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COLLECTION OF NAVAL ANECDOTES FROM AUTHENTIC SOURCES.

THE Anecdotes comprised in the following collection have all of them some connection with the persons and events alluded to in the foregoing pages. A separate place has been assigned them in order that they might be more readily lighted upon, and also to prevent their interrupting the regular flow of the narrative.

AN AGGRESSIVE QUAKER.

IN the war between England and America, a New York trader was chased by a small French privateer, and having four guns with plenty of small arms, it was agreed to stand a brush with the enemy rather than be taken prisoners. Among other passengers was a stout quaker, who, although he withstood every solicitation to lend a hand, as being contrary to his religious tenets, kept walking backwards and forwards on the deck, without any apparent fear, the enemy all the time pouring in their shot. At length, the vessels having approached close to each other, a disposition to board was manifested by the French, which was very soon put into execution; and the quaker, being on the look-out, unexpectedly sprang towards the first man that jumped on board, and, grappling him forcibly by the collar, coolly said," Friend, thou hast no business here." at the same time hoisting him over the ship's side. He served several others in the same way, and thus materially aided the cause, which was ultimately successful.

CRUEL TO BE KIND.

WHEN Lord St. Vincent was cruising in the British Channel, the ship's crew were one day ordered to bathe.

On returning to their duty, Lord St. Vincent observed a favourite seaman in tears, surrounded by a group of his comrades. He called his secretary and said,-" There's my delight, Roger Odell, in tears; go, see what's the matter." It turned out that Roger had jumped off the fore-yard with his trousers on, and had forgotton that all he possessed in the world consisted of bank-notes in one of his pockets The water reduced them to a useless pulp. The admiral went into the cabin, but presently returned, and ordered all hands to turn out. Odell was

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summoned, and the admiral assuming a stern look, thus addressed him :-" Roger Odell, you are convicted, sir, by your own appearance, of tarnishing the British oak with tears! What have you to say?" The poor fellow, overpowered by distress, could only plead, that he had lost all he had in the world; that he had been many years saving it; and that he could not help crying a little." The admiral, still preserving his look of displeasure, said,— "The loss of money, sir, can never be an excuse to a British seamen for tears." Then softening down his tones, he proceeded: "Roger Odell, you are one of the best men in the ship: in my life I never saw a man behave better than you did in the Victory, in the action with the Spanish fleet. To show, therefore, that your commanderin-chief will never pass over merit wheresoever he may find it, there is your money, sir," giving him £70, "but no more tears, mind-no more tears." The poor fellow, holding the notes in his hand, astonished and confused, but becoming by degrees sensible of the reality, said, in a hurried manner. "Thank ye, my lord, thank ye! and dived down below to conceal a fresh gush of tears of gratitude.

A FEMALE SUBSTITUTE.

DURING the heat of the action in which Rodney gained a complete victory over the French under Count de Grasse, a gunner being disabled and sent below, a woman was found supplying his place at the gun. After the battle she was brought before the admiral, when it turned out that she was the sailor's wife, who had been concealed on board. She declared she was not afraid of the French,

and thought it her right to supply her husband's place. Rodney threatened her for a breach of the rules, but privately sent her a purse of ten guineas.

SCORNING AN ADVANTAGE.

Ar the capture of the Spanish fort St. Fernando de Omoa, a sailor, unaccompanied, scrambled over the wall of the fort with a cutlass in each hand, and thus equipped fell in with a Spanish officer just aroused from sleep, who, in the hurry and confusion, had forgotten his sword. The tar, disdaining to take advantage of an unarmed foe, and willing to display his courage in single combat, presented the officer with one of the cutlasses, saying,- -"I scorn any advantage-you are now on a footing with me. The astonishment of the officer at such an act of generosity, and the facility with which a parley took place when he expected to be cut to pieces, could only be rivalled by the admiration which his relating the story excited in his countrymen. Upon this circumstance being mentioned to Sir Peter Parker, on the return of the squadron, he appointed this intrepid fellow to be boatswain of sloopof-war.

AN AFFECTING INCIDENT.

In the gallant and sanguinary action fought between the English brig, Swallow, and the French ship, Reynard, in 1812, the following melancholy occurrence took place:One of the seamen of the Swallow, named Phelan, had his wife on board; and during the action she was stationed (as is usual when women are on board in the time of battle) to assist the surgeon in the care of the wounded. From the close manner in which the Swallow engaged the enemy, yard-arm and yard-arm, the wounded were brought below in quick succession; among the rest, a messmate of Phelan's (and consequently of her own), who had received a musketball through his side. Her exertions were being used to console the poor fellow, who was in great agonies, and nearly breathing his last, when by some chance she heard that her husband was wounded on deck; her anxiety and already overpowered feelings could not one moment be re

strained; she rushed instantly on deck, and received the wounded seaman in her arms; he faintly raised his head to kiss her; she burst into a flood of tears, and told him to take courage, as all would yet be well; but had scarcely pronounced the last word, when a shot took her head off. The poor fellow, who was closely enfolded in her arms, opened his eyes once more, and then closed them for ever. What rendered the circumstance the more affecting was, that the poor woman had only three weeks before given birth to a fine boy, who was thus in a moment deprived of both father and mother. As soon as the action was over, and natural feelings took their place, the interest of the sailors was aroused for the fate of poor little Tommy, for so he was called. Many said, and all feared he must die; they agreed that he should have a hundred fathers, but what could be the substitute for a nurse and a mother? Suddenly they recollected that there was a goat on board, the property of the officers, which gave an abundance of milk The expedient was no sooner hit upon than resorted to. The animal proved tractable, and in course of time learnt to lie down, when little Tommy was brought to be suckled by her. He grew up to be a fine lad, and, in course of time, a seaman in the royal navy.

AN IMPROVISED STANDARD.

DURING the confusion of the battle on the 1st of June, the Marlborough was mistaken by several English ships for a Frenchman, as the whole of her colours had been shot away but one white ensign, which was then hoisted. This circumstance occasioned much destruction from the fire of the ships which fell into the mistake. At length the solitary ensign was also shot away. From the impossibility of replacing the colours, it seemed as if the ship had struck, an idea which operated on the mind of a common seaman named Appleford so forcibly, that he loudly exclaimed-" The English colours shall never be doused where I am." Then casting his eyes round the deck, he perceived the dead body of a marine, who had been shot through the head. He instantly stripped the body of its red coat, stuck it on a boarding-spike, and exalted it in the a meaning that Englishmen would not desert their

colours, and that when all the red coats were gone, they would hoist blue jackets. This conduct infused fresh spirits into his comrades.

NELSON'S SMART MONEY.

WHEN Nelson returned to England after the loss of his eye, he went to the Admiralty to receive a year's pay as smart money; but could not obtain payment, because he had neglected to bring a certificate from a surgeon, that the sight was actually destroyed. A little irritated that the form should be insisted on, because, though the fact was not apparent he thought it was sufficiently notorious, he procured a certificate at the same time for the loss of his arm; saying, that they might just as well question one as the other. This put him in good humour with himself, and with the clerk who had offended him. On his return to the office, the clerk. finding it was.only the annual pay of a captain, observed, he thought it had been more. "Oh!" replied Nelson, this is only for an eye. In a few days I shall come for an arm; and in a little time longer, God knows, most probably for a leg." Accordingly, he soon afterwards went, and with perfect good humour exhibited the certificate for the loss of his arm.

FIGHTING ON A FULL STOMACH.

On the morning of the glorious 1st of June, the French, confident in the superiority of their ships and crews, began to imagine that the English admiral did not desire an action. Captain Troubridge was at that time a prisoner on board the Sans Pareil, and Rear-Admiral Neuilly remarked to him, "Your people do not seem disposed to fight." Troubridge who had noticed the signal flying for breakfast on board the ships of the British fleet, was at that time partaking of the same meal, and, dropping the loaf he held, he placed his hand on the French officer's shoulder, saying, Not fight! stop till they have had their breakfasts. I know John Bull well, and when his belly is full, you will get it. Depend upon it, they will pay their respects to you in half an hour." A few minutes afterwards the British fleet bore up to engage. During the