action Troubridge was sent below, where for some time he leaned against the foremast. Suddenly he felt the vibration of the mast, as if struck by a shot, and heard it fall over on the other side, when grasping with both hands the astounded Frenchman appointed to guard him, he began to caper about with all the antics of a maniac, exclaiming, "Didn't I say so? didn't I say so?”

OLD ENEMIES AND NEW FRIENDS.

CAPTAIN BOWEN fell in the expedition against Teneriffe, in 1797, and his gold seals, chain, and sword found on his person were for some years preserved as trophies in Town-house, at Teneriffe. In 1810, the magistrates of the island sent these memorials of the dead to his brother, Commissioner Bowen, saying that they conceived it would be gratifying to his feelings to receive them, and that, as the two nations were now united in a cause which did equal honour to both, they did not wish to retain a trophy which could remind them that they had ever been opposed to each other.

A PITHY SPEECH.

At the battle of the Nile, General Savage commanded the marines on board of the Orion, and just as the ship was going into action, he pointed out to his men the line of French ships on the one side, and the low shore of Egypt on the other, and said "There, my lads, you see the enemy's ships, and there," pointing on the other side, “is the Land of Egypt; and, by Jove, if you don't fight like lions, and give the Frenchmen a good licking, to-morrow you will find yourselves in the House of Bondage." The part which the Orion played in that ever memorable engagement, and the proud share which the marines especially took, was the best answer to their gallant commander's pithy address.

HE WOULD BE A SAILOR.

LORD ST. VINCENT's determination as a boy to become a a sailor is well described in his own words, as follows:— "When about twelve years of age, Strachan, father of the

late Admiral Sir Richard Strachan, came to the same school as myself, and we became great friends. He told me such stories of the happiness of sea-life, into which he had lately been initiated, that he easily persuaded me to quit the school and go with him. We set out accordingly, and concealed ourselves on board a ship at Woolwich. My father was at that time absent from home. My mother and sisters were in a state of distraction at learning our absence from school, fearing that some disaster had happened to us. But after keeping them three days in the utmost anxiety, and suffering ourselves much privation and misery, we thought it best to return home. I went in at night, and made myself known to my sisters, who remonstrated with me rather warmly on my inpropriety of conduct, and assured me that my master would chastise me severely for it; to which I replied that he certainly would not, inasmuch as I did not intend to go to school any more, and that I was resolved to be a sailor. Next day my mother spoke to me upon the subject, and I still repeated that I would be a sailor. This threw her into much perplexity; and in the absence of her husband, she made known her grief in a flood of tears to Lady Archibald Hamilton. Her ladyship said she did not see the matter in the same light as my mother did; that she considered the sea a very honourable and good profession, and promised she would get me a situation in a ship-of-war. Shortly afterwards, Lady Hamilton introduced me to Lady Burlington, and she to Commodore Townshend, who was at that time going out in the Gloucester, as commander-inchief, to Jamaica. She requested that he would take me on his quarter-deck. The commodore, in a very rough and uncouth voice, asked me how soon I should be ready to go to sea. I replied, Directly.' Then you may go to-morrow morning,' said he. I did go, and thus commenced my naval career."

NELSON NEGLECTED.

FOR Some unaccountable reason or other, Nelson's services were, for a long time, overlooked and unrewarded. Naturally he felt himself neglected; and, in writing to a friend, thus gives vent to his feelings:-" One hundred and ten

days," says he, "I have been actually engaged at sea and on shore against the enemy: three actions against ships; two against Bastia in my ships; four boat actions; two villages taken, and twelve sail of vessels burnt. I do not know that any one has done more. I have had the comfort to be always applauded by my commander-in-chief, but never to be rewarded; and what is more mortifying, for services in which I have been wounded, others have been praised, who, at the same time, were actually in bed, far from the scene of action. They have not done me justice. But, never mind, I'll have a gazette of my own."

MAKING THE BEST OF IT.

DURING the battle of Camperdown, a marine, of the name of Coney. was brought down to the surgery, deprived of both his legs, and it was necessary to amputate still higher. "I suppose these scissors will finish the business of the bullets, master mate," says Coney. "Indeed, my brave fellow, there is some fear of it," answered the surgeon. “Well, never mind," cried Coney, "I've lost my legs, to be sure, and may lose my life; but we beat the Dutch, my boy-we have beat the Dutch; this blessed day my legs have been shot off, so I'll have another cheer for it huzza, huzza!" Coney recovered, and was cook of one of the ships in ordinary at Portsmouth, where he died in 1805.

DEBT AND DUTY.

Sir

In the reign of Charles I., his Majesty, who was then contemplating a war with Spain, came down to Plymouth in order to inspect the naval preparations making there. Thomas Monk had a great wish to pay his duty to his prince, but his debts, derived, however, rather from his ancestor's extravagance than his own, made him somewhat afraid of arrest To avoid this, he sent his son George (afterwards Duke of Albermarle) to the under-sheriff of Devonshire, with a handsome present. desiring that, on so extraordinary occasion, his person might be safe. The sheriff took the present, and acceded to the request; but soon after, receiving a larger bribe from one of his creditors, arrested him. George, whose youth led him to think

this a strange action, went to Exeter, and after endeavouring to make him sensible that he had committed an act of treachery, gave him such a sound caning as utterly disabled him from following in pursuit. The adventure caused young Monk to take refuge on board the fleet, which shortly after sailed for Cadiz. Monk was then in his seventeenth year, and this circumstance had a material influence on the career of that illustrious naval and military commander.

NELSON'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE,

THE following is Prince William Henry's account of his first impression of Lord Nelson:-"I had the watch on deck," says His Royal Highness, "when Captain Nelson came in his barge alongside; he appeared to me to be the merest boy of a captain I ever beheld. He had on a fulllaced uniform; his lank unpowdered hair was tied in a stiff Hessian tail of extraordinary length; the old-fashioned flaps of his waistcoat added to the general quaintness of his figure, and produced an appearance which particularly attracted my notice, for I had never seen anything like it before, nor could I imagine who he was, or what he came about. In his address and conversation, however, there was something irresistably pleasing, and when speaking on professional subjects he betrayed an enthusiasm and knowledge which showed that he was no common being.

POLITENESS IN ACTION.

IN 1756, Lord Howe having received instructions from the Admiral of the fleet to watch and intercept certain French ships which were to form a powerful armament destined for America, he repaired to Rochefort with his ship, the Dunkirk, and there fell in with a French vessel, the Alcide. Lord Howe, hailing the captain, delivered his orders that he should go immediately under the English admiral's stern. Hoquart quaintly asked "whether it was peace or war?" Howe repeated his orders, and generously exclaimed 66 - Prepare for the worst, as I expect every moment a signal from the flag-ship to fire upon you for not bringing to.' The ships being now close together, Howe

Howe,

had an opportunity of seeing the officers, soldiers, and ladies who were assembled on the deck. On this, he took off his hat, and told them in French, that as he presumed they could have no personal interest in the contest, he begged that they would leave the deck, adding, that he only waited their retiring to begin the action. then, for the last time, demanded that the Frenchman should go under the English admiral's stern. Hoquart, still refusing, was informed that the signal was out to engage. He replied, with the civility and sang froid of his nation," Commencez, s'il vous plait !" to which Howe replied, S'il vous plait, Monsieur, de commencer!" Orders were then given, almost at the same moment on both sides, to commence the action.

At the siege of Acre, in 1840, in the midst of the firing a white flag being hoisted on the town, hostile proceedings were instantly suspended, and on a boat proceeding to the shore, the Indian Mail, which had arrived by way of Bagdad, was handed to the officer with Suleiman Pacha's compliments to Admiral Stopford. The latter, on his part, immediately forwarded a warm letter of thanks to the Pacha, and accompanied it with a package of foreign wine which had been seized in an Egyptian vessel, directed to Suleiman. Firing was again resumed.

A STRANGER TO FEAR.

LORD HOWE was once hastily awakened in the middle of the night by the lieutenant of the watch, who informed him, in great agitation, that the ship was on fire near the gun-room. "If that be the case," said this resolute officer, rising leisurely to put on his clothes, we shall soon know it." The lieutenant flew back to the scene of danger, and instantly returned, exclaiming, "You need not be afraid, sir, the fire is extinguished!" "Afraid!" exclaimed

66

Howe-what do you mean by that, sir? I never was afraid in my life; and looking the lieutenant full in the face, he added, "How does a man feel, sir, when he is afraid? I need not ask how he looks."