cruise. There can be no doubt that this capricious, naval tyrant, transcended his authority in matters of discipline, in numerous instances. It is a wonder that this man was not brought to justice before he was, if indeed he ever has been brought to justice. It is true, he has been broken; but that was letting him off a little too easy. His punishment should have been somewhere near commensurate with his manifold offences.

After remaining on this station about fifteen months, the Cyane was superseded by the Macedonian, commanded by Commodore Biddle, and the former was ordered home.

It may be well to state, for the information of the reader, that the amiable Commodore was seized with the speculating mania, about this time, and he bethought him he could make a tolerable "spec" to take home a freight of Jackasses and Ostriches, as he could do it at the expense of Uncle Sam. So he bought up a cargo of these elegant creatures and took them in, much to the annoyance of all on board, save himself. And while the human crew were allowed only three pints of water per day-barely enough to keep

them from drying up his Jackasses were permitted to drink as much as they required.

a fellow feeling made him

We suppose 66 wondrous kind" to Jackasses.

He also took on board a monstrous Tiger, which was put under the sentry's charge, and an ugly customer he was. It was thought on board, that he was almost as ferocious as the Commodore himself.

After a passage of almost six months, during which time she touched at Rio Janeiro, Bahia, and most of the West India Islands, the Cyane arrived at Philadelphia.

We should have stated that our hero was, sometime previous to the arrival of the Cyane at Philadelphia, attacked by a pulmonary disease, from which he was still suffering, and was now consequently discharged from the service.

CHAPTER VII.

Ir will be recollected that our hero drank no ardent spirits on board the Cyane — that he wisely foreswore alcoholic potations at that, to him, trying season, when his back was in such manifest danger of being warmed or rather heated for the sin of desertion. It is a pity that John did not have strength to adhere to that glorious resolution which he then made to drink no more rum. But that evil genius which had so long slumbered within him was now aroused, and assailed his appetite with more than its wonted fury. Our hero fell" and what a fall was there, my countrymen!" He resumed his old habits by first drinking a little wine! — under its gentle and fostering effects his appetite waxed vigorous, and John was soon precipitated back into the gutter, both of moral and muddy debasement.

After spending about three weeks in Philadelphia, in coach-riding and carousing, he went,

in company with some of his shipmates, to New York. Here it was their misfortune

or, per

haps we should say their good fortune — to fall among a gang of wretches who soon plundered them of all they possessed. Our hero had previous to this designed to visit his friends in Massachusetts, but having now lost his money he had not the wherewithal to go. So he and his shipmates determined to ship the first opportunity. They did not have to wait long for a chance; for as they were returning to their boarding-house they met a man who wanted to ship six men for a whaling voyage. John and his five shipmates shipped immediately, for their desperate situation demanded that they should do something to replenish their pockets. They received their advance money which they soon disposed of, and then started for their ship, which lay in Sag Harbor, on Long Island, distance about ninety miles from New York. They soon found themselves on board their ship, which being ready for sea, immediately sailed. When they got out to sea they found, to their sorrow, that they had got caught in an old leaky trap, this time, which kept them pumping almost incessently. After a passage of seven days they

arrived on the Brazil banks, and in a short time took six hundred barrels of oil. By this time the ship had become so leaky as to render it necessary to put into port. The Captain called all hands on deck and told them, what they already knew, that it was no longer safe to stay at sea- that they must immediately put into port. They therefore steered for St. Catherine, in Brazil, where they arrived in a very deplorable condition.

The Captain, loth thus prematurely to throw up the voyage, determined to patch up the Fair Helen for this was her name and again put out to sea. The men were not willing to risk themselves in her again, and made up their minds (our hero and his five comrades) to run away - which they soon managed to do. It happened very favorably one night that the officers went ashore on a sort of spree. They came off to the ship at midnight about half-seas over, and, happily for the intended runaways, hoisted their boat but a little distance from the water. They had previously arranged the watch so as to call such as they knew would not give the alarm. As soon as the officers got asleep they put their things into the boat, and our hero, who