashore, he proffered it for sale, and it was purchased by some of the people.

We were soon surrounded by boats from the men-of-war and the homeward-bound ships, all anxious for intelligence; and whilst the certainty of war inspirited the naval force, the probability of being captured produced a different effect amongst the crews of the Indiamen. An officer from the senior captain's ship came on board to press, and twelve of our best men were taken, amongst whom was black Jackson. To him, however, it was a matter of indifference-he had no relatives— no bonds-no kindred to unite him with the enjoyments of home-he had been kidnapped on the coast of Africa when an infant in his mother's arms, and with both his parents conveyed across the Atlantic to Jamaica. His father had received the name of Jack from the planter who purchased him, and the boy was known as Jack's son, hence arose the cognomen he had assumed of Jackson. His parents died, and the lad contrived to get to England and draw the breath of freedom. At first he became a domestic in a family fond of monstrosities (and a black servant was considered a curiosity in those days), and was baptized in a very public manner by no less a personage than a bishop, but disliking the livery, he took to the ocean, and became a thorough seaman. ships or services were alike to him, if he had but a good commander. Here Major Campbell and his detachment left us, as did also several of the cadets, some of whom subsequently rose to eminence, but the principal portion of them were expended during their initiation in servitude in this baleful climate, and not a few by yielding to intemperance at the mess-table. The seconds to the two young men, Prideaux and Deschartes, were put under confinement to take their trial on a charge of murder, and they were in prison when we sailed; but I afterwards learned that one of them died literally of a broken heart before the day of ordeal came on, the other was acquitted of murder, and as no secondary charge was made he was released, but what became of him I never heard.

All

The appearance of Madras from the roads is extremely picturesque, and I longed to obtain liberty to visit the shore, which after a few days was obtained, and accompanied by Pascoe we bargained with a Massoolah boat to land us. These boats in shape strongly resemble a walnut-shell; the planks are sewed together by rope made from the husk of the cocoa-nut, and are quite light, carrying from four to six rowers and a steersman. They are high out of the water, and the oars are formed of a long pole with a flat circular or oval piece of wood at the outer