instantly blown overboard, and his long grey hairs streamed straight out in the wind. This to me was a moving incident, simple as it may appear to others, and it seemed to affect Donovan also.

"What a very fine-looking old man he is indeed!" said Dennis.

The lady passengers were both below, at least I could see nothing of them. When we closed, the captain hauled down the ensign, and as the flow of water from the pumps seemed to decrease, I began to hope that they were gaining on the leak. I now steered as close to as I could without danger, and hailed that the moment it was possible I would send assistance to them. The captain heard me, and made his acknowledgment with his trumpet.

We kept as near her as was safe the whole forenoon, and although we saw that the crew were every now and then taking a spell at the pumps, yet they seemed quite able to keep the leak under, and every thing once more appeared to be going on orderly on board.

“Come,” said I, to old Shavings the carpenter, who was looking out at her alongside of me, "if the weather would only moderate a bit, a small touch of your quality, Master Shavings, and a forenoon's spell of your crew, would set him all to rights again-eh ?"

The warrant officer turned his quid, and thereby poisoned a dolphin or two, I make no doubt, by the jet of tobacco juice that he squirted overboard. He then took a long squint before he spoke.

"I ben't sartain of that, sir. The water flowing there from the scuppers is cruel clear, sir. I fear she has started something serious; I don't think she would make so much by mere straining." I began to fear be was right. And I sees some signs of a bustle on board again, sir; there, if the bloody fool of a cook has not set fire to the boarding of the smail galley-the caboose they calls it in marchantmen."

However, this accident seemed very trivial, for the man immediately to all appearance extinguished it again; but the alarming part of it was, that it seemed to have taken place while he was taking his spell at the pumps, a sure indication that

VOL. XXXVI. NO. CCXXIV,

the crew were more exhausted than I had allowed for.

The master now came suddenly on deck, and we noticed a man come up the fore-hatchway, and run aft to him, shewing by the energy of his action that the matter he was communicating was alarming, whatever its nature might be. The pumps were instantly manned again, and after a long spell, I noticed the carpenter sound the well, and immediately he shook his head. At this several of the men threw off their shirts, as if preparing for a tough bout, and set to, working harder than ever, the water once more gushing out over the ship's side in strong clear jets.

The young missionaries, who had for a minute disappeared, were again on deck, and they and the master himself now took their turns like so many of the crew; but still there was no rushing nor alarm apparently amongst them. By and by, I noticed the master go aft, and take up on his knee one of the black boards used to shut up the front of the hencoops in bad weather, on which he appeared to write something, in order to communicate with us, as, from the increase of the gale and the sea, there was no use in attempting to be heard through the trumpet. Evidently with an intention of not alarming the crew, he now slipt this over the side. On it was written in chalk,

"THE LEAK IS GAINING ON US."

The gale now came thundering down with such violence, that I found it necessary to clew up every thing but the close-reefed foresail, and the tremendous seas that roared astern of us made it doubtful how long we should be able to scud. The distress of the ship was evidently increasing; and I noticed that the poor helpless women were on deck clinging to the old man, whose age rendered it out of the question his attempting to be of any use at the pump.

I shall never forget the group. He was holding on by the mizenbackstay, in a half kneeling position; the youngest woman was beside him in her night-dress, with her long hair hanging lank down and drenched with rain over her deadly pale features, while her fair and taper

C

naked arms were clasped convulsively round his neck, as she hid her face in his bosom. The elder lady was sitting covered with a boat-cloak on the small seat, that ran along the larboard side of the companion, with one of her arms over the top of it to keep her in her seat, which she seemed to accomplish with great difficulty, as the labouring ship sweltered about on the boiling sea. A sheep, apparently a pet lamb, stood, or rather staggered about, on the deck beside her, every now and then turning up its innocent face and bleating, and trying to poke its head under her cloak.

A sea at this moment broke over the starboard quarter of the ship, and drenched all of them, washing aside the skirt of the cloak that covered the oldest of the females, and disclosing, alas, alas ! my poor dear little boy, crying in his mother's arms, and stretching and struggling with his little limbs, as if he had slept through it all, until the very moment when the unruly surge washed him in his nest.

"Mind your helm," sung out Mr Marline, sharp and suddenly.

I turned to look aft from whence the voice came. Heavens, what a sight! A huge green wave was curling its monstrous crest, like revolving wheels of foam, close aboard of us astern, and pursuing us, hissing and roaring, like a sea monster rushing on its prey.

I had only time to sing out, "All hands, secure yourselves," when it rolled in over the tafferel, and swept the deck fore and aft, washing boats, hen-coops, spare spars, and every thing that was not part and portion of the solid deck and upperworks, overboard, and submerging us several feet under water.

I thought the little Midge's buzz. ing and stinging were for ever over, and that she never would have risen again; but the buoyant little craft gallantly struggled from under the sea, and rose gaily to the surface like a wild-duck shaking her feathers after a long dive; and having hove to, we soon made capital weather of it-her strong bows dancing over the advancing surges, as if in contempt, until they hissed away under foot, like serpents foiled in their attack. It was a fearful sight to look

down from the summit of a gigantic sea, on the frigate and shattered merchantman, as they were tossed to and fro beneath us like objects seen from a hillside, and then to feel yourself sinking, and see them rising as you in your turn sank into the trough, until they appeared to hang above you in act to slide down and swamp you, and again to lose sight of them altogether, as a wave rose howling between us.

Had the felucca been a deepwaisted vessel, she must have inevitably been swamped; but having no ledge or rail whatsoever, and the hatches having been got on and well secured early in the forenoon, we took little or no water below. We lost one hand overboard, more lamented for the time, I believe, than if he had been the best man in the ship. It was poor Dicky Phantom, the monkey, who, when the word was passed for the men to hold on and make themselves fast, seeing them lay hold of ropes, in imitation caught one too; but, alas for Dicky! it was the slack end, so that the sea washed him overboard like smoke, and being unable to stand the drag through the water, the poor brute had to let go, and perished miserably.

As his little black gibbering face, with the eyes starting from his head, and his mouth open and grinning, while he was coughing and spluttering out the sea water, looked its last at us from the curling ridge of a wave, a general "Ah! there goes poor Dicky Phantom," burst from all hands.

The ship had also hove to; but in the few minutes that had passed since I had last seen her, her condition was clearly much altered for

the worse.

The crew had knocked off from the pumps, and several, I could see, were employed casting loose the hen-coops, spare spars, and every thing that would float, while the greater part appeared absolutely insane, and rushed about the deck stretching out their hands towards us with imploring faces, as if we could have helped them, while others, alas, alas! were drunk-brutally, bestially drunk, and grinned and gibbered, and threatened us with their fists.

It was indeed a humiliating and a heart-breaking sight to see fellow

beings endowed with sense and reason like ourselves, debasing themselves in their last moments below the level of the beasts that perish, and recklessly rushing into the presence of the Almighty in a state of swinish intoxication.

"What is that?" cried Mr Marline. "Heavens, if they have not set fire to the rum in the spiritroom!"

As he spoke, a wavering flash of blue flame gleamed for a moment up the after hatchway, the hatches of which, in the increasing confusion, had been knocked off. Presently this was followed by a thick column of white smoke, speaking as plain as tongue could have told, that the fire had caught. The column became suddenly streaked with fire, which instantly drove the miserable group of women and men forward into the waist. In a minute the flames burst out of the main hatchway also, and scorched away the two young missionaries and the captain from the pumps, to which, although deserted by the crew, they had, with noble intrepidity and calm resolution, clung until this very mo

ment.

The eldest lady was now lying motionless on the wet deck, apparently dead or in a faint, with her bare arms clasped round her child, who, poor little fellow, was tossing his tiny hands, and apparently cry ing piteously, while the younger woman was clinging convulsively round her husband's neck, as, along with his companion and the old captain, he had now sat down on the deckthe whole grouped round the patriarchal old Moravian, who was kneeling in the middle, and with outstretched hands apparently imploring Heaven for mercy, while over all, the sea, now lashed into redoubled fury by the increasing gale, broke in showers of spray.

The whole after part of the ship was by this time on fire; and falling off before the wind under her foresail, she ran down in the direction of the frigate that was lying to about a mile to leeward. As she bore up and passed us, the old captain, drenched, half-naked, and bareheaded, with a face pale as death, was endeavouring to seize the ensign union down in the main rigging, but it was torn from his feeble

hands by the strength of the wind, and as if it had been the last faint gleam of hope finally deserting them, flew down to leeward like a flash of red flame. He then again hung the board on which he had formerly telegraphed over the gangway. The following fearful legend was now written on it in chalk:

ON FIRE, AND SINKING! If I had followed her, after having once been pooped, and nearly swamped already, it would have been downright madness, epecially as I could render no earthly assistance. I had therefore nothing for it but to keep the Midge lying to.

The firmament now became black as night. A thick squall, with heavy rain, that had been some time brewing to windward, burst down on us with the most terrific fierceness. For a minute we could neither see nor hear any thing but the roaring of the tormented waters, and the howling, or rather thundering of the wind. The shred of sail that we had set flew out of the bolt-rope into ribbons, with a sound like a cannon-shot, and I thought the little vessel would have turned keel up. At length it passed us, and cleared where we were, only to shew us the poor disabled ship overtaken by it. And now it was evident that she was water-logged, from the heavy sickly way in which she rolled and pitched, while the fire lit up the whole dark sky overhead with ‍a red murky glare, as if it had been midnight.

The squall crept up to her, thickened round her, and gradually conccaled both her and the frigate, hiding them entirely from our view within its watery veil; but the conflagration still lit up, and shone through the grey mist-like shroud, (alas, in very truth a shroud to one of them!) and gave horrible indication as to her whereabouts.

It suddenly disappeared, the tornado of wind and rain drifted down to leeward. A blinding flash of lightning took place, and anon a peal of thunder shook the empyrean, as if it had been the trumpet of the Archangel. The clouds rose-the weather cleared away- Great God, what do I see! The frigate is there BUT THE SHIP IS GONE!

*

For several minutes, the thunderstorm continued with the same violence. At one time I thought the lightning had struck our mast-head. But it was the breaking up of the weather, for with startling suddenness a bright slanting beam from the evening sun pierced through the dark masses of cloud in the west, and floated on the tempestuous surface of the troubled waters where the ship had gone down, like a ray of hope breaking through clouds and shadows on the tumultuous agitations of a departing spirit. Was it the eye of Providence glancing on the watery grave of the innocent and virtuous, and evincing through our senses, that the quenching of their gentle light amidst the howling waste of waters, although unseen of men, was not unmarked of the Eternal, "who maketh the clouds his chariot, and who walketh on the wings of the wind?" And was the doom of the wicked in the rolling thunder? The thought stirred me like a trumpet-note.

The sunbeam travelled on, as if drifting before the wind, until it glanced on the dark hull, and lofty spars, and storm staysails of the noble frigate; and the weather moderating at the same time, I ran off the wind to close the Commodore, and sailed over the spot where the ship had foundered, as near as we could judge. Several hencoops and spars were floating about; but the whole crew were gone to "where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest."

Keep her away a bit," sung out Lennox from forward-"keep her away a bit, Mr Brail, there is something struggling in the water close

to.

More yet-more yet," as the noble fellow fastened a rope round his waist; "that will do-now, messmates, hold on, and mind you haul me in if I miss, and seem pretty well done." In a twinkling the poor fellow was overboard, and striking out gallantly amongst the choking spray. I see the object," I exclaimed, "that is flashing and struggling in the water; whatever it may be, he has it; down with the helm, and bring her to the wind-down with it, hard-a-lee. He has it-he has it! No, missed it, by heaven! No, no, he has fast hold; gently, haul him in,

men-gently, that's it; now, handsomely, in with him. Hurra! well done, Lennox! You are on board again, my lad."

Why, what have they hauled in with him?" said Donovan, who was standing aft beside me, while Lennox was got on board at the bows. I was myself confoundedly puzzled. "A sheep, and a bundle of clouts, ha, ha, ha!" shouted Joe Peak. I jumped forward. A bundle of cloutsalas, alas! it was the breathless body of the beautiful child I had seen on board the ship.

It was lashed to the neck of the pet lamb with a silk handkerchief, and now lay at my feet a little blue and ghastly corpse. I snatched it up in my arms, more from the impulse of the moment, than any expectation of the ethereal spark being still present in the little cold clammy body; and, to the great surprise of the crew, I called Lennox, and desiring him to get some hot salt in a cloth, and two bottles of hot water, and to bring some warm cloths into the cabin immediately, I descended, stripped the child, and drying his little limbs with a piece of blanket, I clapt him into my own berth. Lennox and Donovan followed; and, against all appearances, we set to, and chafed and manipulated the frigid limbs of the darling boy, and applied hot bottles to his feet, and the hot salt to his little chest and stomach; but it was all in vain. was a moving sight to see great rough bushy-whiskered hard-aweather seamen, in despite of all etiquette, struggling like children at a raree show to get a peep at what was going on below, through the small open skylight, that ventilated the little well cabin.

It

"Ah, my poor little fellow, you are gone; your unhappy mother might have spared her dying heart the pang of parting with you, when she made you fast to the lamb-you would then at least have died in her arms, and beside her heart, my sweet child!" As I said this, my brother officer, and Lennox, the latter all dripping with sea water, and still pale and breathless with his recent exertions, were both standing looking down on the body of the child, having done all they could,but all in vain.

The tears were rolling down the

Scotch lad's cheek, and Dennis, honest fellow, once or twice blew his nose very suspiciously, contriving during the trumpetings to steal a small swab at his eyes, lest the share the old lady in Sackville Street, Dublin, had in him, might become too apparent.

"He is gone," said Lennox, after a long pause, as he stepped to the berth, with the intention of covering the dead body with the sheet. He no sooner stooped down than he suddenly started back, and held up his hand to attract our attention. I looked-one eyelid quivered - it opened a little, then shut again, and again the aguish appearance passed over it; the chest heaved, and the little sufferer drew a long sigh. "He lives, he lives!" said Lennox, in a low voice, and speaking as if he was himself choking. The word was passed through the skylight to the warm-hearted expectants clustered round it on their knees on the deck above. My eye, what a row! They instantly jumped to their feet, and began to caper about overhead as if a legion of dancing devils had suddenly possessed them.

"He's alive," shouted one_poor fellow, "and we can now spare Dicky Phantom."

"Forward with you, men," sung out Mr Wadding, " forward with you; how dare you lumber the quarterdeck in that way, with your lubberly carcasses?"

We now increased our exertions, and had the inexpressible pleasure of seeing them crowned with success; and having poured some tepid wine and water down the child's throat he was as yet too weak to drink it himself, or to speak-we had the happiness to see him open wide his fine dark blue eyes, and take a steady, and apparently a conscious look at us; and presently his respiration, though as yet slow and sighlike, became regular; the animal heat of his body over his heart began to be perceptible-the blue clayey colour of his skin and face, the sharpness of his features, and the blackness of his shrunk lips, began to fade and give way before the accelerating circulation-and after coughing up a large quantity of salt water, he turned his little face to the

ship's side, and fell into a sound sleep.

By this time it was near sunset, and the gale was rapidly abating, but the sea was still very high. We ran down and closed with the Commodore, and kept him in view the whole night.

Donovan and I were sitting in the cabin regaling ourselves with a glass of grog, about nine o'clock in the evening "I say, Benjie, how that poor little fellow snores-do you hear him?"

"I do, and it is music to mine ear, my darling. What a scene it must have been when the ship foundered! I am glad we did not see it, Dono

van."

"And so am I-why, we have rather had a stirring time of it lately, a number of odd circumstances have happened; but what do you make of the Commodore's taking on so, as you and Sprawl said he did, when he heard that young De Walden was missing-had he any hand in the young chap, think you?”

66 no

"Oh, no," said I laughing, thing; besides he used to keep him tighter set up than any other mid in the ship. However, that would neither make nor mend as to the probability of your surmise, Donovan; but I verily believe he was no connexion of the Commodore's."

"Well, well," said Dennis, " give me t'other glass of swizzle, Lennox -thank ye. I say, Lennox, my ladgallant conduct enough that of yours

after having been so ill too—I wonder you had strength." The man bowed." Now since I have had time to consider, what are you going to do with the child there, Benjie?

"Send him on board Gazelle, I presume, when the weather moderates-but, good-night, I am off to my cot-who has the watch, Lennox ?" "Mr Peak, sir."

"Tell him to keep close to the Commodore, aud call me the instant any thing worth reporting occurs." "Yes, sir."

"How is the weather?"

Clearing away fast, sir," answered the marine-" and the sea is greatly gone down."

"Very well, let them trim by the Commodore, do you hear-keep way with him, but no more; Sir Oli